The public still has a chance to have their say on a study that could impact the future of large scale greenhouse developments in the Municipality of Lakeshore.
The Lakeshore Greenhouse Study is now available to the public to see and comment on as the municipality works toward potentially regulating the greenhouse industry before March 2023, that's when an interim control bylaw banning greenhouse development is set to expire.
Chatham-based Storey Samways Planning compiled the 41-page study which examines aspects such as light and odour pollution, the financial impact of the greenhouse industry, environmental impacts, and even employee housing issues.
The study lays out a number of constraints that would need to be addressed for greenhouse development to move forward including municipal water and sewage systems.
A Town Hall meeting on the study was held Tuesday night at the Atlas Tube Centre, while a second one will be held Thursday Sept. 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Comber Community Centre.
Tammie Ryall, Corporate Leader for Growth and Sustainability for Lakeshore, says the public can comment on the study until Sept. 6 before a final report goes to Council on Oct. 11.
"We'll determine where we go from there, whether this study is revised, whether Council adopts Official Plan zoning changes or any further direction from Council at that time," she says.
Ryall says Lakeshore doesn't have any large scale operations right now, which is defined as anything under glass and over five acres in area.
"We could have applications come forward in the future from greenhouse operators, so it's important for us to hear public input now and get any rules or policies in place right now so we can be pro-active and prepared for any of that development going forward," she says.
Ryall says it would be difficult to ban greenhouses from the municipality because Lakeshore has a large area of agriculture land.
"Greenhouse operations are considered by the Ministry Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs as a farm use, so it would be difficult for use to ban them," she says. "So we're looking toward ways to regulate greenhouse operators so there's compatability between residents and the operators."
The study was launched in 2019 when council asked for information about the "nuisance effects of light pollution" but the study was expanded to include all aspects of the greenhouse industry.