Wellington County’s Official Plan (OP)review will have an impact to Puslinch, especially in terms of creating new rural residential lots.
On May 1, Mayor Dennis Lever noted while the township would be officially notified, he felt all of council should be aware the issue was coming forward.
Councillor Susan Fielding asked when the changes to the OP would actually come into effect.
Lever said first there needs to be an official public meeting, then a submission to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval.
As such, Lever estimated implementation could be six to 12 months away … “if the ministry has no issues with this.”
If there are issues, then Lever said there will be back and forth discussion.
Wellington County is required to revise its Official Plan every five years to ensure compliance with provincial policies as required.
That process began in February 2010 with a special meeting of county council.
Some of the changes in the plan include:
New policies, definitions and schedules to conform with the Greenbelt Plan;
Removal of municipal planning authority over alternative and renewable energy systems;
Combining the ‘Rural Industrial’ and ‘Highway Commercial’ designations in the Rural System into a single ‘Rural Employment Area’ designation, and allowing business and professional offices as a permitted use.
This would recognize a broader range of employment uses; and
Changing the policy that limits severances to parcels existing on the date of provincial approval (April 1999) to parcels existing on March 1, 2005.
Due to ongoing and separate policy projects in the areas of Source Water Protection, Active Transportation, and Second Unit policies, this amendment does not propose significant changes to existing policies on Well Head Protection Areas, transportation systems or accessory residential uses.
