BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
BACKGROUND,
ISSUES AND OPTIONS
DISCUSSION
COUNTY OF DUFFERIN
OFFICIAL PLAN PROJECT JANUARY 9, 2014
Joint Council Meeting
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
1. Process and Schedule
2. Managing Growth
3. Countryside Area
4. Planning Administration
5. Issues Not Addressed in the
County Official Plan
6. Next Steps
Outline
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
1. Process and Schedule
Phase 3
Final County Official
Plan
• Consultation Report (June
2014)
• Presentation to Local &
County Councils (June 2014)
• Final Draft of County Official
Plan (July 2014)
• Statutory Public Meeting &
Council Adoption of Official
Plan (August 2014)
Phase 2
Draft County Official
Plan
• Draft County Official Plan
(late March 2014)
• Presentation to Local &
County Councils (April –
May 2014)
• Public Open Houses (late
May 2014)
Phase 1
Background, Issues and
Options Report
• Presentation to Local &
County Councils (November
2013)
• Draft Background Report
(December 2013)
• Joint Council Presentation
(January 9, 2014)
• Public Open Houses
(January 11 and 15, 2014)
• Presentation of the Report
(February 2014)
September 2013 August 2014
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
1. Process and Schedule
Important Milestones:
• Tight schedule to have Official Plan for Council adoption in August 2014,
prior to municipal election period.
• Draft Background, Issues and Options Report released (December 2013)
• First Draft Official Plan by late March 2014:
• Presentation to Local Councils (April-May 2014)
• Two Public Meetings on First Draft Official Plan (May 2014)
• Statutory Public Meeting (August 2014)
• Project is currently on schedule.
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
• OP should establish clear settlement
hierarchy:
• Primary Settlements
(Orangeville, Shelburne,
Grand Valley)
• Secondary Settlements
(Hamlets, Villages)
• Primary Settlements should be
clearly defined, however, Secondary
Settlements may be identified
conceptually (rely on local Official
Plans for delineation).
2. Managing Growth
Community Structure:
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
• Approach to Update County GMS, 2009 growth forecasts:
• Consistent with Growth Plan forecasts to 2031, 2036 and 2041
(Amendment #2).
• Implement Ministry approved forecasts/allocations to 2031.
• Allocate the unallocated population of 4,000 persons to 2031 to the
three primary settlements, to the extent feasible.
• Consider allocation of growth beyond 2031, to provide for a 20-year
planning horizon (to 2036), which includes an additional population
of 1,000 persons.
• Consider minimum alternative intensification targets.
2. Managing Growth
Key Issues (Growth Forecasts):
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
• Province requires that any additional allocation to the primary settlements
be supported by servicing feasibility:
• Orangeville able to accommodate 36,490, but have identified significant
servicing constraints beyond this.
• Grand Valley urban area may accommodate 6,050 persons.
• Shelburne anticipates accommodating a population of 10,000 persons,
but it is recognized that further servicing work is required.
2. Managing Growth
Key Issues (Growth Forecasts):
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
2. Managing Growth
Recommendations (Growth Forecasts):
Population 2011 Population
Forecast to 2031
(MOI 2010)
County Allocations
based on Assimilative
Capacity (2031)
Population
Forecast to
2036
Population
Forecast to
2041 Stats
Canada
Plus Under-
count
Orangeville 27,975 29,020 36,490 36,490 36,490 36,490
Shelburne 5,846 6,060 8,400 10,000 10,000 10,000
Grand Valley Urban 1,481 - 4,165 6,050 6,050 6,050
Grand Valley Rural 1,245 - 1,575 1,575 1,600 1,625
Grand Valley Total 2,726 2,830 5,740 7,625 7,650 7,675
Amaranth 3,963 4,110 4,680 4,680 4,710 4,840
East Garafraxa 2,595 2,690 3,150 3,150 3,180 3,290
Melancthon 2,839 2,940 3,410 3,410 3,430 3,540
Mono 7,546 7,830 9,770 9,770 9,890 10,340
Mulmur 3,391 3,520 4,290 4,290 4,340 4,520
Sub-Total (Excluding
Unallocated) - - 75,930 79,415 79,690 80,695
Future allocated growth
within the County of Dufferin - - 4,000 585 1,310 4,305
Total for the County of
Dufferin 56,881 59,000 80,000 80,000 81,000 85,000
Unallocated portion of growth reserved for primary settlement areas, subject to servicing and assimilative
capacity feasibility
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
• Establish a 20-year planning horizon (i.e., to 2036) and allocate the unallocated
population growth to the extent it is supported by servicing feasibility. Of the
unallocated/additional population growth of 5,000 persons to 2036, this results
in an unallocated reserve of 1,310 persons.
• The allocation of a total of 10,000 persons to Shelburne is contingent upon
further justification from the Town with respect to the servicing feasibility and
fiscal and environmental sustainability of the forecast (otherwise an alternative
allocation may be carried forward in the Official Plan).
