Neighbours of a proposed hobby farm close to Halls Lake are worried about the negative impact livestock could have on the water, also raising concerns over potential longterm ramifications of rezoning the property.
An application from Tim and Laura Kegel to redesignate 1572 Little Hawk Lake Rd. to Rural-Exception (RU), from Shoreline Residential Two (SR2), will be discussed by Algonquin Highlands council May 29. If approved, the Kegels plan to build another residence and establish a “small” hobby farm with pigs and chickens on their six-acre property.
When brothers Max and JD Morrow, who own cottages on nearby Carey Close, learned about the plans last summer they joined approximately 100 residents opposing it.
“Having farm animals that close to the water, it will have a negative impact,” Max said, noting the rear of the Kegels’ property is on a hill about 70 metres from shore.
AH mayor Liz Danielsen says ‘we’re not leaning in any direction’
Every spring and summer, the brothers say they’re helpless as runoff waterlogs their property before slowly seeping into the lake.
They’re worried adding farm animals will lead to harmful contaminants, such as phosphorous and nitrates from manure, getting into the water. JD contends there’s also an unmarked underwater stream that he believes empties into the lake.
After seeing the township conduct a lengthy septic inspection program, embrace the County’s shoreline preservation bylaw, and enact several other environmental protections in recent years, Max said it would be a “major concern and such a departure from previous efforts” if the application is approved.
“I’m not against agriculture or hobby farming – I think it’s great. But this is the wrong place. This is an established cottage area… our lake quality needs to be protected.
“Six years ago, a lot of people on Halls were required to replace their septic systems to protect the water, which we supported. But allowing pigs within 100 metres of the shore is not really what you want to see after forcing people into such a significant investment,” Max said.
A petition opposing the zoning change has been signed by 560 people.
County concern
The issue came to council’s attention last September, with planner Sean O’Callaghan saying it has been developing over multiple years. The Kegels started keeping pigs in 2018, believing their property was zoned RU. O’Callaghan indicated, at the time, that was the township’s belief, too.
But Natalya Garrod, a registered planner with Sumac Environmental Planning, said it hasn’t been RU since the late 1980s. The previous owners of the Shalom on the Lake resort, which the Kegel family now owns, wanted to turn the site into a trailer park. Neighbours fought that at the Ontario Municipal Board, which ruled in their favour, implementing the current SR2 distinction.
“Even though the property doesn’t directly touch the water, the OMB changed the zoning because it felt the impact that property could have on the lake, with its topography, was so significant that it should be zoned shoreline,” said Garrod, retained by the neighbours’ group last September.
She contends the application does not meet Algonquin Highlands’ official plan, which stipulates any property within 120 metres of a lake’s waterline be considered waterfront. The township does not permit agricultural activity in waterfront zones.
In emails to O’Callaghan last November and December, secured by the neighbours group via a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act request, County planner Elizabeth Purcell indicated the upper-tier would not sign off on the rezoning. She cited road issues, saying the Kegel property fronts Carey Close and Deacons Trail – both private roads. Its main entrance is off the Shalom on the Lake property.
Shelley Fellows, president of the Halls and Hawk Lakes Property Owners Association (HHLPOA), opposes the application. While the organization doesn’t typically get involved in neighbour disputes, she felt this one had the opportunity to drastically change the make-up of the lake one day.
“The list of things that would be permitted under a rural zone in Algonquin Highlands is extensive,” Fellows said, noting it could pave the way for Kegel, or a future owner, to establish a cemetery, asphalt plant, or a quarry, and dozens of commercial uses.
Fellows said possible contaminants entering the lake could have far-reaching implications, with Halls Lake part of the Trent Severn Waterway system.
“If there is a contamination from a future farm, it will affect the residents on the lake who like to drink the water, or swim in it. It could also, potentially, have a very significant impact downstream,” Fellows said. “I’m astonished the municipality would even contemplate it.”
‘No decision made’
Algonquin Highlands mayor Liz Danielsen said, “there has been a lot of opposition. People have assumed we’re going to approve it and we have not said that… we’re not leaning in any direction. But we need to give the applicant due consideration while also listening to the concerns of the community. These things are always a two-sided consideration.”
The mayor said, last fall, council asked the Kegels to do an environmental impact study (EIS) and nutrient management examination, which have been done. Some councillors have visited the property.
Garrod feels an EIS falls short, calling for a more thorough environmental assessment, especially given there’s a marked wetland on the property.
A report from O’Calloghan included in the May 29 agenda recommended turning the application down.
If there is going to be a hobby farm, Garrod wants council to implement “some serious provisions” to limit the impacts, such as identifying pen setbacks from neighbouring lot lines, storage for manure, and limiting the number of animals.
