The Town of Fort Erie has adopted a new official plan, following years of intense debate and consultation.
An official plan for a municipality is a long-term guide as to how the community should grow and develop in decades ahead.
Council spent over an hour speaking about and debating elements of the plan before ultimately voting to adopt it.
Councillor Joan Christensen (Ward 4) was the first to speak to the plan, noting just how important it will be for the future of Fort Erie.
“This is one of the, if not the most important…policy document(s) that a local municipality can engage in,” said Christensen. “This directs the formation of the community for decades to come.”
“Its implementation will guide us in the future.”
Councillor Nick Dubanow (Ward 2) spoke second, noting that “this has been a long, drawn-out effort,” and for good reason.
“There’s a lot of aspects of this that will not just make our community a better place but also…give guidance to where the compatibility (is) and where things make sense to grow.”
All of that takes time, according to members of Council. Because an official plan can stay in place for decades, Councillors wanted to take the proper time to ensure this official plan was done as comprehensively as possible.
Dubanow also pointed to the “unprecedented growth” being experienced in Fort Erie and the Niagara Region in general as a major rationale for an updated official plan.
Dubanow expects the plan to govern how Fort Erie grows and develops over at least the next decade.
Councillors did still have questions about the report before the plan was adopted, including questions about new developments and affordable housing.
Mayor Wayne Redekop had a number of questions relating to affordable housing and ensuring that the plan encourages the development of affordable housing.
He wanted to know if there were ways to compel developers through the plan to build affordable housing. Staff noted that there were ways, particularly through the permitting system, to encourage the building of affordable housing.
“One of the reasons why we’re proposing to include a community planning permit system is because we can require affordable housing,” responded Edward Terry, Fort Erie’s manager of policy and community planning. “We want to focus it on our strategic growth areas, but it’s an opportunity to require it in those areas.”
Redekop also made some general comments about the official plan process before its eventual adoption.
“One of the expectations that I would have is that this new official plan is going to allow us to provide for the growth that we see, and it will be aligned with the vision of Council for the growth of the community.”
The next step is for the province to approve the official plan.
Those looking to see the final official plan and find out more about it can do so by going to Fort Erie’s website.
Jay Goldberg is the Canadian Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center. He previously served as the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
