County reviews growth plan

By Laurie Watt Barrie Advance May 24, 2012

SIMCOE COUNTY – Ontario is concerned more with developing complete communities, rather than reining in growth, Simcoe County’s planning director Brad Parks says.

In ongoing talks with the province on the Simcoe Amendment to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (also known as Places to Grow), Ontario wants to ensure water and wastewater infrastructure is used to maximum capacities and preserve agricultural lands.

And for municipalities that have water and sewer services, they are ‘good to go’ to develop neighbourhoods in settlement areas in addition to the larger primary settlement areas in the region – Barrie, Orillia, Midland/Penetanguishene, Bradford, Alliston and Collingwood.

“I’m not going to say the 667,000 (population target for 2031) doesn’t matter, but the policies allow you to go in excess of that, yes,” Parks told county councillors.

“We have 91 settlement areas in the County of Simcoe. Many have the ability to utilize this (good-to-go policy) section and because good planning already occurred, development can proceed without any restrictions from Schedule 7, the population numbers. There are some opportunities for municipalities to move forward.” 

There is also a 20,000-person additional allocation that can be used on a first-come, first served-basis, until Jan. 19, 2017 – the five-year anniversary of Ontario’s Simcoe amendment – provided the development proposal is on lands for urban use, contributes to intensification and respects the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan.

Parks explained lands zoned rural or agricultural but which lie in within these settlement areas can be developed residentially.

“We’re building communities. Before, there were opportunities outside of communities. Now the focus is communities,” he said. “It makes you focus on complete communities, those with sewer and water.”

Collingwood Deputy-Mayor Rick Lloyd said the newly released details on the policies show lower-tier municipalities were handling growth responsibly as they planned water and sewer services and communities where people want to live.

“The province has recognized we’ve done a good job. We’ve prevented farmland from getting gobbled up,” he said.

“Plans have been slowed because we don’t have our official plans (OPs) approved. Moving forward will be really good for our county.” 

Simcoe County’s OP is in the hands of the Ontario Municipal Board. The county appealed Ontario’s non-decision, but it’s working to resolve outstanding issues with the province. The county attempted to spread out the 667,000 population in its November 2008 plan, which triggered a provincial vision in June 2009 that took a hard line on limited growth to Barrie, Orillia, Bradford, Alliston and Collingwood.

In January, the province agreed to two economic zones on Highway 400, one at the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport and one on Rama Road, in addition to a northern node in Midland/Penetanguishene.

Since 2008, there have been several more appeals to Simcoe’s plan, a total of almost 10, said county solicitor Roger Beaman. 

“That is in the process of mediation. It could lead to an earlier potential hearing (likely in 2013) and what’s left will be the major fights,” he said. 

Clearview Township Deputy Mayor Alicia Savage said the new policies will mean relief for taxpayers. 

“We really need to see a shovel in the ground if we’re to get a balanced budget. We need to get moving,” she said. 

A revised county Official Plan will be released in June.