A plan to install a Growcer modular farming system on a property in Osoyoos has received preliminary approval from the council. The matter was brought before the council because the property owner at 8214 97th Street is seeking a variance in the setback to allow for the construction of a new greenhouse that will only have a setback of three meters from the back of the lot.
The report to the council on this variance notes that the proposed vertical farm system aligns with the permitted uses listed in the zoning bylaw. The property is in the C-3 Highway Commercial Zone and requires a setback of at least six meters, according to the bylaw.
Council unanimously passed and accepted the application, which will proceed to the September 12 council meeting. Councillor Jim King clarified during the meeting that the rear of this property backs onto more agricultural land.
King also commented on the procedure for these types of applications before the council. King was under the assumption that the town was supposed to have a variance committee to deal with these types of applications. Leah Curtis, Planning Technician for the Town of Osoyoos, explained that “we are required to have a Board of Variance. The difference between something going to a Board of Variance and to a Development Variance Permit is very simple.
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