Official Plan Review For Tiny
Tiny Township Council recently announced that it intends to consider the need for Official Plan Review this summer.
The Official Plan is the most important planning document in any municipality. In Tiny Township, its provisions govern what can be built where, how the environment is to be protected, what the overall population will be in the future, and how major items such as roads and parks will be provided.
All of these items affect not only what you can do with your property, but what others can do in your neighbourhood. They directly affect the quality of the environment in the future.
The Official Plan Review process is required to be done at regular intervals, and may take up to a year to complete. It is usually done by planning consultants, and there must be a prescribed minimum of public consultation.
The first step in such a consultation occurs prior to the start of the Review, when the public is asked to suggest items or issues to be reviewed.
Tiny Council called an initial meeting for public input Saturday, August 8th, at 10:00 a.m. in the Municipal Offices. A brief in support of review was presented by Jack Ellis, President of the Federation.
Existing Official Plan Outdated
Tiny’s last Official Plan Review occurred about five years ago. That review was mostly a “consolidation” of various policies. The basics of the Tiny Official Plan are little changed from the first Official Plans of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Since then, much has changed in Tiny, especially in and around the beach communities. Our environmental problems have become more severe, and people are more aware of their implications.
Some people feel that their 1992 Official Plan Review must be more thorough, and must start from the basic principles of what all Tiny residents, seasonal and permanent alike, want to see for their township’s future.
All property owners should familiarize themselves with what the Official Plan means for their area and for the township as a whole. The Plan can be viewed at the Municipal Offices, and copies can be purchased. Those with less time available may wish to consider of the following features of the current Plan to see if they agree or disagree:
• The Current Official Plan calls for a future population of 50,000 for Tiny Township, which is about double the present population including all of the seasonal residents.
• Backlot developments are required to dedicate shoreline property for use by backlot purchasers, but there is no requirement that this be located conveniently, and cash-in-lieu is often taken instead of shoreline land.
• There is very little protection of the natural environment, and some policies are actively anti-environmental, for example, Estate Residential developments are encouraged in wooded areas, thus destroying woodlots.
At the meeting on August 8th, it was announced that comments from the public on the Official Plan will be received until September 30th. Send them to the Township Offices.
The Federation also will be communicating with member associations about this process, and you might want to contact your local beach community association. You can also call the Federation at ….
