Comment
More growth studies will look at South Simcoe
by Bruce Haire

South Simcoe County municipalities are embarking on updating their growth management studies.

Last year's IGAP report that is supposed to be completed by June found that there was more than enough land already committed for residential to take the County to 2031.

However, while it found there was more than enough land in North Simcoe, there could be a shortage in South Simcoe. Therefore there will be another series of growth management plans in the South.

This week, Bradford West Gwillimbury is expected to pass its OPA 16, the Bond Head Settlement Area Secondary Plan, which will add 800 homes to that community if the County and province pass it.

BWG is also working on getting approval for the employment lands in the 88 and 400 which is a recommendation of the IGAP plan.

The plan would mean that sewage lines are extended to the employment lands and then to Bond Head.

There is one problem with that in that Bond Head includes lands that drain both to the Penville Creek (the Nottawasaga watershed) and to Lake Simcoe. This will mean all that flow will go to the Lake. BWG is currently updating its sewage plant.

The proposed mega plan for 70,000 more people in a development zone all the way from Bond Head to Bradford appears dead for now.

The County while appearing to back some residential growth around existing communities like Beeton seems very reluctant to back growth in brand new proposals.

Certainly, the Big Bay Point (BBP) approval last week saw a compromise. Rather than go through a very expensive OMB hearing, enough accommodation was found to drop the proposal to a third its original size and create a large environmental protection zone for the wetlands and mature forests.

Essa representatives at the County voted against BBP fearing it would set a precedent.

The big question with all these proposals is how will they affect the Nottawasaga River and Lake Simcoe.

The Nottawasaga River watershed is stressed but the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority has sent out huge alarms about the disconnect between the assimilative capacity study (ACS) for Lake Simcoe and all the proposed development scenarios put forward by IGAP,.

The IGAP recommendation of 100,000 more people in north Innisfil (South Barrie?) made no sense in the phosphorus that would be added to the Lake. A good question to ask is why the province would pay $1.5 million for an ACS study and then ignore it?

BBP was filtered through the CANWET study which determines environmental impact and one must assume the impact is not that great. One of the original objections to BBP was that it was more of a residential type development and not a "lifestyle" and "seasonal" development. Certainly, the changes made to the plan kept that objection in mind.

The Nottawasaga is under less stress than Lake Simcoe and the attitude is that new growth from all the scenarios could well be offset by the use of Best Management Practices. The review of the growth plans could mean some incremental growth for South Simcoe municipalities.

New Tecumseth has budgeted for a review of its plan. Deputy CAO Brendan Holly said that a new look at the numbers might provide it with more growth for another 5,000 to 6,000 people (perhaps permitting Belterra).

New Tec is allowed 28,000 cubic metres of sewage capacity. Holly sees increased growth being allowed as sewage plants get more efficient, as people become more conservation minded, as more water saving devices are used, and as municipalities move to full cost recovery on water and sewers which will again cut water usage and subsequently sewage.

Holly expects water usage to drop from 360 litres per day per capita to 300.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of Barrie is once more making noises about annexing part of Innisfil so that it can grow south and get back the race track/casino.

But it seems to be a far better strategy for it to expand west and move more into the Nottawasaga watershed which is better able to handle the effluent taking the pressure off of Lake Simcoe.