A proposal for a community improvement plan here received approval, with one councillor deciding to declare a conflict of interest.
Economic Development Officer Dave Rushton told council that last fall the economic development committee set up a subcommittee to examine the feasibility of completing a community improvement plan that would apply to the downtown cores of Fergus and Elora.
He said that group considered brownfield redevelopment opportunities. Brownfields are lands that once had industrial or commercial uses, but those uses have ceased.
Rushton said in his report that the subcommittee has had several meetings and consultations with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and is prepared to recommend the township have such a plan for Elora and Fergus. Fergus had completed a similar plan of its own in 1998, prior to amalgamation.
Rushton said there are benefits to having an area designation. He said that without any cost, that area can become eligible for some special federal and provincial grants, and noted that one place in Eastern Ontario got a federal grant through a Community Futures Development program.
“It’s not like the BIA [business improvement area] where you are taxed,” Rushton said of the designated areas. “It just makes you eligible for programs.”
At that point, councillor Bob Foster declared a conflict of interest because, he said, some family members hold lands within the designated section of Fergus. Rushton had handed out maps at the start of his presentation.
Councillor Shawn Watters said his understanding is such areas are eligible for improvements.
Rushton said those can include improvements for residential quarters, and there is “a long list of potentials.”
His report listed the goals of a community improvement plan.
The township already has a strategic goal on community design which is “to plan for a community that enhances the quality of life of our citizens and respects the environment.”
The goals of that plan are:
– to recognize and maintain the central business district as the focal point of commercial activity within the town;
– to encourage the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the central business district in keeping with the architectural characteristics of the area;
– to encourage residential development in conjunction with commercial development in the central business district;
– to encourage and provide for the development of additional retail space through new construction or the redevelopment of underutilized buildings and properties;
– to encourage and provide for the addition of dwelling units to the upper floors of existing buildings, or the development of new mixed commercial and residential structures;
– to encourage and provide for the development of new housing units;
– to encourage and provide for the maintenance and improvements to existing buildings and structures within the downtown core;
– improvements to the streetscape of the district, including facade improvements, lighting, benches, waste receptacles, signs, etc.;
– to provide for the more efficient utilization of the municipal physical infrastructure by infilling or redeveloping vacant or underutilized land while maintaining the compatibility of land uses; and
– to delineate a planned approach to community improvement projects and the expenditure of public or private funds.
Rushton noted there are some obvious places that will need redevelopment. In Elora he cited the Little Folks property, and for Fergus, he noted the lands for the hospital are being included because, after a new hospital is built, those lands will also need to be redeveloped.
The area Rushton offered to council for downtown Fergus runs from Breadalbane Street in the west to Cameron Street in the east, and takes in St. Andrew, St. Patrick Street West, and a few more properties to the east of that street, including a section adjacent to Provost Lane. To the south of St. Andrew Street, the district runs from Tower Street up to Albert Street, and south of that, taking in parts of Queen Street and a small section along Tower and Union Street.
In Elora, the area proposed includes businesses from Moir Street in the north to the Grand River, plus a small section south of the river, that includes part of Clyde and Carlton Streets. The district runs along Mill Street to Geddes, and covers mainly the main uptown business district.
Rushton said the community improvement plan will include an examination of various programs that might provide an incentive for economic development within the project area. That includes regulatory changes that might eliminate barriers to development, as well as financial incentives such as development charges exemptions, façade loan programs, and a grant program whereby property tax increases that result from property improvements are phased in over time.
The plan will also consider design guidelines for redevelopment so that any incentives provided are granted only to projects that are in keeping with design guidelines, or with heritage conservation objectives.
Councillor Fred Morris, after listening to the proposal announced that while the project seems beneficial, he does not see it increasing the value of his property in the Fergus business district very much, and so he saw no need to declare a conflict.
Rushton said the idea is not to spend any new money on the district, but to attract it from outside, or be eligible for government incentives.
Council agreed further study is worthwhile.
