MAPLETON – Dr. Shelly Frank hopes to open a wellness retreat on her hobby farm on Jones Baseline in east Mapleton.
The retreat would include a “healing arts barn” that Frank said “would serve as a hub for hydrotherapy, sound healing, naturopathic medicine, therapeutic massage, pilates, yoga, workshops and relaxation.”
There would also be five tiny homes that could accommodate up to 10 guests.
The 9.5 hectare (23.4 acre)property is owned by Frank and her husband and is located at 7090 Jones Baseline, between Sideroad 21 and Nichol Peel Townline.
The land is designated prime agricultural and currently includes a residence, detached garage, hobby barn with two horses and three sheep, and one tiny home.
Frank plans to build four more tiny homes and a second barn, which would require a zoning amendment. The space that would be used for the additional buildings is currently grass.
Council reviewed the application and heard from Frank and two of her neighbours during a regular meeting of council on Jan. 28.
Neighours’ concerns
Neighbours with properties abutting Frank’s expressed concerns with the proposal.
Jim Snow, whose farm backs on to the Franks’ property, said he’s worried about guests wandering onto his land, but that if he got assurance that Frank could prevent this, he wouldn’t oppose the application.
“I’m sort of sitting on the fence,” he said while delegating in opposition.
Chris Walton, who lives next door, said “our concern is not so much the business at all – more so the tiny homes and the overnight accommodation” and the potential noise guests could make.
“I just wonder if it’s going to end up being a spot for say bridal parties or things like that. I just want to know what it’s going to be – if there’s going to be evenings where the volume gets a little bit out of control.”
Frank thanked her neighbours for attending the meeting and expressing “legitimate concerns.”
“Having a very peaceful, very safe, very quiet wellness retreat is not only a priority for our neighbours but also for ourselves,” she said.
“I absolutely give 100 per cent clarity that there will not be weddings or big venues happening on this property.”
She added, “Horses are very sensitive to noise and so are we – our family.
“We’re also very sensitive to our neighbours, and operating activities that include alcohol or late at night or huge groups of people – that is not what this is going to be at all.”
She noted her property is surrounded by trees, and the healing barn and tiny homes would be “well away from our neighbours homes … to maintain a quiet, peaceful experience.”
“Guest parking will be located by our existing barn, keeping the small number of cars away from neighbours.”
Frank added, “Our property lines will be well-marked to ensure that guests do not embark on adjacent properties.
“We’ve carved out a really nice walking path which would be accessible, but that is only on our property. There would be very strong and clear signs up so that people don’t make a mistake accidently and go on my neighbours’ property, because that would make me feel as upset as it would you.”
Agri-tourism
The owners would continue to use the property as a hobby farm and the wellness retreat would be considered an agritourism establishment.
“In the prime ag area, agri-tourism is something that is considered under the permitted uses,” said township planner Linda Redmond.
“Agri-tourism is playing an increasingly vital role in the health and wellbeing of Canadians,” Frank told council.
“I want to create an upscale wellness retreat where guests can spend time in nature, engaging in traditional healing practices in a peaceful rural environment.”
Councillor Michael Martin questioned the threshold for what is considered agri-tourism.
“I happen to think that sometimes we could do better protecting prime ag lands, but that being said, there’s always allowances for what can happen,” he said.
“Permitted uses in prime ag areas are typically accessory to the farming operation,” he noted.
“With a business like this, on a hobby farm, if you challenge it against the language, does it meet that threshold?”
Redmond said regulations don’t limit the size of the farm, what is farmed, how it’s farmed or how much money it generates, just “the fact that an on-farm diversified use must be on an active farm.
“There’s all kinds of arguments to what is a farm and what is considered secondary (use) versus primary,” she noted.
“Mapleton’s Organics is a perfect example of a smaller parcel that has agritourism as well as on-farm diversified uses.”
GRCA
The property includes natural features regulated by the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), which has no concerns, as all of the proposed uses would be located outside its regulated areas, Redmond noted.
The GRCA has “given their preliminary approval as the structures do not impact wetlands or protected areas,” Frank added, “which is extremely important to me as a naturopathic doctor, to maintain the health of the community, the ecosystem, everyone in the resort and ourselves included.”
Frank told council she has been studying and practicing naturopathic medicine since 2001.
Council’s questions
Councillor Amanda Reid asked how the township could ensure the tiny homes are only used for the retreat centre, and not as long-term rentals.
Redmond said it could be included in the zoning bylaw that they are only for short-term accommodations.
“That’s not easy to enforce but at least it makes it clear,” she added.
Martin said “a place like this with a few tiny homes could very quickly turn into an Airbnb, which then turns into, I would assume, neighbourhood concerns around traffic and noise and all of those types of things.”
He also noted, “There can be lots of things stated in an application process, and once it leaves here we really have a lot of difficulty enforcing what happens,” though he added he wasn’t suggesting that would be the case with this application.
“I have integrity with this proposal and I stand behind the intent of this wellness retreat to be a healing experience for everyone involved,” Frank said.
Councillor Lori Woodham asked if the healing barn and tiny homes would be a package, or if guests could just stay in the tiny homes without participating in the wellness retreat activities.
“It would be a package,” Frank said, though, “I’m not going to force people to go to yoga and have tea and do some hydrotherapy.
“I think the people who would be attracted to staying in this wellness retreat would want an all-inclusive experience,” she added.
Councillor Marlene Ottens asked if the retreat would be open year-round, and Frank said it will likely run nine to 10 months of the year.
Mayor Gregg Davidson asked Frank what her backup plan is if the business fails, noting “building those tiny homes and healing barn is going to cost a lot of money.”
“I’m a very optimistic person, but I guess I would attempt to sell them. They are movable,” Frank said.
Council received the application for information and Redmond said she expects to return to council with a recommendation report and draft bylaw for council’s review.
“I think there were some legitimate concerns from the neighbourhood that would be nice to incorporate into said bylaw,” Martin said.
But Woodham questioned the value of this, asking, “Do we have the means or the policies to enforce it? I’m not sure why we put things in if we can’t follow up on it.”
