ROCKWOOD — The wait for a new, larger Foodland in Rockwood is set to continue.
The township of Guelph/Eramosa has approved extending a zoning amendment at 203 Alma St. for another three years to allow the Rockwood Foodland to continue using an existing outdoor storage area on-site until a long-term storage solution can be provided.
Located on the property's southeast corner, two shipping containers, three accessory structures and on-site garbage bins currently occupy the grocery store's 49.75 square metre outdoor storage area.
In a report, staff said they've confirmed the applicant has been "exploring alternative locations for the grocery store" including locations near the subject lands but the timing to secure a location and site preparation have contributed to the site relocation process "taking longer than was originally anticipated."
No resident comments related to the application were received at a public meeting held the same day.
"This seems pretty straightforward," said Mayor Chris White. "We did this before, we're waiting for the other store to be completed and they very much need these containers in order to maintain the service level."
At the meeting, the applicant's representative MHBC planner Oz Kemal called the outdoor storage area "essential" to Foodland's overall operation as it accommodates site and building constraints.
"One of the smallest retail stores in Sobey's network," Kemal said the existing Foodland building does not include internal backroom storage since it was built 20 years ago when the area's consumer base was smaller.
County planning staff agreed, saying the amendment would allow the business to continue serving the community and avoid "serious financial and operational hardships" as food store sales and customer volumes have increased.
To meet demand, the applicant has entered lease agreements with storage companies to store products and bottle returns on-site.
Since the site is generally visible from Alma Street and Inkerman Street, staff said they believe there is likely an opportunity to provide further screening through "more appealing" fencing and painting all visible structures a consistent, neutral shade.
A portable chain link currently partially encloses the garbage bins and additional screening is provided when nearby parking spots are used. Some structures visible from Alma and Inkerman have been painted brown.
This is the site's second temporary zoning bylaw amendment related to the outdoor storage area. A previous one was confirmed in 2020 after the township's bylaw officer received a complaint about the grocery store.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
