Council for the Rural Municipality of Hanover is in the process of rezoning land in Mitchell from residential to industrial.

The Hanover Community Development Corporation proposed the purchase of approximately 17 acres of land from Henervic Farms for a commercial/ light industrial development. The land is located between Peters Lane and Road 30E.

At a public hearing, several residents voiced their opposition. Andrea Gunter, who lives along Peters Lane says she fears this industrial development will turn a very busy stretch of highway into a more dangerous one.

"I think I've seen STARS there at least two times in the last year," says Gunter. "It's a dangerous intersection, we all know people are going too fast, we all know they are not paying attention."

She also fears the pollution these businesses may create. Gunter says one of the existing businesses in that area has a wood boiler, but uses it to burn more than just wood.

"I can't burn leaves in my backyard, but they can have a wood boiler just down the street," says Gunter. "I can tell you, they are not just burning wood in that boiler, because it smells like plastic, it smells like burning paint, it smells like burning oiled varnish."

Hanover Planning Manager Jeremy Neufeld says Hanover erred with that wood boiler.

"Our new Zoning Bylaw has been amended, that will never happen again," assures Neufeld. "Those have been banned from communities and we've put a whole bunch of requirements in."

Neufeld says Hanover's Bylaw Officer met with the owners of that property and has received a commitment that he is decommissioning that boiler and will have it removed.

At the public hearing, resident Brenda Van-Beek questioned what type of industry will potentially move into this space. Neufeld says the intent is not for large heavy scaled manufacturing, but rather woodworking or cabinet shops.

"We can through a development agreement actually restrict those uses to be the types of uses that would not be intrusive by way of noise, by way of dust, by way of potential pollution," says Neufeld.

Rayson Wong presented the provincial report. He says Sustainable Development has concerns with an industrial area being adjacent to an existing residential area. Concerns include the potential for dust, noise and odour. Wong says Environment Officers will not respond to nuisance complaints resulting from industrial development adjacent to a residential area.

Hanover council gave second reading to amend its Development Plan. The matter will now be referred to the provincial minister.

"By rezoning and developing these lots we are providing a place for (business owners) to move their larger home based businesses out of their yards," says Hanover Reeve Stan Toews.

(Hanover is looking to rezone this parcel of land to the west of homes along Peters Lane in Mitchell.)