The Independent

Farmers severing a house from their land won’t have to pay a park land fee in Plympton-Wyoming.

The idea came up for discussion at June 30 council meeting after the Committee of Adjustment suggested the town consider the idea.

Developers of subdivisons must provide park land or pay a fee in lieu of land. Farmers severing homes don’t pay that fee. 

“There was discussion of the fact that because it is a new residential lot, like every other new residential lot, that the fee should apply to it,” said Councillor Mike Vasey who is a member of the committee and is in favour of the idea. 

“You can’t tell me (the new owners of the severed home) don’t use parks and rec. You can’t tell me they don’t play ball in town. You can’t tell me they don’t go to the beach that we provide and that $5,000 that we would have collected would help pay for the new parking lot that we’re getting screamed at out of Highland Glen.”

But Councillor Bob Woolvett called it a “money grab” saying the municipality fought to allow farm severances to maintain the residential taxes they generate.

“Why would we stick another $1,000 on a farmer that probably wants to sever off the surplus dwelling and probably doing us a favor and maintaining a tax base for us, then turn around and have to pay park fees?”

Council agreed, deciding against charging the fee.