Four years of work are about to culminate with new zoning regulations in Grey Highlands that will govern the planning and development of alternative energy facilities.

Grey Highlands council at its regular meeting Monday afternoon heard first and second reading of its alternative energy planning bylaw. Council met with planning staff at Monday’s meeting and went forward with the adoption of the fourth draft of the planning policies.

Grey Highlands has been working on policies for alternative energy for several years. It will become the first municipality in Grey County to formally adopt such policies if the bylaw - as expected - is passed at council’s next meeting on August 11.

The public gallery at the meeting was filled with spectators interested in the fate of the bylaw.

Council received a delegation about the issue from William Pol, a consultant hired by AIM Power Gen - a company planning to put forward wind energy proposals in Grey Highlands.

Pol told council that AIM Power Gen has fully participated in the development of the proposals and is anxious to get the policies in place. He said the company is satisfied with the proposed policies governing the placement of alternative energy facilities.

“We’ve now taken a high level look at how the zoning will affect properties in Grey Highlands. We’re satisfied that we can build a wind power project in Grey Highlands,” said Pol. “We look forward to making an application in Grey Highlands,” he added.

Pol requested, on the behalf of AIM, that council not hold further public meetings on the alternative energy planning bylaw. Council made no comment on that request and the third reading of a planning bylaw is not usually subjected to a public meeting. Grey Highlands has already held multiple public meetings on the matter.

Following Pol’s presentation council discussed the bylaw with municipal planners.

The biggest concern members of council had for the planners focused on the issue of vacant rural lots and their relationship with potential alternative energy proposals. Potentially, vacant lots could be affected by an alternative energy proposal approved while the neighbouring lot remains undeveloped.

“I have some concerns that may control where an individual can build within their vacant lot,” said Deputy Mayor Dave Fawcett.

Jones Consulting Group Planner Tim Cane said he understood the concern, but noted that the policy was designed to be proactive on the matter.

“We’re not trying to dictate where a wind turbine can go on a particular property. If we didn’t give some criteria we would have the chance a large vacant rural lot could prevent a wind turbine from being near it,” said Cane.

Deputy Mayor Fawcett also said a vacant lot owner would be notified in any alternative energy project planning process.

“They could indicate their concerns to council at that time,” he said.

Councillor Stewart Halliday asked if council could go one step farther and warn a potential new buyer of a vacant lot that building restrictions might be in place on the lot due to an alternative energy proposal nearby.

“Is there a mechanism that can register it on title?” Halliday asked, who noted that on occasion people purchase vacant properties without knowing constraints are in place.

Both CAO/Treasurer Kelley Coulter and Mayor Brian Mullin said a policy like what Halliday was suggesting would be a logistical nightmare for the municipality, if not downright impossible.

“The municipality is usually the last to know when a property changes hands. I don’t know how we could do that administratively,” said Coulter, who added that any such policy could open up potential legal issues. “We couldn’t take responsibility for that, it would be a legal liability for the municipality,” she said.

Mayor Mullin also pointed out that there are dozens of different kinds of planning restraints on properties all over the municipality. He said the municipality couldn’t just decide to warn potential property buyers about alternative energy constraints.

“It would be up to the buyer to research all those issues,” said the mayor.

With council’s comments and questions dealt with, the bylaw was given first and second reading. It is scheduled to come up for third reading at council’s meeting on August 11.