A series of Official Plan Amendments, concerning bunkhouses, additional dwellings, tree preservation, electric battery storage systems, and population forecasts will be heard at the County’s Planning and Development Committee meeting June 21.

Accommodations for commercial workers in the form of a bunkhouses are being proposed. They must be on the same commercial property as the employer, and have a maximum of six bedrooms and one common bathroom, kitchen and living room area.

Provided they meet on site water and sanitary sewer criteria, the cap on additional bunkhouses and housing for temporary farm labour is scheduled to be lifted in the amendment.

An adjustment on the number of permitted dwelling units in certain areas is also proposed. Additional dwellings and garden suites may be permitted where adequate infrastructure is available.

Another amendment encourages the preservation of trees and new plantings within settlement areas. 

Applications for a Plan of Subdivision, Condominium, Zoning By-law Amendment, Site Plan Control, or Minor Variance located within a settlement area will now meet the Tree Management and Preservation Policy.

If approved, the Municipality will also support the development of Energy Storage Systems (ESS) in the County, subject to various requirements, such as a vegetative buffer to ensure the development is not visible from the road and is screened from adjacent uses.

An updated  population forecast is also part of the motion.

A Watson and Associates study estimates the County’s permanent population will rise from about 25,000 to 32,000 by 2043. That means the county’s summer time population could be as much as 43,000 in 20 years.

The public is invited to participate either in person, virtually, or through written comments submitted to the planners prior to the meeting.

Members of the public who wish to speak at the public meeting, either in-person or virtually, can register by contacting [email protected] by noon on Tuesday, June 20.