Selwyn seeks transition period for zoning

Selwyn Township is raising its voice in urging the province for transition policies for zoning and severance applications affected by new agricultural systems (AS) and natural heritage systems (NHS) mapping released earlier this year.

Councillors unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday night asking for a sort of grandfather clause – that permit applications in the queue be considered under the former legislation that was replaced on Feb. 9.

The resolution was precipitated by a denied application in the township, said Deputy Mayor Sherry Senis, explaining how applications being processed that happen to be in the mapping areas now come to a dead stop.

Past provincial policy changes always included transition measures, she said. “This time around … the rules changed.”

The updated mapping applies to all land use planning decisions, regardless of when preconsultation took place or when the application was made, in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) area.

The resolution will be sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Peterborough MPP and Minister of Agriculture,

Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal and Peterborough County. It will also be circulated to all HHH municipalities.

It states that township and county planning staff tried to contact applicants expected to be impacted before the new mapping was released and to advise the applications must be consistent with the new mapping.

“Be it resolved that the Township of Selwyn strongly urge the Province of Ontario to reconsider the implementation procedure and include transition policies to provide greater flexibility for those applications that were made prior to Feb. 9, 2018 and are impacted by the AS or NHS mapping,” the resolution reads, in part.

The resolution is about seeking fairness, Senis said. “To allow for a transition period, is what it comes down to, as they have had in the past.”

Earlier this year, county Warden Joe Taylor told city Rotarians that an anticipated expansion of land designated as agricultural in Ontario could hamstring rural municipalities’ ability to sever and develop property.

More marginal lands are being included as the province determines which areas are suitable for farming – which may shut municipalities out of future development, he said.

Land designated agricultural also means a 75 per cent reduction in property taxes, so applying the label more broadly could also mean a loss of income for municipalities, Taylor said,.

He added that he would like to see provincial compensation for that.

‘‘ “... Allow for a transition period, is what it comes down to, as they have had in the past.” SHERRY SENIS Selwyn Deputy Mayor