The Loyalist Township Official Plan (Amendment No. 28, County Approval: March 23, 2022) sets out a vision, guiding principles, and land use policies that are used to manage and direct physical planning of lands and development in the Township. The Official Plan applies to all lands within the municipality, while a Secondary Plan is a planning policy document that sets out a vision, guiding principles, and land use policies to guide growth and development within a more specific area of a municipality. Like an Official Plan, a Secondary Plan is developed with engagement and input from the local community, in accordance with the Planning Act, so that growth can be achieved while respecting the needs of current residents, ensuring compatibility with the existing community fabric and character, and promoting progressive planning principles.

A Secondary Plan is implemented through lay the groundwork necessary for an Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment. The Zoning By-law Amendment will establish Zones within the Secondary Plan area, as well as specifics standards for development, such as minimum lot area, required setbacks, and maximum building heights, among other requirements.

Amherstview is experiencing the most rapid growth of the Township’s three urban settlement areas of Bath, Odessa, and Amherstview, and is anticipated to have a remaining residential land supply of 5 to 10 years, due in part to housing demand outpacing population growth and resulting in a declining average household size. Proximity to the City of Kingston in the east has also influenced the distribution of growth in Loyalist Township, and in Amherstview where residential growth in the Township is focused.

While we continue to examine opportunities to expand Odessa and Bath, Loyalist Township Official Plan acknowledges that long term urban expansion is expected to take place in a westerly direction in Amherstview. The Secondary Plan will address the extension of Amherstview to the west, to accommodate future growth and development in the community for the next 25 years. It will consider future needs and priorities for the new community, including housing types, urban design, community amenities, protection of the natural environment, and transportation, including active transportation.

The development of the Secondary Plan will be based on a series of technical studies, and will involve the preparation of urban design standards, an Official Plan Amendment (OPA), and Zoning By-law Amendment (ZBLA) through which the Secondary Plan will be implemented.

The Secondary Plan process will be integrated with the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) process for a Master Plan, which will enable certain “classes” of municipal infrastructure improvements needed to service the Secondary Plan study area to be approved concurrently with the completion and adoption of the Secondary Plan. Examples of potential required municipal infrastructure improvements may include new roads and/or road widenings, as well as extension of municipal water and wastewater services and new facilities.

The Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) process is a standardized planning process approved under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. It allows for routine “classes” of municipal infrastructure projects (e.g. roadways, or municipal water and wastewater services) to be assessed following a streamlined Environmental Assessment process. The environment is broadly defined under the Environmental Assessment Act to include the natural, social, economic, cultural and built environments. Projects (or “undertakings”) assessed following a MCEA process must consider impacts on the environment as part of the planning process.

Integrating the development of the Secondary Plan with the MCEA process allows for a coordinated approach to addressing land use, servicing, and transportation issues. It will also ensure that environmental considerations are fully integrated into the decision-making process.

The following graphic illustrates key project activities and how the Secondary Plan and MCEA processes will be integrated. It also shows when key opportunities for public review and input will take place over the course of the project.

The Amherstview West Secondary Plan study area is located to the west of County Road 6 and the existing built-up area in Amherstview, and between Taylor Kidd Boulevard (County Road 23) to the north and Bath Road (Highway 33) to the south.

There will be many opportunities for residents to participate in a variety of events throughout the project to help shape the community’s future. The Township’s project team looks forward to receiving your valued input on what future growth and development should look like in Amherstview West. Throughout 2022, the following events will be held online or in-person, depending on Provincial Orders and COVID-19 protocols in place at that time:

• Online Visioning Workshop and Community Survey – to introduce the project and identify a new community vision, goals, and objectives for the Secondary Plan Area
• Public Open House #1 – to present preliminary land use concept options for the Secondary Plan Area
• Public Open House #2 – to present the Draft Secondary Plan and Urban Design Guidelines
• Public Open House #3 – to present a Revised Draft Secondary Plan, and draft Official Plan Amendment Zoning By-law Amendment which would implement the Secondary Plan once approved
• Statutory Public Meetings – to present the Final Draft Secondary Plan and Official Plan Amendment / Zoning By-law Amendment

