The Chair requested staff to advise on the manner of giving notice for the proposed official plan amendment, draft plan of subdivision, and zoning by-law amendments. He also asked staff to briefly describe the proposal and summarize the correspondence, if any, received to date.
Mr. Holy confirmed that the required notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act and circulated to each owner of land within 500m of the subject property. He summarized the application, explaining that it proposes to redesignate the subject lands from Highway Commercial, Tourist Commercial, and Environmental Protection to Highway Commercial, Mixed Use Gateway, Prestige Industrial, and Parks and Open Space. It also proposed to amend the current zoning from Agricultural (A) Zone, Highway Commercial (CH) Zone, and Open Space Exception Three (OS-3) Zone to the appropriate zones to implement the proposed Official Plan Amendment. The Draft Plan of Subdivision proposes a subdivision plan with 2 commercial blocks, 11 industrial blocks, 2 open space blocks, and 2 servicing blocks. He noted the 15 reports and plans (summarized in his report) as submitted by the applicant to support their application, and he stated that they have been submitted to various City Departments and commenting Agencies for review. Of note, a peer review will be conducted of the submitted Retail Market Study, and comments are yet to be received from the Ministry of Transportation on their submitted Traffic Study. Full conformity to the Growth Plan and consistency with the Provincial Policy Statement will be established upon further review of the applications. Mr. Holy summarized the comments received to date, as detailed in his report, noting that subsequent to the writing of the report additional comments were received from M. Stollar and G. Petch, and their comments were circulated with the amended agenda. Mr. Holy and Mr. Rojas responded to questions from Committee members.
The Chair inquired if the applicant wished to speak to the application.
Nic Macos and Michael Bissett spoke on behalf of the applicant. Mr. Macos stated that the application could accommodate up to 1700 jobs, and that with him today are many consultants that could add their enthusiasm for the project. He stated that Bromont has a successful track record in the community, and that this was an opportunity to look forward and build. Mr. Bissett gave an overview of the application highlighting the various commercial and industrial aspect to the application. He noted that the existing Township of Ops Official Plan limits the type of development that could be developed on the property, and that the redesignation of the lands would be justified. He stated that the proposal would be for employment uses only, and an expansion of the settlement area in the secondary plan would be appropriate. He noted that Pivotal Therapeutics has committed to relocating to the industrial lands. He also added that the application seeks to obtain flexibility for commercial options including a large department store, and that they are willing to work with the Ministry of Transportation for approvals for the entrance to Highway 7. He stated that this application allows for competition in the community, and he believed that this will not negatively impact other commercial areas of the City. He responded to questions from Committee members.
The Chair inquired if anyone wished to speak to the application.
Martyn Stollar noted that he submitted two pieces of correspondence that were circulated with the amended agenda regarding this application. He summarized his correspondence stating that he believed this application was premature as the lands are currently not in the Secondary Plan area, and that Bromont’s urban expansion was currently before the OMB. He stated that there was no need to expand the growth area to accommodate the projected growth as their was sufficient available lands elsewhere in Lindsay for commercial and industrial development. He also questioned the commitment of Pivotal Therapeutics with Bromont, as he stated there was question about the finances and current operations of the organization. He stated concern that the City had not done enough to keep existing employment jobs, and questioned why should the City promote this development. He requested that staff forward his correspondence to the Retail Study peer review to be conducted.
Dr. George Jackowski spoke on behalf of Pivotal Therapeutics. He stated that he had been involved in this project since 2012, and presented his Queen's Jubilee award winning experience creating over 1000 bio-tech jobs, and developing new products and patents. He stated that with proximity to transportation connections and local universities, he believed the location in Lindsay would create jobs. His proposal for the development would include a 'fill and finish' facility, as well a location for proprietary patent, genetic testing and functional food research. He confirmed the company is still functional, and will be trading again.
No other persons spoke to the application.