COUNCIL CONNECTION: What is your vision for Keswick?

Public participation vital as town conducts review of Keswick Secondary Plan, writes Georgina Mayor Margaret Quirk

Yorkregion.com
December 2, 2019
Margaret Quirk

I often get asked about development and what is being planned in areas across Georgina.

The questions range from the desire for more businesses to more options for housing. The town has an Official Plan which sets out land use policy that helps to guide future development and to manage growth. It lays out where new housing and businesses will be located and what services will be needed for that growth. The Official Plan helps to understand how the town will be developed and where that development will occur. When a development application is received it is the town’s Official Plan that is reviewed to see if the proposal is consistent with it.

If it isn’t, then an amendment to the plan is required. For example, if the application is for a commercial use in a residential zone, then an application for that change is required.

Secondary Plans are the next stage in planning where more detail is given on the policies in the Official Plan. Georgina has four Secondary Plans; Keswick, Sutton/Jackson’s Point, Pefferlaw and the Keswick Business Park.

A review is underway for the Keswick Secondary Plan. The last review was done in 2004 and Keswick has grown and developed since then. Reviewing and updating the plan is needed to manage future growth. The review will look at creating a range of land uses, including various housing options, establish the height and density of development, examine the road network, trails and transit routes, review the parkland system and provide for protection of the natural heritage system.

For more details, visit www.georgina.ca/KSPR.

Your participation is key, so plan to attend the next public workshop on Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Keswick United Church at 177 Church St. There will be two sessions; 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 3 p.m. What is your vision for the future of Keswick?

--Margaret Quirk is the mayor of Georgina