THE MUNICIPALITY OF

Report PL 05-2021 Council Meeting Date: February 9, 2021

TO: Mayor Weber and Members of Council

FROM: Will Nywening, Senior Planner

RE: Proposed Development in Municipality of 70786 Bluewater Highway, Tridon Properties Limited

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT Report PL 05-2021, relating to a proposed development in the Municipality of South Huron, be received;

THAT Staff be directed to send formal comments to the Municipality of South Huron respecting applications for draft subdivision approval, an official plan amendment, and a zoning by- law amendment, on lands known as 70786 Bluewater Highway in that municipality, as outlined in Report PL 05-2021. ______

SUMMARY

This report relates to planning applications made to the Municipality of South Huron respecting lands known as 70786 Bluewater Highway, in that Municipality, as submitted by Tridon Properties Ltd.

BACKGROUND

Subsequent to Lambton Shores Council’s last regular Council meeting, the Municipality received notice that the Municipality of South Huron would hold a public meeting on February 8, 2021 with respect to planning applications submitted by Tridon Properties Ltd.

Tridon Properties Ltd. has submitted applications for approval of a draft plan of subdivision and official plan and zoning by-law amendments respecting property known as 70786 Bluewater Highway in the Municipality of South Huron to the north of (Attachment 1). In this respect, the applicant proposes a significant residential development - between 275 and 395 dwelling units.

The purpose and effect of the proposed Official Plan Amendment as stated in the notification is:

Official Plan Amendment No. 19 to the South Huron Official Plan and its associated Zoning By-law Amendment Application Z15-2020 to the South Huron Zoning By-law 69-2018 affect the lands legally described as Part of Lots 2, 3 & 4, LRE Concession in the Municipality of South Huron, municipally known as 70786 Bluewater Highway.

The applicant proposes to redevelop the property for residential purposes with a combination of single detached dwellings, multiple attached dwellings and stacked townhouses.

The subject lands are currently designated Recreational and Natural Environment in the South Huron Official Plan. The purpose of the application is to:

1) bring this property into the Port Blake Planning Area Settlement Area;

2) re-designate the land intended to accommodate residential uses as “Low Density Residential” and “Medium Density Residential” with site-specific policies;

3) specify that the Regional Market Area for the Port Blake Planning Area to be Huron County and Grand Bend; and,

4) refine the boundaries of the “Natural Environment” designation and “Floodplain” overlap to reflect the findings of the site-specific technical studies. [emphasis added]

Of particular interest to the Municipality of Lambton shores is the concept of including Grand Bend in a regional market area and the following proposed addition in the South Huron Official Plan to the policies for the Port Blake Planning Area, as stated in the “resubmission letter” submitted by the applicant’s consultant:

7.10.1.1 Port Blake Regional Market Area

Notwithstanding Policy 7.4.4.2.4, for the purposes of the Port Blake Planning Area, the Regional Market Area shall be defined as Huron County and the adjacent urban settlement area of Grand Bend. [emphasis added]

As the South Huron Public Meeting will have already been held by the time Lambton Shores Council receives this report, Staff submitted comments to South Huron stating that Lambton Shores staff is interested in submitting formal comments about these applications, subject to Lambton Shores Council’s endorsement.

COMMENTS

OPA 19 proposes to expand the Port Blake settlement area boundary. Doing so requires that the applicants justify the need to do so through a comprehensive review of existing land supply and projected land needs. The applicant’s consultants have prepared a housing market study to justify the addition of these lands into the settlement boundary and an additional memorandum to further justify their approach in doing so.

Essentially, the consultant is suggesting that the Port Blake planning area is part of a Grand Bend regional market area. Further, the consultant’s report suggests there is a need for the subject lands in South Huron to be designated because there are insufficient lands in Lambton Shores to supply the long-term demand for residential lands in the Grand Bend region.

Staff is not specifically opposed to the proposed development of the subject lands. These residential uses will help support Lambton Shores businesses and help produce the critical mass needed to encourage further development of the commercial lands in Lambton Shores such as on Main St East. Sanitary treatment facility agreements and capacity allocations anticipate development in South Huron making use of the Grand Bend sewage treatment facility. Staff agrees that the Provincial Policy Statement allows Municipalities to look at regional market areas that might cross jurisdictions. Staff aslo agrees there is a strong social-economic relation between the Port Blake planning area and Grand Bend.

Notwithstanding, Staff would like to better understand the possible implications of a “Grand Bend regional market area” to Lambton Shores’ future planning in Grand Bend and the rest of Lambton Shores, particularly with respect to future urban expansion.

The bulk of the “Grand Bend region” falls on the Lambton Shores side of the border. The market reports acknowledge that the Port Blake area relies on the amenities and commercial areas on the Lambton Shores side. The proposed policies should recognize the community core (downtown area, community uses, major cultural areas) as being within Lambton Shores and prohibit uses that would detract from the core or impede redevelopment goals along areas like Street, for example.

The proposed policies justify additional lands in South Huron based on residential demand generated largely within Lambton Shores. The policies should include requirements for formal consultation or even consent from Lambton Shores with respect to future settlement boundary changes in South Huron and official plan or zoning amendments that might establish commercial or other uses that could detract from the Grand Bend region community core located on the Lambton Shores side of the border.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends Council direct Staff to send the Municipality of South Huron formal comments that include:

The Municipality of Lambton Shores has no objection per se to the development of the lands at 70786 Bluewater Highway, but requests that the Municipality be given opportunity to review a written opinion from the Municipality or applicant respecting the potential implications of the designation of these lands and a “Grand Bend region market area” to Lambton Shores’ future planning, in Grand Bend and Lambton Shores as a whole, particularly with respect to urban settlement expansions.

The Municipality requests that South Huron review the applicant’s residential market studies with Lambton Shores Staff to confirm all future development lands in Lambton Shores were adequately accounted for.

The Municipality requests that the proposed policies note that the community core of the Grand Bend regional area is on the Lambton Shores side of the border and prohibit the establishment of uses that might detract from the community core or from the redevelopment of commercial areas on the Lambton Shores side. For official plan or zoning changes relevant to such matters and also any further amendments to the settlement boundary, the policies should include a requirement to include Lambton Shores more formally in such approval processes.

ALTERNATIVES TO CONSIDER

None at this time.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

That Council:  Receive Report PL 05-2021;  Direct Staff to provide formal comments to the Municipality of South Huron.

FINANCIAL IMPACT

None.

CONSULTATION

Steve McAuley, Municipal Community Services Department Craig Metzger, Planner, County of Huron

ATTACHMENTS

1. Subject Lands

2. From the Applicant’s Submissions to South Huron  Planning Justification Report for Official Plan Amendment – May 2020  Resubmission Letter – August 2020  Housing Market Research Study – May 2020  Memo re: South Huron – Regional Market Area Assessment – August 2020

Attachment 1 – Subject Lands

Subject Lands

Municipal Boundary