Waterfront strategy’s focus shifts to growth, economic development
New independent body being formed to judge proposals for funding

Niagarathisweek.com
April 4, 2016
By Paul Forsyth

Regional programs designed to enhance waterfronts on Niagara’s two Great Lakes and on inland waterways through financial incentives are shifting gears to concentrate on the Region’s new focus on economic development and prosperity.

The Region’s planning and development committee on March 30 approved merging the Region’s Lakefront Enhancement Strategy, covering the shoreline areas of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, with its newer Waterfront Enhancement Strategy, targeting inland waterways such as rivers and smaller lakes.

The new program won’t just have a new name - the Waterfront Investment Program - it will also have a new focus.

The Region launched its initial Lakefront program in 2014, offering cost-shared incentives to municipalities working with local partners such as developers, business owners and community groups on projects such as creating new lakefront attractions such as marinas, improving trail networks, shoreline erosion control, expanding or enhancing lakefront property and improving sewer systems.

The Region has budgeted $1 million a year over 10 years for incentives.

Niagara is blessed with no less than 4,900 kilometres of watercourses, but regional staff and consultants who worked on the strategy said there are significant challenges facing waterfronts such as leaking septic systems, home and cottage owners illegally fencing off beaches and widespread contamination of beaches with nasty E. coli bacteria from feces.

In a new report to regional politicians, Katelyn Vaughan, senior planner of community and long range planning, said the original program goal was focused on identifying enhanced public access opportunities at waterfronts.

While consultation with stakeholders such as marina, scuba diving shops, bed and breakfast operators, developers, farmers, environmental organizations and private landowners has taken place, Vaughan said it’s now recommended that the merged program align more closely with the Region’s strategic priorities on boosting the economy and prosperity by stimulating investment, growth and economic development.

That shift has yet to be vetted by the public or stakeholders, she said.

Another change approved by the committee is how applications for funding are judged. Until now, an advisory group with representatives from the local municipalities and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) recommended successful applications to regional council.

But because those parties may also be in the running for funding, Vaughan said that created the possibility of conflict of interest. Regional politicians agreed to explore having a non-partisan, independent body oversee project selection based on a more formal business case model.

For now, applications for funding are on hold until that’s done.

The committee approved the suggestion by Fort Erie Coun. Sandy Annunziata of a June 22 deadline for the business case template and the new adjudication process recommendations to come to the committee, and a deadline of July 1 for the start of intake of applications for funding. Notification of successful applicants will likely take place starting in September.

The committee also approved having the report circulated to the local municipalities and the NPCA, and requiring successful projects to include significant public realm benefits.

Niagara Falls Coun. Bart Maves and St. Catharines councillors Bruce Timms and Andy Petrowski said the waterfront program has been changed dramatically from its original intention to have a pot of money ready to snap up important waterfront property when it becomes available to ensure public access to it for the future.

“We’ve totally gone away from what this was supposed to be,” said Maves, who equated it to a “slush fund” for local towns and cities to get regional money.