MAPLETON – Council here directed the owners of a rural home industry to investigate solutions to potential odour and emission concerns following a Feb. 14 public meeting on a proposed expansion.
Tree Line Plastics owners Jacob and Mary Frey are seeking a site-specific amendment to allow expansion of the existing business on their 14.7 hectare (36.42 acre) property at 6515 Yatton Sideroad.
The owners plan to expand their home industry within the existing building, with the overall business comprising approximately 589 m2 (6339.9 ft2) of building space.
Under the proposal the business would have five off-site employees.
The lands are zoned site-specific agriculture and occupied by a farm operation and residence, in addition to the home industry.
“This property was before council on two other occasions,” noted township planner Linda Redmond.
“The first occasion was to establish the home industry. The second zoning amendment was to ask for an enlargement to the building and then this is the third one and they’re asking for a further enlargement.”
Redmond continued, “The building is existing; the enlargement is all internal to the building that is there.
“They are also asking for an increase in the number of off-site employees, to allow up to five.”
Redmond pointed out the proposed expansion puts the property at the current limit for a home industry on a parcel of this size.
“So what exactly do you manufacture there?” asked councillor Marlene Ottens, who also requested the applicant address issues raised in a letter from a concerned neighbour regarding potential fumes from the operation.
“We do plastic rotational molding there. It’s a polyethylene, so this often heats up the plastic and that’s what makes the fumes,” explained Solomon Martin, speaking on behalf of the applicants.
“Do you have mitigation factors, or mitigation measures, to take care of the fumes so they don’t go into the community?” asked Mayor Gregg Davidson.
Martin replied there is an exhaust fan that moves fumes outside from an oven used in the industrial process.
“Is it reasonable to request filters of some sort to be put on that?” asked Ottens.
“It’s not only to protect the neighbours, but yourselves as well, from the long-term exposure to fumes like that.”
Redmond replied, “That’s something we could look into and I think maybe we should.
“My understanding is that the doors are open sometimes and I think that adds to the exhaust being put out into the neighbourhood, so I’m not sure that’s a solution.”
“I think it would be prudent … to perhaps have you engage an engineer to ensure that any filters that are recommended are engineered to the product you’re making,” CAO Manny Baron suggested to the applicants.
Baron offered the municipality’s assistance in finding an engineer to “look at the discharge that you’re producing and whether it’s safe and things like that.”
Council approved a motion accepting the planning report on the proposed zoning amendment.
The motion also noted the applicants will be advised to investigate solutions to potential odour/discharge from the business and directed township staff to follow up.
