Huron County Council was able to hear updates on Bill 97, which was tabled in the provincial legislature last month.
The Bill outlines changes to the Planning Act, as well as previous pieces of legislation that address housing and development in the province.
Previous Bills, including Bill 23, The More Homes Built Faster Act, in order to allow for the construction of 1.5 million new homes to be built in Ontario by 2031.
Bill 97 was tabled by Steve Clark, who is the provincial Minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing.
The first reading of the bill was on April 6th.
According to Director of Planning for Huron County Sandra Weber, staff has looked into how the most recent changes will affect building in the County.
Weber outlined that as of January 1st, 2023, additional residential units being added to a parcel of land cannot exceed 3, and must be dictated by water and septic restrictions.
The new criteria says that any new lot:
- Is located outside of a specialty crop area
- Complies with minimum distance separation formulae
- Will be limited to the minimum size needed to accommodate the use while still ensuring appropriate sewage and water services
- Has existing access on a public road while appropriate frontage for ingress and egress, and
- Is adjacent to existing non-agricultural land uses or consists primarily of lower-priority agricultural land
Weber also said that a negative impact of the regulations may mean that setback requirements may encroach on environmentally sensitive areas.
In the report from the planning department, staff comments were also shared:
- There could be an increase in conflict with modern farming practices
- There would be Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) restrictions on the placement of new barns
- Reduction in residential assessment in settlement areas where municipalities have invested substantial funds on services (hard and soft)
- Lost opportunities for infrastructure efficiency in settlement areas
- Greater demand for rural services (i.e. snow plowing, garbage collection, emergency services, etc.)
- Ring services settlement areas with unserviced residential development, making it more difficult and costly for future settlement area expansion and extension of services
While county councillors voiced their support of addressing the need for more housing, they also shared their concerns for building on agricultural land.
Correspondence will be sent to MPP Lisa Thompson, who is also the Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, as well as to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
