Part 1: Base 31 Plan Advances, Housing Affordability Debated, and Infrastructure Limits Reviewed — 09/20/2023
- PECConnect
- Sep 20, 2023
- 3 min read
The Planning and Development Committee met on September 20, 2023 to review multiple planning files, rezoning requests, and major development proposals. The meeting followed the formal Planning Act process, including consent items, detailed discussion items, public presentations, and recorded votes. The biggest and longest discussion focused on the Base 31 development and whether the County should support a request to fast-track parts of that project using a provincial housing accelerator tool.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Early in the meeting, routine planning items were handled. Some applications moved forward without discussion under consent, while others were pulled for deeper review.
One zoning amendment involving a modular dwelling raised concerns about setbacks, neighboring commercial uses, and property upkeep. Staff explained that the dwelling met zoning definitions even though it had not been actively used as housing before.
Affordable Housing Concerns
A major theme throughout the meeting was what “affordable housing” really means. Committee members repeatedly questioned whether defining affordability as 80 percent of market rent truly meets local needs. There was concern that this standard does not help lower-income residents, especially given County housing pressures.
This issue resurfaced again and again during the Base 31 discussion.
Base31 Vision and Area Concept Plan
The Base31 team presented a long-term vision for transforming the former military base into a mixed-use community with housing, arts, culture, jobs, and public spaces. The plan includes multiple villages connected by green space, pedestrian routes, and trails. Housing variety was emphasized, including rentals, townhomes, and smaller units aimed at workforce residents.
Infrastructure and Servicing
Water, wastewater, roads, and transportation were major concerns. Council questioned whether existing systems could support new growth, especially long term. Staff confirmed that Picton has capacity for early phases, but larger upgrades will be required later. The project would begin with limited servicing and expand as infrastructure plans advance.
Community Infrastructure Housing Accelerator Debate
The most debated issue was whether Council should support applying for a Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator, a provincial tool that speeds up approvals in exchange for commitments like affordable housing. Some members supported moving quickly due to the housing crisis. Others worried the request lacked enough detail and could reduce public oversight if done too soon.
Public Input
Several community members spoke strongly in favor of Base 31. Speakers highlighted benefits for youth, jobs, arts, local businesses, and economic growth. One speaker raised concerns about fast-tracking approvals without clear guarantees on how much affordable housing would actually be delivered, where it would be located, and when it would be built.
Final Decision
After extensive debate, Council voted to support the Base 31 area concept plan and to proceed with public consultation on the housing accelerator request, rather than stopping the process. The decision allows consultation to happen before anything is formally submitted to the province.
Three Key Takeaways
The meeting showed strong support for Base 31 but serious concern about housing affordability definitions.
Council wants housing built faster but does not want to lose transparency or public input.
Infrastructure limits are manageable short term but remain a long-term challenge.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:44:59. 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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