BRUCEDALE – Guelph-Eramosa council has approved in principle a site plan application for Ceva Animal Health to expand its operations into the township.
On June 15 Council heard a presentation by Curtis Marshall, manager of development planning for Wellington County.
He explained Ceva owns and operates a facility at 131 Malcom Road in Guelph and wants to construct a new building on adjacent property in Guelph-Eramosa for the production of poultry vaccines.
Access to the property will be from Governors Road in Guelph and Ceva will cover the cost of extending Governors Road to the new building.
The site plan includes a new 80,000 square-foot building, parking and loading areas, a stormwater management pond and landscaped areas.
The site is currently used for agricultural crop production. The land is zoned agricultural but that allows for agriculture-related activity, Marshall said.
The project has received no objections from the county planner, Grand River Conservation Authority, Hydro One, Union Gas, Bell or the Ministry of Transportation.
Guelph’s city council has also approved the project.
Marshall said there are still some items to be changed in the site plan, and the landscape plan needs to be updated, but he assured council the changes were small and inconsequential to the decision before them.
Councillor Mark Bouwmeester said it was “a fantastic thing,” and Mayor Chris White agreed.
“It’s a fantastic thing for our township,” White said.
“Guelph-Eramosa could become a hub for agriculture-related business.”
Council unanimously approved the plan.
