Sarnia council has been asked to preserve the land in two areas where residential growth has been proposed.
Discussions on the new official plan continued Monday, after they ended abruptly when quorum was lost in April.
Lambton Federation of Agriculture (LFA) Director and Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) Executive Director Crispin Colvin told council that farm lands are a shrinking resource that need to be protected.
"One of the things that Sarnia has done well in the past, and I hope will continue to do, is intensification," said Colvin. "What I found interesting in the previous meeting that I attended, was the number of developers and people who came with proposals for land uses had received comments, and actually solicited comments, from groups such as MTO, Enbridge and Canada Post. Not one had considered or consulted agriculture."
Colvin said an area proposed for development on the south-west corner of Lakeshore and Waterworks Roads in Bright's Grove is highly productive agricultural land.
"That land is suitable for vegetable production and would certainly be a successful market gardening area and it would provide locally Lambton products," he said.
Colvin said land capable of supporting agricultural activities is a non-renewable resource worth preserving to provide safe, affordable and sustainable food, fiber and fuel.
He said the federations want to make sure the planning act follows the provincial policy statement and that agricultural impact assessment be included when planning act decisions are made.
They've planned a residential development with over 250 building lots, a retirement facility, community centre, athletic fields and other commercial uses.
Meanwhile, former Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership General Manager George Mallay, now a local realtor, said converting employment lands at the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park to residential would also be a mistake.
"There's no question that development of the park has not taken place as quickly as we would have liked," said Mallay. "It was purchased in 2003, but it really wasn't until 2010, when we got the money from the federal and provincial governments to enable conversion of the labs, to get us the type of tenants that are now located at the park."
Mallay expects residential neighbours would clash with park tenants.
"A residential buildout will certainly impact clients looking at the park, and you'll likely see more objections to development proposals and projects."
Sarnia-Lambton Real Estate Board President Rob Longo and Sarnia-Lambton Home Builders’ Association Scott Henderson reiterated their call for new residential zoned land to make up for a lack of inventory.
Councillor Nathan Colquhoun was absent from Monday's meeting.
Input provided during the deliberations will be logged by staff and included in a revised official plan.
