Part 1: Planning Rules, Environmental Enforcement, and Climate Action Push – 06/05/2023
- PECConnect
- Jun 5, 2023
- 5 min read
The County’s Environmental Advisory Committee met virtually on June 5, 2023, for a wide ranging discussion that focused less on routine business and more on where the municipality is headed on planning, development controls, and climate action. The meeting was chaired by Councillor Kate MacNaughton and brought together councillors, public representatives, and senior staff to continue strategic planning work that has been unfolding over several meetings.
After confirming the agenda and adopting the previous meeting’s minutes, the committee moved quickly into substantive discussion, starting with a detailed planning update from Michael Michaud, Manager of Planning. His presentation was framed as a “planning 101” refresher, but it also served to ground the committee in the realities of how land use decisions are made and enforced in the County.
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Michaud walked the committee through the planning framework that governs development locally, starting with the County’s Official Plan, which was approved by the province in 2021. He explained that the Official Plan sets long term policy direction for growth, environmental protection, settlement areas, agriculture, and rural lands, typically looking 25 years ahead. While the plan provides vision and policy, it is implemented through more detailed tools such as zoning bylaws, site plan control, and subdivision agreements.
A recurring theme in Michaud’s presentation was balance. Planning, he said, is about weighing individual property rights against the broader needs of the community, including environmental protection and long term quality of life. Staff make recommendations, but final decisions rest with Council.
The committee heard that the County is currently midway through a comprehensive zoning bylaw review. The existing zoning bylaw dates back to 2006 and reflects amalgamated bylaws from before municipal restructuring. A new zoning bylaw is expected later in 2023 or early 2024 and will be closely tied to the Official Plan’s policies. Michaud encouraged Environmental Advisory Committee members to follow the review process and provide input, particularly on environmental protection zones, parking standards, and development expectations.
Environmental Studies, Enforcement, and Staff Capacity
A significant portion of the discussion focused on Environmental Impact Studies, commonly known as EIS reports, which are often required for larger developments. Councillor MacNaughton asked how staff ensure that the mitigation measures outlined in these studies are actually carried out on the ground.
Michaud explained that EIS requirements are typically embedded into site plan or subdivision agreements and registered on title. Developers must meet those conditions in order to proceed with construction and eventually recover their posted securities. The County can withhold or use those securities if work is not completed as approved. He also noted that a new construction inspector position is being added, which should improve on site monitoring and help staff catch issues earlier rather than reacting after problems occur.
Committee members raised concerns about staff capacity, particularly following changes to conservation authority mandates that reduced external review support. Michaud acknowledged the challenge and described plans to retain qualified peer review consultants so that environmental studies can be reviewed more efficiently and consistently.
Shorelands, Site Alteration, and Development Controls
Michaud also outlined several policy and regulatory initiatives currently in progress. A shoreland designation review is underway, although its direction remains uncertain due to pending provincial changes to the Provincial Policy Statement. Council has already approved an interim control bylaw to protect sensitive shoreland areas while further study is completed.
The committee heard that work is also resuming on a Site Alteration By Law, which would regulate activities such as soil movement and tree removal. Michaud described this as a careful balancing exercise that aims to protect environmental features without becoming overly burdensome for property owners. Tree protection is expected to be integrated into this bylaw, building on existing policy.
Other initiatives discussed included updates to the Official Plan, the development of a Complete Application By Law to clarify what studies are required with planning applications, and coordination with master plans for transportation, servicing, and parks.
A Call for Climate Planning
The second major portion of the meeting was a deputation from Don Wilford, who spoke passionately about the urgency of climate change and the need for the County to move beyond declarations toward an actionable climate plan. Wilford emphasized that without a plan, the County risks missing funding opportunities and failing to prepare for increasingly severe climate impacts.
His remarks prompted a lengthy discussion among committee members and staff. Albert Paschkowiak, Environmental Services and Sustainability Supervisor, acknowledged that while climate change has been recognized as an issue, the County does not yet have a comprehensive climate action plan. He noted that substantial federal funding is available through programs like the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, but access often depends on having clear priorities and shovel ready projects.
Committee members discussed the importance of public engagement, collaboration across departments, and learning from peer municipalities that are further along. There was broad agreement that climate planning should be continuous, practical, and closely tied to both risk reduction and funding opportunities.
Key Takeaways for Residents
Major updates to planning tools like the zoning bylaw, Official Plan policies, and site alteration controls are underway and will shape how development happens in the County for years to come.
The County is grappling with how to enforce environmental protections more effectively, including the use of Environmental Impact Studies, securities, and new inspection capacity.
There is growing momentum within the Environmental Advisory Committee to push for a formal climate action plan, both to prepare for climate risks and to unlock external funding, signaling that climate issues are moving closer to the centre of municipal planning conversations.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:08:03. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.
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