Hanover to hold public hearing again over controversial subdivision

The RM of Hanover will once again hold a public hearing for the proposed subdivision of land south of Provincial Road 311 and west of Highway 12 due to an error made by The Carillon.

“According to planning, we had reached out to The Carillon to advertise (the public hearing) in the paper because that’s part of our duties and I guess The Carillon had forgotten to print it,” said Reeve Jim Funk. “We had to resend it last meeting we had and this week we will just go through the process again.”

In January, council passed second reading unanimously to change the designation for the subdivision from Agriculture Limited to Rural Industrial. The land has three businesses on it but the move was opposed by the City of Steinbach.

Development of the land has been a point of contention as it is in a transition zone between the RM and the city. The city contends the parcel was developed first under the wrong zoning and that now the RM is trying to fix it so that it falls under the right zoning.

City councillors derided the RMs move with Mayor Earl Funk calling the measure “completely backwards” at the time.

Manager of planning Jeremy Neufeld said at the time that, “Administration believes that the objection from the city is frivolous and in bad faith.”

The businesses that are currently on the site are compliant with the Agriculture Limited zone and operation under conditional use orders, according to Neufeld, the proposed change to Rural Industrial better represents the existing land use.

Representing the applicant at the January meeting was professional planner Allison Driedger who said the city’s contention that the subdivision does not comply with policy 21226, which states general land division shall be discouraged in a transition area, and any proposal considered by council must go through a consultive process to evaluate the impact, was wrong.

“The policy clearly states that land division would be discouraged but it doesn’t say that they will be prohibited or not allowed. It says that they would be discouraged,” she said at the time noting the reeve and mayor met and had a consultation about the subdivision prior to the subdivision of the site.

Neufeld reiterated at the time that contrary to the City of Steinbach comments, the site does comply with the RM’s development plan and zoning bylaw.

“A long process to obtain building permits and receive conditional approval for the subdivision application 8943 may have been unconventional, it none the less conformed with all municipal policies and bylaws.”

Further, Neufeld noted that the objection to the change in zoning of the subdivision will have no impact to the existing land use at the site.

“Even if (the city) were to be successful in this obstruction the three existing businesses would continue to operate. The only impact would be to their ownership structure which in no way impacts the RM of Hanover nor the City of Steinbach,” he said at the time.

Funk believes there will be no other objections to the subdivision other than by the City of Steinbach.

Since there is an objection from the city, the matter will now go to the municipal board for review. As there is a delay due to the error by The Carillon, the matter will be pushed further down the line as to when it reaches the municipal board.

If the municipal board approves the subdivision it will go back to council for final reading. There is no date as to when the board will deal with the matter.