County Official Plan 5-Year Review OPA 81 PUBLIC MEETING May 28, 2013
Purpose of Official Plan 5-Year Review • Ensure the Official Plan addresses provincial policy and plans – 2005 Provincial Policy Statement addressed through OPA 53 (2007) – Places to Grow addressed through OPA 65 (2009) and the Centre Wellington and Erin Official Plans have since been amended to conform – OPA 81 needs to address Greenbelt conformity, and other matters of policy or plan conformity identified by the province • Also an opportunity to address areas of public concern or interest identified through the 5-Year Review process 2
Milestones so far • February 2010 - Special County Council Meeting • 2010 through 2012 – Preconsultation • September, 2012 - Open Houses held • May, 2013 - Notice of Public Meeting, Draft Amendment circulated for comments (due June 14) 3
Greenbelt Plan The Greenbelt Plan envisions a broad band of permanently protected land that will protect agriculture and natural heritage, while providing for a diverse range of economic and social activities associate with rural communities, agriculture, tourism, recreation and resource areas. 4
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New Section 9.9 Greenbelt Policies (Erin and Puslinch) Greenbelt Plan policies are to be added to a new section. Key Greenbelt Plan directions include: • Not allowing Urban Centre expansions until the 10-Year Greenbelt Plan Review, and only where the growth is on municipal water and sewage systems, among other criteria. • Prime Agricultural areas shall not be redesignated to non- agricultural uses • Development in the Natural Heritage System is subject to stronger and more detailed environmental protection policies 7
Greenbelt Natural Heritage System • Consists of – core areas with the highest concentration of significant and/or sensitive natural features, and – linkages that connect the core areas • Includes some farmland and other rural land uses that are outside of, or between, natural features • The full range of existing and new agricultural, agricultural- related, and secondary uses are allowed, while new buildings are to be sited 30m outside of natural features. 8
Greenbelt Natural Heritage System Examples of requirements: • Disturbed area to not exceed 25% • Impervious surface to not exceed 10% • For non-agricultural uses, - at least 30% of total developable area will remain or be returned to natural self-sustaining vegetation, - buildings and structures do not occupy more than 25% of the total developable area. 9
Other Provincial Legislation Alternative and Renewable Energy The current Official Plan section which is generally supportive of alternative and renewable energy systems, and has policies intended to direct the rezoning process, was added in 2008 to address the 2005 Provincial Policy Statement and local rezoning applications for wind energy systems. This section is proposed to be removed because the Official Plan and Zoning By- laws no longer apply, under the Green Energy Act . Complete Applications and Preconsultation Planning Act provides for policies to ensure that appropriate information is available to Councils, commenting agencies and the public when development applications are circulated. Highlights of these policies are: • Prior to confirming that an application is complete, the Council of the County or a local municipality may require certain studies, to be prepared by a qualified professional and submitted. • The County or a local municipality may pass a by-law to require preconsultation on any or all applications. 10
Greenlands System mapping updates • Hazardous lands such as floodplains and wetlands • Natural heritage features such as Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest, wetlands and woodlands 11
Greenlands System - significant woodlands • In the current Official Plan, woodlands over 10ha are considered to be significant. Smaller woodlands may also have local significance and, where practical, these smaller woodlots should be protected. • The proposed change is that woodlands in the rural area over 4ha would be considered significant, and woodlands in urban areas over 1ha would be considered significant. • Exceptions include plantations under 10 ha, tree farms and orchards. 12
Significant woodlands – example Airphoto of rural area between Harriston and Palmerston 13
Significant woodlands – example Current Official Plan - dark green areas are Core Greenlands and light green areas are Greenlands. 14
Significant woodlands – example Proposed change - purple hatched areas would be added to the Greenlands because they are 4 ha or larger. 15
Greenlands – other key policy changes • ‘Adjacent lands’ for impact assessment means 120m from natural heritage features (not a zoning setback) • Statement that in areas not undergoing significant development, particularly agricultural and rural areas, stewardship initiatives will be the main means to maintain, restore or, where possible, improve linkages and connectivity • Urban forests – County will encourage the retention of trees where practical and will encourage increases in the overall urban tree canopy 16
Mineral Aggregate Areas • Purpose is to show areas of high potential for mineral aggregate extraction and indicates that aggregate deposits are likely to be available • Not a pre-approval for extraction - new or expanded mineral aggregate operations within the Mineral Aggregate Area overlay require Rezoning • Outside the overlay area, new or expanded operations require Rezoning and an amendment to the Official Plan • Currently includes sand and gravel deposits of Primary significance, and approved extraction areas outside of the Primary area. 17
Current Mineral Aggregate Area Overlay (northern area) 18
Current Mineral Aggregate Area Overlay (southern area) 19
Key Proposed Changes • Include sand and gravel deposits of Secondary significance, at the request of the province; Not proposing to add ‘Selected Bedrock Resource Areas’ • Exclude urban centres and hamlets plus 300m setback, wetlands and significant woodlands, except for areas with existing approvals • Show the Mineral Aggregate Area on a new Schedule (Schedule ’C’) to be more readable • Add a statement that Rezoning applications are subject to all relevant policies of the Official Plan 20
Proposed Mineral Aggregate Area Overlay (northern area) 21
Proposed Mineral Aggregate Area Overlay (southern area) 22
Paris and Galt Moraine Policy Area The Paris and Galt Moraine Policy Area is proposed to be added to Schedule B, which shows Well Head Protection Areas. The Paris and Galt Moraines Policies intend to: • Protect moraine processes and features in order to maintain and where possible restore and enhance groundwater and surface water features; • Promote stewardship activities on the moraines that maintain, restore or enhance groundwater and surface water resources. 23
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Paris and Galt Moraine Policy Area – Key Policies • Agriculture is a major activity on the moraines and is an accepted and supported use of land. The County will encourage best practices for agriculture by developing and supporting stewardship programs. • Large scale development proposals will be required to demonstrate that ground and surface water functions will be maintained, and where possible, enhanced. • Small scale developments that do not rely on significant site alterations will not normally be required to demonstrate protection of the moraines. Where planning approvals for small scale developments are needed, best practices for site alteration will be required to reduce or eliminate cut and fill activities that would fill in land surface depressions. 27
Secondary Agricultural Area Severance Policies - Date change Current policies • Only one new lot for residential purposes may be allowed from a parcel of land existing on the date of provincial approval (April, 1999) of the Official Plan. • Subject to other criteria, including: that the lands have been owned by the applicant for at least 5 years; and, that Minimum Distance Separation from livestock facilities can be met. • Once a new residential lot has been created, a second residential lot is not allowed from either the severed or retained parcels. Proposed change • One new lot for residential purposes may be allowed from a parcel of land existing on March 1, 2005. 28
Secondary Agricultural Area Severance Policies - Lot size Current policy: • Not normally larger than 0.8 ha (2 acres) unless existing natural features or development patterns make a larger lot more practical. • No stated minimum although Zoning By-law minimum is 0.4 ha (1 acre) and this is to be reflected with new wording in the Draft OPA 81 Options for public input: • Keep current 0.8 ha (2 acre) limit • Increase maximum to 2 ha (5 acres) or 4 ha (10 acres) • Remove maximum policy 29
Other proposed Policy changes General policies • Expanded direction about cultural heritage landscapes, and mitigation measures in Heritage Impact Assessments • Infrastructure: changes that reflect broad definition and need to coordinate Implementation policies • Site Plan control may address exterior design matters 30
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