Business district lines being drawn
By Chris Simon

Innisfil's business lines could be getting drawn.

Town council passed a recommendation asking staff to identify current business districts and boundaries within the municipality during a recent meeting. The plan also requires staff to recommend potential changes for levels of services like snow removal, street cleaning, beautification and garbage pick up.

"I'm looking forward to urban design guidelines that we're working on, and the money we're spending on Innisfil Beach Road," said councillor Lynn Dollin, who brought the recommendation to council. "I want a plan in place; it's all well and good to spend money, but we've got to take care of it afterwards. (In this plan) we get to pick where the downtowns are. Part of that resolution is saying (where) the business areas and the boundaries are. That's something that needs to be identified.

"There needs to be a line saying these are the core commercial areas within Innisfil and this is the level of service that shall be provided.

"We don't even know where our core commercial areas are."

As part of the plan, staff will also be required to identify the costs associated with potential changes, ways to implement and improve services, and consult with potentially affected business owners.

But business districts, and the services needed to maintain them, are hard to define. And the plan may also lead to the implementation of higher taxes for business owners, said councillor Dan Davidson.

"I've heard the (Big Bay Point development) will be the new downtown of Innisfil in 10 years. Will we be responsible for maintaining that?" Said councillor Dan Davidson.

"The commercial sector already pays more taxes as it is. I don't think it's fair to pass it on to the business owner."

However deputy mayor Gord Wauchope says council should wait until staff finish the report, before jumping to conclusions.

"We have to wait until the report comes back to see what (this) is going to cost," he said.

Dollin says the plan would help attract business and make the larger commercial areas in the town more accessible and aesthetically pleasing.

"All the levels of service that are different in a core commercial area that don't necessarily take place," she said. " (For example if) we don't pick up dead animals, in an area where we have a greater population, we (should) do it. This is about economic development and keeping the businesses in this town healthy and viable and doing what we can to support them."