To farm or not to farm, that is the question.
SmartCentres REIT, on behalf of Barrie-Bryne Developments, wants a temporary-use bylaw for farming for the next three years at 15 Harvie Rd., which city councillors will consider tonight.
This land is approximately 82 acres in size and located on the west side of Highway 400, south of Harvie Road and east of Thrushwood Drive. The property is divided by the Bryne Drive South extension, which is currently under construction.
Agricultural use could cease on all or part of this land at any time before the expiry of the temporary-use bylaw, if development proceeds on all or any portion of the property.
Agricultural activities would be limited to field crops, in an open field, a 30-metre naturalized buffer must be provided around Lover’s Creek and Whiskey Creek, access to the site for farming would be restricted to the entrance at Harvie Road. Best management practices must also be applied for the use of fertilizer and pesticides, and activities related to the Bryne Drive extension would take precedence over the permission for agriculture use on that portion of the land identified for the construction of the roadway.
The request to extend the timeline for the temporary-use bylaw at 15 Harvie was not ratified by council before it expired Oct. 5, 2023, so its owner submitted a new one.
Agricultural use of the property was initiated in 2014 as interim, pending the future development of the land, to prevent the property from being fallow and to reduce trespassing.
Active agricultural use on this land could qualify for the farmland tax rate, if the farmland tax class is approved on the property by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).
Property taxes on this land are $8,250 this year, when it’s zoned agricultural.
If the extension isn’t granted, the land would be reassessed by MPAC, zoned for light industrial, general commercial and environmental protection.
Staff have estimated taxes ranging anywhere from $50,000 to $175,000 plus with this zoning.
The savings by keeping this land zoned for farming use were a sticking point for many councillors when they did not grant the temporary-use bylaw last time.
If approved tonight, the temporary-use bylaw would be considered for final approval at the April 17 city council meeting.
