Tuesday September 27: proposed Eastdale development at Wasaga Beach council

From Protect Wasaga Beach Wetlands (residents’ group)

THE ISSUE. Proposal to amend the Official Plan of the Town of Wasaga Beach thus laying the groundwork for a Developer to build up to 156 Townhouse units on lands designated Provincially Significant Wetlands.

AN UPDATE IS PROVIDED HEREUNDER

• August 30th 2016 Council Meeting decided by a 4-3 vote to defer proposal on Official Plan amendment until the Developer and Town of Wasaga Beach Planning Department can submit an effective plan to address Flood Management

• We have been advised that this plan will be available to us by noon on Monday September 26th 2016 .

• The report and the plan will be on the Agenda for the Council meeting on Tuesday September 27th 2016, 7 pm. • While not certain at this time, in all likelihood there will be a vote to amend the Official Plan at this meeting.

• We have reached out to all Councillors to meet and discuss this critical issue over the next few days and their responses have been welcoming.

• Over the past few days some of our members have been poring over 9 studies and their reports prepared for and on behalf of the Developer which were submitted to the Planning Staff earlier in the year. This is still a work in progress. No easy task.

• By and large, the authors of these reports support the planned development subject to further studies and reports as the Development goes through the “different approval stages”.

• Nowhere in these reports so far are we able to determine, quantify the risks to the Wasaga Beach Wetlands and what are the Developer’s plan to mitigate these risks and potential damages to the Wetlands and its ecological functions.

• These lands are classified as Provincially Significant Wetlands and are protected from development by Section 2 of the 2014 Provincial Policy Statement(PPS) which states ” development and site alterations shall not be permitted within Provincially Significant Wetlands in ECOREGIONS 5E,6E,and 7E unless it has been demonstrated that there will be no NEGATIVE impact on the Wetlands or its ecological functions.”

• THE TOWN OF WASAGA BEACH LIES WITHIN ECOREGION 6E.

• The parcel of land in question is approximately 88 hectares, vacant and forested.

• The “majority” of the parcel is identified as Provincially Significant Wetlands associated with the Wasaga Beach Wetland Complex which extends to the northeast and southwest of the subject lands.

• According to the 2005 Nottawasaga Valley Conservation study report, the economic value of the Wetlands was $5,000 per hectare. In today’s dollars that means around $7,000 per hectare. (3% over 11 years)

• It is stated that the Amendment to the Official Plan applies “ONLY” to 46.5 hectares of the 88 hectares. (52%) of a parcel of land(88 hectares) where the majority is classified as Significant Wetlands raises some serious concerns .

Over the last two months when we became aware of this Development proposal much has been accomplished and your strong support has been greatly appreciated. Our letter of August 22nd 2016 to the Mayor and all Councillors summarized our key concerns with this proposed development. And in all honesty our voice was heard by Council given the 4-3 Vote to defer.

We have learnt much and will continue to learn but what has certainly been brought into much sharper focus is the need to Protect Wasaga Beach Wetlands. Wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate everywhere and we are only now waking up to their important functions for us and those that follow us in the many years to come.

Hence our communication on this Development will be on the banner of PROTECT WASAGA BEACH WETLANDS as the issue is not parochial in context but community and regional wide.