The Town of The Blue Mountains is going to look at expanding its Community Improvement Plan.
At its meeting on May 13, council unanimously approved a resolution brought forward by Deputy Mayor Peter Bordignon that directed town staff to bring a report to a future committee of the whole meeting for options to expand the community improvement plan.
A community improvement plan is a tool that allows municipalities to provide financial incentives/grants to private land/business owners to improve their properties through a variety of programs which include: facade and structural improvement program, accessibility improvement program, start-up space leasehold improvement program, landscaping and property improvement program and vacant building conversion and expansion program. The Blue Mountains also has community improvement programs that encourage the development of affordable/attainable housing units.
Bordignon said because the community improvement program applies to only specific areas of the town, some businesses are not able to apply for financial support through the program.
“We did hear from a few people,” he said.
Currently, the community improvement plan applies to core commercial areas in Thornbury, Craigleith, Clarksburg and the Bruce/Marsh Streets corridor.
The deputy mayor said currently the program may not capture a cidery or a business component of a farm operation that are outside the specific community improvement plan areas.
His resolution asked for a staff report on options for a full expansion of the program to the entire area of the town.
Council voted unanimously in favour of the resolution.
