MAPLETON – The owners of an abattoir a few kilometres west of Conestogo Lake are looking to sever the poultry processing facility from the rest of the farm.
The property is located at 7705 4th Line in Wallenstein.
The provincially licensed abattoir, Country Poultry Processing, is privately owned by Paul and Salema Martin and has been in operation since 1996.
The Martins have applied to sever a 1.6-hectare (four-acre) lot, including the abattoir, from the remaining 60-hectare (150-acre) farm. The retained lot includes a house, a barn and farm sheds.
The severance requires a portion of the severed lot to be rezoned via an amendment that permits reduced setback requirements.
Mapleton held a public meeting on the amendments on May 14 but no members of the public were present.
The lot is currently zoned agriculture commercial (surrounding the abattoir) and agricultural (on the rest of the property). A section of the lot currently zoned agricultural is included in the proposed lot to be severed – this land would become agriculture commercial.
Setback regulations require that the abattoir be at least 122 metres (400 feet) away from dwellings on neighboring properties. After the severance the property would not meet this requirement, so an amendment would be needed to recognize the reduced setback.
Farm buildings are required to be at least 18 metres (60 feet) apart, but there are two sheds on the retained lot that are five metres (16 feet) and less than a metre (three feet) away from the abattoir building.
“These deficiencies will be included in the amending bylaw,” states a planning report prepared by Mapleton planner Linda Redmond.
The exemption allowing for reduced setbacks will apply to the residence and two sheds only – all other existing structures already comply and all new structures will be required to comply, the report states.
The County of Wellington planning and roads departments, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), Wellington Source Water Protection (WSWP) and the Mapleton building and public works departments reported no concerns with the amendments.
Mapleton public works officials noted the abattoir driveway will need upgrading and this is a condition of the severance application.
WSWP noted the property is not located in a vulnerable area and GRCA reported no natural hazard features and noted no changes are proposed to agricultural uses on the retained lands.
Councillor Michael Martin said the zoning bylaw amendments make “good sense” to him.
“We’re super-lucky to have a business like this in Mapleton,” he said.
Mayor Gregg Davidson said, “I totally agree with you,” and added his brother brings his Muscovy ducks “all the way from Owen Sound” to be processed at the Wallenstein abattoir.
Council received the zoning amendment report for information and voted unanimously in support of the severance, with conditions.
The County of Wellington has decision making authority for the severance and is set to consider the application on June 13.
