MAPLETON – A public meeting on the proposed expansion of an abattoir here was held on Feb. 8.
The applicant, Dwayne Martin, is seeking a zoning amendment to facilitate the expansion of the facility located on a 100-acre property on Mapleton’s 6th Line.
The proposed amendment would permit an increase in the maximum floor area of an existing meat processing facility (a provincially-licensed abattoir) to allow two expansions with a combined floor area of more than 30,000 square feet.
In a written report, Mapleton planner Linda Redmond noted township staff has no objection to the proposed amendment.
“The proposal conforms to the official plan and is in keeping with applicable provincial policies. The use is directly related to agriculture and is providing a service to the agricultural area,” she pointed out.
The current zoning allows a licensed abattoir with a floor area up to 19,045 square feet. The proposal would allow an expansion of 17,331 square feet in 2022 and another 13,225 square-foot expansion in the future.
The report notes the applicant is seeking a rezoning to agricultural commercial to facilitate future expansion.
However, Redmond recommended against that element of the proposal.
“My recommendation is that it’s left as a site specific exemption, because … there aren’t any categories for an abattoir in the commercial zoning,” she stated.
“So it would not provide the flexibility that the applicants are looking for to put it in ag commercial; they would still need to come back for an amendment to their zoning to allow an expansion in the future. So the commercial, all that would achieve is it would give them other uses that would be permitted, as well as the abattoir, but that’s not what they want.”
Councillor Paul Douglas asked if an increase in truck traffic would be generated by the expansion, resulting in issues during half-load restriction periods.
“Any kind of expansion … brings some kind of increased truck traffic, so we do expect to see some more trucks on the road,” Martin responded.
“What they are trucking is livestock, which typically is not an issue in half-load season. So we don’t foresee that to be an issue.”
“There is a five-ton per axle restrictions during the half-load season, so Mr. Martin is aware of that,” noted public works director Sam Mattina.
The abattoir was originally built in 2003 as a 10,000 square foot facility. Zoning was amended in 2011 and again in 2016 to allow for expansion.
“It’s wonderful that this business is so successful it needs two additions within a short period of time. But how much bigger would it be allowed to get?” wondered councillor Marlene Ottens.
“There really is no limit, other than the zoning. So if … they come back in another five or 10 years and want to expand it, it will have to come back before council and a decision will have to be made,” replied Redmond.
No members of the public spoke either for or against the proposal during the public meeting.
Council accepted the planner’s report for information.
