When you look into what the future Collingwood will look like, what do you see?
Should the town focus on green initiatives? Is accessibility to services important? Should neighbourhoods be more integrated, or less? Should developers have to pay for amenities?
Whatever your perspective may be, the town wants to hear from you.
Conversations surrounding Collingwood’s Official Plan update kicked off on Tuesday night, with a presentation and workshop with council by consulting firm The Planning Partnership. Ron Palmer, project manager and land-use planner and Donna Hinde, lead facilitator and communications advisor led discussions, where councillors discussed what large-scale ideas should be included in the update.
An Official Plan is a document outlining policies for growth, articulating land-use-focused goals and leading the development approval process by providing a framework for the zoning bylaw, site plan approval and other tools available through the Planning Act.
“It is not the right tool to achieve every goal or solve every problem,” said Palmer.
There will be six phases of the update that will include visioning, information gathering, background studies and analysis, directions and recommendations, a draft plan and final adoption. According to the estimates, the last stage is expected to be completed in March 2021, at which time the final plan will be forwarded to the County of Simcoe for adoption.
On Tuesday night, council started the first phase.
During discussions, councillors were encouraged to throw out words they wanted to include in a visioning statement, and ideas they wanted to be part of the planning process.
Mayor Brian Saunderson wanted to make sure green technology usage was encouraged.
“I’d like to encourage people to live in homes that have zero carbon footprint,” he said. “I’d like to look at ways we can be an environmentally sustainable community.”
“Accessibility to services... such as transportation,” said Coun. Mariane McLeod.
“Inclusivity. It’s important to me that people can find somewhere to move,” said Coun. Kathy Jeffery.
“Appropriate. It’s important to me that anyone who wants to live in Collingwood, to be able to live in Collingwood,” said Coun. Steve Berman.
Deputy Mayor Keith Hull said integration is a word he’d like to see included.
“Whatever their price, reason, needs or wants, there’s an integrated option for that,” he said. “So there’s choice. That’s probably a better word.”
Coun. Tina Comi wanted to see walkability, sidewalks and safe school routes included.
Councillors also brainstormed wording around how to protect the natural heritage system.
Coun. Yvonne Hamlin said she’d like to see an emphasis on protecting tree canopy, which was echoed by other councillors.
When it comes to new development, Coun. Deb Doherty said she wanted to see a more robust community benefits policy, where new developers would be responsible to contribute financially to services and amenities the new residents of those developments would require.
The consulting firm identified a few preliminary issues in Collingwood to help kick off discussions as well including housing affordability/attainability, managing more intense development both in the town core and in new development areas, having commercial and employment lands support the growing residential development and protecting natural areas from the impacts of development.
“This is just the first step, so there’s lots of opportunity to look forward to more community engagement,” said Saunderson.
There will be multiple methods for the public to be involved in discussions, including public workshops, online and telephone surveys, discussion groups, six community newsletters and regular updates on the project website.
The first community visioning workshop is slated for February, with the first staff report on the plan to come to council in March or April.
For up-to-date information on the stages of the Official Plan update, click here.
