County plans meeting for residents to learn more about Official Plan process
Simcoe County councillors have established a time and place for area residents interested in learning more about the ongoing official plan process.
Two public information sessions are slated for April 20 at the Simcoe County Museum on Highway 26. The first meeting will take place from 2 to 4 p.m., followed by another from 6 to 8 p.m.
The county doesn’t plan to advertise through traditional media channels but hopes to spread word of the meeting through its own social media channels and plans to ask local municipalities to do the same.
The meeting is aimed at giving residents a chance to learn more about the lengthy process surrounding the adoption of the county’s official plan. Although the plan was adopted by council in 2008, it has been under appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), with the OMB granting partial approval of the plan in April 2013.
The formal OMB hearing process began a month prior to partial approval, with the first pre-hearing conference. There have been about 10 pre-hearing conferences. Another is planned for May 8.
An official plan describes municipal council policies on how land should be used and helps ensure future planning and development will meet specific needs of each member community. Municipalities are required by the provincial Municipal Act to review their official plans regularly.
The document deals mainly with where new housing, industry, offices and shops will be located and what services, including roads, water mains, sewers, parks and schools, will be needed.
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