OMB will base Midhurst growth decision on facts – Carroll

Letter to Barrie Examiner April 28 2012

(Re: ‘Judge Midhurst growth plan on facts, not fear-mongering, in the April 20 edition of the Examiner)

I read with interest the letter from Cheryl Shindruk of Geranium Corp.

Ms. Shindruk rightly extols the virtues of basing judgments on facts. My dilemma emanates from her contention that, “the Midhurst Secondary Plan conforms to provincial growth policy and legislation.”

From my perspective, this is not factual.

The award-winning Places to Grow legislation, passed by the Liberal government in 2005, is now the framework on which growth policy and planning in Ontario are based.

This legislation provides excellent tools, not to promote growth, but rather to manage it.

The Growth Plan, informed by the legislation, directs that growth in Simcoe County be clustered in seven primary settlement areas. These are the municipalities of Barrie, Orillia, Collingwood, Midland/Penetang, Alcona, Alliston and Bradford.

Population allocations mirror these designations.

In addition, priority is placed on focusing infrastructure such as water treatment, transit services, etc. in these designated centres so as to maximize the value of public investments in costly infrastructure.

The Ontario government has appealed the Midhurst Secondary Plan to the Ontario Municipal Board.

I would assume it has done so in the knowledge that the plan does not conform to the Places to Grow Growth plan.

I am confident that the decision of the OMB will be based on the facts and the legislation.

Aileen Carroll Barrie