[getsmart-l] Province fears that non-farmers would scoop up 50 acre agricultural properties

[John O'Gorman]

http://www.hcfa.on.ca/cached.asp?id=1032

50 acre farm battle continues
Written by Ken Hashizume
Bayshore BroadcastingCorp., Sept. 10/07
  
Round one of the 50-acre farm lot battle goes to the Province. 

Bruce County Council decided at their Agriculture, Tourism, and Planning meeting last month to repeal their Official Plan Amendment to reduce the minimum farm lot size from 100 acres to 50.

Brockton Mayor Charlie Bagnato -- who is also the Chair of the ATP Committee -- says the County did not have enough evidence to go into an Ontario Municipal Board hearing and win.

He says when the Province put in an appeal to the OMB back in May, it became a contentious issue that the County wasn't prepared for.

But it is far from over as far as the County is concerned.

Bagnato says the County will look for more planning evidence and expert witnesses to make their case and will be putting forth another by-law in the Spring of 2008.

As a result of the repeal, a Brant Township farmer will not be able to have his 150-acre farm severed into two lots.

David Inglis was hoping to sell 50 acres of his farm to another farmer who is currently renting it off Inglis.

Bagnato says it only make sense for Inglis to sever the land since it was originally three 50-acre lots amalgamated into one 150-acre lot.

Bagnato adds it goes against the Province's argument that reducing the minimum lot size would result in non-farmers scooping up agricultural properties for other purposes.

Bruce County originally passed an Official Plan Amendment this past April to reduce the minimum farm lot size on lands along Highway 9 between Kincardine and Walkerton.

Landowners living along that stretch plus organizations like the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture are all in favour of reducing the minimum lot size.

The Province argues the County's Official Plan Amendment does not meet with the Provincial Policy Statement.
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