Planning for Growth in South Georgian Bay Part 1: Simcoe County
Every year, our Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board sponsors a popular seminar where they bring in the local planners to speak to REALTORS® about what is happening in our region. Anyone considering a real estate transaction should keep well informed so we thought it would be a good idea to share some of their points with you in this multi-part series. Thanks Chris for keeping such good notes!
COUNTY OF SIMCOE presented by Kathy Suggitt
- 1. In 2008 they’ve been working on the Simcoe Area Growth Plan and a Master Transportation Study
- 2. OP was adopted by County Council – now the province has 6 months to review and approve it; the OP was a conformity exercise with the Provincial Policy Statement, Planning Legislation of the Province, Growth Plan, Greenbelt Plan, the Planning Act and the Places to Grow, but with a ‘made in Simcoe County’ spin on it
- 3. Upper Tier Municipalities must be more invested in growth management
- 4. They have to take into account all settlement areas, which could be something as small as a 4-corners hamlet to a fully serviced town like Collingwood
- 5. They have to do ‘land budget’ which looks at all the lands available for development in settlement areas
- 6. Have to consider things like small scale communal septic systems – MOE is still not sure on these – because Simcoe County doesn’t have control over the pipes in these instances
- 7. Places to Grow encourages density and intensification, but in Simcoe County, we have such a wide variety of sizes of areas, we need to have a unique plan
- 8. In places like Wasaga and Collingwood, there is an expectation of higher densities
- 9. Development activity was very strong in 2008
- 10. They underwent upgrades to the Natural Heritage Plan
Work in Progress for 2009:
- 1. Working with province on revision to their OP
- 2. Working with 16 municipalities on the Places to Grow as they need to be in conformity by June of 2009 (although this could be extended)
- 3. Completion of Land Budget
- 4. Development applications and reviews
- 5. Looking ahead: 2011 Census and 5 year review of their growth plan; long term transportation and infrastructure plans and investigations
- 6. Will be hiring an Economic Development Officer in 2009
Collingwood Mayor Chris Carrier has expressed a number of concerns about the plan and voted against it.
You may find this chart of Simcoe County municipalities population projections interesting: (Click to enlarge)
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