Midhurst Secondary Plan: Township communique

‘The Township Council has not yet decided the role/position that will be taken regarding the OMB appeals‘

Email from Springwater Township November 28 2011

Below, and in addition to the FAQ sheet provided at the Public Information Session for the Midhurst Secondary Plan held on November 14th, 2011, are the questions raised along with their corresponding answers. A consolidated version of this FAQ sheet and the original will be made available on the Township’s website shortly.  

Thank you for your interest in the Midhurst Secondary Plan process.

1.    Why is the Province appealing the Plan?

The Province has listed the following issues in their appeal of the

County’s approval of the Midhurst Secondary Plan:

It is premature until such time as the County Growth Plan Conformity exercise has been approved by the Ontario Municipal Board

It does not conform with the policies of the Growth Plan

It is not consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement

It does not conform to the County of Simcoe Official Plan (specifically in regards to population)

The Province’s appeal can be viewed on the Township website at the following link:

http://www.springwater.ca/Services/Planning/OfficialPlan/MidhurstSecondaryPlan/index.htm

2.    Are copies of the appeals available on the Township of Springwater website?

Yes.  The letters of appeal have been posted on the Midhurst Secondary Plan page of the municipal website and have also been included within the Planning Committee Agenda dated November 28th, 2011.

3.     If the Province believes the Midhurst Secondary Plan does not conform with Provincial policies, why did the Township adopt the plan?

The Township created and adopted the Secondary Plan under the County and Township policies in place at the time of adoption, while having consideration for the provincial policies.  After consultation with the Province, the Township was not instructed to stop proceeding with the Midhurst Secondary Plan.

4.    What role/position will the Township take at the Ontario Municipal Board?

The Township Council has not yet decided the role/position that will be taken regarding the OMB appeals. This decision will be subject to future Council/Planning Committee deliberations based on staff input and solicitor advice.

5.    Will I be able to participate at the Ontario Municipal Board Hearing?

The appeal period was the appropriate time to appeal the Secondary Plan to guarantee a level of status at the future hearing.

Varying levels of status can be requested at the OMB hearing, but is at the discretion of the Board.  Further information regarding requesting participant status can be obtained on the OMB website at:

http://www.omb.gov.on.ca/english/OMBInformation/OMB_Participant.html

6.    How long will an appeal take?

The length of the appeal will depend on many varying factors.  Unfortunately the Township is not in a position to speculate on the timing of the hearing or the length of the hearing.

7.    How will the new water system affect existing wells?

Studies were completed through the development process of the Plan to ensure there was an adequate supply of water.   The studies included assessing potential impacts to existing wells.  The information presented to date indicates that a negative impact will not occur as a result of the new municipal wells.

8.    Will the Road Network be Transit friendly?

The Environmental Assessment (EA) process examined transportation to provide for the necessary road connections to move traffic more efficiently throughout the settlement area. The road network design of future subdivisions will provide for a road network design that maintains the efficient movement of traffic and will be a transit friendly road system.

9.    What is the expected population of Midhurst based on the approved Midhurst Secondary Plan?

The Midhurst Secondary Plan contemplates a maximum of 10,000 new dwellings over a long term planning horizon, which depending on the number of people per household translates to approximately 30,000 new residents.

10. Is development of the plan to be phased?

Yes, Phase 1 of the Secondary Plan contemplates 3,850 dwellings. The time that it takes for full build out of this phase will depend on the rate of infrastructure construction and market absorption of the new residential units.  The Secondary Plan also includes wording allowing Council to assess employment targets prior to approving the next phase of the development.

11. How will existing taxes be affected by the Midhurst Secondary Plan?

All new infrastructure will be paid for by the developers.  It is impossible to accurately determine how taxes will be affected by the Midhurst Secondary Plan in the future.  Tax rates are determined annually by Council based on various factors such as municipal service levels provided. Any figures stated to date through sources outside of the Township would be speculative.

12. Were transportation considerations made outside of the boundaries of Springwater?

Yes, the Environmental Assessment process reviewed transportation.  Through that process the City of Barrie and surrounding municipalities were circulated and were presented the opportunity to comment on the proposed transportation upgrades.

13. Are there repercussions if the Township were to decide not to participate in Ontario Municipal Board proceedings regarding the Midhurst Secondary Plan?

There may be potential legal, financial, and land use planning repercussions should Township Planning Committee direct the Township not to participate in the OMB proceedings.  This matter may be discussed at a future meeting.  However, due to the potential legal ramifications this matter will likely be discussed during the Closed Session portion of the meeting.

14.   In areas where servicing is available, will development charges go up?

Development Charges are implemented to ensure that new development pays for required services.  The Secondary Plan allows for an area specific charge or other cost recovery mechanism to permit the developers to recover the front ending costs associated with the construction of the required water, sewer, and transportation infrastructure.

15. Will I be required to connect to Municipal Services?

No, the Secondary Plan does not require existing dwelling units to connect, but does provide the ability for existing residents to connect in situations where the services are available. Generally, a requirement to connect to municipal services would only occur based on a Ministry of Environment (MOE) order or a request from the community.

16. If I attended and signed in at the Information Session on November 14th, 2011, will I automatically be added to this mailing list?

The intent of the Township is to add all attendees to the mailing list and this has been done where possible. However, many of the names were illegible and many attendees did not supply their email or home address.  To ensure all attendees were advised of this, the Township released a subsequent media release advising any and all attendees to register on the mailing list to ensure they are circulated on news/updates regarding the plan 

17. If I want to express my comments to the Township regarding the appeal of the Midhurst Secondary Plan, how do I do so?

Emails and Letters can be relayed to Planning Committee by sending them to the Planning & Development Coordinator.  In order to have them included as correspondence on a Planning Committee agenda all correspondence must contain the full name of the author, municipal address and contact information

Notice of Collection/Use/Disclosure: All information submitted through the Township in support of meetings of Council is collected in accordance with the Planning Act, 1990, s.35 and may be used in Council and or Committee deliberations, and disclosed in full, including email, names and addresses to persons requesting access to records of Council or committee records. All information submitted to the municipality is subject to disclosure under the Municipal Freedom of Information Act (MFIPPA).  Questions about this notice of collection should be directed to the Clerk’s Office 705-728-4784 Ext. 2026.