REPORT #PD-2018-01 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING JANUARY 15, 2018 COUNTY OF SIMCOE MUNICIPAL COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW RECOMMENDATION That Report #PD-2018-01 be received. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this report is to provide Council with an outline and summary of the County of Simcoe's Municipal Comprehensive Review ("MCR"). Executive Summary Municipal Comprehensive Review The recently approved updated Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe ("Growth Plan") shifted the responsibility from local municipalities to the County of Simcoe to complete a MCR. This process will consider: allocation of the population and employment forecasts to 2041; requirement for any expansions to settlement area boundaries; requirement for any conversions of employment lands to non-employment uses; justification of alternative intensification and density targets, etc. A MCR is a comprehensive process to amend or prepare a new official plan that applies the policies of the Growth Plan. In response to the Growth Plan requirement, the County recently initiated a MCR, managed by County staff and engaging a series of consultants to complete the technical components of the review. The County envisions completion of the MCR in three phases over a 2-3 year time frame, which will see the completion of a variety of background studies and the preparation of various growth scenarios. County Council will be responsible for adopting a preferred growth scenario that assigns population and employment growth to each lower-tier municipality utilizing a hierarchy of settlement areas, also to be established through the process. With regard to population, the Growth Plan provides for an additional 81,000 people for the period of 2031 2041, which is expected to be distributed amongst the sixteen (16) local municipalities. There are currently five (5) Primary Settlement Areas ( PSA ) within the County:
Report #PD-2018-01, January 15, 2018 1. Alcona 2. Alliston 3. Bradford 4. Collingwood 5. Midland/Penetanguishene combined PSA The majority of the 81,000 population will be directed to these five (5) PSA's. Following allocation to the PSA s, there will also be higher regard for growth in settlement areas with delineated built boundaries. Of the ninety-three (93) settlement areas County-wide, in addition to the five (5) PSA s there are fourteen (14) other settlement areas that have a delineated built boundary. This includes the settlements of Beeton and Tottenham. Consultation The County envisions the creation of technical working groups to provide local context and input from all interested stakeholders. The County will further be preparing a communications and engagement strategy and a dedicated page on the County website to provide regular updates to the public as progress is made. The County has indicated a willingness to work in a collaborative manner, as such growth scenarios will not be developed independent of municipal input. Future Council direction will be required as the process progresses, related to said growth scenarios and a desired level of growth that the Town can support to 2041. Town of New Tecumseth Impacts The County MCR will have impacts on many aspects of growth-related Town services, as such staff will provide regular updates to Council seeking direction on various aspects of the MCR when necessary. In consideration of the Town's current Official Plan Review ("OPR"), aside from growth management decisions as noted herein, the OPR can still address conformity requirements of the balance of the new County OP, the 2014 Provincial Policy Statement and a wide range of other updates as determined through public consultation to address local matters. These include but are not limited to: economic development and the downtowns; rural and agricultural issues; neighbourhood design; servicing and transportation; cultural heritage; etc. Given the designation of Alliston in the Growth Plan as a Primary Settlement Area and the presence of full municipal servicing in Beeton and Tottenham, Town staff expect that New Tecumseth will be allocated a large portion of the County's overall future growth. While it is difficult at this stage to forecast an exact number, it is reasonable to expect that the population available will not be excessive given the overall number is 81,000 County-wide. Staff will continue to work with the County and Town Council to ensure that growth allocations are manageable and considered in a fiscally responsible manner. Page 2 of 37
