The Blue Mountains has submitted a request for a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) for its proposed Campus of Care project located at 125 Peel Street.
Town CAO Shawn Everitt delivered a progress report on the Campus of Care project at council’s committee of the whole meeting on May 16. Everitt said the MZO has been completed and sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
An MZO is a provincial order that will change the zoning on a property to allow something to be built on the site that wasn't permitted under the original zoning designation. The property has historically been used as farmland.
In his report, Everitt said staff are working on a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to explain the request for an MZO.
“Staff are currently undertaking the development of a FAQ document that will be easy to understand and clearly outline the specific asks being made through the MZO and where Official Plan and zoning elements have been identified as needing allowances or variance from the town and or county requirements,” he said in the report.
Everitt also reported that the town has been in contact with the Saugeen Ojibway First Nation about the archeological assessment for the property and is working on the pre-qualification process for builders interested in working with the town. Everitt said the plan is to pre-qualify contractors who can then move directly into the RFP process for the project.
The Campus of Care project has been approved for 160 long-term care beds by the Ministry of Long-Term Care. The project proposal also includes: attainable housing, multi-residential housing, commercial space and senior’s housing.
Everitt said town staff continue to work on the servicing challenges for the property and will be reporting back to council in the future on that front.
“The goal is to really push for innovation,” said Everitt. “A significant amount of work has been completed by a number of staff. A key aspect of this is trying to keep the public informed and also keep this moving,” he said.
