A public meeting under the Planning Act was held at the BWG Town Council meeting on Tuesday. Local residents Brian and Jayne Weddell have applied for a Temporary Use Zoning By-law Amendment, to permit the construction of a garden suite on their property in the Holland Marsh.
The garden suite would accommodate Brian Weddell’s aging parents on site, bringing them closer to family.
The property is 0.18 hectares in size, located at 57 Hillsview Road in the Holland Marsh.
The current zoning by-law permits only one dwelling on “Marsh Agricultural” property; a Temporary Use Zoning Bylaw Amendment is needed to accommodate the resident’s request.
In the report presented to council, there were no concerns from the public. Only The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority noted that the garden suite would need to be flood-proofed.
Weddell addressed council, acknowledging the extra buiilding would be an “eyesore” on the property, but would only be temporary, for up to three years, to help assist his aging parents and give them “a better quality of life."
“I hope that when you’re considering...and go through the process, that you can take that into consideration,” he said.
Mayor Rob Keffer noted that this would be a great option for seniors in the community who want to stay close to their children and “be able to live a good quality of life with family close by.”
Council received the application, and referred the issue to staff for a report and recommendation at a future date.
