Lanark County Media Release - September 7, 2022

For immediate release Sept. 7, 2022

Here are the highlights from the Lanark County Council meeting held Sept. 7, 2022.

Preparing Terms of Reference for Official Plan Update Components: Council has approved two motions related to developing terms of reference for components of the upcoming Lanark County Sustainable Communities Official Plan (SCOP) update.

Following presentations by County Planner Julie Stewart at the economic development committee meeting last month, council passed a motion to support recommendations from the Planning Working Group. The first was that terms of reference related to growth management be prepared and brought forward to the economic development committee. The second was for a terms of reference for a consultant to develop of an aggregate resources master plan.

The county’s SCOP was approved by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing in 2013 and is due for its mandated 10-year review and to be brought into compliance with the new Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) updates. Earlier this year, council opted to update the SCOP in stages that focus on themes, such as natural heritage (including natural heritage systems), resources (including agricultural and aggregate), and growth and settlement (including population growth and allocations). Reports on growth management and aggregate resource management were presented to the planning working group in August.

“To ensure the county continues to plan for growth efficiently over the long-term, it is necessary to study the current population and economic demands and anticipated projects in regard to land needs through this comprehensive study process,” Stewart explained, adding needs should be anticipated in a 25-year time horizon.

Councillors expressed a need to balance sustainable/managed growth while maintaining a rural lifestyle. Stewart noted the new PPS has introduced new planning concepts and permissions for municipalities to consider while developing policies. The terms of reference will come back to the economic development committee for consideration.

The aggregate resources inventory master plan will be developed by a consultant as there is a need to address provincial interests and the PPS requirements as part of the SCOP update, Stewart explained. She said including this can help to protect resources, provide a consistent approach across the county, provide more certainty for industry and the public, reduce conflict and provide direction for local official plans. A technical report by Jp2g Consultants Inc. reflected on the importance of mineral aggregates to the county’s economy and the need for protection and inventory identification.

For more information, contact Julie Stewart, County Planner, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1520.