by SUSAN MANN
A couple wanting to sever a parcel of land for a house in a farming area of Huron County have withdrawn their application.
The severance application of Robert Vodden and Joanne Palmer was scheduled for an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing next month after the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and Frieshaven Farms Ltd. launched an appeal.
The municipality of Central Huron and Huron County Council committee of the whole approved the application this spring. The parcel is located in East Ward (Hullett) in Central Huron. The county’s planning department recommended the application be turned down because it didn’t conform to municipal or provincial planning documents.
Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn says the county council’s lawyer explained the possible costs involved in the OMB hearing. The couple could have faced potential legal fees of more than $100,000 and “no guarantee they’re going to win. They just decided not to pursue it.”
Ginn says county council voted in favour of requesting Ontario change its provincial policy to allow severances in agricultural areas. “We’re asking Municipal Affairs to ease up on the restrictions of severances in areas zoned agriculture.”
Municipal Affairs is now reviewing the Provincial Policy Statement, which it does every five years, he says. “We’re not going out asking them to open it up and look at it. This is a scheduled review.”
Huron Council may also take the matter to the Rural Ontario Municipal Association to see if there is support from the rest of the province. “We’re not going to fight and win this battle on our own,” Ginn says.
Ginn, who is a farmer, says he understands other farmers’ concerns about severed houses in agricultural areas. But “we want to be able to allow rural severances with minimal effects to farming.”
Ginn has been concerned about the depopulation of the countryside because houses that are torn down aren’t being replaced resulting in fewer taxpayers. It costs the same amount of money to plow a mile of road whether there’s one person living on it or 10.
Ginn says the way he sees it is either municipalities let rural infrastructure decline with, for example, bridge closures or less road plowing and maintenance or “you put more people out there.” BF
Comments
The school closest to this property, the school my children and Ginn's children attended, is scheduled to close because of declining enrolment.
Why should agriculture for a just a few farmers being more important than schools for everyone?
Stephen Thompson, Clinton, ON
Perhaps it is time for a review of MDS and right to farm. As long as agriculture has to play second fiddle to the rights of residential property owners in rural ontario the hollowing out will continue.
How about it OFA?
David Lyons
Caledon
Rural residential property owners are playing second fiddle to farmers, not the other way around. Giving farmers the "right-to-farm" was intended to give farmers some balance, not the right to trample over everyone else.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
I'm a mother of 2, divorcing. I reside in a 54 acre parcel in Elgin C, deemed "prime agricultural land". My ex husband whom I have separated with peacefully has offered to try to sever 5 acres of our land fir me to build on, so our family can " keep the farm" and the kids can have both parents close by on the only home they've ever known. This land is less than 50% farmed, the parcel I want to sever is wooded and never has been farmed and as long as I own the farm, never will be. So tell me, OFA, and OMB supporters, why do you have no exemptions and why are you protecting land over the future of the welfare of the people of your communities? My husband's family has roots that go further back in my community than any OFA policy. I'm listening:
How did this end up...?
You will have a long wait .
Also just because it is policy does not mean it is correct or even current for todays world .
Further where would they put all the wind turbines if they have houses all over the sacred need to protect farm land ?
Sighhhh
We have had a long battle with our municipality and the MMAH regarding the ridiculous restrictions of the Provincial Policy Statement. We have 22 acres of prime agriculatural land that we are no longer using for our horses and our neighbor, a dairy farmer and crop farmer, would very much like to buy it and farm it so it does not go to neglect. Our properties are adjacent at the back of our property and no one would be negatively affected by this. I guess it was ok. for them to allow a solar farm on 200 acres of prime agricultural land down the road from us but this was rejected. Is there an online petition to get the province to change the rules to what makes common sense? I have voiced my opinion to every level of government but they all pass th buck.
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