Fowl is fair in Topsail, council decides

By Craig Westcott

The cluck cluck cluck of hens is continuing to spread into more residential areas of Conception Bay South with council approving another hobby farm during its public meeting last week.
This time the fowl will be located at 44A Spruce Hill Road, in Topsail.
It’s a return, of sorts, to farming activities in the area, which once had vegetable gardens on several nearby properties and a small herd of sheep on nearby Metcalfe’s Lane before much of that leafy street was converted to the development of estate-sized homes.
Ward 3 councillor Gerard Tilley, speaking for council’s development committee, recommended approval of the application provided the owners don’t keep roosters, that they register the farm with the Province’s Farm Premises ID Program, and submit a manure management plan to the Town.
The family will be allowed to keep a maximum of 10 chickens.
Two submissions were received from the public after the application was advertised, both of them opposed to the operation. The respondents expressed worries about chicken manure attracting rodents, and the potential spread of Avian flu.
Mayor Darrin Bent asked Tilley whether the permit will lay out all the particulars “so that the people getting the permit will understand quite explicitly what their obligations are when it comes to a hobby farm in this area and the rules pertaining to it to ensure that it doesn’t negatively impact the neighbours.”
Tilley replied, “That is correct, sir.”
In other development committee news:

• Council was about to reject an application from Farrell’s Construction for yet another quarry near White Hill Pond but held off at the last moment following a request from councillor Tilley.
  “I’m going to request that we defer this application based on some information that came in late this evening from the applicant,” Tilley said. “There’s a question regarding the meaning of the (term) in the application ‘burrow pit.’ So, we’re just going to take that back to our planning staff to make sure that we have our i’s dotted and out t’s crossed, because we don’t want to be making decisions based on our regulations that are probably not the right one. We’ve just got to go back and do a little bit of homework. So, I’m requesting that we defer this motion until our next public meeting.”
  The original motion to develop the completely new 12.8-hectare sand and aggregate stone quarry on what is now naturally vegetated ground was for council to reject the application because the quarry would be located less than one kilometre from an existing residential development, which is against CBS’s development regulations.
  A quarry in that zone, which is Rural, would require the discretionary approval of council. Council received two submissions after the application was advertised. Both opposed the development, citing its proximity to houses, noise pollution, and the negative impact on wildlife, soil and water bodies. There was also a concern about the number of quarries already operating in the area and the added traffic a new one would bring.
• The owner of property at 27 Perrins Road in Long Pond can go ahead and build a new house with a subsidiary apartment, even though the lot’s size is technically too small.
  “In itself this is a substandard lot,” said councillor-at-large Rex Hillier. “The frontage is less than we would hope for, but the plan is to put a new house on the foundation of the existing house and that is permitted.”
• Council has appointed a commissioner and scheduled a public hearing to consider the rezoning of 2703 Topsail Road in Manuels from Residential to Commercial General.
  That’s the site of HQ Automotive, which wants to expand its business, located across the street from Villanova Junior High.
  Former St. John’s city councillor Marie Ryan will serve as commissioner. The hearing is set for May 21 at the Town Hall. “Should the Town receive no written submissions (by) 48 hours prior to the hearing, the public hearing will be cancelled,” Hillier said.
• And finally, councillor Tilley has welcomed progress on two new businesses in his ward.
  “I’d just like to send out congratulations to Greco Pizza on the opening of their second CBS location,” he said. “It seems to be very busy up there since they opened up a couple of weeks ago.”
  The store is located near the intersection of Route 60 and Legion Road.
  “Also, work is starting to commence on the drive-thru area of the new Dairy Queen in Kelligrews,” Tilley added. “So, we look forward to that business opening up in the very near future as well.”