MAPLETON – A business just north of Wallenstein is hoping to expand its operations.
The township held a public meeting on Oct. 14 to discuss a bylaw amendment to permit owners of Mapleside Industries Inc. to build a 265 square-metre (2,850 square-foot) addition to their home business at 6428 Yatton Sideroad.
Mapleside Industries is a powder coating company.
The addition would be used to store materials and finished products, and bring the overall business size to about 1,300 square metres (14,000 square feet).
The existing site specific zoning permits a home industry of 775 square metres (8,340 square feet), so owners would need a site specific amendment to permit the addition.
The 36-hectare (90-acre) property includes a farm operation and a home industry and is zoned prime agriculture and core greenlands.
The area used for the business would come to 0.7 hectares if the expansion is completed.
This is the maximum size permitted, as the province limits on-farm home industries to two per cent of the total farm area.
Neighbouring property owners, Mapleton staff and applicable agencies were informed of the public meeting on Sept. 18 and a notice was posted on-site on Sept. 19.
Township planners support the rezoning request and note “the business remains secondary to the main agricultural use and complies with the other home industry regulations.”
County planners also have no concerns with the application, not does the Grand River Conservation Authority, which notes the area to be re-zoned is outside the area it regulates.
The existing home industry was approved in 2022, noted township planner Linda Redmond, and there were no concerns at that time either.
“Now, they’re back to expand the building,” Redmond said, “as they are currently storing materials outside and would like to increase indoor storage space.”
A report from township planners notes the addition may require and amendment to the existing approved site plan, according to Mapleton’s site plan control bylaw.
Property owner Sullivan Martin was in attendance during the meeting but said he did not have anything to add.
No one expressed opposition to the application.
Wellington Federation of Agriculture (WFA) president Barclay Nap spoke in favour of the application.
Nap went on to suggest that instead of permitting a site specific amendment, the expansion should be allowed as of right, because it is “clearly compatible and appropriate” in a prime agricultural area and conforms to provincial regulations.
“Adopting an as of right process would streamline the process for not only the applicant but also municipal council and staff,” Nap said, and the WFA is willing to collaborate with staff to enhance the township’s approach to agricultural operations.
Councillor Michael Martin asked Redmond what’s holding the township back from moving toward the more streamline approach Nap described.
Redmond said the county is working on updating its official plan to incorporate current provincial policies.
The township’s zoning bylaw needs to be in conformity with the county’s official plan, she said, but once the county’s official plan has been amended the township’s zoning bylaw can be too.
The township’s zoning bylaws can be more restrictive than the county’s official plan, but cannot be less restrictive, she noted.
So once the county’s official plan is updated, Mapleton council can opt to keep its zoning bylaw as is, or it can direct the township’s planning department to undertake a housekeeping amendment to update on-farm diversified uses, she said.
