Greenwich farmers want annexation

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

welliott@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Four Greenwich farmers have requested that the town of Wolfville annex approximately 400 acres of their farm operations.

The quartet - Doug Hennigar, Peter Elderkin, Hal Stirling and Harold Forsyth – appeared at town council April 21 to make a petition.

Hennigar stated that collectively the four farms have 700 years of agricultural history, but the owners have been meeting for almost four years to look at how they might further develop their land.

He told council that the agricultural interests weren’t going to be there and the foursome wanted to organize toward development that would be a real legacy to the county.

Hennigar said they believe that Wolfville might provide the right plan for the future. “It’s very important to us that appropriate things happen.”

The quartet, who are negotiating also with Kings County, cite the difficulty of farming in proximity to residential housing.

Hennigar said their farm-commercial zoning along the highway is, in its way, quite restrictive, but it’s their acreage close to Highway 101 that they want annexed.

“We’re here because of our location,” he said, “where the water and sewer services are.”

Then Hennigar suggested he could contribute an important source of high quality ground water. Developing eastern Greenwich, he added, should take a lot of the pressure off agriculture in other areas (of the county).



Not getting the support

The four farmers indicated they have come to the town because their plans are not receiving support at the county level. Meanwhile, Hennigar said the town is boxed in.

“Agriculture will still be a part of the operation, certainly in the short term. There will be wildlife corridors, hiking and biking trails. We like the idea of comprehensive planning with a focus on the environment and community sustainability.”

Hennigar mentioned that there are industrial/IT possibilities for such agricultural land. He noted Research in Motion and Dell and perhaps Acadia University might set up a new campus. “They are very excited. This could bring a whole lot of partners on board for positive working and living.”

Acadia spokesman Scott Roberts reacted last Wednesday by saying, “there is absolutely no interest in a Greenwich campus.”

Peter Elderkin told council, “we require some change. Agriculture has changed and we are a walled community next to a walled community. The potential for growth is not there for our four properties in east Greenwich. We are forced to be a green, agricultural area in an urban corridor.”

He detailed that the acreage now has 14 residents and over 100 acres are currently cultivated. He estimated that 100–125 of the acres would green space forever as wetlands.

He told the councilors that it is in the A1 zone entirely, but is graded too steeply to be considered for most agricultural uses.

Mayor Bob Stead told the foursome that the suggestion would require a good deal of time for dialogue and discussion.