King Township updating official plan to guide future growth

Residents are encouraged to review the draft plan on speaking.king.ca

Yorkregion.com
March 25, 2019
Sheila Wang

King township council is forging ahead with an updated official plan to guide the future growth of the “idyllic countryside community of communities.”

Councillors voted unanimously to receive the second draft of the official plan known as Our King  at a committee of the whole meeting on March 18.

The draft plan is intended to replace the existing documents under the official plan with a co-ordinated policy framework in order to set up goals for growth and development in the township, conform to 2010 York Regional Official Plan, and respond to provincial policies.

The updated plan is intended to guide council decisions around managing growth, land use and infrastructure decisions generally up to 2031.

King is projected to add another 9,400 people to bring its total population to 34,900 by 2031 -- up by 37 per cent from 2016 which is required by York Region's Official Plan.

The town's three villages are expected to experience population growth to varying degrees with King City forecast to see the largest growth by 8,600 people from 2016 to 2031.

Meanwhile, Nobleton is going to reach a total of 7,000 residents by 2031 while Schomberg is going to be home to 3,100 people.

Residents are encouraged to review the draft plan, currently available online at speaking.king.ca.

The 269-page draft plan came into being following more than four years of preparation carried out in three phases starting in 2014.

It lays out the directions and a policy framework in 10 sections mainly from four aspects: environmental, economic, social-cultural, and financial.
“The documents have been completely restructured but the reports and basics of the plans carry forward,” said Bobby Gauthier, senior project manager at WSP Group, a consultant company.

Gauthier presented the draft plan to council as well as a full house of audience at the meeting on behalf of the planning department.

The presentation was well received by council members, many of who expressed excitement with the updates to the official plan.

“I’m thrilled with what was provided to us,” Ward 5 Coun. Debbie Schaefer said. “I’m so pleased to be finally at this stage. This is a long way, and it’s very much needed to help move us forward.”

Council is expected to adopt the final, updated official plan in September.

“I want this to happen very quickly,” said Mayor Steve Pellegrini stated his concerns about a letter from Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark who encouraged municipalities to consider “an interim pause” on some planning decisions or reviews of major planning documents.

The provincial government is currently working on a Housing Supply Action Plan which is aimed to address the barriers getting in the way of new ownership and rental housing.

“There was never a good time. I just want to have it done. If we have to make some tweaks to it near the end, we’ll make the tweaks,” the mayor added.

Visit speaking.king.ca for more information on the draft official plan.