The Subdivision Development Appeal Board heard arguments for and against an appeal of a Municipal Planning Commission decision rejecting the application of Brent Kolb to house a meat-smoking operation in his residential garage last week.
The MPC made the decision regarding Kolb's 20 Lake Ridge property on March 17.
The SDAB heard from Mary Anne Stroshin, one of the neighbouring residents, who spoke on behalf of 18 of her neighbours who are opposed to the operation. She said the expected increase in traffic to the area, the nature of the operation and its incompatibility with the existing neighbourhood —Lake Ridge — were all reasons why the appeal should be denied.
“This is not the type of business to be located in R-1,” she said, noting the board's task was to determine whether the use is compatible with the surrounding neighbourhood. “This board must uphold the decision of the Municipal Planning Commission.”
Stroshin maintained that live animals would be taken to the site to be slaughtered there and would then need to be frozen once the meat was cut up. She also said there would be blood and other material that would need to be cleaned up on a frequent basis.
Kolb, in his submission to the board, said no slaughtering of animals would take place on site. Innards and other material from a carcass would also not be present on site, he said, because only meat that has already been slaughtered would be coming to the site. He said vehicles would back up to his garage and unload the meat, where nobody would see what's going on. Kolb said only smoking of meats would take place on site.
Kolb said the reason why he made the application was to get a business licence. He said as far as the garbage that is generated, he would clean it up and keep the site clean. The meat would also be cut and wrapped on site. Scraps wouldn't be put in the compost bin, he said.
“The only thing that (could) cause a problem is the smoke. This is half an hour at a time. It's not something that's going to happen 24 hours a day. It's not a whole bunch of smoke,” he said.
Kolb said he would be smoking both domesticated animals and wild game. He said it generally takes about 16 hours over two days to smoke 67.5 kilograms (150 pounds) of jerky.
While Kolb has been smoking meats as a hobby for about 11 years, he said he wasn't sure how much time he would be doing custom-work for others, as that would depend on volume.
Other neighbours who objected to the proposal wondered how Kolb could go ahead and make modifications to his garage, without getting a development permit.
“He's gone ahead and done all this stuff,” said Joe Overwater.
Craig Teal, speaking for the town's development department, said to install a vent doesn't require a development permit.
Teal did note, however, that the garage that would be used for smoking is larger than the allowed 29.7 square metres (330 square feet). The garage measures 36 square metres (400 square feet).
“It's important to note it does not comply in other ways,” Teal said.
When the development department visited the site, it was noted that the smoke was visible.
Teal noted that the expected traffic flow (32 to 56 visitors per week) wouldn't be an excessive amount of traffic for the adjacent road to handle. Neighbours, however, disagreed with this view saying that the potential increase in traffic could pose a safety hazard to children in the area. Since there is no way to control the smoke, fumes and smell emanating from the site, opponents argued the facility should be placed in the industrial area of town. The negative impacts of the activity, Stroshin said, are driving down neighbouring property values.
Asked by one of the panel members whether any formal complaints have been received about the smoking of meats in the previous 11 years Kolb has been doing the activity on a hobby basis, Teal said none had ever been lodged.
“The reason why the town hasn't had any formal complaints … is because neighbours want to live in the area. Now … we've seen the massive renovations that have been going on. This is not the type of business (we want) in our neighbourhood. We don't want it there but we do want to get along,” Stroshin said.
The SDAB must make its ruling within 15 days of the hearing, in writing.
"This is not the type of business to be located in R-1."Mary Anne StroshinLake Ridge resident