The first event, an Online Visioning Workshop, was held on the evening of June 24, 2021 in an online format (Zoom Meeting) due to COVID-19 protocols. A presentation was delivered by WSP to introduce the project and the Secondary Plan / Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process to the community, as well as key considerations from technical background studies being completed. Attendees were asked to share their ideas for a new vision, goals, and objectives for the Secondary Plan Area, and to explore various policy issues. Workshop participants were led through a series of exercises and discussions on policy issues such as housing, community amenities, natural environment, urban design, and transportation.

A Visioning Survey was conducted by Loyalist Township to allow those who were unable to attend the Workshop or those would like to provide further input, an opportunity to be involved in the future plans for Amherstview West.

An As We Heard It Report has been prepared that presents a summary of the feedback received from the community through the Online Visioning Workshop and Online Visioning Survey. The Report also presents a draft Vision Statement, goals, and objectives for the Amherstview West Secondary Plan, as informed by feedback received.

Click here to view the As We Heard It Report.

The first Online Public Open House was held on Thursday March 10, 2022. At that time, the project team presented draft land use concept options and evaluation criteria for Amherstview West for public comment. The notice of the first Online Public Open House can be viewed here and has been circulated to the email contact list.

Updates on all upcoming engagement events and opportunities to get involved will be published on this web page, through the Township’s social media, and through notices in the Kingston Whig Standard and Napanee Beaver.

Loyalist Township Council is the approval authority for the Secondary Plan. The Secondary Plan is anticipated to be considered by Township Council for adoption in Summer 2022, alongside an Official Plan Amendment. Following adoption, there will be a 20-day appeal period under the Planning Act, during which any agency, landowner, or member of the public can appeal Council’s decision. If no appeals are received, then the Secondary Plan and Official Plan Amendment will be in full force and effect. Council will then adopt a Zoning By-law Amendment to implement the Secondary Plan and Official Plan Amendment, which will involve another 20-day appeal period.

At the conclusion of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) process, a Notice of Completion will be published in local newspapers and sent to the study contact list. At this time the public will be invited to review project MCEA documentation for a 30-day review period. During the 30-day public review period, comments and questions may be submitted to the project team for consideration. The Notice of Completion will indicate where project documentation can be reviewed and how to submit comments.

In addition, during the 30-day review period the public may submit a Part II Order request to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) to request either a higher level of study (i.e., an individual or comprehensive Environmental Assessment), or that conditions be imposed (e.g., further studies) before proceeding to implementation. A Part II Order request will only be considered on the grounds that it may prevent, mitigate or remedy adverse impacts on constitutionally-protected Aboriginal and / or treaty rights, in accordance with Section 35 of the Constitution Act.
7. What does the Secondary Plan mean for private landowners in the Secondary Plan study area?

While the majority of lands in the Secondary Plan study area are municipally-owned, there are some lands under private ownership. The Township will engage with private landowners in the Secondary Plan study area throughout the project.

Land disposition is a process by which property or personal rights are granted to public land via sale, transfer, or lease. Land dispositions can vary in tenure, term length, purpose, and application requirements depending on the type. The Township’s By-law No. 2004-33, “A By-law to Establish Procedures Governing the Sale of Real Property” sets out the process and procedures for the disposition of municipally-owned lands, in accordance with the Municipal Act.

Prior to the sale of municipally-owned lands, the Township must declare the land to be surplus, by by-law or Council resolution, and obtain appraisal of its fair market value. By-law 2004-33 establishes some exceptions which apply to certain classes of real property that the Township may sell without first obtaining an appraisal. Notice of the proposed disposition is circulated to the public prior to the date of the sale. Once an agreement of purchase and sale is finalized, the Clerk of Loyalist Township may issue a certificate with respect to the disposition of the land. The Clerk also maintains a public register which lists and describes the land owned or leased by the Township.

