Patterson pleased at meeting with PDF on growth

By Kate Harries AWARE Simcoe May 16 2011

Warden Cal Patterson says he and senior county staff had an “excellent” meeting with Provincial Development Facilitator Paula Dill earlier this month.

Dill has been appointed by Infrastructure Minister Bob Chiarelli to work with municipalities and make recommendations on Amendment 1 to the Simcoe County Growth Plan.

“It was very clear that she thought we were somewhat mistreated over the last couple of years,” Patterson told the corporate services committee last week. 

“It was an excellent meeting, she’s certainly well-qualified.”

He said he believed Dill has an “open mind” on the issues.

Making a similar report to the performance management committee, Patterson said Dill is “a very talented lady, a very experienced lady…

However, she told the county representatives that the population growth numbers allocated by the province will not be changed.

“We’ve asked for more numbers,” Patterson said, stressing that county municipalities will be of “one voice” and will not compete with each other for an increased share of population.

Amendment 1 has been widely decried by Simcoe County politicians because it places development restrictions on lands already designated as settlement areas. The province says this is necessary because local politicians have designated too much land, and it has refused to approve the county’s official plan, thereby stalling new approvals across the county. 

Patterson said Dill is to report in November – after the provincial election – to the Minister of Infrastructure, “whoever that may be.”

Local Tory MPPs Garfield Dunlop and Jim Wilson appeared at county council last month and promised a Progressive Conservative government will scrap the growth plan and Amendment 1.

Dill is to meet with each of the county’s 16 municipalities and with the head planners of all the municipalities.

She will also be meeting with other groups, including AWARE Simcoe.