Official Plan Review

Managing Growth in our Community – Town Official Plan Review and Growth Management Study 

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We want to hear from you! There will be opportunities for public engagement coming in November  2024.  Subscribe to the Town of New Tecumseth’s Planning Monthly What’s Happening eBlast to receive updates on opportunities to provide comments, various planning matters including the progress of the Official Plan Review and Growth Management Study.


Have Your Say!

Take the Official Plan Review & Growth Management Study Survey

The survey is open until 11:59pm December 31, 2024.

Please subscribe to the Town of New Tecumseth Planning "What's Happening" e-Blast to keep informed about the project and other engagement opportunities. This information will also be posted on this project webpage. 

What is the Official Plan Review and Growth Management Study? 

What will New Tecumseth look like in the 2051? The Town is growing, but where will everyone live? What kind of housing will people want to live in? What modes of transportation will people use to get necessities? How will agricultural lands and natural heritage features be protected long-term?

Building on the Municipal Comprehensive Review led by Simcoe County, the Town is projected to grow from its current population of 43,948 people to 80,590 people by 2051. Employment is also expected to  increase to 31,620 jobs over the same time period. This means approximately 448 hectares of land is needed for residential and community development and 72 hectares of land is needed for employment lands.

An Official Plan provides a vision for future growth and generally guides where new development will be located and what type of development will take place. This can include homes, schools, businesses, industry and parks. It includes policies for the construction​ of new services such as roads and sewers as well as protecting our natural and built heritage.

The Growth Management Study provides guidance on where to direct growth within the Town to accommodate the projected population and economic growth over the planning horizon.

 

 

There will be three main components for the Official Plan Review:

  • Official Plan Review: including updated policy framework, Official Plan Amendment
  • Growth Management Study: including growth scenario options, Fiscal Impact Analysis (this work will include the consideration of infrastructure and servicing requirements), settlement area boundary expansion criteria, growth targets, and landowner requests and other lands included in each of the scenarios
  • Public and stakeholder engagement opportunities in 2024
 Town of New Tecumseth Growth Management Study

The Growth Management Study will comprise a background study, identification of a Focus Study Area, draft growth scenarios, Fiscal Impact Analysis and development of preferred Growth Scenarios.   

The Growth Management Study will underpin future decisions and masterplans such as the Sanitary Sewer Master Plan, Parks Master Plan and Long-term Financial Plan (including for investment, staff capacity and resources).

Public and stakeholder engagement opportunities to influence the final growth scenario will be provided in early 2024 with a range of ways to have your say. Please stay tuned for opportunities.

In order to support the proposed growth, the Town has been provided with a draft density target for new development areas of 55 people/jobs per hectare. This is an increase from the current Official Plan target of 50 people/jobs per hectare.  Increased density and intensification results in the effective use of infrastructure and reduces the amount of sprawl onto agricultural lands.

The Town’s intensification target of 40% for the existing boundaries of Alliston, Beeton and Tottenham will remain the same. This means that 40% of new growth will be accommodated within the existing boundaries of the Town's three urban areas.

Growth Management Scenarios 

The Town needs to grow to a population of 80,590, a 77% increase, and to 31,620 jobs, a 52% increase, over the next 30 years. This means about 6,917 residential units are proposed for expanded communities in addition to community services including parks, schools, and grocery stores. Additional land for employment (industrial) is also proposed.

Phase 2 Scenarios ( Feb 2024- June 2024)

The Town of New Tecumseth has hired Hemson Consulting to prepare a Growth Management Study. From this, Hemson Consulting has prepared three different growth scenarios for the Town. These scenarios imagine growth happening in different areas of the Town of New Tecumseth within the three settlement areas of Alliston, Beeton and Tottenham.

 You can view the different scenarios below: 

 Growth Management Scenario #1

Growth Scenario #1 proposes that the majority of future growth occurs within the settlement area of Alliston with a small percentage of growth in Beeton.

Scenario #1 Maps

Growth Management Scenario #2

Growth Scenario #2 proposes a majority of the future growth still be around Alliston, but with more development proposed around Beeton and a small amount around Tottenham. Please note that the amount of development in Alliston is reduced in comparison to Scenario #1.

Scenario #2 Maps

Growth Management Scenario #3

Growth Scenario #3 again reduces the amount of growth around the Alliston area, but the settlement still maintains the majority of the growth. Both Beeton and Tottenham receive more growth areas in this scenario, compared to scenarios #1 and #2.
Scenario #3 Maps

Employment Lands Growth Scenario

As part of the growth for the Town of New Tecumseth, it is required that we set aside lands for future Employment growth. In all of the above scenarios, the growth of these lands remains the same and focused solely on the settlement of Alliston.

