Wilmot pushing to expand employment area
The province has agreed to make changes to the region’s official plan that will see new community areas added for future growth in New Hamburg and Baden, but Wilmot Township’s long-standing plan to attract jobs still hasn’t been implemented.
“The missing piece is the balance,” said Andrew Martin, the township manager of planning and economic development.
“The province has not included the employment land components.”
Last fall, after cancelling plans to expand urban boundaries to build more homes faster, Ontario’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs reached out to lower-tier municipalities requesting feedback on changes they’d like to see implemented in their official plans.
The township responded with a list of proposed modifications to increase both housing and jobs — chief among them 90 hectares of unconstrained lands south of the CN railway, east of Nafziger Road and north of Highway 7/8.
“The lands are located in a prime location with potential rail connectivity, access to a four-lane provincial highway, and potential for full integration with existing and planned municipal water and wastewater infrastructure,” a staff report notes.
Wilmot officials say they welcome the opportunity to provide feedback to the province as the vision for the township hadn’t been reflected in regional official plans during the past two decades.
Under the province’s Bill 23, lower-tier municipalities will be assuming planning powers at the local level.
Martin said he’s been in discussions with ministry officials who’ve requested additional feedback on proposed official plan modifications under the province’s new legislation, dubbed the Get it Done Act, which supports the government’s goal of building at least 1.5 million new homes by 2031.
“Essentially all the residential lands that were between the existing urban boundary and the countryside line, the province does propose to include those through the Official Plan Adjustments Act that forms part of this bill,” Martin said.
“The primary focus and the primary comments that we're trying to communicate back to the province here is that as part of planning a complete community, the balance of both residential and employment uses is really important.”
Martin said the township obtained a letter from Waterloo Region's economic development corporation to support the need for employment growth in the township.
Township planning staff want to get started with secondary plans for the area to address long-term staging for infrastructure, roads, parks and trail connections, but would like more certainty before initiating the process.
“When lands aren't included, and there's possibly an opportunity to consider it in the future, it doesn't provide the assurances to allow for that planning to occur as it should,” said Martin.
It’s well documented how Wilmot got “bits and pieces” every time the region revised its official plan during the past 20 years, said Coun. Stewart Cressman. The township has never had the opportunity to develop a holistic, long-range plan, he said.
Wilmot mayor Natasha Salonen said she appreciates staff's continued efforts to make the vision for jobs a top priority.
“I feel very strongly about needing to have employment opportunities in our communities to ensure they don't become bedroom communities and really just urban sprawl,” she said.
“Let's just hope that this feedback will be the last back-and-forth between the province on this and we can get along with our actual plans and our secondary review.”
‘‘ I feel very strongly about needing to have employment opportunities in our communities to ensure they don't become bedroom communities and really just urban sprawl.
NATASHA SALONEN WILMOT MAYOR