A medical innovation park planned for Line 7 North in Oro-Medonte has been killed, the minister’s zoning order (MZO) for it revoked.
“Based on the information received, further progress has not been demonstrated," Hannah Evans, assistant deputy minister of municipal affairs and housing, told the township in a letter dated April 10.
Evans noted in the letter that Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra initiated a 45-day consultation on the proposed revocation of the MZO on Dec. 13, 2023, based on limited progress being made on the subsequent approvals needed for project implementation.
The MZO, which was passed on Oct. 30, 2020, allowed for:
- the development, manufacture and distribution of medical products, including personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face shields, masks, protective gowns, gloves and alcohol hand sanitizer
- an industrial use, other than the uses described in the above clause, if the industrial use does not interfere with the use described in Clause A
- accessory uses, buildings and structures within the meaning of the zoning bylaw
- infrastructure within the meaning of the zoning bylaw.
David Yeaman, president of Molded Precision Components (MPC) and 2751851 Ontario Inc., bought the land at 561 Line 7 N., near Highway 11, about halfway between Barrie and Orillia, for $2.65 million with the goal of creating a medical innovation park before requesting an MZO.
The proposed Oro-Medonte Medical Innovation Park was to be an 82-acre, advanced manufacturing project with a focus on medical manufacturing facilities. The park would have been a neighbour of the Oro Station Automotive Innovation Park, across Line 7 from the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport.
Yeaman didn’t respond to a request for comment from BarrieToday on Monday.
At the Oro-Medonte council meeting on Jan. 10, municipal staff looked to council for authorization to submit comments about the MZO related to the medical innovation park in response to a request from Calandra, who was looking to potentially revoke, amend or enhance monitoring for specific MZOs where limited progress has been made.
Rather than simply provide comments at that Jan. 10 meeting, Oro-Medonte council amended the motion to reflect its desire to have the MZO squashed.
The amended motion, which was approved by council, directed planning staff to "make a submission to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing based on the comments as outlined in (the report) through the Environmental Registry of Ontario (019-7996) as the township’s submission on the ministry’s consultation on potential revocation of (the) minister’s zoning order ... to support the revocation of the MZO as it applies to the subject property."
In a Jan. 10 report to council, Andy Karaiskakis, the township’s manager of planning services, said no applications had been received to facilitate the proposed development, nor had there been any correspondence from the landowner about progress on the project.
“Consequently, planning staff are of the opinion that (the MZO) as it relates to the medical innovation park located at 561 Line 7 N. is not progressing in an expedient manner as intended through the approval of the site-specific MZO," Karaiskakis said.
Two weeks later, at a council meeting on Jan. 24, Yeaman addressed council’s recommendation that the MZO be cancelled.
“There is only harm that can be done if this is revoked and nothing positive comes from it," he said.
Yeaman urged council to reconsider its decision to support the MZO's revocation and instead submit its support for upholding it to the minister.
“This is the right land, in the right location, at the right time,” Yeaman said. “It makes sense.”
Oro-Medonte reconsidered its position and sent a letter to the ministry supporting an expanded version of the MZO for the project.
In its letter, Oro-Medonte stated:
- Oro-Medonte council requests the province to retain and expand the MZO to include the land in the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport Economic Employment District
- That further provincial reviews regarding the MZO be held in abeyance by the province for the next three years, contingent upon the submission of a development work plan and quarterly progress report by David Yeaman and 2751851 Ontario Inc.
- That the development work plan and quarterly reporting be to the sole and exclusive satisfaction and discretion of the township
- And that the township forward its reporting to the province upon request.
Oro-Medonte’s letter was the only one of support the ministry received. Four other letters recommended the government revoke the MZO.
”Now that the MZO has been revoked, the site continues to be subject to the in-effect municipal zoning bylaw,” Evans wrote.
