On-farm business to continue

A neighbour’s complaint about an on-farm business has been dismissed by the Ontario Municipal Board, allowing for the operation to continue under conditions set by Woolwich Township.

Mark Demandt brought the matter to the quasi-judicial planning authority after Woolwich council’s decision in December to let Aden Brubacher continue to operate a metal fabricating shop on his 100-acre farm at 1220 Halm Rd.

Granted permission in 2010 to operate the business, Brubacher subsequently exceeded the maximum size of the operation’s footprint, added a spray-painting booth without proper clearances and shifted to a non-farmrelated business. Caught out, he then requested a zone change from the township to legalize the operation.

At the time, Demandt insisted the operation was better suited for an industrial area, citing residents’ concerns about truck traffic, speeding and the safety of pedestrians, particularly children walking to a nearby parochial school.

In a May 12 decision, however, OMB member Sharyn Vincent dismissed Demandt’s appeal, upholding Woolwich’s position.