Subdivision for church-use building approved: Hanover

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This article was published 09/07/2020 (1773 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At the June 24 RM of Hanover council meeting, council approved a three-acre subdivision for a church-use building, despite disagreement between Hanover’s manager of planning and the province.

Walter Sawatzky applied to the RM to subdivide three acres of land from an existing 48-acre lot north of McKenzie Ave. and west of Bush Farm Road. The lot is just west of the Steinbach municipal boundary. The application involved subdividing three acres to consolidate it with an existing five-acre lot.

According to the application, the land owners are H & W Rentals Inc. and Trustees of Steinbach Church of God in Christ Mennonite.

Country View School, a church-school, is already on the smaller lot.

Hanover Reeve Stan Toews said the group is adding some acres but not creating a new lot for themselves. Rather, Toews said, they’re expanding their lot.

The application was subject to provincial review. Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development opposed the application, on the grounds the area had high agricultural potential, and due to the possible “conflicting use of churches.”

“Churches can also be a conflicting use, as they create traffic and encourage further non-agricultural development,” the provincial response said.

The City of Steinbach also raised concerns the subdivision proposes to expand non-agricultural use on the boundary of an urban centre, and such non-agricultural developments adjacent to the city could impede the city’s orderly growth in the future.

Hanover Manager of Planning Jeremy Neufeld said he spoke to the landowner, and the land in question has zero agricultural value, and opposing positions were based on aerial photos. Neufeld said he reviewed Hanover’s policies and the application complies with relevant rules.

“I disagree wholeheartedly with the position the province has taken,” Neufeld said.

A similar situation took place in 2018, in which the applicant asked to subdivide about five acres of land from the larger plot. Despite objections from the department and the city, Hanover council approved the application to subdivide.