Report #PD-2018-01, January 15, 2018 BACKGROUND Growth Plan Planning Framework within the County and the Town As Council may recall, the Town and County of Simcoe are located within the administrative boundaries of the Growth Plan. The Greater Golden Horseshoe ("GGH") is a geographic area inclusive of the Cities of Toronto, Hamilton, Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Barrie, Orillia, Brantford, and Guelph; the Regions of Durham, York, Peel, Halton, Niagara and Waterloo; and, the Counties of Simcoe, Northumberland, Peterborough, Dufferin, Wellington, Brant and Haldimand. Together, the GGH represents one of the fastest growing regions in North America, anticipated to reach a population of 13,480,000 by the year 2041. A map showing the extent of GGH is provided herein as Attachment No. 1. In 2006, the province passed the first Growth Plan in an attempt to manage the anticipated growth while protecting the GGH's ecological and hydrological natural environments and agricultural areas. The underlying goal was to plan for growth and development in a way that would support economic prosperity, protect the environment and help communities achieve a high quality of life, on a macro scale. Policy direction was introduced providing population and employment growth allocations to each upperor single-tier municipality to the year 2031, identifying minimum intensification and density targets for settlement areas, identifying how settlement areas could be expanded or how employment lands could be converted to non-employment uses, as well as many others. In 2012, the province passed the first amendment to the Growth Plan, which provided specific policy direction for the County of Simcoe. This included allocating population and employment growth to each lower-tier municipality including the Town (56,000 people and 26,500 jobs to 2031), Simcoe specific policies to address the over allocation of residential lands beyond that which was required to achieve a municipality's 2031 population targets, Simcoe specific intensification and density targets, establishing a series of Primary Settlement Areas ("PSA") to which the majority of the County's growth is to be directed (these include Alliston, Bradford, Alcona, Collingwood, Midland/Penetanguishene, the City of Orillia and the City of Barrie), etc.. The new County of Simcoe Official Plan, the OMB hearing for which concluded at the end of 2016, was based on this iteration of the Growth Plan. In 2013, the province passed the second amendment to the Growth Plan, which extended the planning horizon and provided updated population and employment allocations to 2036 and 2041. These were provided for single and upper tier municipalities only, thus the Town's population and employment allocations remained unchanged and the planning horizon remains as 2031. This amendment allocated to the County population and employment targets of 497,000 and 152,000 respectively to 2041; an additional 81,000 people and 20,000 jobs. Page 3 of 37
Report #PD-2018-01, January 15, 2018 In 2015, the province initiated a review of the Growth Plan coordinated with a review of three other provincial plans that collectively guide growth and development in the GGH: the Growth Plan; The Greenbelt Plan; The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan; and, The Niagara Escarpment Plan. The overall process was known as "the coordinated review" and concluded with the release of updated plans in July 2017. Planning staff have previously reported to Council on the coordinated review through reports #PD-2015-54 and #PD-2016-27 at the November 23, 2015 and September 12, 2016 Committee of the Whole meetings respectively. Revised Growth Plan, 2017 As noted, the objective of this report is to outline for Council the nature of the County of Simcoe's MCR. The requirement for the County to complete the MCR has its genesis in the 2017 Growth Plan, which changed the manner in which growth and development are to occur in Simcoe County and across the GGH. The 2006 Growth Plan required the completion of a MCR to facilitate expansions to settlement area boundaries, consider conversions of employment land as well as a variety of other matters, which could be completed at the local municipal level. The 2017 Growth Plan elevated this responsibility to upper- or single-tier municipalities, in the Town's instance the County of Simcoe, who will now be required to allocate population and employment growth as provided for in the Growth Plan to 2041, consider expansions to settlement areas, conversions of employment land to non-employment uses, justify alternative density and intensification targets, as well as a variety of other matters discussed further in this report. COMMENTS AND CONSIDERATIONS Details of the County MCR A MCR is defined in the Growth Plan as follows: A new official plan, or an official plan amendment, initiated by an upper- or single-tier municipality under section 26 of the Planning Act that comprehensively applies the policies and schedules of this Plan. County of Simcoe Planning Advisory Committee received County staff report PAC-17-001 on September 6, 2017 which outlined the County's anticipated MCR process. Further, County staff held a training session for County Councillors on November 28, Page 4 of 37
