There are changes in the works for Stonewall's zoning by-Laws.

Mayor Lockie McLean says it's the first time they've tried to make changes to the zoning by-laws in 25 years, and they had some great comments from people at the first meeting they held a short while ago. McLean says they're in the process of taking the next step.

"Some of the changes are considered major, which just means we have to have another public hearing. We're taking into consideration the comments that came in from the public and the various provincial bodies, and we hope to have another public hearing in December. We'll address the concerns that came up, and if the hearing goes favourably then we'll be in a position to give another reading to the changes to the zoning by-law."

McLean says there are a lot of proposed changes including some to the their commercial zoning.

"There's something called noxious environment, or noxious substances, it falls under a specific area of planning and we didn't address that the first time around to have that as one of the certain criteria that we look at when we allow certain types of development to occur in commercial and/or industrial. So now that noxious substances will be something that becomes part of the new by-law."

He adds one area has been getting a lot of positive feedback.

"Earlier this year we had people that wanted to have assisted living -- folks live at home in the community -- and it became quite a situation because right now it's conditional use, so they have to call and apply to live in a home in the community. The new zoning law one of the major changes is we're lifting that where there are no conditions and it becomes a permitted use and falls under provincial planning."

McLean says they're now working at setting up a second meeting in December, and if that goes well, they'll give second reading to the new by-laws.