Hamilton planning staff have put the brakes on reviewing any further development proposals for the feeder area lands east of the Eramosa karst until at least next spring, when the Ontario Realty Corporation submits its technical reports on the geographical landmark.

"This is a process that has worked," said Stoney Creek councillor Brad Clark, who represents the area. "Concerns were raised by the community. Everybody agreed to halt the secondary plan. I compliment everyone involved. This has been a very positive process."

In September, politicians agreed to put the brakes on the secondary planning process for the lands east of the karst until at least December. Councillors also stopped the environmental assessment process for a collector road proposed to be built through the karst lands.

The city is proceeding with the secondary planning process on the lands west of the karst, north of Rymal Road.

Councillors at the September meeting, asked the provincial government to transfer the remaining karst lands in the Trinity Neighbourhood to the Hamilton Conservation Authority. City planning staff said last week there has been no response from the province.

The city has recommended including an additional $200,000 in the 2008 capital budget to revise the area's Transportation Master Plan for the Rymal Road Official Plan Amendment 9 (ROPA 9) and the Trinity Neighbourhood area.

The two issues that may prevent the Trinity Neighbourhood collector road from moving forward are negative results from the Ontario Realty Corporation's technical reports or the lands will be transferred to the HCA. The authority already owns the Eramosa karst lands.

The ORC's technical reports include a topographic survey, hydrogeology study, ecology study, traffic assessment and a noise study to see how development would affect the protected karst. The city expects the ORC to submit its reports to the city by early next year. City staff will provide councillors with an update in April 2008.

A secondary plan has been prepared for the Trinity Neighbourhood, which reveals the proposed development could accommodate about 9,700 people.

The ORC, which has managed the karst lands, has indicated developing these feeder areas would accommodate about 1,300 residential units and create about 800 jobs, boost tax assessment for the city, provide for a new Catholic school and create a park east of the Karst Conservation Area.

But the land use plans for the area were created under the assumption several road improvements would be completed. These included constructing the collector road, the Red Hill Creek Parkway, widening Rymal Road, extending Trinity Church Road to the Lincoln Alexander Parkway and widening Regional Road 56.

Any development of the ROPA 9 area is predicated on the city's transportation plans.

Much of the development planned for the Trinity Neighbourhood bounded by Highland Road West to the north, Second Road West to the east, Rymal Road to the south and the proposed extension of Trinity Church Road was cancelled after the discovery of the karst, which is a series of caves, dry valleys, and sinking streams caused by dissolving limestone.

Residents on Second Road West have waited more than six years to have their road closed and now feel if the new collector road is not built, they will have to endure more heavy traffic along their road.

Another group of residents have formed the Friends of Eramosa Karst to promote the preservation as a park of the 80 acres of land on the eastern border of the karst. The group's Web site is at http://www.friendsoferamosakarst.org/news.htm.

Mr. Clark, who has been working to protect the 13,000-year-old Eramosa karst since he was a Progressive Conservative MPP and the rest of council agree the city is financially unable to accept the lands from the province. It is acknowledged the HCA is in a better position to properly maintain the geographically-unique property.

In 2006, the province transferred about 180 acres of the land, including the entire core area, core buffer and feeder creek areas to the HCA.