Bradford residents have the chance to be part of a “historic moment,” as it was described by the mayor.
The town and IPS Consulting Inc. are hosting a public open house at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library (425 Holland St. W.) on Jan. 22 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. to provide more information and gather feedback about the ongoing secondary plan process to develop about 67 hectares east and west of Yonge Street south of Line 9 and north of the Bradford Bypass, known as Special Policy Area 8 (SPA8).
The open house is set to focus on Phase 1 of the plan — existing conditions and background information studies, which is expected to inform future phases 2 to 4.
Those future phases are expected to include visioning, objectives and targets, including development concepts and a draft plan, with more open houses expected later this year and a public meeting prior to finalizing the plan.
On June 18, council approved the terms of reference for the plan and directed staff to work with a landowners group on the plan.
Originally included in Bradford’s 2002 official plan as Community Plan Area 5, SPA8 was carried forward in the town’s current official plan, which identified the need to manage and direct growth in the area, according to a report from senior planner Ray Kelso.
Mayor James Leduc called the process a “great opportunity” to address the “needs and wants of the community.”
“This is going to be actually a historic moment for all of you,” he said to council. “You’ll be proud to say you were part of (SPA8).”
The area is currently designated as mostly commercial/industrial or low-density residential, and in order to create a plan for the area the landowners will need to complete certain background studies, some of which include: land-use, environmental and heritage studies, and transportation, water and sewer servicing and stormwater management master plans.
Anyone who can’t attend can also send questions to [email protected].
