The following statement has been issued by Simcoe County Warden Basil Clarke:
The County of Simcoe agrees with certain aspects of the recent Hemson joint land needs analysis, but some questions and concerns remain about various assumptions and findings in the study.
These include some of the study’s conclusions and findings, particularly how they are being interpreted and perceived by some. As many area municipalities are prepared and able to accommodate the growth and employment needs in the region, we remain concerned about the potential impacts on the already planned developments, investments, and designated employment areas across the region, including the provincially recognized employment areas along Highway 400 in proximity to the City of Barrie.
The study highlights that Barrie’s long-term employment area land supply appears adequate to meet the city’s demand to 2051. In addition, many of the surrounding townships and towns have approved employment lands available for investment opportunities. The risk of losing or impacting these existing growth and employment opportunities, which support balanced community growth and vision within the region, has the potential for negative consequences. These include the loss of investments and planning already made by area municipalities and their development partners, as well as impacts to area taxpayers.
Regarding residential land needs, the study does suggest that as a result of the residential development in the city occurring at a lower density than was envisioned in the city’s Official Plan, more land may now be required to accommodate further residential growth than the City of Barrie had previously planned for based on these increased growth projections.
As we prepare to work together on further considerations and next steps, the county and our partners should continue to evaluate whether accelerated home construction is appropriately achieved by continuing low-density development in our largest urban centre. The best way to achieve ambitious housing targets in larger urban centres is through development of higher-density, multi-storey builds, best suited in our established urban areas. From a planning perspective, all partners should look objectively at the best locations to grow and consider appropriate built form so our environmental and agricultural resources can best be protected while prudently investing in future needs, and more sustainable infrastructure.
For many years Simcoe County, its local municipalities, and the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia have worked collaboratively together and succeeded together as a region. In the midst of formal discussion and process with the province and the provincial development facilitator, we are surprised and frankly disappointed by the last-minute significant request for lands contrary to the findings, as well as the subsequent communications and positioning at this early point in the process without the benefit of collaboration and understanding by the partners and further evaluation by Hemson Consulting, the expert retained by all partners to assess such information. It wasn’t that long ago that significant lands in Innisfil, which were provided by the previous Liberal provincial government without due process or reasonable compensation, were to meet the city’s long-term needs. The county supports all our municipalities and their plans and abilities to accommodate good growth, including Barrie’s role in the region as a larger urban centre to provide housing. However, history should not repeat itself and good planning and built form must prevail over more urban sprawl.
Until such time as the outstanding questions and concerns surrounding the Hemson report’s projections, assumptions and findings, and any individual motivations, are further discussed and appropriately resolved through discussion and due process, the county feels it is inappropriate to speculate outcomes based on desire.
To be clear, we remain committed as always to working with the province and all our municipal partners in the region, including the City of Barrie, to develop good solutions that benefit all our taxpayers while appropriately accommodating growth and infrastructure in the region in a sustainable and prudent manner. We disagree with poor politics or individual agendas driving outcomes. Instead, we look forward to working together towards developing clear and collaborative visions for the future that benefit all our communities.
