Pre-hearing on Simcoe County Official Plan set for March 5

AWARE Simcoe January 22 2013

The first stage in an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing that will decide a number of contentious issues in Simcoe County’s Official Plan is scheduled for Tuesday March 5, 2013 at the Nottawasaga Inn in Alliston. 

The Midhurst Secondary Plan is expected to be one of the major issues. The provincial government has withdrawn part of its appeal of Springwater’s proposed massive expansion of the village of 3.500 people – but resident opposition remains intense.

The pre-hearing is open to the public and any person or group wishing to be a party to the OMB hearing may step forward at that time.

Notices of the pre-hearing will be mailed out to all parties that have expressed an interest in the updated County Official Plan since 2008, when the document was first adopted by County Council. The notice of the pre-hearing will include information to direct parties to the County’s website in order to review the consolidated version of the proposed modified County Official Plan. 

According to a Simcoe County staff report, the first pre-hearing will be more of an administration process confirming the appeals and contacts and establishing a process to move forward.  The OMB chair will lay out expectations on; the hearing process, the mediation process, and the scoping of appeals.