Heavy tractor trailer traffic, dust, and loud noise extending into all hours of the night at a McFeeters property were all causes for concern for West Lincoln resident Robert MacDougall at Monday's township planning meeting.

MacDougall, who lives on a property that abuts onto the business lands of G. McFeeters Enterprises Inc., located at 2825 South Grimsby Road 21, re-raised the issue after no action was taken from his initial comments made at a June 9 meeting.

"I still have this question," he told aldermen. "Why are they still operating?"

The land on which the business operates is zoned Agricultural A2-106, which allows the land to be used for a sawmill for the production, manufacturing, drying, chemical processing, treating, outside storage and sale of lumber, fence posts and wood products of every nature and description.

MacDougall's concern is that the business, which grinds waste-wood using a large wood chipper, does not comply with regional policy for that land zone.

He said the grinder goes through 45 tonnes of wood per hour, "creating all kinds of noise, and creating all kinds of dust."

He also said there is the potential that the water being used to wash the trucks and trailers is filtering into a nearby creek.

"This is no longer a small-scale operation," he said, adding that trucks are coming in and out of the operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, unloading wood-chips with a loud vibrating machine. The noise of trailer lids slamming open and shut gives neighbouring residents fit at all hours of the night, MacDougall said.

Alex Graovac, operations manager for the plant, attended the June 9 meeting and admitted that the sound does travel, but reminded aldermen that they are running a commercial operation, of which success is contingent on machinery.

He added that the company is looking into back-up signals with controlled volume. He said that the latest trucks will unload is 9:30 p.m., and that drop-offs occur rarely on Saturdays and never on Sundays.

As for wash water run-off from the eight or 10 trucks being washed, he said there is a "fair expanse of land" between the wash area and the creek, and that he did not think that was an issue.

"We've always run a clean, compliant business," he said.

MacDougall countered Monday that the business has "nothing to do with a sawmill" and should not be permitted on lands zoned A2.

In 1983, the property was rezoned to permit a sawmill operating on site.

Township planning director Brian Treble said staff have visited the site, but that there is "a bit of a fine edge" with how the township deals with this, adding that staff would prefer to work with the business to rectify the situation for all parties.

Alderwoman Mary Dinga added that the wood being chipped is used for bedding and greenhouse fuel, which is used as alternative energy.