Chatham-Kent will continue to work towards managing large greenhouse developments and greenhouse light pollution in the municipality.
On Monday night, council approved both the interim by-law that will restrict largescale greenhouse from being developed in close proximity to urban areas as well as the consultation process with the municipality and stakeholders on how to manage greenhouse lighting.
Councillor Melissa Harrigan said she was looking forward to what the future will bring when it comes to addressing the issue.
"I think taking interim control measures is a really responsible way to allow us to do significant consultation while pressing pause on different developments that could have major impacts on our community," said Harrigan.
Chatham-Kent is looking at taking the next steps towards dealing with large greenhouse developments, including glowing lights from the facilities.
On Monday, council will vote on administration conducting further consultation with stakeholders regarding how to manage greenhouse lighting.
In December 2020, a motion by Councillor Melissa Harrigan was approved to have staff bring back a report on the subject of greenhouse light emissions and provide recommendations with options to address any potential light nuisance from greenhouses in Chatham-Kent.
Greenhouses in southwestern Ontario have more recently begun to be constructed or retrofitted to include internal lighting, which allows for more rapid plant growth.
Although greenhouse light pollution is not a major concern in Chatham-Kent, Harrigan previously said she wanted to take a proactive approach.
In neighbouring Kingsville and Leamington, pink and yellow lights glowing from greenhouses are so bright they can be seen far up Highway 401 and even across Lake Erie along the shores of Ohio. As a result, a few municipalities have adopted by-laws to regulate and enforce light abatement.
According to the report, greenhouse development in Chatham-Kent has seen a significant boom over the past decade.
In 2011, 168 acres of greenhouses existed in the municipality. By 2016, greenhouse development increased by 76 per cent over 2011 to 297 acres. Greenhouse development is anticipated to have exceeded 600 acres in 2021.
"As the greenhouse industry evolved, there have been noticeable changes to local facilities and operations," the report stated. "For instance, prior to 2011, a ‘large’ greenhouse may have been considered by some to be 5-12 acres in area. Since 2011, a ‘large’ greenhouse is 20-50 acres constructed at one time. This trend in greenhouse size has led to farms in the community containing 50-200 acres of greenhouse development in 2021. In the future, construction may exceed 100 acres at a time."
According to the report, there are currently no provincial regulations that address greenhouse lighting.
Staff is recommending that the municipality formalize consultation with stakeholders on the issue and eventually present a by-law for council’s consideration.
"This process will involve community consultation utilizing online platforms such as Let’s Talk CK, industry consultation with local farmers and associations such as the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Association, Kent Federation of Agriculture, and Government consultation including Ministries of Environment, Agriculture and other municipalities," the report stated.
The recommendations regarding greenhouse lighting are set to come back to council no later than September 20, 2021.
In addition, an interim control by-law is also coming up for council approval that would restrict largescale greenhouse from being developed in close proximity to urban areas.
The restrictions will generally apply to farms on the fringe of Blenheim, Charing Cross, Chatham, Dresden, Ridgetown, Tilbury, Wallaceburg, and Wheatley.
According to the report, the goal is to look at long-range planning when it comes to regulating the location of greenhouse development in Chatham-Kent.
"During the one to two year period where this bylaw may be in effect, administration will be undertaking a detailed policy review through the Official Plan update," the report stated. "Generally, the scope of this review will be guided by [continuing to support agricultural development for the long term, preserving future urban growth areas for the long term and identifying y priority greenhouse areas based on services and utilities available or planned."
If the bylaw is approved, it would not impact any greenhouses that have already been approved for construction.