Official plan nixed by province
By Chris Simon

Innisfil council may be forced to rethink their settlement and employment land plans, based on concerns expressed by the provincial government.

A town committee has recommended the forming of an Official Plan Growth Management committee, to review current development strategies within the municipality, after the province named several areas of discrepancy that currently exist between official plan policies in Innisfil and Simcoe County. The recommendation must be approved by council at an upcoming meeting.

Last year, the town completed a growth management study that recommended the expansion of the Innisfil Heights Employment Area along Highway 400, and some limited employment plans for Alcona. According to the study, Innisfil Heights should also become the key employment corridor for the town.

However, Innisfil Heights is not currently recognized as a growth area within the county's official plan, according to the provincial government.

"The town has received correspondence from the province on the town's new official plan claiming that Innisfil Heights is not recognized as a settlement area in the County Official Plan and that employment growth should be directed to (existing) settlement areas," said the town's planning consultant Paul Lowes in a statement to council.

Since last year, the town has stalled on the implementation of its proposed Official Plan Amendment 1, which suggests an additional 22,000 jobs will be created in Innisfil Heights.

Another 4,000 more jobs would be established in Alcona South, according to the amendment.

The proposed amendment also plans for the town's total population to reach 105,000 by 2026, with 27,000 people living in the Innisfil Heights expansion, 22,000 more in Alcona, 8,500 more in Sandy Cove, 7,500 in Alcona South, 5,945 more in Lefroy, 5,000 in the Alcona North expansion and 120 in the existing Innisfil Heights settlement area.

"During the review, it appears that certain areas are incorrectly identified as settlement areas; for example, Innisfil Heights, Sandy Cove, Belle Ewart and Fennels Corners are not identified as settlement areas in the county plan," said provincial planner Darryl Lyons in a statement. "While it is recognized that there is existing development in (Innisfil Heights), policy states that population and employment growth will be accommodated by directing development to settlement areas. It is recommended that employment related policies and schedules be revised to direct employment to approved settlement areas."

Some say the town has been ignoring the county's plans for the area.

"The town knew the county was reviewing its official plan," said town resident John Hurd. "The direction council has taken from staff and consultants seems to have ignored the county."

The town's official plan must conform to county policies. However, the town has been waiting for the completion of the county's growth management study, which is expected to be passed in June, before conforming.

In addition, the town was asked to wait until the recent completion of the Intergovernmental Action Plan, Ontario Provincial Growth Plan and Assimilative Capacity Study for Lake Simcoe, before taking action, said planning manager Ross Cotton.

"Staff recommend that council reconstitute the committee for the purpose of reviewing the intent of Amendment 1 and making timely recommendations to council on how the employment priorities of council can be brought forward in the current planning environment," he said. Adopting OPA1 now, with both the residential population target and employment growth areas it contains, may generate a strong negative reaction, and would likely require ... (an Ontario Municipal Board hearing) to get it into force."

Lowes says the town must take another look at the amendment immediately, since employment lands are greatly needed in the area.

"The town has virtually no fully serviced employment lands available," he said. "It was concluded well over a year ago that additional fully serviced employment lands were desperately needed within the town. This conclusion has not changed."

Deputy mayor Gord Wauchope says the 400 corridor should be developed.

"The most logical place for employment lands is along the 400, not only in Innisfil, but in the Bradford West Gwillimbury area too," he said. "(It's) not lands in Orillia, Wasaga Beach or Collingwood. The corridor is the place for employment lands. This will feed the whole of Simcoe County, Dufferin, Richmond Hill and Vaughan with jobs. The province needs to look at what we can promise to all the areas around. They're running out of land in the Toronto area and (this is) the only feasible place to put employment lands."

If established, the committee would include two council members. The committee would be expected to review current plans, look at ways to increase employment within the town, set growth boundaries, and discuss development in Innisfil Heights and Alcona.

"The committee should ... provide direction to council on how to best implement the growth strategy for the town under current circumstances," said Cotton.

The committee may also recommend responses to the province's concerns, and give further input into county growth study deliberations.