Collingwood staff focus on good planning as they aim to hit growth targets
Collingwood is one of the 25 fastest-growing communities in Canada.
The most recent census showed the municipality has a population of about 22,000 and the town also saw more than $100 million in construction value in 2017.
It’s no surprise that the community has been designated a growth node in the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, which was released in 2017 and outlines a long term plan for growth.
The plan has a series of targets for Collingwood that it must achieve by 2031. The town is expected to have a population of 33,400 and have a density of 50 people per hectare.
Collingwood’s planning department is tasked with guiding the municipality so it can achieve those growth targets.
Director of planning Nancy Farrer said planning staff are working with potential developers on proposals before they come to the council table.
She said many don’t meet the town’s targets when first proposed.
“There is a lot of initial meetings to change, modify the plan that we receive, so we get it to the vicinity of where we think this makes sense,” she said.
She said they are always looking at the density targets to see if they will help the town reach its goals.
“We have to get to 50 people per hectare,” she said. “We’ll have some that are down at 20 or 30, but we’ll also have some that are up at 70 in order to balance the whole thing out.”
This means planners are looking for a mix of housing, including single detached homes, town houses, semi-detached homes and even apartments.
She said the days of single-family homes on large lots are long gone.
“If you do not have smaller lots, you’re never going to get close,” she said.
Planners are also looking at how the development that incorporates trails, active transportation and parks.
There are also provisions for smaller commercial operations in subdivisions so residents don’t have to drive to get certain items.
“They (guidelines) also indicate, we’re to achieve complete communities,” said community planner Mark Bryan. “Services and amenities should be provided in close proximity to where people live.”
With most developments, public meetings are held and many residents have raised concerns about the increase in traffic as a result. She said the town attempts to have a logical plan for roads and how people are going to get around, but an increase in traffic isn’t a reason to not recommend a development.
“The engineers are always looking at how we can best accommodate traffic,” she said. “We can’t stop people from driving cars, or from moving to town or getting where they need to go. We can’t say don’t develop because we’re going to have cars.”
What happens if the town doesn’t hit these growth targets?
“In theory, the government is going to be putting more resources, spending more money and giving more goods to the communities that are doing they are supposed to be doing,” Farrer said. “We don’t have an options for hitting those targets.”