After nearly a decade of debate, there could be an end in sight for the surplus farmhouse severance issue in Perth County.
A public meeting has been scheduled for next month to get input on an official plan amendment that would allow the severance of surplus farmhouses that meet specific criteria.
Council members had expressed frustration that previous councils and numerous reports have had no success resolving the issue.
Planning Director Alan Rothwell highlighted how this meeting will differ from the meeting last summer.
"This meeting is going to be a council initiated official plan amendment, similar to what happened with county council back in 2009," he says. "There’s a specific policy which council has been working on at the county here for surplus farmhouse severances and this meeting is going to be on a specific proposal then that council is going to hear input on."
"It’s a proposed change to the existing policy which prohibits surplus farmhouse severances to allow surplus farmhouse severances in very specific circumstances. The properties have to be in the exact same name, they have to be contiguous which means they have to be abutting or touching, it has to be in the same ownership for a period of five years and then there’s a series of other standard criteria including meeting the minimum distance separation," explains Rothwell.
The meeting will take place at the Elma Logan Community Centre in Monkton on April 14 at 7:30pm.
