The Council of the County of…

The Council of the County of Brant would like to formally submit comments regarding changes to Section 47 in the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990 through Bill 197, the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020 which seek to enhance the Minister’s authority with respects to matters of site plan control and application of inclusionary zoning as part of a zoning order.

First, let us say that the County of Brant supports the Ministers authority to apply inclusionary zoning as part of a zoning order. We recognize that inclusionary zoning can be a helpful tool in certain circumstances, such as implementation of affordable housing with new development and redevelopment opportunities. The County of Brant looks forward to possibly implementing inclusionary zoning policies in future within our municipal documents to effectively assist with affordable housing initiatives and address the ongoing national housing crisis.

We do however have some concerns regarding the implications of Minister Orders as they relate to both inclusionary zoning outside of affordable housing and Site Plan Control. Our concerns predominantly relate to the ability to have input and raise local concerns on behalf of our community and residents through the established development processes within Sections 34 and 41 of the Planning Act.

While we understand that Site Plan Control does not engage the public directly, we have always maintained, protected, and promoted the interests of the County of Brant on behalf of the residents through this process. Removal of this local review and input could potentially have negative effects on neighbouring properties and overlook key local issues at the ground level.

In addition to the concerns expressed above, protection of our agricultural lands and unique environmental features are also very important to our local identity and economy. We understand that Ministers Zoning Orders apply to lands, outside of the Greenbelt, which and shovel ready and are designated for development. As the County of Brant does not form part of the Greenbelt at this time, we have concern that potential requests for Ministers Zoning Orders made by applicants could avoid the established planning process and potentially adversely impact our agricultural systems, natural features, and development framework we have worked hard to protect and build as a community.

We, the Council of the County of Brant, respectfully request that the comments as outlined along with the importance of local involvement within the planning and development process be heavily considered through this important legislative process.