Oro-Medonte has reconsidered its position regarding a proposed medical innovation park on Line 7 North and says it will now support the local developer who wants to build it.
The township says it will be sending a letter to the minister of municipal affairs and housing today (Jan. 26) supporting an expanded version of a minister’s zoning order (MZO) for the project near Highway 11, about halfway between Barrie and Orillia.
On Friday morning, Deputy Mayor Peter Lavoie said that council heard the concerns of developer David Yeaman, president of Molded Precision Components, and decided to withdraw its recommendation to the province to revoke the MZO.
Yeaman made a presentation "for information only" at Wednesday's regular council meeting.
He was granted an MZO for the medical park in 2020.
“The very narrow original wording was clearly not sufficient to attract investors,” Lavoie said. “In order to support the Ontario government’s priorities of employment and housing, particularly in the Greater Barrie Area, we felt this was necessary.”
According to Lavoie, the parcel of land that is slated for the medical innovation park was not originally in the airport employment zone where it makes sense to have industry and jobs.
“Were the MZO to be withdrawn, the lands would revert back to agricultural zoning, thereby recommencing a lengthy rezoning application,” he said.
Lavoie said council came to the conclusion to support the MZO after listening to the challenges Yeaman has been experiencing over the past two years.
Lavoie said there was a unique opportunity to couple Yeaman’s proposal with the priorities of the province, which are presently separate and distinct from the priorities that existed during the pandemic.
“I think the time is now to develop that land for the benefit of all,” the deputy mayor said.
Yeaman welcomed the township’s support.
“We are very pleased with the township's full support of upholding the MZO,” he said Friday. “We look forward to working with the township, Simcoe County and the province on continuing this project”
The proposed Oro-Medonte Medical Innovation Park is an 82-acre advanced manufacturing project with a focus on medical manufacturing facilities.
The park would neighbour the Oro Station Automotive Innovation Park and is across Line 7 from the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport.
Presently, the property includes an abandoned farm.
The project would focus on industrial use with an emphasis on medical and personal protective equipment.
