Central Welland River Watershed Plan - Niagara Peninsula ...

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CENTRAL WELLAND RIVER WATERSHED PLANprovides an overall framework for development and planning in Niagara Region that therespective municipalities are to adhere to with further detail at a municipal level.Municipalities: Lower TierIn the Central Welland River watershed, the GGH identifies the City of Welland and Cityof Port Colborne as a Gateway Economic Centre. Its proximity to the United Statesborder and its location on the Welland Canal provide an opportunity for economicdiversity and increased opportunities for trade and tourism with the United States. TheGGH also identifies the area surrounding the built-up areas adjacent to the WellandCanal in Port Colborne and Welland as designated greenfields areas, making them thefocus area of future intensification with an overall minimum density target of 50 jobs andresidents per hectare.Accordingly, the RMN in partnership with the province and local municipalitiescommissioned a study to develop an action plan for the implementation of the GatewayEconomic Zone and Centre (GHK 2008) in Niagara Region. The Gateway EconomicCentre in the Central Welland River watershed includes all the settlement areas withinWelland and Port Colborne and the linkage between the two municipalities, as well asthe Welland Canal. The Gateway Economic Zone does not fall within the WatershedPlan study area.City of WellandAlmost 20 percent of the Central Welland River watershed falls within the municipality ofthe City of Welland. The land use in this portion of the municipality is predominatelyresidential and commercial with some agricultural lands outside of the urban boundary.In 2007, the City of Welland adopted a Brownfield Community Improvement Plan (CIP)(RCI Consulting) to address the municipality‟s high number of brownfield areas. The CIPprovides incentive programs, strategies and actions that will promote brownfieldremediation, rehabilitation and redevelopment in the City of Welland (RCI Consulting2007). Currently it is estimated that over 200 hectares of brownfield sites exist along thecanal and throughout the city (City of Welland 2007).As indicated, Welland has been identified by the province in the GGH as a GatewayEconomic Centre. An economic gateway “is a place of interaction, opportunity andinterface; a place where opportunities for economic development are leveraged byproximity and geography” (Dillon 2010). In the City of Welland‟s Official Plan (subject toapproval by Regional Niagara [Dillon 2010]) numerous strategic directions are outlinedto support economic diversity and promote increased opportunities, including forexample, encouraging “cross-border trade and the efficient movement of people andgoods” and by encouraging “the provision of land and infrastructure for continuedsustainable development and tourist facilities” (Section 2.4.2 Dillon 2010).It is the intent of Welland‟s Official Plan to focus all urban development within the UrbanBoundary; which is comprised of the Built-Up Area (already developed lands) within theBuilt Boundary and Greenfield Area. The lands within the Urban Boundary are intendedto accommodate the majority of Welland‟s projected growth. These lands are already orintended to be serviced major roads, transit and piped sewer and water services(Section 3.4.2.2).32
CENTRAL WELLAND RIVER WATERSHED PLANWelland‟s Built Boundary was determined by the province through the GGH. Thisboundary represents the limits of existing development within the existing Built-Up Area.The provincial Built Boundary is important for “measuring and monitoring intensificationrates”(Section 3.4.2.3) as all growth within this zone is considered as intensification. Thelands between these two boundaries are Greenfield Areas which are not built-up.However, as indicated earlier, the GGH has identified these designated Greenfield areasas the focus area of future intensification with an overall minimum density target of 50jobs and residents per hectare.The Draft Official Plan also outlines strategies with regards to the Employment Areaswithin Welland. Employment Areas include the Gateway Economic Centre, GeneralIndustrial Areas and Light Industrial Areas. Planning objectives for these areas includefor example, ensuring “land use policies reflect an appropriate range of uses for itsEmployment Areas”, and protection of the Employment Areas and the requirement of“extensive justification for any proposed conversion to non-employment uses” (Section4.3).In terms of agricultural lands, it is the intent of the City of Welland through the OfficialPlan to “protect prime agricultural lands by appropriately designating them anddiscouraging their redesignation or severance” (Section 5.1.1.1). In addition, the City willlimit the land uses within this designation to farming and agriculturally-related activities(section 5.1.2).City of Port ColborneOver 11 percent of the Central Welland River watershed study area falls within the Cityof Port Colborne. Land use in this portion of the study area primarily consists of a mix ofindustrial lands and agriculture. In 2006, the City of Port Colborne‟s Council adopted TheCity of Port Colborne New Official Plan (2006). In 2010, the City of Port Colbornecompleted recommended changes and the document is currently under review by theRegion of Niagara. The following references are taken from the DRAFT 2010 City of PortColborne Official Plan.Along with Welland, Port Colborne has been identified by the province in the GGH as aGateway Economic Centre. Similar to Welland, the City of Port of Colborne hasestablished objectives for the Gateway Economic Centre to “create the best possiblecommunity for residents, workers and visitors, based on a high quality of life, sustainabledevelopment, economic diversity, superior tourist facilities and unique natural features”(Section 2.3.2). Strategic objectives to achieve this include for example, “providing landand infrastructure for continued sustainable development of tourist facilities”, and byactively “promoting existing industrial lands along the east and west side of the WellandCanal” (Section 2.3.2 b, e).In addition, the Official Plan outlines several general policies regarding Port Colborne‟sIndustrial/Employment lands including limiting land use within this zone to include suchas activities as for example, manufacturing and fabricating, assembling, “industrialactivities related and proximate to the Canal and harbour such as ship dockage andrepair”(Section 3.10).In terms of the agricultural lands within the study area, it is the intent of the Official Planto “preserve and protect the lands in the Agricultural Area for existing and future farmingoperations and to permit those uses that support or directly relate to agricultural33
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