Perth County to hold final public meeting on draft official plan

Perth County is one step closer to the adoption of its new official plan after the release of its final draft late last month.

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The plan is set to presented publicly to residents during the county’s Oct. 17 meeting before councilors will be given the option of approving the document. This public meeting will provide residents with an opportunity to present any last-minute comments for consideration they haven’t had a chance to share previously, said Moira Davidson, a senior policy planner with the county.

“County council will utilize information received to date, as well as additional public input heard at the public meeting, to decide on the adoption of the 2024 official plan,” Davidson said via email.

Residents who are interested in speaking at public meeting are encouraged to register on the county website.

Some residents have already expressed concerns the plan will not be followed. In a Sept. 13 email to the county planning department obtained by the Beacon Herald, a spokesperson for Get Concerned Perth County noted a proposed 302-unit Sebringville housing development is not in line with the plan’s permitted uses for villages and hamlets.

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The official plan states that uses for these communities include “low-density residential uses, small scale commercial, employment, and institutional uses, as well as open space and recreational use.” Davidson said there will always be instances where the official plan “doesn’t align with a property’s potential,” particularly when trying to govern land-use planning in a large geographic area like Perth County.

“This is where official plan amendments come in,” Davidson said. “The County Official Plan will continue to guide such site-specific matters.”

While the final draft of the plan remains similar to what was presented during open houses in July, there have been few notable changes, Davidson said. These changes brought the official plan in line with the recently updated Provincial Policy Statement. The needed tweaks include:

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• Considering permissions for settlement area expansion requests at any time;
• The creation of minimum housing and intensification targets;
• Permissions for additional dwelling units in settlement areas and agricultural properties; and
• The protection of employment areas.

“While some of these policies were already included in the July 2024 version of the official plan, the 2024 (Provincial Policy Statement) now makes such policies a requirement rather than a recommendation,” Davidson said.

The plan, which will provide guidance on growth over the next 25 years, is based on a population projection that anticipates the county growing to nearly 63,000 residents by 2051. The Provincial Planning Act requires reviews of official plans every five years and requires the inclusion of population estimates, Davidson noted.

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“Population estimates and density targets will be revisited at the time of each five-year review to ensure the estimate and targets continue to be appropriate,” she said.

The public meeting where the plan will be presented is slated for Oct. 17 at the West Perth Municipal Office in Mitchell at 9 am Once council provides approval, the plan will be sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for the final go-ahead . This process could take anywhere from four months to one year, based on recent official plan reviews, Davidson added.

Written comments on the plan can also be sent by email to [email protected] or by mail to 1 Huron Street, Stratford, Ont., N5A 5S4.

[email protected]

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