Rather than letting a large horse arena and adjacent gravel paddock sit vacant, Pitt Meadows councillors are being asked to allow a guard dog trainer to take over the space.
During Tuesday night’s online-only council meeting, Pitt Meadows mayor and council will be asked to vote in favour of a non-farm use on a 10-hectare farm in the 18400-block of Green Road.
Much of the farm, and an adjacent property are used to grow trees by Johnsen Tree Farms, but a portion of the site is outfitted for equestrian use. That part sits empty, and with support from the Agricultural Land Commission, Pitt Meadows is pondering the idea of the non-conforming use, director of planning Anne Berry explained in her 96-page report to council.
“The Agricultlural Advisory Committee (AAC) commented that while the use is not related to agriculture, they agreed that the commercial use would be better than allowing an existing structure to remain empty,” Berry said.
So after soliciting feedback from neighbours, and hearing now, she now recommending approving the temporary (two years) use of the land to train guard dogs, but an un-named trainer who also trains guard dogs in the U.S. and Europe.
With promises the business would run between Tuesdays through Sundays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. only, that it have a maximum of 12 dogs on site at one time whether with seminars or one-on-one training, and that there would be no overnight boarding allowed, Berry is recommending council approve the non-compliant use.
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