A slaughterhouse by any other name

By Mark Squibb

Bay Roberts council this week reviewed an application for a slaughterhouse — or abattoir, if you please.

“Abattoir is a much more appropriate word to use in this discussion,” noted Mayor Walter Yetman.

Whatever the name, staff found Town policy doesn’t give any guidelines for dealing with such a business, which, if approved, will be located on Bishop’s Road.

“We’ve reviewed the Town’s development policy and no where does it state anything about these types of business being approved or denied,” said Yetman. “Zoning in the proposed area is Mixed, and the developer has already been approved for a butcher shop on Bishop’s Road, and they’d like to have the animals close by.”

Yetman said council could either ask the developer to publish a discretionary notice and revisit the application in two weeks, or deny the application outright on the basis that an abattoir is not permitted in a Mixed zone.

Council voted unanimously to discuss the matter further at a behind-doors committee of the whole meeting.

In other development news, council approved two applications for new commercial storage buildings, one along the main road and the other on Bareneed Road. Both are being built onto existing businesses.