Time to talk about community improvement
Plan allows a municipality to provide grants and loans to promote building, property upgrades
The Buckhorn Community Improvement Plan (CIP), recently revised by RCI consulting, was presented recently at a Trent Lakes council meeting and at a public meeting at the Buckhorn Community Centre (BCC).
A community improvement plan allows a municipality to provide grants and loans to property owners and tenants to promote building and property renovations, improvements and development/redevelopment within a defined area of need.
The previous plan, which was used eight times from 2017 through 2020, offered grants for landscape enhancement, improved signage and building enhancement.
Several meetings with municipal staff and the consulting firm created a new plan with six grant areas. The first program provides a grant of $2,000 for possible architectural design drawings, concept and site plans, market analysis and structural analysis with a maximum of two studies.
The second program provides a grant of $7,500 for façade improvement. The third program provides a maximum grant of $10,000 for building improvement work on existing commercial, mixed use and institutional buildings.
The fourth program provides a maximum grant of $5,000 for renovation to rental residential units in buildings with a combined commercial use.
A fifth program is called the tax increment grant program. This program provides an annual grant of 80 per cent of the increase in municipal property taxes as a result of renovation, expansion or new construction of projects that generate a minimum increase in assessed value of $200,000. The last grant area provides a grant of 75 per cent of fees paid for planning applications, building permits, heritage permits and sign permits for a project approved or completed under other incentive programs to a maximum of $5,000.
The geographical area for this CIP is based in Buckhorn because that is the area with the most business mass in the township. Flexibility is incorporated for properties that are immediately adjacent to the boundaries for the designated area.
After the presentation, there were questions from those gathered. Several of the questions had to do with the availability of parking in the downtown, not parking on sidewalks and bylaw enforcement. One person suggested a shuttle service from the BCC parking lot to downtown.
One question asked as to whether these grants applied to private homeowners. These are for businesses in the CIP area. Another question referred to green renovations and their sustainability and their inclusion in the program. The Anglican Church renovations were completed when no one knew about this grant program so the questioner wanted to know whether they could apply retroactively for the grant. The answer was no.
After reviewing comments from this public meeting, preparing a draft final CIP with a revised draft final CIP presented to prescribed final agencies, and a Statutory Planning Act public meeting, the final CIP will be presented to council in May or June with implementation after the 20-day appeal period.
At the public meeting, there was a comment sheet for people to complete. A similar feedback form is on the municipal website.
Takeaway and sit-down pasta
You could eat pasta twice. You could have a sit-down meal at Wesley United Church on County Road 23 on April 6 and pasta to go for the next evening. Just warm it up. Whichever you choose, takeaway time is from 4 to 5 p.m. or the sitdown meal is at 5:15 p.m.
You will have homemade pasta with meat sauce (homemade), rolls (homemade), Caesar salad with dressing (dressing from scratch) and apple or rhubarb crisp (you guessed it … homemade).
Adults will pay $15, children from five to 12 will pay $6 and those younger are free. Call 705-7382827 or 705-933-9368 to place your order.