Council here is considering a request for a zoning amendment to allow development on a property in Wallenstein.
A public meeting was held on July 10 for the request to rezone a property at Part Lot 18, Concession 1 of Mapleton. The 30.6-acre property is owned by Henry and Selina Brubacher.
Details of the proposed zoning by-law amendment include:
– rezoning approximately seven acres to rural industrial exception (to permit parking for trucks and employees of Wallenstein Feed Mill);
– changing approximately 8.89 acres to residential exception (R1A) to allow for four proposed residential lots, including an existing dwelling on one of them); and
– approximately 14.76 acres will remain zoned future development.
A report by RBA planning consultants explained the Brubachers would like to sell seven acres to Wallenstein Feed Mill, which would use the land to provide more employee parking and establish an accessory office for truck drivers.
The couple also wish to convey a portion of the land to Noah Martin, who works at Henry Brubacher’s harness shop and build a house, small barn, shed and shop on the property with the understanding that, “at some point, sufficient land would be severed and conveyed to him.”
The residential development would provide an opportunity for some of the Brubachers’ grandchildren to continue to live and work in the area, the report explains.
Variances to the rural industrial zoning bylaw would:
– restrict the parking lot site to use by Wallenstein Feed Mill trucks and employee vehicles (large trucks would enter only from the feed mill property, not via Yatton Sideroad);
– allow for a reduced lot frontage from 30 metres to 28 metres on Yatton Sideroad; and
– reduce the 60-metre residential setback to 30 metres from the driveway access for the building proposed on Lot 2 of the development.
The developers are also requesting an official plan amendment from Wellington County to re-designate the lands to make them part of the Wallenstein hamlet area.
Wellington County staff are currently working through the details of the official plan amendment and the matter is expected to come before county council in September.
Mark Van Patter, senior planner for Wellington County, said, “I’m generally supportive of this idea.”
Van Patter said he would provide council with a draft zoning amendment, once council is comfortable with the development concept.
Council will revisit the zoning amendment after the county official plan process is completed. No one at the public meeting spoke in opposition to the development.
