Also on the agenda of yesterday’s Planning and Development Committee meeting was a request from Samsung that it support its proposal to build a 180-200 acre ‘solar farm’ on the southwest quadrant of Centre Road and Mountsberg Road.

Samsung had also asked the FCC for its support. After a number of discussions, the FCC Board of Directors (BOD) decided to provide ‘in principle support’ of the proposal. But the FCC’s support is conditional on the fact that the proposal does not include any energy from windmills and that it is not located on productive agricultural land.

A visual inspective of the site by FCC Executive Director Arend Kersten earlier this week indicated that the site is indeed in agricultural production. In fact, the elderly owner of the property told the committee that she and her husband’s family have farmed the site for over a century. Samsung counters that the site is not classified as Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3 agricultural land and is therefore permitted.

The FCC also argued that the committee should not be making a decision until after a public meeting (scheduled for last night) was held. The committee adopted the FCC’s recommendation and ‘tabled’ making a final decision until the entire Council meets this Friday.

To read the complete FCC submission, please click HERE.