Council approves variance to permit barn extension close to road

WELLINGTON NORTH – A dairy barn expansion will be located a little closer to the road than is usually allowed. 

The extended barn is set to sit 22 metres away from Wellington Road 16, whereas minimum distance separation requirements specify it should be at least 39 metres from the road.

The property is a 93-acre (38-hectare) farm with a house, dairy barn, equipment shed and manure storage at 8595 Wellington Road 16. 

The owners are set to construct a new manure pit along with the barn expansion.   

Township planners have no concerns with the application and say it maintains the general intent and purpose of the county’s official plan and the township’s zoning bylaw and is minor, desirable and appropriate. 

The applicant says the location of the barn addition is ideal for operational efficiency, and is part of a farm building cluster that is already close to the road.

“The proposed location should also limit the impacts to the farm field,” states a township planning report. 

Consultant Cleon Martin spoke on behalf of the property owners, and said the plan to build the extension closer to the road than the bylaw allows was an oversight due to miscommunication between the owners and consultants. 

Martin took responsibility for the communication breakdown and said he did not realize the width of the barn would lead to encroachment on the road allowance. 

After the design, engineering and other planning work was complete, Martin realized the issue and brought the minor variance application to council on March 23. 

“You could legitimately ask the question – ‘could it have been placed better?’” Martin said, admitting, “maybe, yes. But we are here now and are wondering if you as a committee would consider it.”  

He said the barn includes two rows of tie stalls and the design works well for the property, making good use of the existing farm building cluster and limiting the amount of prime agricultural land taken out of commission, “so it is the optimum design.” 

Councillor Penny Renken asked if the expansion could be redesigned to be further from the road, and Martin said “absolutely – it could be redesigned and that cost could be taken on. 

“But we did get planning staff support (for the minor variance) so on that decided to move ahead and look to you for support as well.” 

Council approved the variance request.