Development plan to move forward

May 30, 2018

By Jim Eadie

The following are committee notes from Bancroft’s community development committee held May 22.

Bancroft will be moving forward with its Economic Development Strategic Plan now that it has received provincial Rural Economic Development grant funding sufficient to complete the work.

“The proposal is to have someone come in to help council and staff prepare a plan,” said deputy clerk Lianne Sauter during the Bancroft community development committee meeting on May 22.

“There are a lot of parts for a plan already in place,” said Mayor Paul Jenkins. “Our sustainability plan … a lot of basis and groundwork is sitting in that plan.”

“RED funding is for a two-year process,” said CAO Hazel Lambe. “The focus is achieving economic development that won’t be a shotgun approach.”

“We are still awaiting the county official plan,” noted Jenkins.

“The county official plan will have an impact on any decisions that we make,” said Councillor Mary Kavanagh. “We spent many, many meetings discussing that one too, and forwarded our input.

This [plan] will also be a very complex road of development.”

During the meeting Councillor Wayne Wiggins raised the issue of residents or businesses using “sea containers” for additional storage or as an addition to a building.

“It looks like we have makeshift property standards,” he said.

“These containers are a grey area,” noted Robin Tait, municipal planning co-ordinator. “Some other municipalities have requirements for containers. For example, painting them certain colours.”

“And what about grandfathering?” asked Kavanaugh. “We are losing tax dollars … but they don’t look good. This is going to grow and become a big problem.”

“I am not trying to discourage business. We are here to encourage business,” said Wiggins. “Maybe they could be allowed temporarily … for example, for one or two years while a permanent building is completed.”

“I suggest that staff and/or an ad hoc committee look into this and make recommendations,” said Kavanaugh. “See what other surrounding municipalities are doing about containers on properties.”

Staff will report back.