Healthy communities should be promoted by planning for safe, connected, and accessible facilities which allow for active transportation and recreational opportunities. A range of recreation settings should be provided, including parks, trails, and public spaces.

Provincial & County Policy

The Provincial Policy Statement and the County of Simcoe Official Plan Policies provide direction on specific issues. The Township Official Plan policies must conform to the PPS and County Official Plan, which set out the following policies:

Complete Streets

Public streets and spaces are planned to be safe, meet the needs of pedestrians and cyclists, foster social interaction and facilitate active transportation and community connectivity.

Recreation

Municipalities are to provide for a full range and equitable distribution of publicly-accessible built and natural settings for recreation, including facilities, parklands, public spaces, open space areas, trails and linkages, and water-based resources.

Accessibility

Development form shall facilitate accessibility for persons with disabilities and older persons by identifying, preventing and removing land use barriers which restrict their full participation in society.

Existing Policy & Legislation

• Provincial Policy Statement 2014
• County of Simcoe Official Plan Policies
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005

Current Township Policies

The Open Space Recreation designation includes lands owned by public authorities or used for private recreation activities. The preservation of the rural and open space character of the Township is a basic principle for development in the Open Space Recreation designation. In Hockley & Loretto, objectives for open space include the provision of a system of neighbourhood and community parks.

The current Township of Adjala-Tosorontio Official Plan, Section 4.7 Open Space Recreation policies and designation:

• Permits public and private outdoor recreation uses, including: Public parks; Private parks, including picnic areas, camp grounds, swimming areas, pavilions, eating establishments and other service buildings; Private clubs including those for golf, skiing, fishing, hunting, and snowmobiling; Private lands for hiking trails or wilderness areas; and Conservation and forest management uses. Compatible agricultural uses such as tree farms or nurseries may be developed.
• Permits one single detached residential use that is secondary to the park use.
• Does not permit new lot creation.
• Does not imply that the lands are open to the general public or will be publicly acquired.
• Requires Agricultural Impact Studies, Environmental Impact Studies, and Planning Justification Reports before large-scale private recreational uses, such as golf courses, can be approved for a Zoning By-law Amendment by Council.
• Requires an Official Plan Amendment for new private recreational uses outside of the Open Space Recreation designation.

The updated Official Plan will promote a healthy community by planning for safe and accessible recreation settings and facilities.

Your ideas and vision are important!

What changes would you like to see?

• Do you think that there is currently enough land designated as Open Space Recreation? Are the designated lands in appropriate locations?
• Do you think the current policies reflect accessibility concerns for people with disabilities and older people?
• Should there be clearer policies for the public realm, open spaces, and neighborhood parks within settlement areas?
• Should policies be the same for rural areas and settlement areas?
• Please provide any other comments you may have for consideration in the development of new policies.