Report #PD-2018-01, January 15, 2018 2017 outlining the MCR in more detail. A copy of the County staff presentation is provided herein as Attachment No. 2. The County envisions the MCR to be completed over two (2) to three (3) years. The MCR will extend the planning horizon from 2031 to 2041 and determine a preferred growth scenario for the County. This growth scenario will provide the basis for an amendment to the County Official Plan which the Town will be required to conform to through the Town's OP. The MCR is to be divided into three phases which are each discussed below. Discussion of Phase 1 of the County MCR - Current Growth Assessment Phase 1 is anticipated to be complete by the summer of 2018 and will assess the current growth information for each municipality. Studies/tasks to be completed in this phase include an intensification capacity assessment, designated greenfield area capacity assessment, an assessment of servicing capacity and an existing employment lands summary. At the conclusion of Phase 1, County Council will be tasked with making a decision regarding the establishment of a settlement area hierarchy, determining how much growth PSA's are expected to accommodate and appropriate alternative intensification and density targets. The hierarchy of settlement areas as noted above will be determined through an assessment of section 2.2.1.2 of the Growth Plan, which provides that the vast majority of growth be directed to settlement areas that have a delineated built boundary, have existing or planned municipal water and wastewater systems, and can support the achievement of complete communities. As noted, Alliston is identified as a PSA, which will be the top level of the hierarchy and thus will be expected to accommodate a significant amount of growth. Additionally, pursuant to said criteria, Town staff expect that Beeton and Tottenham will be placed high on the hierarchy and be expected to also accommodate a high percentage of the County's overall growth, albeit less then that of Alliston. For the County as a whole there are a total of 93 settlement areas, only 19 of which have a delineated built boundary (including Alliston, Beeton and Tottenham). The hierarchy will likely remove some settlement areas that are not suitable for additional growth from the County Official Plan. Staff note that the Province recently began a consultation process seeking feedback in determining a study area to assess a potential expansion of the Greenbelt Plan ("Greenbelt") in areas where water resources are under pressure from urban development. Draft mapping identifying the potential study area within said document includes the vast majority of the Town and much of the County. The outcome of any potential Greenbelt expansion will likely impact the settlement area hierarchy and the MCR to some degree, as growth in settlement areas that are located within the Greenbelt is limited and expansion of settlement areas outside the Greenbelt into the Greenbelt is prohibited by both Greenbelt Plan and Growth Plan policy. Staff Page 5 of 37
Report #PD-2018-01, January 15, 2018 are supportive of provincial policy direction requiring the protection of groundwater resources and Prime Agricultural Areas. However, staff question the degree to which this can be achieved given similar provincial policy directing growth to Primary Settlement Areas such as Alliston, should the vast majority of lands surrounding Alliston be included within the Greenbelt. Staff are preparing a report on the consultation process for the Greenbelt expansion for Council's consideration in the near future. Intensification and density targets changed significantly in the 2017 Growth Plan from the 2006 Growth Plan, increasing the intensification target from 40% to 60% and increasing the greenfield density target from 50 residents and jobs/hectare to 80 residents and jobs/hectare. Phase 1 will review whether the County can accommodate the increased targets or if not, recommend alternative targets for each lower-tier municipality. Discussion of Phase 2 of the County MCR - Future Growth Potential Phase 2 is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2019 and will assess each municipalities ability to accommodate additional growth. Studies/tasks to be completed in this phase include a land needs assessment (land budget) utilizing the recently released provincial land needs methodology, justification of alternative density and intensification targets, employment strategy including the identification of new employment lands or the conversion of existing employment lands to non-employment lands, refinements of the Agricultural and Natural Heritage Systems mapping, an assessment of the need for any settlement area expansions, the identification of any excess lands (i.e. existing designated lands over and above what is required for a municipality to achieve its population and employment forecasts), servicing expansion potential assessment and costing, transportation planning and watershed plans. At the conclusion of Phase 2, County