Tiltco’s request for $75,000 to help renovate an industrial property, an update on the future BWG Business Catalyst Centre, an update on the provincial policy statement and its impacts locally, plus more are all on the agenda for Bradford West Gwillimbury’s regular council meeting set for 7 p.m. Tuesday evening in the Zima Room at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library.
Community Improvement Plan funding
A report from Michael Disano, manager of economic development, is recommending council approve a request from Tiltco Architectural Services for $75,000 from the town’s industrial area community improvement plan (IACIP) to help with renovations to 60 Industrial Rd.
That property includes a 6,503-m2 (70,000-sq.-ft.) industrial facility which was previously owned by Royal Woodworking until they ceased operations during the pandemic, leaving the facility vacant since then, according to the report.
Tiltco is hoping to renovate that facility for its business which designs, manufactures and installs custom windows for commercial and industrial properties.
Their request includes $25,000 under Program 3: Fees and Permits Grant, as well as $50,000 under Program 4: Renovation Grant.
According to estimates from Tiltco, the renovations considered for the application total $294,301.10 including including $132,474.10 for electrical upgrades, $36,788 for dock levelling, $37,879 for security upgrades, $15,760 for machinery and $71,400 for a new mechanical lift.
Program 4 offers as much as 25 per cent of costs to a maximum of $50,000 for interior upgrades, facility refits and mechanical additions to facilities in the town’s industrial parks, according to the report.
BWG Business Catalyst Centre
A separate report from Disano, recommends council authorize staff to launch programming for the future BWG Business Catalyst Centre in temporary spaces while they continue to look for a permanent location.
Eventually, the centre is expected to offer 24/7 access to co-working, meeting, and event space for clients, as well as local community groups. However, despite hiring a real estate agent, staff have had difficulty finding a suitable “brick-and-mortar” location available in the town’s downtown, partially due to the low vacancy rate of commercial properties in the area, according to the report.
In the meantime, the town’s Office of Economic Development is looking to launch programming to support local entrepreneurs and business owners.
The following four workshops are already planned for this fall and winter at the town’s new hub at 177 Church St.
- Introduction to Intellectual Property with Elizabeth Collison — Oct. 4
- Navigating Business Insurance with Heather Hill — Nov. 12
- Effective Marketing Strategies with Michael Gutta — Dec. 3
- Financial Literacy and Business Systems with Paul Ohem — Jan. 21
Other suggested temporary locations include the Zima Room at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library and the Don Harrison Auditorium at the Bradford and District Memorial Community Centre.
So far, the catalyst centre has secured $530,000 in funding, including $200,000 from the town, $180,000 from the co-working partners and $150,000 from the Rural Economic Development Fund, while the town’s application for $1 million from FedDev is still awaiting a response, according to the report.
Provincial changes to impact town’s growth plan
A report from Mana Masoudi, senior planner for the town, is updating council on the impacts of the new Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) 2024, released by Ontario Housing Minister Paul Calandra on Aug. 20.
That could have big impacts on the town’s growth management plan, which is intended to accommodate roughly an additional 40,000 people and 19,000 jobs expected by 2051, as part of the town’s ongoing efforts to update its official plan — which helps determine, among other things, the future locations for homes, schools, parks and businesses.
According to the report, the new changes “represent a significant shift toward greater local autonomy,” and include:
- Municipal Comprehensive Reviews: The PPS 2024 eliminates this process. The lower-tier municipalities, like Bradford, must still plan for a 20–30 years ahead but can update their official plans independently of upper-tier municipalities, like the county of Simcoe.
- Growth and Density Targets: The new PPS removes specific population and employment targets from the previous Growth Plan, and instead requires municipalities to establish their own minimum intensification and redevelopment targets, while still mandating density targets in Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs).
- Settlement Areas: Municipalities can now adjust settlement boundaries at any time, as long as lands are outside the Greenbelt. Criteria for expansion have been relaxed compared to previous regulations, and new appeal rights for landowners have been introduced under Bill 185.
- Employment Area Policies: The definition of employment lands has been refined to include only manufacturing and related uses, excluding certain commercial and institutional uses. Municipalities are required to assess their employment areas regularly and demonstrate the need for land conversions.
- Agricultural Area Policies: The new PPS emphasizes the preservation of prime agricultural lands while allowing the addition of two residential units on them under specific criteria. Agricultural impact assessments are mandated for non-agricultural developments that may affect agricultural systems.
- Infrastructure Provision: The new PPS emphasizes aligning infrastructure capabilities with land use policies. It allows for partial municipal services in specific cases and encourages the reallocation of unused municipal water and sewage services to meet housing demands
This comes as the most recent in a series of provincial changes over the last few years, to which town staff have been adapting.
