Dear Editor:
Are you considering applying for a rural severance in Erin? If so, don’t wait.
Erin council has directed the county to remove the 120 units of rural severances currently allocated to Erin and transfer them to Puslinch. There are already a considerable number of restrictions on severances, the primary one being the necessity of being classed as secondary agricultural land in the official plans of the town and county.
Why are rural severances important? They are a major input into the local economy. Rural severances help employ local people, lawyers, surveyors, excavators, builders, plumbers, electricians, etc., and purchase a lot of supplies locally (building materials, landscaping, furniture, appliances). They lead to employment of local young people as assistants in the process, and help keep them in the community.
They also allow the property owners to provide children or older relatives with a piece of land at a very reasonable cost, so that families can live together and support one another.
Ask your local councillor to rethink their decision, considering the impact it will have on our economy. Ask them to choose a more recent cutoff date if there has already been a severance on the property.
Currently, if your property had a severance after March 1, 2005, you would not be allowed another. County has proposed moving that date to either 2015 or 2025, so that additional severances can be taken from qualifying properties. This is an opportunity to have input into the planning process, and will determine how development takes place over the next 30 years. Don’t waste the opportunity.
Speak to your local councillors (John Brennan, Jamie Cheyne, Cathy Aylard and Bridget Ryan) and to your county councillors (Mayor Michael Dehn, and councillor Jeff Duncan).
Rod Finnie,
Erin