Council will be tasked with reviewing a variety of the growth scenarios for the County. Phase 2 will see the majority of the MCR work completed. Each scenario produced will provide alternate population and employment growth targets for each municipality determined to be capable of accommodating additional growth. Additionally, various intensification and greenfield density targets will be tested which has a direct impact on how much additional land may be required for any potential settlement area expansions. One of the largest components of any growth scenario is whether capacity exists within a municipality's existing servicing systems, whether existing services have the potential to expand to accommodate the potential growth or whether new infrastructure is required to service the allocated growth. As Council may recall the County does not have authority over local municipal servicing. All infrastructure is financed and operated by the Town utilizing a combination of taxation and development charges collected by the Town, in accordance with growth approved by the Town over the past 20 years. Page 6 of 37
Report #PD-2018-01, January 15, 2018 Discussion of Phase 3 of the County MCR - Determination of Growth Scenario Phase 3 is anticipated to be complete by early 2020 and will assess various growth allocations for each lower tier municipality to 2036 and 2041. At the conclusion of Phase 3, County Council will be tasked with determining the preferred growth scenario for the County and providing direction to County staff to prepare an update to the County OP to implement the growth allocations, settlement area boundary expansions and any employment land conversions. In summary, the MCR will see the completion of a variety of studies and reports, inclusive of: Establishing a settlement area hierarchy across the County; Servicing capacity and expansion capabilities, financial considerations and scenarios; Intensification strategy; Employment strategy; Watershed plans; Strategy to achieve density targets across entire Designated Greenfield Area (County-wide); Justification of any requested alternative density and intensification targets; Determination of the need for any settlement area expansions and reduce the amount of excess lands; Identify excess lands and restrict development on those lands; Agricultural System & Natural Heritage System mapping and policy direction; Housing strategy; and, Climate change strategy. Other studies may be completed as the MCR progresses and new information becomes available, or further provincial policy is introduced requiring implementation through the MCR. Further, it is important to note that additional provincial direction yet to be finalized is required to be used as input into the MCR. Notably, the Province is developing a standardized methodology for assessing land needs across the GGH, which will replace all previous upper tier land budgets. The methodology will, once other decisions have been made such as intensification and density targets, settlement area hierarchy and the employment strategy, determine a municipalities land needs to 2041. Other such inputs include the provincial Agricultural System and Natural Heritage mapping that applies across the GGH, as discussed previously in this report. The County envisions the creation of technical working groups, made up of municipal, County and provincial staff, as well as any consultants engaged to complete specific components of the MCR, to provide local context and input from all interested stakeholders. County staff have already sought interest from local municipalities in participating on the first technical working group for the preparation of an Intensification Page 7 of 37
Report #PD-2018-01, January 15, 2018 Strategy, of which Town staff have expressed a desire to participate. Note that Town staff will not be participating in all working groups. Town staff will provide Council with regular updates on the MCR as various components are completed or input/direction is required. It should be noted that the County will be preparing a communications and engagement strategy and a dedicated page on the County website to provide regular updates to the public as progress is made. Further, the County Official Plan Amendment will follow the standard Planning Act process including a statutory open house and public meeting. Impacts on the Town/Current Official Plan Review The outcome of the County MCR and the resulting update to the County OP, which will determine how much additional population and employment growth the Town is required to accommodate, will have a direct impact on Town finances, hard and soft servicing requirements, maintenance obligations and general administration of the municipality. Despite the top down approach to growth management now required in the County, it is pertinent to note that this approach has been commonplace in other GTA regions for a number of years. The County is now responsible for determining