After the Amherstview West Secondary Plan is approved and in effect, and has been implemented through an Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment, any proposed development in the Secondary Plan study area would proceed in accordance with the Township’s existing development review process. As for any proposed development in the Township, proponents would be required to submit a planning application to the Township (e.g. Consent, Minor Variance, Site Plan Control, Plan of Subdivision), which includes a public process under the Planning Act and approval by Council or the Committee of Adjustment, depending on the type of planning application. The Township’s development review process for planning applications is further detailed on the Township’s website here.

The Loyalist Township Infrastructure Master Plan will evaluate the core infrastructure required to address the Township’s future growth and change over the next twenty-five years (to 2046). The core infrastructure that will be studied under the IMP includes: transportation infrastructure such as roads, bridges, transit, and walkways, potable water systems, sanitary sewer systems, and storm water systems.

Part of the IMP will focus on the core infrastructure required to service the Amherstview West Secondary Plan study area. The work being undertaken for the Infrastructure Master Plan is independent from the Secondary Plan project. Township staff will work alongside WSP throughout the study process to ensure that the objectives of the IMP are considered in the preparation of the Amherstview West Secondary Plan.

The IMP is currently in the project development stage and is being managed by Loyalist Township’s Engineering and Environment Division. For questions directly related to the Loyalist Township Infrastructure Master Plan, please contact Cory Grant, Infrastructure Development Supervisor.

WSP representatives visited the study area during Spring 2021 to conduct field work in support of the Secondary Plan and Infrastructure Master Plan. The field work included: conducting boreholes at approved locations, taking water samples and measurements, and collecting photos of the area. This work took place between 8 am and 5 pm during the work week (Monday to Friday) and had no interruption to services.

At approved locations the borehole work will be used to identify soil and groundwater conditions in the study area. This work will consist of the following: Firstly, the field team went on-site to place stakes and Global Positioning System (GPS) borehole locations, to ensure that no underground utilities will be impacted by the work. Secondly, borehole drilling commenced on a separate day which involves heavy tracked equipment, monitoring wells will be installed at some of the borehole locations to test water levels in the area. The drilling processes will fully comply with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks procedures, and will have no adverse impact on local water levels in the study area.

In addition to the proposed borehole work, WSP representatives used Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to obtain detailed information on bedrock depth and identify potential presence of karsts in the area. The GPR method is used to develop contour mapping live while on-site and can be used as an alternative to borehole testing. GPR is operated by a single operator who will push or pull the GPR transmitter on a small sled and collect and view data from a GPS receiver and tablet in real time. There is no trace left behind.

The 2019 Hemson Report on Population, Housing and Employment Projections to 2046 was one of the principal background documents used in preparation of the Amherstview West Secondary Plan draft land use concept options and in the preparation of the new Loyalist Township Official Plan that was adopted by Township Council in November 2021. The growth projections in the 2019 Hemson Report were referenced in the Growth Management Report (July 2021) for the Amherstview West study area, in addition to supplementary projections from Hemson Consulting specific to Amherstview West.

The 2021 Census population data was released in late February 2022. The Township’s preliminary review of this new population data indicates population growth is lower than projected in the 2019 Hemson Report. The County of Lennox and Addington is currently undertaking their own County-wide growth study. As official data from this County study becomes available, our projections will adjust accordingly in order to base decision-making on official data. The Secondary Plan will include provisions that would allow for growth in future development areas within Amherstview West to proceed sooner than the 2046 time horizon if needed.

Your ideas and feedback are integral components as we design and plan the future of Amherstview West. We will be seeking public input throughout different stages of the Secondary Plan process. A number of opportunities for you to share your feedback are planned throughout the project.

Follow this project site (by clicking the +Follow button in the site header) to stay up to date on the project. Comments and questions can be sent via email toBohdan Wynnyckyj, RPP, Chief Planner - Special Projects.