The Rural Voice, 1981-05, Page 13this provision was made since so many
Mennonite families farm in the district.
Mobile homes can be temporarily erected
as retirement homes or for employees
working on farms.
Rick Hughes. Grey County planner.
said that county's official plan. which has
been in effect since 1978. is now awaiting
final approval from the Ministry of
Housing.
He said the Grey County plan allows
farm - related severances if the home is a
retirement home for the farmer, or if the
farmer needs a residence for a fulltime
hired man. He said before a severance is
granted, the home must meet the
minimum distance standards from other
farm buildings set out in the agricultural
code of practices.
Also, the county's official plan allows
for the severance of surplus farm
buildings when two or more farms are
amalgamated. in accordance with the
Agricultural Code of Practice.
These regulations would allow for the
future sale of the home to a non-farm
resident.
Don Scott. Bruce County planning
director. explained Bruce is divided into
two planning districts. The division point
comes at Hwy. #21 and land north of that
is in the Bruce Pen insula planning area.
Bona fide farmers are permitted to sever
a home and land for retirement purposes
and the official plan allows additional
residences to be built on a farm for
employees. but these can't be severed
from the farm at a later date.
Due to pressures from non-farm
developments such as lakefront resorts
and the Bruce nuclear station. Mr. Scott
said the county probably has one of the
more stringent policies for severances.
The official plan for the peninsula arca
will likely be modified after the Niagara
Escarpment Commission (NEC) has
completed its master plan for the
escarpment. Mr. Scott said county
council has postponed updating the
peninsula's official plan until the NEC
plan is available.
In the South Bruce planning area. the
district's official plan is now waiting final
approval from the Ministry of Housing.
John Underwood, secretary -treasurer of
the land division committee. said farmers
can sever land for a retirement home.
Also, homes can be built for farm
employees but these, he said, "must
remain as part of the farm unit in
perpetuity." Mr. Underwood pointed out
in the past, when these homes were
severed, owners often left their farm jobs
for industry. Mr. Underwood said the
intent of the official plan is to keep
farmland "strictly for agricultural uses."
Since South Bruce faces a special
situation due to the presence of the Bruce
Nuclear Station, the official plan restricts
building within a five -mile radius of the
plant. Mr. Underwood said this is a
controlled development zone, aimed at
keeping the population near the complex
at a stable number.
The secretary -treasurer said re-
tirement home severances can also create
problems later since the person getting
the severance often uses the home for
only a relatively short period. Then the
home is sold, and if the new owners
aren't familiar with the "sights, sounds
and smells" of farming operations, this
can create conflict.
In Huron County, the official plan
allows severance where a son or daughter
assists in the farming operation. for a
farmer who wishes to obtain a lot on his
holding for retirement purposes when he
sells the farm. and in the case of surplus
dwellings.
In Huron, several townships also have
secondary plans with additional farm
severance regulations.
In Usborne Township, surplus re-
sidence severances aren't allowed. family
members can build an additional re-
sidence on the farm but can't sever it and
retiring farmers can obtain lease pro-
vision for an existing residence but not
for a new residence.
In Stephen Township. farmers can
sever for retirement purposes if they've
been a township resident for five years,
will be using the home themselves and
the home meets the minimum distance
standards formula from a farming opera-
tion.
Family members required in the farm
operation can also sever land. Severances
of surplus farm residences are also
allowed if there hasn't been a previous
severance on that farm.
In Stanley Township, family members
employed on the farm can build an
additional on-farm residence, but not
sever it. Retiring farmers can make a
lease provision for the existing residence
but can not build a new residence an
obtain a severance after retiring. Surplus
residences can be severed if certain
criteria are met.
In Grey Township, family members can
build a second residence on the farm. but
severance isn't allowed. Retiring farmers
can arrange lease provisions for an
existing home. Also, lease provisions can
be arranged for surplus farm buildings in
the township.
In Howick Township, regulations are
similar. but no severance is allowed for
surplus farm buildiings.
Goderich Township permits sons or
daughters actively engaged in the family
farm to sever for a residence and farmers
can sever when they sell their farm for a
retirement home. Also, surplus re-
sidences can be severed if there has been
no other residence or separation from the
original lot.
Colborne Township allows family
members to build a second residence on
a farm, retiring farmers can lease. but not
sever and no severance is allowed for
surplus buildings.
Ashfield Tonwship has similar re-
gulations for the first two severances, but
does allow surplus residences to be
severed, if they were constructed prior to
the county plan, and if there's been no
other residence severed from the farm.
and minimum distance standards are
met.
THE RURAL VOICEIMAY 1981 PG. 11