whether the Town's settlement areas should grow, the density in which they should develop and how they should be serviced; all decisions that were previously determined by Council (albeit some decisions required County approval). To this end, the work plan for the Official Plan Review ("OPR") will not address settlement area expansions, conversions of employment lands to non-employment uses or alternative intensification and density targets. Aside from growth management decisions as noted herein, the OPR can still address conformity requirements of the balance of the new County OP, the 2014 Provincial Policy Statement and a wide range of other updates as determined through public consultation to address local matters. These include but are not limited to: economic development and the downtowns; rural and agricultural issues; neighbourhood design; servicing and transportation; cultural heritage; etc. Further, much of the work to be completed through the current OPR is prerequisite work the Town would be required to complete to position ourselves to implement the County MCR regardless of the amount of growth the Town is allocated. The County has indicated a willingness to complete the MCR in a collaborative manner seeking input from local municipalities. Growth scenarios will not be developed independent of municipal input, as such future Council direction will be required as the process progresses, related to said growth scenarios and a desired level of growth that the Town can support to 2041. Page 8 of 37
Report #PD-2018-01, January 15, 2018 FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS There are no financial considerations as a result of this report. Respectfully submitted: Tim Schilling, MCIP, RPP Senior Planner Attachments: Attachment No. 1 - Growth Plan Boundary Attachment NPresentation to County Council Workshop Nov28-17-FINAL Approved By: Department: Status: Bruce Hoppe, MCIP, RPP, Planning Approved - 11 Jan 2018 Director of Planning & Development Blaine Parkin, P. Eng., CAO CAO Approved - 11 Jan 2018 Page 9 of 37
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Page 11 of 37 Growth Plan, 2017 Understanding the MCR and Local OP Conformity County Council Workshop November 28, 2017
Outline Page 12 of 37 Goals of the Workshop Background How did we get here? Building Blocks of Growth & Highlights of Growth Plan 2017 What does the MCR mean? Draft Timeline, Work Plan & Decision Points for Council Communications & Engagement Impacts on Local OP conformity exercises Still to Come from the Province Discussion
Goals of this Workshop Page 13 of 37 To gain a better understanding of the Growth Plan 2017 Some background & highlight some things that have changed from the former Growth Plan Explain County s Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) What is an MCR Proposed timeline and work plan Communications and engagement Local involvement in Technical Working Groups Understand impacts on Local Municipal Planning Role of municipal planning Municipalities can continue with 2031 conformity exercises Clarification & further Discussion
Evolution of the Growth Plan Page 14 of 37 Original Growth Plan was approved in 2006 Amended in 2012 with the Simcoe Sub-Area Chapter 6 Amended again in 2013 to extend the Population and Employment Forecasts out to 2041 at an upper-tier level Growth Plan was reviewed as part of 10 year Co-ordinated Land Use Planning Review in 2015 & 2016 Former Toronto Mayor David Crombie chaired the Advisory Panel Co-ordinated Review also looked at the Greenbelt Plan, Niagara Escarpment Plan and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan in an attempt to update and harmonize the Plans
Co-ordinated Review Process Page 15 of 37 The Crombie Advisory Panel hosted 29 Open Houses & Workshops across the GGH and Niagara Escarpment Area which were attended by over 4,600 people Crombie Advisory Panel reviewed more than 42,000 written submissions and put forward 87 recommendations for updating the Plans
Background How did we get here? Page 16 of 37 The Advisory Panel Report resulted in a Proposed new Growth Plan which was released for public consultation in May 2016 The new Growth Plan, 2017 was released May 18 th and came into effect July 1 st, 2017 The County is required to update its Official Plan to be in conformity with the Growth Plan 2017 by July 2022
Highlights of Growth Plan 2017 County role has changed: all upper tiers (Regions & Counties) have the same regional growth responsibilities Page 17 of 37 The Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) has changed making it an upper-tier responsibility & the components are more detailed Settlement Areas continue to be the focus of growth Emphasis on Primary Settlement Areas and serviced Settlement Areas Intensification within built boundaries and developing complete communities No boundary expansions except through the County MCR All decisions must conform with Growth Plan 2017 as of July 1, 2017
