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Clock ticking for feedback on growth plan

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In Penetanguishene
Jan 11th, 2011
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Penetanguishene mayor says town won’t dispute population numbers for time being
By Nicole Million Jan 07, 2011
PENETANGUISHENE – The towns of Midland and Penetanguishene have less than three weeks to get their ducks in a row and submit feedback on proposed changes to the province’s growth plan.
Members of Penetanguishene council sat through a presentation updating them on the issue in December.

“We’re in good shape,” said Mayor Gerry Marshall, adding that despite the election of six newcomers in the Oct. 25 election, the deadline for submissions has remained unchanged.
In October, the Ministry of Infrastructure released an amendment to the plan titled “Simcoe Area: A Strategic Vision for Growth.” Unveiled June 4, 2009, the document was initially quite different from Simcoe County’s 2008 plan to spread growth throughout the county. The province chose to steer growth to Barrie, Alliston, Bradford, Collingwood and Orillia.
Midland and Penetanguishene would not have reaped the benefits of designation as growth nodes, but after nearly a year of pleading with the province to reconsider, the two towns are that much closer to being recognized as urban growth nodes, thanks to the proposed provincial amendment.
Marshall noted staff from both towns, as well as the mayors and deputy mayors, have been meeting regularly to discuss the issue.
When the province announced the amendment in October, then mayor Anita Dubeau voiced concerns that Penetanguishene had not been granted its requested numbers for population growth. Nonetheless, said Marshall, no changes have been made to the submission to get the province to reconsider.
“It comes up for review every five years, so that review is coming up next year anyways,” he said. “Right now, the primary thing is getting the urban growth node blessed and approved as is, and then we can review the numbers at the appropriate time with the government.
“Will we reposition our numbers and share with the government what those numbers should be? Absolutely. Is the time to do that right now? Most likely not. There is no use confusing the waters.”
Marshall said public consultations are scheduled to be held in both communities over the next few months – including the first on Jan. 19 at the Brian Orser Hall in Penetanguishene.
“We are going to get together with residents of Midland and Penetanguishene. We are going to bring the public in and give them an update on the urban node status, where we stand and what’s occurring with it,” he said. “(We are) also going to chat with them on their feedback … in terms of shared services. What are the benefits the citizens of both Midland and Penetang want to see come out of this?”
Those benefits, he said, could include shared services such as transportation, policing and water services.
“We just need to really explore what opportunities are out there for us,” he said.
Marshall said being designated an urban growth node is integral to the future of both towns.
“It’s huge,” he said. “We want to be recognized as an urban growth node and reap all the benefits of what that means, which is infrastructure dollars, the ability to grow your population and the ability to recruit and attract businesses to the area. It’s got all the elements we need to move forward as a community.”
Feedback on the proposed changes will be accepted until Jan. 31.

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