Employment Area Land Conversions

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City of Barrie now accepting Employment Area Land Conversion proposals.

Through the Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) currently underway to support preparation of a new Official Plan, the City of Barrie is considered proposals for the conversion of sites designated and/or zoned for employment-type land uses.

About the Industrial Employment Land Conversions

As per Watson's Land Needs Assessment Report, Barrie needs additional industrial employment land to accommodate future job growth. As such, Watson recommended that the City create new Employment Area lands by expanding the Settlement Area boundary. However, there are several existing industrial employment land parcels in the City which may no longer be suitable for industrial uses.

To address this, Council has directed staff to explore opportunities for converting industrial employment lands to allow for non-industrial uses (e.g. residential, commercial, mixed-use).

Update June 2020

Planning staff received a total of 17 applications to convert employment area lands for non-employment (industrial-type) uses.

All of the conversion proposals are discussed and evaluated in the following Staff Memo.

The memo proceeded to the Planning Committee on June 1, 2020 and The Planning Committee approved the staff recommended employment area land conversions. The Planning Committee’s decision will proceed to City Council for ratification on June 15, 2020.

Following the ratification of the Planning Committee’s decision by Council, the Employment Land Conversion process which was done as part of the City’s Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) for the development of a new Official Plan, will conclude. However, section 2.2.5.10 of the Growth Plan permits site-specific employment land conversion requests to proceed via an Official Plan Amendment until the Municipal Comprehensive Review is complete by way of an approved new Official Plan. Further employment conversions may be considered and will proceed through the public process described by the Planning Act for Official Plan Amendments.

With the conclusion of the MCR related Employment Land Conversion process the City’s Land Needs Assessment Report will need to be amended. This amendment will be done through a Land Needs Assessment Report Addendum. For more information on the Land Needs Assessment Report Addendum, go to the Land Needs Assessment Report Page.

Glossary of Key Terms

To help with accessibility and transparency, staff have provided a convenient glossary for your reference.

Settlement Area Boundary - Identifies lands that are designated to accommodate growth. A municipal boundary, which typically extends beyond a Settlement Area boundary, identifies the extent of a municipality’s territory. The lands between a Settlement Area boundary and municipal boundary are typically agricultural or rural. For Barrie, any proposed expansion of the Settlement Area boundary means re-designating lands from agricultural/rural uses to Community Area or Employment Area uses. The expansion of the settlement area boundary is subject to Provincial approval.

Community Area - The term Community Area refers to lands that are designated to accommodate population and non-industrial employment growth (e.g. commercial, retail jobs, institutional, and multi-tenant office uses). Nearly all lands within the City’s Settlement Area boundary are Community Area lands.

Employment Area - Employment Areas are lands reserved to accommodate primarily industrial type employment and supportive uses. Employment Areas are located inside the Settlement Area boundary, but do not form part of Barrie’s Community Area lands.

City of Barrie now accepting Employment Area Land Conversion proposals.

Through the Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) currently underway to support preparation of a new Official Plan, the City of Barrie is considered proposals for the conversion of sites designated and/or zoned for employment-type land uses.

About the Industrial Employment Land Conversions

As per Watson's Land Needs Assessment Report, Barrie needs additional industrial employment land to accommodate future job growth. As such, Watson recommended that the City create new Employment Area lands by expanding the Settlement Area boundary. However, there are several existing industrial employment land parcels in the City which may no longer be suitable for industrial uses.

To address this, Council has directed staff to explore opportunities for converting industrial employment lands to allow for non-industrial uses (e.g. residential, commercial, mixed-use).

Update June 2020

Planning staff received a total of 17 applications to convert employment area lands for non-employment (industrial-type) uses.

All of the conversion proposals are discussed and evaluated in the following Staff Memo.

The memo proceeded to the Planning Committee on June 1, 2020 and The Planning Committee approved the staff recommended employment area land conversions. The Planning Committee’s decision will proceed to City Council for ratification on June 15, 2020.

Following the ratification of the Planning Committee’s decision by Council, the Employment Land Conversion process which was done as part of the City’s Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) for the development of a new Official Plan, will conclude. However, section 2.2.5.10 of the Growth Plan permits site-specific employment land conversion requests to proceed via an Official Plan Amendment until the Municipal Comprehensive Review is complete by way of an approved new Official Plan. Further employment conversions may be considered and will proceed through the public process described by the Planning Act for Official Plan Amendments.

With the conclusion of the MCR related Employment Land Conversion process the City’s Land Needs Assessment Report will need to be amended. This amendment will be done through a Land Needs Assessment Report Addendum. For more information on the Land Needs Assessment Report Addendum, go to the Land Needs Assessment Report Page.

Glossary of Key Terms

To help with accessibility and transparency, staff have provided a convenient glossary for your reference.

Settlement Area Boundary - Identifies lands that are designated to accommodate growth. A municipal boundary, which typically extends beyond a Settlement Area boundary, identifies the extent of a municipality’s territory. The lands between a Settlement Area boundary and municipal boundary are typically agricultural or rural. For Barrie, any proposed expansion of the Settlement Area boundary means re-designating lands from agricultural/rural uses to Community Area or Employment Area uses. The expansion of the settlement area boundary is subject to Provincial approval.

Community Area - The term Community Area refers to lands that are designated to accommodate population and non-industrial employment growth (e.g. commercial, retail jobs, institutional, and multi-tenant office uses). Nearly all lands within the City’s Settlement Area boundary are Community Area lands.

Employment Area - Employment Areas are lands reserved to accommodate primarily industrial type employment and supportive uses. Employment Areas are located inside the Settlement Area boundary, but do not form part of Barrie’s Community Area lands.