As Manager of Community Planning Ryan Windle noted, “This has been a long time coming.”
He was talking about the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury’s Official Plan update, which on Tuesday night was presented to BWG Council.
The existing Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Official Plan (OP) was adopted back in 2002. Although municipalities generally undertake an Official Plan Review every 10 years, and update the OP every five years, the BWG OP Review process was impacted by the changing ‘planning landscape’ in Ontario, Council was told.
The policy and legislative frameworks that govern growth and development in Ontario and Simcoe County have changed – with four versions of the Provincial Growth Plan, three changes to the Provincial Policy Statement, and a new County Official Plan adopted in 2016, in the years since the OP was first adopted.
The town retained WSP Canada to undertake an OP Review in 2017. Phase 1 of the process proposed four Official Plan Amendments – a Seniors Housing Policy (OPA 24), Growth/Population Review (OPA 25), Employment Lands Review (OPA 26), and Downtown Bradford Revitalization Strategy (OPA 27).
The process was further delayed when the OPAs were appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT). OPA 26 was also held up by a “non-decision” by the County of Simcoe, which failed to grant approval within the set timeframe.
Now that the majority of the appeals have been settled, and WSP Canada has completed a review of relevant planning documents, and held both public and stakeholder consultations, “We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel,” said WSP Senior Project Manager Greg Bender.
The 246-page draft Official Plan includes town-wide policies, new land use designations, incorporates secondary plans, identifies special policy areas, and provides for implementation and monitoring.
Bender noted that a number of requests for clarification have been received, along with site-specific requests for settlement area expansions, employment land conversions, increased density, and changes in designation.
Some changes have been made, to reflect recent changes in Provincial Policy and Growth Plan, and to provide greater clarity.
The new OP reinstates the Marsh Agriculture and Marsh Protection Buffer policies that were in the 2002 document. It has also integrated all of the LPAT decisions regarding the OPA appeals “verbatim” – but it shut the door on any expansion of the urban settlement area boundaries at this time. The consultants concluded that with intensification, it’s possible to reach BWG’s population and jobs targets of 50,500 people/18,000 jobs by 2031 on lands already within the boundaries.
The OP states, “The town shall discourage the conversion of Employment areas for other uses;” any such conversion proposal would require a Municipal Comprehensive Review.
Among the other provisions:
. The GO Train Station is identified as a Major Transit Station Area, permitting densities of 150 jobs/units per hectare in the surrounding area, under current provincial policy.
. Other densities are revised upwards, for the Bradford Urban Area: Max. density in Low Density Residential increases from 24 to 30 units per net hectare; Medium Density Residential increases to 50 units per net hectare; and the 75 unit per hectare cap on High Density residential is lifted.
. The OP calls for a minimum 10 percent “attainable” housing in new developments; 20 percent of new builds should provide “broader housing choices” and a variety of forms – e.g., housing for seniors.
. Downtown Bradford is identified as the location for intensification. The OP notes, “Downtown Bradford is planned to be restored to its rightful role as the heart of the community,” through redevelopment.
. Downtown, Community Commercial and Neighbourhood Commercial designations can be Mixed Use – that is, commercial/retail on the ground floor, with residential above or to the rear.
. The OP calls for “exemplary standards for built form,” adoption of principles of sustainability, safer streets, greater pedestrian connectivity, and an enhanced sense of place “through built form and urban design. “
. Protection for natural heritage, cultural heritage, and agriculture are part of the document. Marsh specialty soils would be reserved for “vegetables and associated crops,” and related uses.
. The OP recognizes parking is an issue, stating, “Parking and vehicle storage in residential communities is an increasing challenge, especially with a need for smaller and narrower lots to help meet density requirements.” It suggests using the Zoning Bylaw to set maximum driveway widths, require larger interior garage dimensions, and institute an on-street parking permit system, as possible solutions.
. Bonusing is permitted, allowing developers extra height or density in exchange for a community benefit (such as transit, public parking, attainable housing, conservation of heritage, public art, parkland, daycare or LEED certification).
“It hasn’t been an easy task to keep this on course,” noted Coun. Peter Dykie Jr., especially with pressure from individual landowners.
He suggested that by the time the new OP is approved by the County of Simcoe, “we could be at this again”: the County is undertaking a new allocation of population, as part of a Municipal Comprehensive Review, in 2022.
“It’s like a moving target,” Dykie said.
“You’re certainly right,” said Windle, noting that once the County sets new population targets, the Town will need to review its OP and urban boundaries.
Dykie asked if the OP contained provisions that would encourage development of the vacant land at Professor Day Drive and Holland Street West, lands once proposed for a “mall.”
