— Sandhu wants to add 77,000-sq-ft greenhouse, and more in future —
(OSOYOOS TIMES — September 12, 2007) —
Rural Osoyoos nursery operator and vegetable grower Jesse Sandhu has gained qualified support from the local planning committee of the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) for his plan to more than double his greenhouse space.
After much discussion at a Monday evening meeting, RDOS' rural Osoyoos Advisory Planning Commission (APC) voted to recommend to the RDOS Rural Board that it approve Sandhu's plan to build a new 77,000-sq-ft. greenhouse for the growing of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
Sandhu says the move is necessary if he is to survive in the highly competitive greenhouse vegetable market.
He says he is competing against huge greenhouse operations in the Lower Mainland as well as in Spain, Mexico and the U.S.
He adds there are 70-acre-sized greenhouses in Delta, B.C. and 300-acre greenhouses in Mexico, and they're getting bigger.
Sandhu says many greenhouse operators in the B.C. Interior have quit because of the economic competition. He is now the biggest greenhouse vegetable producer in the Interior, but he has to greatly expand if he's to stay in business.
Current RDOS zoning rules limit the coverage of agricultural land by buildings (including greenhouses) to between 10 and 15 per cent of the land parcel.
In consultation with RDOS planners, Sandhu's proposal went forward to APC asking for that limit to be raised to 85 per cent across all of rural Osoyoos, called RDOS Area 'A'.
The 77,000-sq-ft. greenhouse expansion Sandhu wants to build this December, plus a boiler building, a packinghouse expansion, and his existing 71,000-sq-ft. of greenhouses, would take his land coverage to 24 per cent.
Sandhu wants a higher limit to allow for further expansion in future years, possibly up to 85 per cent coverage.
The APC, which only recommends on local developments to the RDOS Rural Board, debated whether to place a number of restrictions on Sandhu's development before agreeing to support his immediate expansion plans up to land coverage of no more than 25 per cent.
They also want no artificial grow-lights (which Sandhu doesn't want anyway), and recommended to RDOS that the requirement for a number of additional parking spaces be adjusted to reasonable numbers, because the current RDOS formula would require 68 parking spots and 14 loading spots, far more than required. The new greenhouses are not retail, require no customer parking, and Sandhu says one loading dock can handle all deliveries.
Interior Vegetable Marketing Agency general manager Lillian Posch and Osoyoos Mayor John Slater, who is on the B.C. Greenhouse Growers organization, told the APC that the low RDOS limits for greenhouse coverage on land goes against the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture's guidelines that 75 per cent of coverage by greenhouses should be allowed.
They said greenhouse operations are more efficient and environmental than farming in soil, and should be encouraged.
If the RDOS Rural Board votes for first and second reading of the limit change for Sandhu at either its Oct. 4 or Nov. 1 meeting, the bylaw would have to go to a public hearing and then back to the Rural Board for final approval.
Sandhu is anxious for approval to build his new greenhouse by December, saying a delay could cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Sandhu currently employs eight people for about 11 months a year. With the greenhouse expansion he would add four or five employees.
