Guelph-Eramosa council has approved a zoning bylaw amendment that will permit the expansion of the the Wellington County Marketplace on Jones Baseline.
Several neighbours, as well as councillor Reta Moyer, had expressed concerns about the proposal, including: traffic, effects on the local water supply, wastewater treatment details, the environmental impact of meat processing, and if the land use fit the location.
But on Monday night councillor Doug Breen seemed overwhelmingly in favour of the proposal from Bill and Brenda Ross to:
– add a 39 square meter (420 square foot) addition to the retail space and hire more employees;
– renovate an existing building to be used for meat processing; and
– add more customer parking as well as a separate entrance onto Jones Baseline for their existing home.
“This is a zoning matter,” Breen said, noting regulations at the business – environmental and otherwise – will take care of themselves.
And while he empathized with the issue of parking and the amount of traffic on Jones Baseline, Breen said the fact is the road is improved and people are going to drive on it.
“It’s only going to get worse, folks,” he said of traffic on local roads, many of which are travelled by Guelph residents.
Breen said the expansion of the market will not have an impact on local parking and traffic issues, and heralded the proposal as good for agriculture.
Despite residents’ claims to the contrary, he said market products from Durham, Kincardine, and Elmira are very local, and said those farms, as well as those in Wellington County, can use all the help they can get.
“It’s a successful business,” Breen said of the Ross’ operation. “Good for them.”
Councillor John Scott reiterated the importance of buying local farm produce, specifically mentioning the 100 mile diet, and said the OPP is in charge of enforcing traffic rules on the road.
But Moyer said she is opposed to the proposal until she can get more information about her previous enquiries.
“We are not talking about a property that’s a farm,” she said, noting the business is located on land that was severed for a residential use.
She also said Bill Ross himself has admitted the farm is less than three acres in size and produces nothing other than a few apples.
Moyer also suggested the business could “jeopardize” the local water supply and said in the past such proposals were sent to various agencies for comment. She wondered why that was not happening this time around.
Mayor Chris White said the market expansion, like a recent proposal for a flour mill in the township, is good for farmers, will provide local jobs, and support the agricultural industry in the area.
White also stressed the traffic concerns on Jones Baseline would be there regardless, and added the township would not be taking any agricultural land out of production by approving the proposal.
“We do not want to see this township urbanized by any means,” he said.
When it came time to make decisions, Moyer called for a recorded vote. On the zoning bylaw amendment, White, Breen, and Scott voted in favour, while Moyer was opposed.
Councillor Roger Knapp declared a pecuniary interest on the matter because he owns a similar business in the township. Council also approved a site plan bylaw for the expansion, with the same voting results.
