Council seeks answers
Posted 57 minutes ago
By Mike Thibodeau
Special/Leamington Post
Has greenhouse expansion to the north of the urban area outstripped the growth that was anticipated by the experts just eight years ago?
"I was taken aback when I read water was not available," said Leamington Councillor Rick Atkin.
"I thought we had the water to go through to 2020."
Atkin was outlining to councillors at last week's meeting what had transpired in pipeline expansion, ,including the construction of a $7.0 million pipeline along the old CN railway line up to Mersea Rd. 12, a decade ago.
"Something has gone astray," said Atkin, if Leamington has reached the 720 acres of greenhouse which waterline expansion was supposed to accommodate.
He made his comments late in the meeting after council has turned down an appeal by a greenhouse grower who wanted relief from the town's development charge.
It was in that report that council was told the town could not supply the water for the greenhouse expansion of about 20 acres. So the greenhouse owner (Great Lakes Greenhouses) will drill wells, and has also agreed to buy water from LADI, which is a water supply system installed by local growers for drip irrigation.
Council denied the appeal for the development charge which is about $80,000 for the 21 acres.
Council indicated there are other services that the development charge covers such as fire, roads, policing. And greenhouses only pay the charge at about 20 per cent of the charge for commercial property.
"We can't afford to have people cherry pick what the will pay for, no one will want to pay for anything," said Councillor Hilda MacDonald.
Councillor Larry Verbeke disagreed with MacDonald's view saying if water wasn't available theh greenhouse should not have to pay.
Deputy Mayor Charlie Wright noted that the municipality already gives greenhouses a "significant break" on development charges.
A secondary question from Atkin was the role that LADI plays in supplying water to agriculture in the municipality.
He said he has read the agreement with the town and LADI and he has one interpretation that may not be the same as others.
He acknowledged that LADI plays a vital economic role in supplying water for drip irrigation for crops, particularly tomatoes.
Council also turned down the same plea for relief from the development charges for another greenhouse operation, Via Verde Hydroponics on Mersea Rd. 5
Town administrator Bill Marck said that town staff would be able to pull all the figures together to provide a complete report to council about water supply and greenhouse growth in the north area.
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