Municipal council tables land use bylaw

The proposal restricts agricultural development in more residential areas of the municipality.

While existing farms with livestock animals would be exempt from the proposed regulations, the amount of livestock on new farms in the municipality would be regulated, and farm animals on properties less than one and half acres would be prohibited.

Except on existing mink farms, the bylaw does not permit mink and fox ranching in areas of the county defined as ‘residential livestock areas’.

Areas subject to the provisions of the proposed bylaw are Bayview, Bear River, Centreville, East River, Freeport, Little River, the Marshalltown to Weymouth corridor, Sandy Cove, Smith’s Cove, Tiverton, Westport, Weymouth and Weymouth North.

The public hearing, which preceding the March 31 council meeting, turned into a standing room-only event, with 13 people making presentations to council. Of those, 11 were opposed to the bylaw on the grounds it was unfair and unnecessary.

A twelfth person--Brian McCullogh of the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture—noted a number of small errors and inconsistencies in the document. While none of these changed the intent of the proposal, they would need to be corrected before council could proceed with second reading.

A thirteenth presenter, Chris Thibault, said he had wanted to start a cranberry farm in the area but shelved the idea when he learned it would cost him more than $100,000 for environmental assessment studies. He wondered why the municipality’s mink farmers have been exempt from such regulations.

At the council meeting that followed, Warden Jim Thurber said he was disappointed that the Department of Agriculture’s McCullogh had waited until the meeting to point out the errors he had caught when he proofread the document. McCullogh had received the proposed bylaw months earlier.

Deputy warden Jimmy MacAlpine expressed some surprise at the opposition voiced at the public hearing. After five years of consideration and seven public meetings, he had believed residents of the municipality were receptive to land-use regulation. He had also believed mink breeders were satisfied with the proposal.

Councilors unanimously agreed more consultation with special interest groups would be necessary before proceeding with the bylaw.

If significant changes are made to the proposed bylaw, it becomes ‘new’ and will no longer be at the second reading stage.

Warden Thurber noted that Clare and Yarmouth both have municipal planning strategies in place and is convinced such regulation is necessary. He noted that at one time disputes could be resolved “over the back fence,” but these days are past.

Thurber also said the issue needs to be resolved within the mandate of the present council. Municipal elections are scheduled for Oct. 18.