Council for the Rural Municipality of Hanover has denied an application for an auto wrecker operation north of Sarto.

Heinrich Braun appeared before Council Wednesday morning seeking permission to set up an auto wrecker and salvage operation northeast of Deerwood Bay. The land is west of Road 32E and north of Road 30N. Council was told that the applicant was looking to rent the property from the owner, with the intention of purchasing it down the road and moving onto the property.

The parcel in question is 45 acres in size, zoned Agriculture Limited. Braun told Council that, if approved, he would put a fence around the three acre portion that would be used for the operation. The operation would end up being about half a mile from the nearest residence.

Hanover's Permit Administrator Amos Wiebe says while a home-based business does not typically require conditional use approval in this zone, this particular use does not fit under definitions of home-based businesses in the zoning bylaw. As a result, Wiebe says Council's approval is required before it can be established here. 

Council was told that the municipality has not received any written correspondence on the matter. However, three residents living in the area all spoke up at the public hearing, voicing their opposition. Those opposed noted the extra traffic this would create and how unsafe this could then become for residents who currently use the road to go for walks. There were also concerns with the mice this operation would attract and then possibly coyotes. Other concerns had to do with contaminated drinking water from oil and antifreeze spills and a desire to keep that land agricultural.

In the end, Council denied the application.

"Council decided that was not a good location, it was zoned Agriculture and it was not a good location for an auto wrecker to be started," notes Hanover Reeve Jim Funk. "So for that reason they decided to turn it down."

Funk notes there are probably more appropriate areas for an auto wrecking operation.

"We would certainly like to see these in an area where it's not heavy residential and therefore we wouldn't have complaints from the neighbours," he adds.