The public packed into council chambers in Stayner Wednesday evening for a meeting to review of the Township of Clearview’s Official Plan (OP).
Consultants outlined eight hot topics and entertained questions from councillors and the public during the two-and-a-half hour meeting, which was at times unruly, with people calling out questions from the audience.
Steve Wever, of GSP Group, told the capacity crowd that public input thus far has been focused on settlement area boundary changes; minor bylaws as a tool for updating the planning process; climate change and sustainable development; affordable and attainable housing; agriculture related uses and on- farm diversified uses; lot creation for surplus dwellings and farm consolidation; short-term rentals and small scale accommodations; and antenna towers.
With each of the topics, the consultants shared a proposed course of action. On the question of settlement area boundaries, Wever suggested that the new plan should focus on policy and the existing boundaries should remain until some uncertainties regarding the province’s new planning framework are resolved. He said actual mapping of settlement area boundaries can occur in a later phase.
“We are confident that the existing boundary configurations do not create any short-term issues,” said Wever. “There is land available and designated for development.”
The new OP should apply a “climate change lens” to all planning decisions according to consultant Patrick Casey. The meeting was told that the township is already in the process of developing green building standards.
“We do not want to discourage redevelopment by being overly prescriptive so we would recommend more of a statement of intent approach,” said Casey.
To address a lack of attainable and affordable housing, the consultants recommend that the new OP allow more options for the creation of accessory dwelling units. Current rules allow up to three units on a property in the urban settlement areas of Creemore, Stayner and New Lowell, with fourth units requiring a zoning amendment. One option would be to allow a fourth dwelling unit per lot in settlement areas and up to three per lot in community settlement areas like Avening, Duntroon, Dunedin and Glen Huron. Consultants posed the question, should a third unit in community settlement areas be granted as a matter of course, or should it require a minor bylaw or zoning amendment? And should third units be permitted in rural areas at all?
The draft groups potential agriculture-related and on-farm diversified uses into two categories: those which should be available as a right or with minor bylaw changes, and those that should require zoning amendments. Agriculture research and training facilities, and event venues, currently sit in the “zoning amendment required” category which would leave decisions open to Ontario Land Tribunal appeals. This is a mistake, according to Brent Preston, of The New Farm.
“Clearview has been a pioneer in terms of allowing farmers to diversify their income stream, but as long as these decisions can be appealed no one will do it,” said Preston, suggesting there are better ways such as site plan controls to address specific concerns.
Short-term rentals are not permitted in the township’s current OP. The draft plan suggests three options: maintaining the status quo; allowing short-term rentals but requiring them to be licensed; or throwing the doors open to short-term rentals.
Resident Jim Campbell said, “We have a housing crisis in our community so allowing the commodification of houses as businesses really has to be restricted.”
The consultants will now incorporate the latest feedback into the plan, and return to council with a final recommendation at a future meeting.