The appellants appealed the Niagara Escarpment Commission's conditional approval of a development permit for an on-farm diversified use (agri-tourism and retail) on the applicant's property.
The central issue was whether the property constituted a Prime Agricultural Area, which is a prerequisite for the proposed use under the Niagara Escarpment Plan.
The Hearing Officers found that the property was not mapped as a Prime Agricultural Area by the Province, and a site-specific agrology study could not override provincial mapping and implementation procedures.
The Hearing Officers recommended that the development permit be refused, and the Minister subsequently refused the application.
