Midland Mayor Bill Gordon called changing provincial legislation around development ‘a snow globe’, and the latest planning report from town staff attempted to make sense of that shake up.
The report from the planning, building and bylaw department was a summary of Bill 185, the Proposed Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024, with implications on how it could impact Midland. Proposed in the report was a request to authorize staff on providing comments for both the Bill as well as the Provincial Policy Statement, 2024.
Those comments were partitioned into nine sections regarding Bill 185, and another five for PPS 2024. Although a dry read, whether referencing official plans for the municipality and the county, or settlement areas and a Municipal Comprehensive Review, Midland staff compiled as many concerns as they had into the dense response to be submitted through the Environmental Registry of Ontario on each.
Those comments were due by May 10..
In a nutshell, the report provided background on the province’s intent to build a larger selection of homes faster at a lower cost, while prioritizing infrastructure and improving consultation between municipalities and builders. Doing so would require changes to the Planning Act, Development Charges Act, Municipal Act, More Homes Built Faster Act, and the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, and more.
Coun. Jamie-Lee Ball expressed her thanks on the report, prepared by planning services manager Tomasz Wierzba and community and growth executive director Steve Farquharson.
“It was very comprehensive and easy to follow what your concerns are with some of the things coming out of this,” said Ball. “I share some of those concerns. As always, we are at the whim of the province on this so we’ll have to see how it plays out, but hopefully allowing homeowners to just decide on parking spaces is not ideal in my opinion.”
Gordon added his thoughts, noting the “good changes” in motion.
“The planning snow globe at the province just keeps getting violently shaken,” stated Gordon. “Just when the dust starts to settle… (and we) start changing our policies and implementing new policies as a result, and then working with our developer partners with the new policies, things change again. So the only constant is change.”
Praising the department as resilient and adaptable, Gordon heaped more on for the turnaround of the report from its April 10 announcement and required 30-day response time.
“I do appreciate the fact that there’s input that is going to the province,” said Gordon.
“Bottom line is that Midland is open for business. We are trying to get shovels in the ground and do our part for the housing crisis. The province is doing its part – it’s pivoting and changing a lot, walking some stuff back, bringing new things forward – and a small little growth department like we have in Midland is able to roll with the punches.”
After pointing out that a good sign to the town’s proficiency was a lack of “developers with pitchforks and torches because of some of the changes we're suggesting” in the gallery, Gordon remarked to a “spoiler alert” that growth would be seen in the near future.
Said Gordon: “I can’t wait to put my blue hard hat on and get my muddy boots out. I see some growth happening in town, and some shovels in the ground.”
Coun. Catherine MacDonald also shared her thanks for the report and its readable simplification.
“Significant changes to all the acts are mind-boggling to me,” stated MacDonald. “I’m glad to see that council is providing comments, and to me they all make sense that I could digest.”
The Bill 185 summary and implications report, including council recommendations, is available in the council agenda on the town of Midland website.
Responses for Bill 185 (ERO posting No. 019-8492) and PPS 2024 (ERO posting No. 019-8365) are available on the Environmental Registry of Ontario website.
Council meetings are held every third Wednesday, and can be viewed on Rogers TV cable channel 53 when available, or through the livestream on the Rogers TV website. Archives of council meetings are available through Rogers TV and on the Town of Midland’s YouTube channel.