“We do have a pre-consultation application in” from one of two owners of the property, Windle said. The Town OP had originally proposed a Master Plan for the “very important property” in the heart of Bradford, but that request was rejected by the owners and still has to be resolved, he added.
Coun. Gary Lamb questioned the compatibility of the new, higher densities proposed with the provision of adequate parking.
“Sixty to seventy percent of our complaints are because of parking,” he said, suggesting that the higher densities are “going to create a major parking problem in the future.”
Lamb called for more pressure on developers to provide adequate parking through options that could include rear laneway access, and streets designed for boulevard parking.
“I believe we have one chance here to address these issues,” said the councillor. “Are we going to start providing Town parking lots? I don’t want that to happen… I don’t want to be paying for somebody else’s subdivision, because they didn’t pay for enough parking.”
He added, “We need to put the onus on the people who are going to be developing this community, to provide for that so that the taxpayers do not have to provide for that in the future.”
Windle noted that the OP contains language requiring “good design, good community design, planning for complete streets” – but may not be the best vehicle for dealing with parking. The Urban Design Guidelines, now in the works and expected to be completed in 2021, will be “the critical document that will help us deal with parking,” Windle said.
Bender agreed, noting that parking is an issue everywhere and suggesting that Parking Bylaws and Zoning Bylaws offer the best solutions.
Deputy Mayor James Leduc also objected to the higher densities proposed. “You’re going to have to put the automobiles on elevators and stack them” when densities reach 50 units per hectare, he said. “To me, it’s too high.”
Leduc was critical of the long list of studies that could be required of developers – two pages of possible studies that range from Agricultural Impact and Archaeological Assessments, to Retail Market Impact Studies, Site Grading, Transportation Impact Analysis, Tree Vegetation Study, and Urban Design.
“It looks like we’re just piling on studies… How do we make this document comprehensible, a little easier to interpret?” he demanded.
“I thought it read fairly clear, fairly well,” said Windle, acknowledging that he is more familiar with planning language. He pointed out that the studies are required by provincial and county legislation, and at least the new OP now provides clarity as to which studies may be required.
The Planning Dept. is available, through a pre-consultation process, to help “walk an applicant through the document,” he said. “That pre-consultation is critical… We’re trying to give them an early heads-up.”
Coun. Mark Contois noted that most residents own 2 or more vehicles. “We are a travelling community, and that has not changed,” Contois said. “With all these units being delivered and the 404 (Bradford Bypass) not being delivered before the units are delivered, it’s only going to cause more chaos and more congestion.”
He called for stronger language in the OP to ensure parking issues are addressed. “Other than that, this is just a document telling me that they’re pro developer.”
Council was told that the higher densities were proposed not simply to help the Town meet provincial targets for intensification, but also to provide greater flexibility, making it easier for developers to bring in “new” products like stacked townhouses and back-to-back Townhomes.
Local servicing capacity and traffic concerns would be among the factors determining actual densities.
Council had questions about the targets of 10 percent “attainable” housing, and 20 percent “broader housing choices.”
“Are those numbers attainable?” asked Deputy Mayor Leduc.
“I am optimistic. I am confident that this document sets the stage for that,” said Windle, acknowledging that staff and Council will need to be vigilant to ensure compliance. “That will be the challenge - council following through with that, through implementation.”
Mayor Rob Keffer praised the consultants for maintaining the existing Urban settlement boundaries, calling it “quite an achievement – to get to 2031 within existing boundaries, despite pressure” from developers.
Keffer, who recently joined a group of small urban municipalities within the GTAH, said that all of the mayors shared a perception: “We’ve all had growth pressures, and we all want not to grow at the rate we have in the past.”
One of the biggest challenges facing municipalities today is the increasing reliance on Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZOs) to override local planning decisions, Keffer said.
“It’s unfortunate, I think, that there are so many of these that have been requested from the province,” he said – and so many that have been supported by Simcoe County, overriding the provisions of its own OP.
Keffer asked if language could be included in the OP to protect the town from MZO requests, requiring at least two-thirds majority support from Council to move forward.
He was reminded that the MZO is process that is allowed by the province.
Windle said that, in his opinion, “As municipal planners or local planners, the MZO is not the proper process. We would rather work at a local level through our communities and make decisions through our council” – but any language attempting to restrict use of MZOs would be unlikely to survive the test of “appropriateness.”
The OP includes the vision statement: “In Bradford West Gwillimbury, we are building on our tradition of agriculture and history within a growing community that will provide opportunity for all who call it home.”
Council voted to receive the draft. The final document is expected in the first quarter of 2021; if adopted, it will go to the County for approval.
To see the draft Official Plan, click here.
