La Broquerie’s new development plan and zoning bylaw should make it easier to have a hobby farm south of Provincial Road 303.

Council for the RM of La Broquerie has given first reading to the new development plan and zoning bylaw.

Reeve Lewis Weiss

Reeve Lewis Weiss says re-zoning properties south of the 303 to a rural general designation should protect farmers.

 of course, they are still restricted by the size of their lot by animal units versus manure and on a small lot obviously, it would be hobby farming.""We are trying to make it that so that we keep a farm designation everything south of the 303 to protect the farming community. For the residents that are there, we felt it would open things up for them,

"In commercial designations, our current bylaw it was a conditional use, which was odd because in most other cities, towns, municipalities, they are allowed so we just had made a decision earlier on that for commercial use, we wouldn’t harass those businesses about those issues."Weiss says by ensuring hobby farms are allowed south of PR 303, it may also help to increase the value of the land because restrictions on it are minimal. He notes another change in the development plan should make it less of a hassle to have shipping containers on commercial properties.

Weiss says, in addition, the new development plan includes changes to regulations regarding shipping containers on agricultural properties. The current rules state containers are allowed on properties zoned rural general and rural limited that are over 20 acres in size. Weiss notes containers will now be allowed on rural general and rural limited properties no matter what size