Category Archives: Residential

Rural & Rural Residential

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The Township has an expansive rural area, and its residents value the rural character and amenities it provides. The viability of rural areas should be supported through planning and development decisions.

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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:

Rural Settlement Areas

The Province recognizes the diversity of settlement areas, including cities, towns, villages, and hamlets. Rural settlement areas are the focus of growth, development, and intensification in the Township. Settlement areas may be expanded only at the time of a comprehensive review.

Viable Rural Areas

Healthy rural areas should be supported by building upon rural character, promoting regeneration, promoting diversification of the economic base, providing opportunities for sustainable tourism, and conserving biodiversity.

Permitted Uses on Rural Lands

Permitted uses on rural lands include: management or use of resources, resource-based recreational uses (including recreational dwellings), limited residential development, home occupations/home industries, cemeteries, and other rural uses. Development that is compatible with the rural landscape and can be supported by rural service levels should be supported.

Existing Policy & Legislation

  • Provincial Policy Statement 2014
  • County of Simcoe Official Plan Policies

Current Township Policies

The preservation and promotion of the agricultural and rural character of the Township, and maintenance of agricultural lands and the open countryside, are basic principles applicable to all development in the Rural designation. The Rural Residential designation applies to lands previously developed for residential purposes and lands previously approved for residential development.

Section 4.4 of the Current Official Plan contains Rural policies, and Section 4.5 provides Rural Residential policies. Current Official Plan policies require that:

  • Agricultural uses are recognized and protected as a major land use in the Rural designation.
  • The dominant consideration in addressing development proposals will be the impact on the rural character of the Township and surrounding agricultural operations.
  • Single industrial uses are not permitted in the Rural designation without an Official Plan Amendment, and the proposal must meet the outlined criteria in Section 4.4.3.4 and 4.4.3.5. Small-scale developments, such as home occupations and home industries, may occur.
  • Development policies in the Rural designation and Rural Residential designation focus on maintaining rural character and outlining criteria for appropriate lot creation, including maximum number of lots severed and retained, lot frontages, and Minimum Distance Separation Formula requirements.

New and revised Official Plan policies will aim to promote the rural character of the Township that residents cherish and ensure that new development is compatible with the existing rural areas.

Your ideas and vision are important!

What changes would you like to see?

  • What does rural character mean to you?
  • Do you think that the current Official Plan policies supporting rural character are working?
  • What changes might be required to the policies continue to support rural character?
  • Please provide any other comments you may have for consideration in the development of new policies.

Housing

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colgan

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:

Health & Sustainability

Permit and facilitate all forms of housing required to meet the social, health and well-being requirements of current and future residents, including special needs requirements, and all forms of residential intensification, including second units.

Direct development of new housing towards locations where appropriate levels of infrastructure and public service facilities are, or will be, available to support current and projected needs.

Promote densities for new housing which efficiently use land, resources, infrastructure and public service facilities, and support the use of active transportation.

Establish development standards for residential intensification, redevelopment and new residential development which minimize the cost of housing and facilitate compact form, while maintaining appropriate levels of public health and safety.

Supply

Provide for an appropriate range and mix of housing types and densities required to meet projected requirements of current and future residents of the regional market area.

Maintain at all times the ability to accommodate residential growth for a minimum of 10 years through residential intensification and redevelopment and, if necessary, lands which are designated and available for residential development.

Maintain at all times, where new development is to occur, land with servicing capacity sufficient to provide at least a three-year supply of residential units available through lands suitably zoned to facilitate residential intensification and redevelopment, and land in draft approved and registered plans.

Affordability

Establish and implement minimum targets for the provision of housing which is affordable to low and moderate income households.

Existing Policy & Legislation

  • Provincial Policy Statement 2014
  • County of Simcoe Official Plan Policies

Current Township Policies

Section 3.2.3 of the Current Official Plan contains policies for Housing. Current Official Plan policies:

  • Permit semi-detached, townhouse and small scale apartment units in settlement areas providing there is sufficient infrastructure.
  • Discourage strip development and very large homes.
  • Stipulate that the character of the community dictates that single detached housing should dominate but should augmented by smaller units or accessory apartments to house seniors and first time home buyers.
  • Provide for intensification through re-development of existing lots with higher intensity development.

In updating the Official Plan, the municipality may enhance housing policies, but must meet the minimum requirements of the Province and County.

Your ideas and vision are important!

What changes would you like to see?

  • Do you think that the municipality has an appropriate mix and choice of housing to accommodate all needs? If not, what additional housing choices should be made available?
  • Do you agree that development in settlement areas should be intensified?
  • How do you think the character of a community can be retained while intensification and new development occurs?
  • How do you think the municipality could encourage the development of more affordable housing?
  • Please provide any other comments you may have for consideration in the development of new policies.