Building Blocks of Growth Page 18 of 37 Focus is on: Directing a significant portion of growth to Primary Settlement Areas; Employment Areas including the 4 Provincially significant ones; And to Settlement Areas that have full municipal services
Other Growth Plan Details Page 19 of 37 Emphasis on integrated approach to growth management planning i.e. Growth strategy together with Infrastructure Planning and Financial Implications/Analysis The County must establish a Settlement Area Hierarchy across the County A consistent land budget methodology is being developed by Province Greater emphasis on the protection of the Agricultural System and the Natural Heritage System Growth Plan is harmonized with other Provincial Plans to ensure consistent terminology and implementation
What is an MCR? Page 20 of 37 Growth Plan Definition: A new official plan, or an official plan amendment, initiated by an upper-tier municipality under section 26 of the Planning Act that comprehensively applies the policies and schedules of the Growth Plan. A process of gathering information, analyzing the information, testing scenarios, determining a preferred growth scenario and updating the County Official Plan as a result of the decisions The Province is the approval authority of the County Official Plan update
Growth Plan Requirements of an MCR Page 21 of 37 The County MCR will address the distribution of Population and Employment Forecasts across the County to 2036 / 2041 based on components of the MCR as described in the Growth Plan, which include: Establishing a Settlement Area (SA) hierarchy across the County Servicing Capacity & Expansion capabilities & Financial considerations & scenarios Intensification strategy Employment strategy Watershed plans Strategy to achieve Density targets across entire Designated Greenfield Area (Countywide) Justification of any requested Alternative Density and Intensification Targets Determination of the need for any SA expansions & reduce amount of Excess Lands Identify Excess Lands and restrict development on those lands Agricultural System & Natural Heritage System mapping and policy direction Housing strategy Climate change strategy
The County MCR Page 22 of 37 The County has initiated the MCR process with many of the study components beginning in early 2018 The County will hire consultants to undertake specific components of the MCR The County will manage the overall project in-house The County will work in consultation with Local Municipalities as well as other stakeholders and ensure appropriate public engagement opportunities The MCR is anticipated to be a 2 3 year project Phase 1-2017- mid 2018 Phase 2 2018 to 2019 Phase 3 2019 to early 2020
Proposed Timeline of MCR & Work Plan Phase One: Page 23 of 37 Current Growth Assessment (late 2017 summer 2018) Development of Terms of Reference & Consultant engagement Intensification Capacity Assessment Designated Greenfield Area Capacity assessment Servicing Capacity information gathering and assessment Existing Employment Lands Summary DECISION - Determine: Settlement Area Hierarchy (based on criteria for decision making) What constitutes a Significant amount of Growth for Primary Settlement Areas? Appropriate Alternative Intensification and Density Targets
Proposed Timeline of MCR & Work Plan Phase Two: Page 24 of 37 Future Growth Potential (2018 thru 2019) Land Needs Assessment (using Provincial methodology) Request Alternate Targets (DGA & Intensification) Employment Strategy & Identification of New Lands/Conversions Refinement of Agricultural and Natural Heritage Systems mapping Determine Need for Settlement Area Boundary Expansions Identify Excess Lands (demo net reduction to support SA expansion) Servicing Expansion Potential Assessment & Costing Consider future plans for transportation infrastructure Watershed Plans DECISION - Determine: Review of Potential Growth Scenarios
Proposed Timeline of MCR & Work Plan Phase Three (late 2019 to early 2020) 3 rd Phase: Growth allocations determined to 2036 and 2041 Page 25 of 37 DECISION - Determine: Preferred growth scenario Direction to staff to prepare County OP update to implement the growth allocations and boundary expansions and employment lands conversions
Possible Technical Working Group Topics Page 26 of 37 Settlement Area Hierarchy criteria for decision making Agricultural & Rural mapping refinements Natural Heritage System mapping refinements Servicing Capacity Analysis /Sewer & Water Systems Employment Lands Capacity and Employment Strategy Intensification Capacity Analysis and Alternative Targets Scenarios (already started) Designated Greenfield Density Targets & Alternative Targets Scenarios Watershed Planning Others - TBD
