Skip to content

Still time to add your voice to the town's growth plan

The Town of Collingwood is updating its Official Plan, which is what determines how and where any form of development will take place - from parks to houses to parking lots. You can have a say in what the plan should look like
USED 20190728_GMC_EE5
Erika Engel/CollingwoodToday

A public survey asking for input on a 10-year and beyond plan for Collingwood will be taken down later this week, but you still have a few days to weigh-in.

The Town of Collingwood is working through the process of updating its official plan, which is what the town uses to guide how and where development occurs.

It also serves as a long-term vision for the type and location of future growth. The update will cover aspects such as sustainable development, types of housing, community design, the role of natural environments and the parks system, how transportation should respond to growth, how servicing needs to change for that growth, and how the town can strengthen its downtown and waterfront as the town grows.

There is currently a survey posted on the town’s website asking for public input on what should be included in the updated official plan. The survey will be taken down on July 2.

The town also completed a public workshop pre-COVID (March 4) and produced a report based on feedback received on the official plan so far both from members of the public and after one-on-one sessions between members of council and the consultant hired for the update process.

To read about the town’s official plan update process and what work has been done to-date, visit the Engage Collingwood website.

The following is a summary of the comments the town has received thusfar in each of the official plan categories. You can weigh in on these issues and more by filling out the online survey by July 2.

Growth management

According to the public input indicated general concern toward preserving wetlands and waterfront from development, insufficient affordable housing, and making development compatible with existing areas.

The public feedback also encouraged the town to push intensification (especially in the downtown), promote mixed-use buildings and smaller housing units, and create concentrations of affordable and regular housing around anchors such as the new hospital site.

Sustainable development

The concerns identified here were around poor stormwater management and high water levels leading to floods. There was also concern about the town’s transit service being insufficient to shift residents away from use of cars, and poor maintenance of active transportation infrastructure preventing other uses such as walking or cycling instead of driving. Climate change was listed as one of the common concerns from people who provided feedback, and the town was urged to plan for the impacts of more severe storms and damage to natural areas.

Public feedback under the sustainable development theme tended to suggest the town encourage things such as green buildings, smaller houses, green energy, active transportation and mixed communities with employment and commercial buildings as well as a range of housing types.

Housing options

Concerns raised by the public for the topic of housing options addressed issues in the range of housing available. Feedback suggested there was a lack of affordable housing, middle housing, rentals for seniors and lower income workers, and rentals for families.

Community design

Along similar veins of discussion as those in the housing options category, the comments collected under the theme of community design encouraged council to keep control over its urban design guidelines to ensure “high-quality” infill development, protect heritage buildings outside of the heritage district, and to keep new neighbourhoods walkable and bikeable.

Greenlands

During the March 4 session, residents raised concerns over the loss of natural areas to development as well as a loss of trees for the same reason. The issue of flooding was also raised because of the damage it can do to shorelines as the town saw last year when storms washed away several metres of shore at Sunset Point and in Millennium Park.

Commenters urged the town to make sure development and trails are not built in flood prone areas.

Residents also suggested the town should look at building more park land, including smaller, urban parks and parkettes.

Downtown and waterfront

According to the consultant’s report, comments on the downtown and waterfront development showed concern with the town permitting new development on waterfront lands, and with increased building height. Parking issues came up in the comments as well as a need to better connect the waterfront and the downtown.

Transportation

Car dominance and too much traffic were the main concerns gathered in the transportation category. Commenters suggested there should be more sidewalks, improved transit routes, extended trails and parking garages that would free up land.

Municipal infrastructure

While most of the categories touch on municipal infrastructure, the comments included in the consultants report indicate residents want to see the town encouraging a shift to other energy sources outside of gas energy, establishing “low impact” development standards to reduce paved surfaces, and ensuring municipal projects support the preservation of the natural environment.


Reader Feedback

Erika Engel

About the Author: Erika Engel

Erika regularly covers all things news in Collingwood as a reporter and editor. She has 15 years of experience as a local journalist
Read more