The Town of Amherstburg made another pot-positive move Tuesday evening with the approval of new regulations for future cannabis production facilities.

With no federal guidelines telling municipalities where industry-level marijuana cultivators can and cannot set up shop, the town created its own zoning bylaw amendment for licensed growers looking to move to Amherstburg.

“It’s nice to set ourselves up for another industry,” said Amherstburg Mayor Aldo DiCarlo following the town council meeting. “Diversification, I think, is the answer.”

Councillors unanimously and without comment approved the zoning bylaw amendment to allow indoor cannabis production facilities on both industrial and agricultural-use land, as long as they sit 150 metres from residences and 225 metres from schools, day cares, and educational and health facilities. Outdoor growth will also be permitted in agricultural spaces with a 225-metre setback from all other land uses.

If we can attract a little bit more industry that doesn’t bother the neighbours, I think it’s great for the town.

Town administration first encouraged councillors in July to consider exerting regulatory control over future cannabis production facilities in Amherstburg. Without such regulations, any farmer with a licence to grow from Health Canada could have opened a production facility without approval from town administration.

“We’ve talked about it so long now,” DiCarlo said. “It’s federal approval. I find that the feedback has been mostly positive. There are a few people still opposed to it, so I just remind them that discussion’s done.”

According to an administration report, the new setbacks rule “protects existing residential uses while still being permissive enough to allow cannabis production facilities to locate on land of varying sizes,” and seek to “achieve a balance between the sensitive land use and the outdoor growth.” The zoning bylaw amendments will also “mitigate the potential for impact on the assessed values of neighbouring properties.”

Until now, Amherstburg had no regulations, leaving interested industrial-level growers with unanswered questions.

The administrative report said there is generally “no obligation in the federal provisions for a municipality to permit cannabis cultivation in specific areas.” But “due to multiple inquiries by potential cultivators and producers, the town should consider where production facilities can be permitted.”

DiCarlo said Amherstburg has been getting interest of “varying degrees” from parties in the business of cannabis production.

“I know our neighbouring municipalities are doing very well with it,” DiCarlo said. “If we can attract a little bit more industry that doesn’t bother the neighbours, I think it’s great for the town.”

Established pot facilities in Kingsville and Leamington focus on indoor, greenhouse growing, he said.

“Something that hasn’t been explored is the outdoor growing,” DiCarlo said. “We’ve set ourselves up for that as well. It will be interesting to see what kind of interest there is.”

The amendment also proposes that all buildings associated with cannabis production be subject to a site plan control agreement with the town, which would address concerns about such issues as security, odours and lighting.