• Policy framework to be developed in the Official Plan for the future allocation of
the unallocated population to the:
• primary settlement areas; and
• secondary settlement areas.
2. Managing Growth
Recommendations (Growth Forecasts):
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
• Currently the overall County minimum intensification target is 40%, with the
following assigned targets:
• Grand Valley – 12%;
• Orangeville – 50%; and
• Shelburne – 38%.
• As infill and intensification occurs, available opportunities for intensification will
decline, as a result reduced intensification targets will be required.
2. Managing Growth
Key Issues (Intensification Targets):
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
• Request and provide justification to the Province to support alternative
intensification targets at this time.
• Request overall County alternative minimum intensification target of 30%, with
the following assigned targets:
• Grand Valley – 6%; and
• Shelburne – 24%.
• Orangeville proposed to be maintained at 50%.
2. Managing Growth
Recommendations (Intensification Targets):
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
• Develop an appropriate set of land use policies to deal with the uses
and activities in the countryside area.
• Agriculture;
• Rural/estate residential;
• Aggregate resource extraction;
• Natural heritage conservation and source water protection;
• Other rural industrial and commercial activities, and uses
secondary to agriculture.
3. Countryside Area
Countryside Land Uses
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
• Official Plan to distinguish between:
• Prime Agricultural Areas
• Rural Areas
• Establish consistent policy
framework for secondary uses and
agricultural-related uses.
Agricultural Uses
3. Countryside Area
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
• Addressing natural resources in the
policies of the Plan:
• Aggregate Resources
• Petroleum Resources
• Ensure identification and protection
of resources while ensuring that
extraction minimizes social and
environmental impacts.
• Support undertaking of a County
Aggregate Master Plan Study.
3. Countryside Area
Natural Resources
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
• Conserving Natural Heritage
features and Water Resources.
• Identify significant features based
on existing local Official Plans
(conceptual delineation, overlay
approach).
• Policy framework for a natural
heritage systems strategy.
• Policy framework for
implementation of Source Water
Protection Plans.
Natural Heritage & Water
3. Countryside Area
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
• Today:
• Province is the approval authority for local OPs, OPAs and
plans of subdivision (except for Orangeville and Mono,
which have delegated approvals from the Province).
• Once County Official Plan is Approved:
• County is the approval authority for local OPs, OPAs, and
plans of subdivision.
• The County’s ability to exempt approval of lower-tier OPAs
may only occur once the County is prescribed by
regulation under the Planning Act.
• County may delegate subdivision/consent approval by by-
law.
4. Planning Administration
Summary of Approval Authority:
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
4. Planning Administration
Delegation of Approval Authority:
Local Municipal Official Plan Amendments:
• County Council may consider making a formal request to Minister for all local
municipalities to be granted exemption of approval of local OPA’s:
• County must be prescribed by the Province through regulation under
the Planning Act.
• Province has indicated that they typically do not grant exemption of
approval for local Official Plan Amendments, but support the notion of
County oversight, and may only consider under unique circumstances.
• Sufficient justification would need to support the request (i.e., adequate
municipal resources, County’s planned administration of the County OP,
overall context for implementing the County OP).
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
4. Planning Administration
Delegation of Approval Authority:
Draft Plan of Subdivision Approval:
• County Council may consider passing a by-law to delegate plan of subdivision
approval to the local municipalities:
• County should be satisfied that local municipality has sufficient
resources in place to administer.
Consents:
• County Council should consider passing a by-law to delegate consents to all
local municipalities.
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
4. Planning Administration
County Planning Administration Structure:
• What role should the County play in administering the County planning function
(approval authority responsibilities)?
Potential Options for Administering County Planning Function:
• Hire a County Planner
• County Planning Department or Contracting Services
• Planning Committee of County Council (Council level)
• County Planners Working Group (Staff level)
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
5. Issues Not Addressed in the County Official
Plan
• Growth beyond existing municipal boundaries (i.e., annexations).
• Rural/Agricultural delineation and LEAR analysis (based on local Official Plans).
• Agricultural consent policies (directed by Provincial Policy).
• Renewable energy projects (dealt with under the Green Energy Act).
• County Council voting and governance structure.
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
• Public Open Houses:
• Saturday, January 11, 2014 (Dufferin Oaks
Auditorium, Shelburne); and
• Wednesday, January 15, 2014 (County of Dufferin
Office, Orangeville).
• Present Final Background, Issues and Options Report to
County Council (February 2014)
• Draft Official Plan (late March 2014)
• Local Municipality and Council Presentations (April-May
2014)
• Public Open Houses (late May 2014)
6. Next Steps
BACKGROUND, ISSUES AND OPTIONS DISCUSSION | County of Dufferin | January 2014
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
For further information:
Tracey Atkinson, Project Manager
Dufferin County Official Plan
Phone: 519-941-2816 ext. 2508
Toll Free: 1-877-941-2816 ext. 2508
www.dufferincounty.ca/planning/