Town of Essex to consider light and odour bylaw
The municipality of Essex will consider a “nuisance” bylaw similar to the one that Kingsville recently passed to control the lights and smells of the greenhouse industry.
“We appreciate the greenhouse industry, but we also want them to be really good community citizens,” said Essex town Coun. Sherry Bondy, who tabled the motion at Monday night's council meeting.
While Bondy admitted that the Town of Essex doesn't have an abundance of glowing greenhouses like Kingsville and Leamington do, she believes that could change in the future.
“I think this discussion can be proactive: We set the standard for what we want,” Bondy said. “It just sets the stage for what we accept in our municipality.”
Bondy also pointed to the importance of presenting unity across the region on the issue. “Tecumseh has joined the discussion. Lakeshore is starting to join the discussion,” she noted.
“The more of us that join together and send this message to the province, the stronger our message is going to be.”
The motion asks for Town of Essex administration to come back to council with a review on how such a bylaw can be implemented.
On Oct. 26, Kingsville town council unanimously approved a new bylaw that restricts nighttime light pollution from greenhouses and pervasive odours from cannabis production.
With the bylaw, the municipality can penalize “nuisance” lighting that shines on other people's properties or into the sky at night.
The Town of Kingsville also now has greater authority to conduct inspections, issue orders, and impose fines on greenhouse operators.
Richard Meloche, deputy mayor of Essex, agreed with Bondy and said he thinks Kingsville has the right idea.
“The way the greenhouse industry is expanding ... you could potentially see the same kind of development happening (here in Essex),” Meloche said. “It's getting closer — you can see it between Cottam and Essex, on Highway 3.”
“We need to have something in place before it happens.”
Meloche said he considers his own residence to be in a “pretty dark” area — but he's had out-oftown visitors who confused the glow of the greenhouses to the south with the illumination of Windsor to the north.
“The closer you are to that light, it has got to be very intrusive,” Meloche said.
But Essex town Coun. Chris Vander Doelen said other councillors might be surprised to know not everyone hates the glow.
“I know somebody who lives right behind one of those lit greenhouses, and he says it doesn't bother him in the least. Couldn't care less,” Vander Doelen said. “And I've heard other people say the same thing.”
Nonetheless, Vander Doelen said the greenhouses visible from Arner Townline can look like “volcanoes.”
Vander Doelen was the only councillor who did not vote in favour of Bondy's motion.