Title
EMPLOYMENT LANDS CONVERSION POLICY
1. That an Official Plan Amendment to amend policies on the use, protection and/or conversion of employment lands within the City of Barrie be approved as follows:
That a new section 3.1.2.1 (d) be added and that the remainder of the section be renumbered accordingly. The new 3.1.2.1 (d) reads as follows:
“3.1.2.1.(d) Applications to convert existing employment lands to a non-employment land use are generally discouraged with the exception of those properties identified through the municipal comprehensive review. When such applications are received by the City they shall be evaluated based on meeting a minimum of six of the following nine criteria:
• The site is located outside or on the fringe of a designated Employment Area;
• The site is isolated from surrounding designated employment lands;
• The conversion will not create incompatible land uses;
• The conversion will not negatively affect employment lands in the area;
• The conversion will be consistent/supportive of City policy planning objectives;
• The site offers limited market choice for employment lands development due to its size, configuration, physical conditions or other reasons;
• The site does not offer potential for future expansion on existing neighbouring employment lands;
• The site has been vacant for a minimum of 10 years and is a brownfield (previously used, now vacant) industrial site; and
• The site is an opportunity for intensification in an area designated for intensification.”
That Section 4.4 Industrial be amended as follows:
Section 4.4.1 Goals is proposed to be amended by the addition of a new Goal which states:
“(c) To ensure the primacy of industrial uses as the principal driver of economic prosperity in the City of Barrie.”
Section 4.4.2.1 (a) is proposed to be amended by the inclusion of a new sentence at the end of the subsection which will state:
“Conversion of lands within these employment areas from Industrial to any other land use including; Commercial, Institutional and Residential shall be discouraged. Where applications for conversion are received they will be evaluated based on the criteria established in Section 3.1.2.1(b), (c), and (d).”
Section 4.4.2.1(e) of the Official Plan is proposed to be amended deleting the word “or” and replacing it with the word “and” such that the policy would read:
“Commercial uses such as retail stores which are not directly related to the function of industrial areas, and which are more appropriate in commercial zones, are discouraged.”
Section 4.4.2.1(e) is proposed to be further amended by adding a new sentence at the end of the policy such that the policy would read:
“Institutional uses which are not directly related to the function of industrial areas and which are more appropriate on Institutionally zoned lands are discouraged.”
2. That in accordance with Council Resolution 09-G-398 (as amended) should the above recommendation be approved, and no appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board are received to the Official Plan Amendment, that the moratorium on the processing of applications for the conversion of employment lands be lifted following the last day of the appeal period. In the event that one or more appeals are received, the moratorium shall be lifted following the City’s receipt of the Ontario Municipal Board Order. (PLN027-15) (File: D09-ELCP)