CARSTAIRS - Town council has given first reading to a land use bylaw amendment that would add food processing and packaging as a discretionary use in industrial districts in the municipality.
The move came by way of motion at the recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
"We are doing this so of someone brings a meat shop into town it will fit into our land use bylaw," said mayor Lance Colby.
In the amendment, food processing and packaging is defined as a “building or part of a building, other than an eating establishment, food caterer in which agricultural products are prepared, processed, preserved, packaged, graded or stored for eventual human consumption and includes services such as a flour mill, a bakery production facility, an egg grading station, but does not include abattoir or any premises used for the slaughtering of animals or the building of blood, tripe or bones.”
These food processing and packaging sites are “intended to primarily use agricultural products that are produced on site and shall have minimal off-site impacts such as noise, odour, surface or groundwater pollutants, earthborne vibration, heat or high brightness light sources.”
Industrial districts provide for a “range of light industrial uses engaged in manufacturing, assembling and service activities, which may require an outside storage component.” Current discretionary uses including auction marts, automobile storage and repair services.
A second amendment proposes to add specialty food store as a discretionary use in all commercial districts.
In the amendment, specialty food store is defined as a “use, building or part of a building that specializes in a specific type or class of food production, processing or packaging such as a butcher shop, delicatessen, bakery, fish monger, and similar foods, and where live animals are not involved in the processing of the food. The food products associated with the use may be sold on the premises.”
Commercial service district provides for a “range of commercial, entertainment and professional office development in an attractive and comprehensively planning shopping centre environment.”
Current discretionary uses include car and truck washing establishments, drinking establishments, gas bars and retail stores.
Council set Jan. 25 as the date for the public hearing for the proposed land use bylaw amendments.
