Guelph-Eramosa councillors want more information before commenting on a severance that will rezone close to 10 hectares of land from agricultural to rural industrial.
Owners Robert and Nelly Fellows are seeking to sever six hectares of agricultural land on Highway 7 near 7th line, east of Rockwood, and merge the parcel with an abutting rural industrial lot.
They want to rezone both the severed and retained parcels, which are located within the Mudge industrial subdivision, as rural industrial.
The retained parcel (3.8 hectares) currently includes a dwelling, barn and self-storage units, while there are no buildings on the parcel to be severed.
But at a special council meeting on June 27, councillors expressed some concern with that plan, which they first discussed on June 16.
Councillor David Wolk acknowledged the township does not have a lot of industrial land available, but he considers the proposed severance as akin to “forfeiting our inheritance.”
CAO Kim Wingrove, reading from a report from planning consultant Bernie Hermsen, stated the recommendation is that the application “not be approved and … further consideration of any such application be subject to a professional development design analysis and concept.”
Wingrove told council, “This would get you the additional information that you were seeking.”
She stressed the township is just a commenting agency on the application, which will be considered by the county.
Mayor Chris White said because the applicants are asking for agricultural land the township needs to know why.
“They keep coming back and coming back,” White said of the applicants.
Councillor Doug Breen also noted the “piecemeal” approach of the owners, while councillor Corey Woods said the owners need to address several issues with the property before continuing to move forward.
