County allocation of additional population growth nears one-fifth approval

New Tecumseth Free Press 

A semi-annual update related to the allocation of the additional 20,000 population available to development proposals across Simcoe County, shows a queue of 3,789 already in the approvals process, including the 1,952 provided to Barzo development in Everett – ratified yesterday.

Huntingwood Trails in Collingwood, was OMB approved for 300. Other projects in line include Frankcom Estates, Midhurst, 942; Carson Trail Estates, Midhurst, 504; and Wright, Penetanguishene, 391. It leaves a remainder of 16,211.

The 20,000 allocation comes in addition to the 667,000 population provided for in The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) Amendment 1 for the Simcoe Sub-area approved by the Province in 2012. Amendment 1 distributed population and employment to the County and its sixteen local municipalities for planning purposes and managing growth to 2031. But because most of the growth was targetted to urban nodes – Alliston, Bradford, Collingwood, Barrie, Orillia, Alcona, Midland/Penetanguishene – other townships complained they were shutout, and the 20,000 was to settle those grievances.

How the 20,000 will be allocated is controlled by the County based on the following criteria, which expires in January 2017:

• The County, in collaboration with the local municipalities, will identify lands that qualify as lands not for urban uses for each local municipality;
• The County will require a complete record of adoption in accordance with the Planning Act, a letter of request from the local municipality or land owner to have an adopted official plan or adopted official plan amendment considered for this program together with a planning report demonstrating how the application satisfies all of the criteria
• The County will maintain and publish on the County’s website as part of the land budget, a ledger account for the 20,000 population that reflects the approvals and the declining balance of the available population and any pending applications for this program;
• Despite the County’s delegation by-law, County Council will receive a staff report for each application qualifying for consideration;
• The County planning staff report will provide an evaluation of the application;
• A maximum of the equivalent land area to accommodate 2,000 population will be considered for approval for any given application;
• A maximum of the equivalent land area to accommodate 4,000 in population will be approved for any one local municipality for the entire timeframe; and
• Any unused portion of the equivalent to 20,000 in population may be considered in the final year of this program without limits.