Communications & Engagement Page 27 of 37 Once certain pieces of the MCR have been studied and findings can be released for information and consultation, the County will ensure appropriate time is given for consultation County will prepare an overall Communications and Engagement Strategy including a dedicated page on the County s website and provide required updates to the content Consultation with Local Municipalities, First Nations, other key Stakeholders & the Public Opportunity to stay connected via a portal on the website to receive updates The County s Official Plan update will follow the required Planning Act process of Consultation after the MCR has concluded
Coordination & Cooperation Page 28 of 37 Information will need to be gathered from Local Municipalities as inputs into the MCR work The County will ensure that consultation and discussions with Local Municipalities will be coordinated as much as possible to be as efficient and effective as possible The project work plan anticipates involvement by Local Municipalities through Technical Working Groups by topic Local Municipal involvement and cooperation will be key to the overall success
Impacts on Local OP Updates Page 29 of 37 On September 15 th we learned that Local Official Plan Updates should proceed to the year 2031(without needing to wait for the County MCR and OP update) Use Schedule 7 Population and Employment Forecasts Use the approved Alternative Density & Intensification Targets The Settlement Area hierarchy identified at the local level can be an input into County Settlement Area hierarchy considerations Local Official Plans are to conform with the approved County Official Plan and with the Growth Plan 2017 as much as possible County staff are working closely with Local Municipal Planning staff in reviewing documents and providing feedback as quickly as possible
Local Official Plans Cannot do: Page 30 of 37 No Settlement Area boundary expansions or alterations requires a County MCR No Employment Lands conversions requires a County MCR Cannot designate land beyond the needs for 2031 Agricultural System and Natural Heritage System mapping conformity will be done through the County MCR first
Local Municipal Meetings Page 31 of 37 Meetings have taken place with all 16 Local Municipalities County and Provincial staff were in attendance Planning consultants were also in attendance Meetings proved to be very informative for all involved Status of the Local Official Plan updates and in-process matters were discussed including outstanding OMB matters Local Official Plan updates can continue Transition of some Growth Plan 2017 components are likely to be accomplished first through the County MCR then a future Local Official Plan amendment
Example of Planning Roles under Growth Plan 2017 Page 32 of 37 County Planning County MCR & Official Plan update Intensification Strategy Land Needs Analysis Local Municipal Planning Local Municipal Plan administration & updates Comprehensive Zoning By-law Administration & Updates Detailed Policies and Zoning Provisions to achieve intensification targets Urban design guidelines Site Plan Approvals Secondary Plans Subdivision & Condo Plans approval Committee of Adjustment
Opportunities The Silver Lining Page 33 of 37 Working together we ll get things done in a coordinated fashion Information has dual purpose Local & County OPs Significant Cost savings County will take on the analysis vs. 16 Local Municipalities working through multiple studies Time savings gets us all to a 2041 timeframe faster Future Official Plans may be sheltered from appeals
Timing of Provincial Releases Page 34 of 37 Agricultural System mapping expected by year end Natural Heritage System mapping and guidance material expected by year end We expect that conformity to the final draft mapping will be done through the MCR first, and proposed refinements/ justification based on information gained through Local Official Plan Updates Land Needs Assessment Methodology expected to be released by end of 2017 for public consultation Watershed Planning guidance material to be drafted by late 2017 and released for public comments County staff will review & comment
Next Steps Page 35 of 37 County has begun it s work on the MCR Studies and data collection will begin early 2018 (anticipated to be a 2 to 3 year project) County MCR work will rely upon Local Municipal information and involvement including participation on Technical Working Groups Provincial pieces to inform the MCR are forthcoming County Planning staff will report to County Council periodically and seek direction at key decision-making points to scope further work
Reminder: Upcoming Council Decisions Page 36 of 37 Phase 1 DECISION (approx. mid 2018) - Determine: Settlement Area Hierarchy (criteria for decision making) What constitutes a Significant amount of Growth for Primary Settlement Areas Appropriate Alternative Density & Intensification Targets Phase 2 DECISION (2018 through 2019) - Determine: Review of Potential Growth Scenarios Phase 3 DECISION (approx. late 2019/early 2020)- Determine: Preferred growth scenario Growth allocations for 2036 and 2041 Direction to staff to update the County Official Plan for conformity
Page 37 of 37 QUESTIONS and DISCUSSION