A Salisbury, N.B. family, fighting to keep their horses as a result of zoning issues with the town, will need to present their case to council in hopes of a positive solution.
The Dangremond family moved to Canada just over four years ago and bought a five-and-a-half acre property with a barn for their horses, but after building a fence to keep their horses in, they received a notice from the village that they had violated a municipal bylaw.
They also were not aware their home had been zoned residential, not agricultural and the horses would have to go.
READ MORE: New Brunswick family gets high-profile support from former MP in fight to keep horses
Since then, a petition has been circulating through the community with hundreds of residents signing in hopes the family could get their land rezoned but the commission has not budged.
Just over a month ago, the family applied to the commission for their home to be rezoned for rural use so they could keep the horses.
In the past week, the family has even received high-profile support from Saint John lawyer and former Liberal MP, Paul Zed.
Zed offered to act as mediator for the Dangremonds at a village council meeting Monday night where the commission was planning on making its recommendations to council in response to the family’s rezoning application.
Jeff Boudreau, who is with the commission, told Global News Tuesday that their recommendation to council is to not rezone the land as it does not keep with the village’s long-term municipal plan submitted in 2010.
Boudreau said the wooded land around the farm is slated for residential development and having horses on the Dangremond’s property is “not in line with the municipal plan.”
“We plan for the future and not the past,” he said.
READ MORE: Zoning issues may cost New Brunswick family their horses
He went on to say the council doesn’t have the power to spot rezone the land.
The decision by council on whether or not to approve the Dangremond’s application has been tabled until the family has the opportunity to speak before council near the end of September.
—With files from Shelley Steeves, Global News
Comments