Massive growth is coming to Barrie in the next two decades and city officials want to have a road map in place to plan ahead for it.
There were 148,800 residents in Barrie in 2018 and 75,000 jobs. By 2031, city officials expect that to grow to 210,000 residents and 101,000 jobs, while the projection for 2041 includes 253,000 people and 129,000 jobs.
The city is in the midst of updating its Official Plan, which is a general policy document that serves as a long-range planning blueprint for land uses and resource management. City staff want to engage local residents to make it a "made-in-Barrie, for Barrie" document.
They'd like to see a new document come forward for council's consideration in about a year's time. In the meantime, civic consultation will continue both online and through public forums.
During a recent special meeting at city hall, councillors were provided an update on where things are at. The project, which was launched last fall, is in the first of six phases.
Andrea Bourrie, the city's director of planning and building services, said she's "passionate" about planning, and believes it's the foundation of good community planning.
"We know that Barrie needs to prepare for more people and more jobs for this community in the 20 years of this framework," she said, adding tr make that transition as smooth as possible, the city needs to plan ahead.
The Official Plan is one the city's "most significant planning documents" and will serve as a schematic for how the city will grow in the next 20 years, while also guiding decisions for future councils about development decisions.
"The Official Plan is a very important document," said Bourrie, adding public engagement is critical in getting it right, "because it touches everyone's life," from the businesses you work in and the places you shop, the type of houses in the neighbourhood you live in, city living, outdoor spaces and roads.
Over the next 18 months, the city will be urging people to make their voices heard.
Kathy Suggitt, the city's manager of strategic initiatives, policy and analysis, called it an "aggressive timeframe, but we believe we can accomplish that," she said.
"This is not an easy task for this council to look at over the next 12 months," Suggitt said. "Growth is coming, we've got development pressures. We need to assess how we're going to be able to manage and balance that with growth, both internal and at the edges.
"We know the city is maturing into a mid-sized city. What is that going to look and feel like? What does that mean to the community? We need that sort of feedback," Suggitt added. "What elements must remain strong, and what characteristics need protection from any intrusion insofar as development?"
The Official Plan must also address land needs to accommodate growth and development over the next 20 years, including density, intenification targets, "and what the community is willing to promote and accept," Suggitt said. "Where should our tallest and most dense buildings be? Those are things that we're looking for the community to provide us with a sense of what's important to them."
Dr. Charles Gardner, a city resident who has also been the medical officer of health with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit since 2005, says his goal is to see Barrie residents become more active.
"Messaging alone isn't going to result in the kind of behaviour change that we need to see for people's health, prompting people to be more active, for example," he said. "We actually need environments that support change for people, that are inviting for people to be more physically active, to walk and to cycle as a way of life. So we need to look at planning to achieve that.
"As a citizen of Barrie, I also have a stake in the future of this community," added Gardner, a father of two sons and who referred to himself as "a cycling commuter," hiker and greenspace advocate.
Gardner the city needs to "influence and shape" the build environment as a way to assist people in leading healthy lives.
"There are really good reasons for us to devote this time to this topic," the doctor added. "We, as a species, have always walked. We need to walk. When we're in an environment that supports walking that is inviting and safe, we thrive. And when we're in an environment which impedes walking or is dangerous to do so, we suffer ill health for it."
Gardner said it's more than just a workout and needs to be sewn into the fabric of daily life in the city.
"People are very busy and that tends to get squeezed out," he said.
In addition to the Official Plan, the city will also develop a comprehensive zoning bylaw. The Official Plan and zoning bylaw, which Suggitt called "the implementation tool," go hand in hand.
"If those two are out of step with one another, we will not accomplish the vision that we spend the next 12 months crystallizing in the new Official Plan," she added. "So it's extremely important that we bring the zoning bylaw along, somewhat in tandem."
Suggitt also pointed out that council will not be asked to endorse the zoning bylaw until the Official Plan has been approved, which the province signs off on as the approval authority.
"At this time next year, when we're in front of you asking for an adoption of our new Official Plan, we will package that and send it to the province," she said. "We fully intend on working hand-in-hand with the province over the next 12 months to ensure that the document that we put in front of them, which you have endorsed or adopted, is something that they are ready to accept, and hopefully fairly relatively able to approve."
That should hopefully lead to a "seamless transition," Suggitt noted.
The city's current Official Plan was adopted June 22, 2009 in conformity with the Provincial Growth Plan: Places to Grow. The municipality is obligated to 'test' its new Official Plan relative to provincial policy.
"The province never ceases to amaze us in that they constantly are throwing a new wrinkle into things," Suggitt said, adding staff is also looking at how a new growth plan amendment could affect the city. "If the government adopts new legislation, we will have to adapt to that."
For more information, visit www.BuildingBarrie.ca. People can register and follow along as new information becomes available.
