Policies and Special Projects - Government

Long Point Region Conversation Authority – Flood and Erosion Mapping Update

The Norfolk County Planning Department is assisting Long Point Region Conservation Authority with two projects to update its flood and erosion mapping. These projects will update and create new riverine flood hazard mapping along 91 kilometres of watercourses, as well as flood and erosion hazard mapping along the Lake Erie shoreline in Norfolk County. Additional information can be found here and at the links below.

A Public Information Centre regarding the Lake Erie shoreline mapping was held Saturday, June 22, 2019 from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm at the St. William’s Community Centre.

A second Public Information Centre regarding the Lake Erie shoreline mapping was held Saturday, November 2, 2019 from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm at the St. William’s Community Centre.

A Public Information Centre regarding the watercourse flood hazard mapping was held Wednesday, November 27 from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the Simcoe Recreation Centre, 182 South Drive, Simcoe.

Lake Erie Hazard Mapping and Risk Assessment

On behalf of Norfolk County, the Long Point Region Conservation retained W.F. Baird & Associates Coastal Engineers to update flood, erosion, and dynamic beach hazard mapping for the County’s Lake Erie shoreline. The hazard mapping project is now complete, including the community engagement component as part of the deliverables. This project will support Norfolk County interests, including the municipal infrastructure, flood response, Official Plan, and Zoning By-law. The Lake Erie Hazard Mapping and Risk Assessment is a technical document that maps the shoreline hazards using the most up-to-date information and is not a shoreline management plan. View the Hazard Mapping Technical Report.

Downtown Simcoe Secondary Plan

Downtown Revitalization is a key component to the growth and development of the community and economic stability. A Downtown Simcoe Secondary Plan document has been drafted to provide a foundation and framework to create a vision for the future development of downtown Simcoe. A Downtown Secondary Plan is a comprehensive vision for revitalizing the downtown and is intended to address two important functions. First, it presents the community’s vision for the future of the Downtown to guide public and private decision-making. Second, the Plan indicates what the County’s priorities will be for publicly funded initiatives in the Downtown.

The policies are considered draft at this point and are intended to summarize the input received to date. Through additional public consultation, the policies will be reviewed and revised to ensure that they are meeting the needs and intended desires of the community. Future open houses meetings will be scheduled to engage the public.

Population Projection Study

In June 2014, Council approved the Norfolk County Population Projection Study, as prepared by Hemson Consulting. The projections include long-term forecasts of population, housing and employment. The forecast is applicable to the entire County but were also prepared for each specific urban area within the County from the year 2011 to 2031 and to 2041 time horizons. These years were selected as they provide a basis for planning within the 20-year provincial planning policy horizon as well as correspond with census years. The projections are intended to provide a likely “reference” scenario for a consistent basis for future growth planning of all departments within the County.

Norfolk County Population Projections 28 May 2014

Drinking Water Source Protection

The Clean Water Act was passed in 2006 by the Ontario legislature in response to the Walkerton Inquiry in order to protect municipal drinking water sources. A Source Protection Plan is required to reduce the risk posed by identified threats. In the Long Point Region Assessment Report the sources of municipal drinking water and potential threats to water quality, the vulnerable areas around the wells and surface water intakes have been identified. Human activities have the greatest potential to cause harm to drinking water sources.

The Long Point Region Source Protection Plan contains the policies and programs needed to reduce the risk posed by the identified activities. The Plan was approved by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and came into effect on July 1, 2016. An update to the Plan came into effect on March 25, 2019. This will require an update to the Norfolk County Official Plan within five years. The updated Plan can be found here.

Planning and Building development proposals/applications are screened to ensure compliance with the Source Protection Plan policies. If a property is in a Wellhead Protection Area (WHPA) A, B or C with a high vulnerability or the Lehman Dam Intake Protection zone, the following screening form must be completed and submitted to Stephanie Davis, Water and Wastewater Compliance Supervisor – [email protected] or 519-426-5870 or 226-NORFOLK extension 1501.

2016-10-20 Restricted Land Use Screening Form Template

The Long Point Region Assessment Report, Source Protection Plan and further information is available from the Lake Erie Region Source Protection Committee at www.sourcewater.ca. For more information, you can also follow this link. Norfolk County is undertaking an update to the Source Water Protection policies in the Official Plan. This will incorporate the changes made to the Long Point Region Source Protection Plan, which came into effect on March 25, 2019. Norfolk County hosted a drop-in style open house on November 13, 2019 in order to answer any questions about the proposed amendment.

Hastings Drive Zoning Study

When the Norfolk County Zoning By-law 1-Z-2014 was approved by Council, appropriate zoning for Hastings Drive was an issue. Council retained the Township of Norfolk Zoning By-law in effect for Hastings Drive in order to carry out the Hastings Drive Zoning Study. Two appeals were launched against this decision. The Hastings Drive Zoning Study was completed. The appeals of County Zoning By-law 1-Z-2014 then proceeded to an Ontario Municipal Board Hearing in January 2018. The Ontario Municipal Board Order was issued on April 16, 2018to address the zoning on Hastings Drive. The County of Norfolk initiated the “Hastings Drive Zoning Study” in 2015 to review the appropriate zoning for lands located west of the lot municipally addressed as 43 Hastings Drive, Long Point. MacNaughton Hermsen Britton Clarkson Planning Limited (MHBC) was retained by the County to lead this project. Pierre Chauvin BSc (Agr.), MA, MCIP, RPP was the Project Manager. The following are the main documents from this project:

Please note that By-law 47-Z-2016 was repealed on December 13, 2016 through By-law 2016-132.

Rural Community Improvement Plan

Norfolk County has developed a Rural Community Improvement Plan intended to focus on incentives and programs to promote investment in tourism, agri-business, and the revitalization of downtown and hamlet areas.

For further information, please follow this link: http://www.norfolkbusiness.ca/incentives-supports/business-incentives/ or contact: Chris Garwood, Economic Development Coordinator Norfolk County, 185 Robinson Street Suite 200, Simcoe ON N3Y 1R9 519-426-5870 or 226-NORFOLK ext. 1264 or 1-866-834-1726 chris.garwood@norfolkcounty.ca

Norfolk County Mapping

To view different types of Norfolk County Maps please go to this page. Open Data is here! Please visit http://opendata.norfolkcounty.ca/ to access the portal.