Employment Lands Scenario

 

Between February to June 2024, the Town consolidated the proposed three growth scenarios. We received valuable feedback from the community on these three scenarios. The “Official Plan Review & Growth Management Study” Phase 2 survey in New Tecumseth received 758 responses. Key elements of a vibrant town were ranked by 741 respondents, while 334 provided additional suggestions. Preferences for growth scenarios were detailed by 758 respondents, with 353 choosing Scenario one. This survey will inform updates to the town’s Official Plan and Growth Management Study. The key insights from the feedback are summarized below:

 

Question: When planning for growth in New Tecumseth, what elements of a vibrant Town are most important to you? Please rank the following elements of a vibrant Town in their order of importance to you (with 1 being the most important).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary of responses:

  • Increase density within urban boundaries to create compact and complete communities
  • Diversify housing mix and provide a better range of housing types such as town houses, condo and apartments
  • Diversify housing tenure options, including rental, affordable and senior housing.
  • Maintain green spaces and natural areas.
  • Enhance law enforcement presence.
  • Indoor swimming pool and recreation centers for fitness and community activities.
  • More daycare options and educational facilities, including additional schools.
  • Town events and activities to foster community spirit.
  • Support for the arts, including theaters and cultural initiatives.
  • A vibrant downtown with pedestrian-friendly businesses and cultural spaces.
  • Preservation of heritage properties and agricultural land.
  • Active transportation options like walking and biking trails.
  • Improved public transit and traffic control measures.
  • Safe pedestrian crosswalks and sidewalks in older areas.
  • Increased police, fire, and ambulance services.
  • Traffic calming measures and better enforcement of traffic laws.
  • Protection of green spaces and tree canopies.
  • Sustainable design and infrastructure to combat climate change.
  • Improved water quality and management.
  • More recreational facilities, including parks, sports fields, and community centers.

 

Question: Which growth scenario do you prefer? You can select more than one if you prefer one part of one scenario and a different part of another. Please provide an explanation in the following question.

Summary of responses:

  • Maintain small-town charm by centralizing growth in Alliston.
  • Alliston has the infrastructure and space to support large employers and new businesses.
  • Many residents prefer to keep Beeton and Tottenham small to preserve their small-town vibe.
  • Concerns about the impact of new housing on local services, such as schools and water quality.
  • Protect natural sites and avoid building on important agricultural land.
  • Concerns about flooding and stormwater management.
  • Concentrating growth in Alliston is seen as more efficient and cost-effective.
  • Alliston is better equipped to handle growth due to existing infrastructure and proximity to major amenities.
  • Focus on enhancing public transit and managing traffic congestion, especially in smaller towns with limited exit routes.
  • Some support for moderate growth in Beeton and Tottenham, but with a focus on maintaining their character and addressing infrastructure needs.

 

Question: Which of the following options best describes you? (select all that apply): 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question: What is your age range?

Question: If you are a resident of New Tecumseth, how long have you lived here?

Phase 3 Scenarios (Oct - Dec 2024)
 

Based on the feedback received during Phase 2 of the project, Hemson Consulting has developed two Settlement Area Boundary Expansion options.

(Updated November 20, 2024)

Following a Council meeting on November 18th, Council passed a motion to re-introduce Scenario 1 from Phase 2 into this consultation period which directed 98% of growth to be accommodated in the Alliston settlement area. As such, the survey has been updated to include Option 1: Majority Alliston which is also provided below. The other options are Option 2: Alliston / Beeton and Option 3: Three Communities. The maps of the options can be found below: 

 Option 1:
 Majority Alliston 
 Option 2:

Alliston/Beeton 

 Option 3: 

Three Communities 

You can provide feedback in this survey. 

A staff report with documentation was presented at a working session with Council on October 30, 2024. All documents and attachments can be found in the agenda here and on the side bar to the right. 

What does this look like on the ground?

Many of New Tecumseth’s current developments, such as Treetops, Belterra, Mattamy, Rayville and  LRG (Lawton Realty Group), are between 50 and 55 people/jobs per hectare. Density comes in many forms from smaller single detached dwellings, semi-detached, townhouses and low-medium rise apartments.

The intensification target of 40% is Town-wide. That means that different intensification targets for Alliston, Beeton and Tottenham are fine, provided that the overall target of 40% is achieved. Intensification can also be achieved through infill and redevelopment of properties/buildings in the existing community. For example, several condominiums and apartments such as Vista Blue, Patterson/Main, Banting Square and Boyne River are all contributing to achieving this target.  

Proposed new growth areas (called Greenfield lands) have operational impacts too where the Town will be responsible in these new areas for a variety of services including plowing new roads, sidewalks and bike lanes to maintaining parks and street trees. Check out the exercise undertaken in December 2023 by Engineering, Planning, and Parks, Recreation and Culture to help visualize what new growth may look like on the ground.