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Innisfil shoreline development policy would control single-family lots

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In Agencies
Sep 10th, 2015
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Lake Simcoe

By Rick Vanderlinde Innisfil Journal

A new shoreline development policy would allow Innisfil to help make sure Lake Simcoe isn’t impacted by the construction of individual homes.

The policy, which requires an amendment to the official plan, would give the town “site plan control” on new single-detached homes that front on the lake, manager of land use planning Tim Cane said.

Under current rules, the town can only control site plans for multi-residential developments.

The town has placed a temporary freeze on about 25 undeveloped lots, most of which front on Kempenfelt Bay in Big Bay Point, while details of the plan are worked out.

“There is increased pressure on the shoreline,” Cane said at a Sept. 2 public meeting. “There is no intent to take away development rights that people have but to establish them in a more responsible way.”

Innisfil’s initiative, the first of its kind in the Lake Simcoe watershed, was prompted when landowners altered the shoreline without permission from the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority.

Cane showed council photos of lakeside properties with large boulders built up along the shoreline and metal break walls installed.

The landowners were able to circumvent the Lake Simcoe Protection Act because of confusing jurisdiction conflicts between the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of the Environment, municipalities and conservation authorities.

“Things can slip through the cracks,” Cane said.

A joint meeting of Lake Simcoe municipalities was held in Innisfil two years ago to find a way to ensure landowners were following shoreline protection rules.

An Aurora resident who owns undeveloped lakeshore property in Big Bay Point told council she was concerned how the initiative would impact her investment.

“It’s not developed yet. I was hanging on to it. Now I’m feeling it was the wrong choice,” Denise McDermid said.

But Cane said the site plan controls would only affect features that impact the shoreline, not the design of homes.

Meanwhile, Matt Goodchild complained the temporary development freeze, which could last for another 10 months, infringes on her property rights.

“I pay taxes on that property, but I can’t build on the lot,” he said.

The planned controls must be approved by the County of Simcoe and the province before they can be implemented.

One Response to “Innisfil shoreline development policy would control single-family lots”

  1. Don Molloy says:

    When you are big you get Friday Harbor when you are small nada.

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