Council for the Rural Municipality of Hanover has denied a home-based auto sales business south of Mitchell, after neighbours voiced opposition.
Wilhelm Reimer appeared before Council on Wednesday requesting permission to operate a home-based auto sales business along Aurora Drive.
According to Hanover Administration, this is a two-acre property zoned Rural Residential. Permit Administrator Amos Wiebe says the proposed use is in alignment with similar previous uses approved by Council in this zoning area. Wiebe says Administration does not have any concerns with this application.
Prior to Wednesday's public hearing, the municipality received four letters of opposition and one letter of concern. There were concerns raised over a potential increase in noise and traffic and how this could impact the safety of children playing in the neighbourhood. Other concerns had to do with properties losing their value.
Reimer had been selling cars from a property in Steinbach. Reimer told Council that part of his reason for wanting to move the business to his home is that he would then no longer have to rent space. He told Council that selling vehicles is something he does on the side, noting on average he sells about 12 cars per year. In trying to convince Council to rule in his favour, he noted that several of the lots in the neighbourhood are vacant and that most of the repairs are done off-site.
Mitchell-area Councillor Brian Esau told the rest of Council that Mitchell has commercial lots for exactly this purpose.
Councillors Ed Penner and Travis Doerksen noted the beauty of the neighbourhood, and that many people have made a significant investment there by building their forever home in that development.
Following the public hearing, Council voted unanimously to deny the application.
"This is an area where there are some high-end homes, where people have invested quite a bit of money," says Reeve Jim Funk, explaining why Council turned down the application. "We had feedback from the public that they were opposed to this."
Funk says Council has been receiving more and more of these applications recently where individuals are wanting to start home-based businesses that actually belong in a commercial area.