Grey Highlands council was not overly receptive to a developer’s request for council to use a provincial process to expedite the application for the development of 37 estate homes valued at $1.5 - 2 million each.
At its meeting on Sept. 18, council received a request to support an support a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) from local planner Krystin Rennie and property owner Angelo Serafini for a proposal that would see 37 estate lots created on a 34.8 hectare property across the street from Brewster’s Lake.
The delegation requested council’s support for an MZO to speed up the planning process. The MZO process requires the developer to go through the standard planning process, but council’s authority to approve necessary zoning and/or official plan amendments for the project would be placed in the hands of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. In addition, MZOs cannot be appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal after they are granted.
It is a process meant to be used to speed up the planning process for projects deemed to be provincially significant.
Rennie said that over the years there has been a lot of residential development around Brewster’s Lake and said this proposal would fit in nicely.
“In our view, the location is perfect for development that is complementary to Brewster’s Lake,” she said. “The property is ideal for development.”
The property is currently a mixture of rural, woodlands, natural heritage and wetlands. The proposal would include an internal road to access the 37 lots. The lots would all be on individual services. The proponent’s estimate the homes would sell for $1.5 to $2.5 million.
Rennie said the biggest benefit of the MZO is it speeds up the process.
“It helps things to get moving a little bit faster,” she said. “The biggest benefit is the timeline.”
The presenters noted that the project would still have to complete all the necessary studies and planning reports and there would be public consultation on the proposal.
At the meeting, one member of the public spoke to council in opposition to the request for an MZO. David Scoon, a director of the Niagara Escarpment Corridor Alliance, said the MZO was not necessary. Scoon said the need for affordable housing in the local area is well-known, but that the proposed development was not that type of housing.
“All the homes to be built are expensive and will do nothing to fix the crisis,” he said. “There is no need to fast track this project.”
Council didn't seem keen on the request for an MZO.
Coun. Joel Loughead referred to the recent controversies around the province’s use of the MZO power in the Greenbelt and said that MZOs are generally used on projects of provincial significance that are being delayed by lengthy planning processes.
“I wonder if you could let us know why a luxury subdivision on agricultural land is of provincial significance?” Loughhead asked.
Mayor Paul McQueen said it is difficult for council to give the thumbs up to the MZO so early.
“It’s a little uncomfortable for council to make that step without going through a process,” he said. “There is a feeling it’s a blank cheque.”
The mayor wondered if the application could go through the normal planning process with the MZO request coming later.
Andrew Payne, the manager of planning for Grey Highlands, told council that MZOs are generally used for provincially significant projects that don’t quite fit 100 per cent with local planning regulations. He said, based on his review of the proposal, there were multiple local and Grey County planning policies and provisions that would not be met by the project.
“There are policies at every level that this sort of flies in the face of,” said Payne.
Ultimately council voted to receive the presentation from the delegates for information only and made no comments on the request for support of the MZO.
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