WELLINGTON COUNTY – A review of the Wellington County Official Plan, a legally binding document on which land use decisions are based, is underway to bring the plan into alignment with the province’s policies.
“Over the next 30 years, Wellington County is expected to grow to approximately 160,000 people and 70,000 jobs,” the county’s website states.
“The county is reviewing and updating official plan policies to prepare for this added growth and to ensure that the plan is supporting healthy, compact and complete communities in Wellington.”
Land use planning in the county must align with the province’s policies, including: the province’s policy statement (protecting the province’s interests in land use planning), Growth Plan for Greater Golden Horseshoe, and the Greenbelt Plan.
The last five-year official plan review was completed here in 2014.
The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe has since undergone significant changes on three occasions and the Greenbelt Plan, which handles agricultural, ecological and hydrological considerations, was most recently amended in 2017.
The province is also eyeing an expanded Greenbelt boundary, but decisions have yet to be made on that front.
A municipal comprehensive review, a process required to bring the official plan into compliance by July 2022, was started by Watson and Associates Land Economists in March of last year.
In two phases, the consultants are focusing on reviewing growth management, the work of which will be used to develop official plan draft changes.
Work from the first phase – examining urban structure and growth allocations – will be the crux of a June 23 virtual Zoom meeting at 6:30pm, during which consultants will provide information to the public about their work thus far.
A special county council virtual meeting is then required and planned for 10am on June 29 seeking feedback from the public on potential revisions to the official plan.
Drafted plan policies for phase one are expected in the fall.
Registration is required for the June 23 meeting and the form can be found by visiting: https://lura-ca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XaQeg7PkR-W3pmfpxVdsFw.
