At the September 26 Council meeting the final version of the new Zoning Bylaw for the Countryside area of King Township is presented with a recommendation for approval. This new bylaw is very much needed as it is replacing the current 48 year old bylaw and its hundreds of amendments over the years which has made it very complex for anyone to understand permissions. Importantly, the new bylaw broadens and clarifies permissions for many uses including agricultural, on-farm diversified uses, home industries, use of shipping containers. In all cases the broadened permissions are done to be in conformity with the Township’s Our King Official Plan (OP) as the purpose of a zoning bylaw is to implement the OP. I believe Planning Staff have been diligent in assessing what is in place today evaluating whether it should be incorporated into the zoning bylaw or whether it merits being identified as a site specific exception zone.
Exception zones did receive a lot of attention by both the staff and the consultant. As I have already said I believe Staff have been diligent. I am pleased that the idea of expanding the exception zone at the Mary Lake Monastery to include longterm care facility has been dropped as a result of public and myself challenging the argument for its inclusion. As evident in the staff report there are other exceptions which have been re-assessed in response to feedback.
Feedback from the last statutory public meeting in December 2021 included: revise provisions for home industries; broaden permissions in the Greenbelt Natural Heritage (GNH) zone; introduce a new Rural Employment Greenbelt (RMG) zone; adjust the Pottageville Hamlet boundary; revise and incorporate general provisions to address shipping containers, on-farm diversified uses, lot coverage and backyard chickens.
There has been considerable consultation from the public and conservation authorities. I am very grateful to the public who did engage in this exercise. As expected property owners in the countryside of King participated; but in addition there were others who want to see the countryside be maintained for both its agricultural value and its beauty and pleasure it gives to all by virtue of not being urbanized and developed. We need both. Both are now truly critical given climate change: local food is not a luxury and the countryside’s greenspaces with trees and wetlands absorb our greenhouse gases.
The staff report is a large file as it includes the actual bylaw, review of comments in response to feedback, changes to version released in June 2022 in response to that feedback. If you go to the SpeaKing page you can access different sections of interest.
There will be a presentation on this agenda item prior to comments from public or council being made. As always I am interested in your comments either by receiving sending comments to this blog or by telling Council what yiu think. If you wish to tell Council you can register to make a deputation to Council by registering at clerks@king.ca by noon on Sept. 26. Alternatively you can send in comments or questions to clerks@king.ca and your email will be circulated to Council and relevant Staff members.
Hi Debbie,
I really enjoy your posts. I also want to know if you would like to put one of your signs outside our place.