Kingsville town council voted unanimously in favour of putting a halt on re-zoning requests to grow pot by area greenhouse operators Monday.
The town approved zoning for medical marijuana growers back in March, since then its seen an influx of interest in growing marijuana to the tune of 16 requests for re-zoning. A report brought to council took a look at resident concerns about aesthetics, possible light pollution, odour, and the impact on the town's image for tourism.
Councillor Thomas Neufeld tells AM800 News until they have a way of insuring growing operations won't have an effect on the quality of life for neighbouring landowners, parks, schools and recreational areas, nothing will be approved by council.
"When the constituents bring a problem, we need to find an answer, and to say I don't have an answer, that's unacceptable," he says. "We need to find those answers. We certainly don't want to halt growth, we want to encourage growth, it helps the tax base, but we want to do it in a way that it's amicable for all parties."
Administration is preparing a report with possible changes to the towns by-laws to best control issues for an upcoming meeting, until then no-new re-zoning requests will be granted.
The town's manager of planning services says, statistically, only one out of the 16 growers that applied for a licence will actually be approved by the federal government.
Legalization is set for Oct. 17.