Windham-area officials were understandably enthusiastic following last week’s first public viewing of the plans for Sebago Farms, a massive greenhouse facility that would grow vegetables and raise fish year-round.

“I think it’s very exciting,” Barbara Clark, executive director of the Sebago Lake Chamber of Commerce, said in a representative remark. “I think it’s a great business bringing jobs to our region. I think it’s a diverse business, a different type of business coming in here. And I’m very excited to know they’ve chosen our region. I think it’s wonderful.”

Sebago Farms, both in its sheer size and in its potential impact throughout Cumberland County, is undoubtedly a huge project.

“It’s a million-and-a-half feet of greenhouses – 37 acres of greenhouses on a 72-acre parcel – so it’s just an incredible size,” said Tom Bartell, Windham’s economic development director. “And on the site walk it was unbelievable, we went from end to end and we were, like, holy mackerel, this is huge.

“We’re going to become known as the home of Sebago Farms,” Bartell said.

Bartell is right to be ecstatic. Sebago Farms is an economic developer’s dream. The owner, John der Kinderen, and his backer, an international technology company called BioSynEnergy, were looking for a welcoming community with the right infrastructure, and Windham fit the bill. It has a large enough open space, and it has access to natural gas and major roadways. Der Kinderen said Sebago Farms would employ 170 people, in good-paying jobs offering top-notch benefits.

Sebago Farms would be entering a booming business, as well, as greenhouses of this kind have sprouted all across the globe to much success, as Backyard Farms in Madison can attest. With new technology and a plan to eventually place smaller facilities at other Maine locations, it could be the start of something significant for the state’s economy.

But a project that large does not come without questions, and its fast-tracked timeline – der Kinderen expects to be shipping some product by the end of the year – means the Windham Planning Board has its hands full. The board’s decision may have implications for agriculture and business that are statewide, and it could bring to Windham a landmark and a partner, as the town’s biggest employer and largest taxpayer.

Not the least of these questions is the potential environmental impact of the project. Der Kinderen has put forward Sebago Farms as a cutting-edge facility. Highly efficient natural gas-powered generators would pump the water and produce electricity in the greenhouse, and exhaust would heat the adjacent offices, he said. The waste would be forwarded to a bioreactor to be made into high-quality organic fertilizer.

Such high efficiency is necessary, as studies have shown that outdoor-grown vegetables release fewer greenhouse gases into the environment than those produced year-round greenhouses, even when shipping outdoor produce long distances is taken into account. BioSynEnergy may have figured out a solution for that problem, but officials should not assume that because lettuce is ripe that it is “green.”

The facility would use 2,000 gallons of water an hour, however. Der Kinderen said the North Windham aquifer can easily handle that amount, but town officials must be sure. And there have been many questions regarding fish harvesting, although criticism has been aimed at a different method from what Sebago Farms is proposing. As it is a new industry to the region, board members should seek out details.

Windham has to avoid the blinders that can come with the introduction of a project this promising, especially in a difficult economic climate. With the help of state officials, the town should make sure it has answers to all of those questions.

Because, after all, it would be known as the home of Sebago Farms.

Ben Bragdon is the managing editor at Current Publishing. He can be reached at bbragdon@keepmecurrent.com or followed on Twitter.