Ontario Construction News staff writer
The County of Simcoe is hosting a virtual open house on June 21 from 4:30 to 6 p.m., regarding a proposed first phase growth management Official Plan amendment (OPA) – the result of a Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR).
Attendees will learn more about the OPA and MCR process to date, as a mandatory provincial process continues to meet Ontario’s Growth Plan targets.
“Municipalities have an important role in provincial growth planning, and the county’s planning team is working with the province, our lower-tier municipalities and local residents as part of our collaborative Municipal Comprehensive Review process,” said Warden George Cornell. “Please help us shape our future by providing input.”
Over the past two months, consultants met with local municipal staff and politicians and proposed amendments will be presented at the virtual open house which will include opportunities to ask questions.
Pre-registration is required for the Zoom session by noon on June 17 at simcoe-county-mcr.eventbrite.ca. The open house will be broadcast live on the County of Simcoe’s YouTube channel.
This proposed OPA represents the first of multiple amendments to the existing county Official Plan that will establish where and how growth will happen to 2051. The county is specifically looking for input on the first phase growth management OPA at this time and future statutory open houses and public meetings will be held in 2023 regarding OPAs for settlement area boundary expansions, natural heritage systems, agricultural lands, climate change, and watershed management, for the public to provide comment on these matters as it relates to specific properties.
The MCR will help shape the growth of Simcoe County and our communities for the next 30 years. Through the Ontario Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the county is mandated by the province to plan for a population of 555,000 and 198,000 jobs by 2051. This is determined at the provincial level based on population and economic forecasting.
