According to Janneane Madill, the permit would have allowed theto host 14 tours throughout the summer on its 118-acre land, as well as a Mother’s Day and post-Halloween pumpkin drop-off event.
However, she says the permit was denied, despite the filing coming on the advice of the county following a complaint from adjacent neighbours in regards to an incident involving a shared roadway and parking.Story continues below advertisement “Which hadn’t happened since 2019,“ says Madill. “So we were a little bit befuddled by that. That’s where the permit started to be requested and to work with county on how does a charitable organization fit.”
The Wheatland Municipal Planning commission met over the business licence on two occasions, the first on Feb. 14 and then again on March 14, when commissioners voted against permitting the licence by a vote of 3 to 2. Madill says she felt blindsided after the commission also denied its volunteer program, which is an integral piece at the sanctuary that she feels the commission “slipped in” to the application process.
Lots of evil villains out there…