Talks continued this week regarding council’s potential support of a minister’s zoning order (MZO) for the proposed Poplar Regional Health and Wellness Village project.
During a meeting Monday (April 25), council laid out what it would take for them to lend support to an application for an MZO for the project, which would be a lot of public consultation and assurances the plan won't change.
Acting Deputy Mayor Mariane McLeod shared some community concerns.
“If this MZO goes ahead, is there any possibility that 30 high-rise towers are going to go up on this 130-acre parcel?” asked McLeod. “My concern is about a bait and switch. If we say yes to this amazing vision that’s been presented to us, and then it becomes something else after the MZO is granted.”
“What provisions have we put into this motion that would prevent such?” she asked.
Director of Planning, Building and Economic Development Summer Valentine said the motion would allow for more upfront community consultation and more control through a deferred mixed-use classification, even after any MZO may be granted.
“Pending the community consultation, if it is this council’s desire to endorse a revised MZO... then the further details respecting heights, setbacks, specific uses, would come later through a further rezoning process,” said Valentine.
However, Valentine also noted risks that under any MZO approval, the province would ultimately have the final say.
“The minister could change the MZO in any way. There is a possibility of a change that may be unanticipated by this council,” she said.
An MZO is a controversial provincial tool to fast-track a change of zoning on a piece of land. In the case of the Poplar Sideroad proposal, the land is currently set aside for industrial employment uses such as factories, warehouses, and offices. The developer wants that changed to mixed-use to allow commercial, education, recreation, residential, and health facilities to be built on the property.
Most MZO requests, which are made by the developer, require a resolution of council in support of the project as part of the application.
The Poplar Regional Health and Wellness Village is a new project that is being planned for 53 hectares of land surrounding Georgian College John Di Poce South Georgian Bay campus at Raglan Street and Poplar Sideroad.
The project proposal includes housing, a sports centre, healthcare services, eco-space, and research and innovation businesses.
The developer is planning to see shovels in the ground in 2024/25.
For our full story on Live Work Learn Play Inc. plans for the land and an interview with their chief executive officer, click here.
The matter was last discussed during the April 11 development and operations standing committee meeting, where the committee voted to recommend supporting a provincial re-zoning request in principle, but with a few conditions. Conditions include completing a public consultation plan and including a mechanism to have the MZO revoked if the vision for the project doesn’t proceed as presented in a reasonable time period, or if the property is sold.
The recommendation also proposed a scaled-back MZO request that would include adding a “deferred development zone” category to the site, which is a special zoning category that would mean development of the site is deferred until council is satisfied with a final classification of the land.
All these steps would need to be completed prior to consideration of council’s endorsement of a revised draft MZO.
The proponent would also be responsible to pay for the hiring of a consultant to fast-track the file.
Those recommendations were passed by a vote of 4-1 at that meeting, with Coun. Deb Doherty opposed.
“As the lone dissenter from development and operations, I generally did not support this motion,” said Doherty, adding she thought the MZO request overall was premature. “We have not even seen the first draft of our new Official Plan. That is the most significant consultation with our residents, businesses and our staff.”
“It’s important we take the time to do it right. There are far too many questions that are not answered,” she said.
Acting Mayor Keith Hull said he thought Doherty’s concerns were valid.
“This process allows us to move forward with an opportunity that will engage public comment and allow us to have better insight,” said Hull. “Some of these questions will be answered through the process.”
Hull noted that one of the biggest uncertainties lies with the provincial election coming up on June 2.
“We may or may not have a new government. Regardless of whether or not the current government is re-elected, we may have a different minister of municipal affairs and housing, who may have a different opinion as to the use of an MZO,” said Hull.
At the end of the discussion, council voted in favour of supporting the recommendations of the development and operations standing committee by a vote of 6-1, with Coun. Deb Doherty opposed. Coun. Chris Carrier was absent from the public portion of the meeting.
