St. Thomas 2051 – Setting the Track for our Future
The City of St. Thomas is in the process of reviewing and updating its Official Plan. An Official Plan is an important land use planning document that provides strategic direction and land use policies to support the goals, objectives, and long-term vision for the City. This helps guide the physical, social, economic, and environmental management and growth of the City over its planning horizon.
Essentially, this document helps in “Setting the Track for our Future” by balancing the interests of private property owners and what’s best for the community as a whole. The update and review are important opportunities to ensure that the City continues to address local priorities and provincial requirements based on changing community needs.
Why do we need a New Official Plan?
The City’s current Official Plan is over 45 years old (approved by the Province in 1980). Since then, direction from the Province has evolved and changed multiple times, much like the City of St. Thomas. A new and more modern Official Plan will better allow the City to meet the current and future needs of the community.
Recent Provincial changes are requiring the creation of a more streamlined development approvals process. The updated Official Plan will bring the City’s policies more in line with current planning practices and other various provincial requirements, while ensuring that the City is still able to influence the types of growth, development, and communities that residents, businesses and visitors want to be a part of. In addition, this updated direction will better align with types of development that the City is seeing today and support new types of businesses and developments that the community would like to see moving into the future.
Why should you care?
As a resident, landowner, business owner, or member/visitor of the community, you live and/or work in this community. You should have an opportunity to help plan, create and have a say in the future of your community.
Your input is important and will help us identify a vision and guiding principles for the new Official Plan, revise existing policies and/or create new policies that help the City manage growth and development, protect what you value, and create an innovative and forward-thinking community.
