The September 23rd Council agenda includes a report about population, housing and employment forecasts through to 2051.  There will be a presentation of this report.

Those forecasts are yet to be finalized, but pending Council approval  on 9/23 Staff is going to explore a higher employment area target, finalize density and intensification targets for the various identified areas and will review opportunities for urban area boundary expansions. As reviewed in the report the current status is not consistent across the villages:  Schomberg and King City are expected to build out by 2051 whereas  Nobleton has a deficit of 8 hectares of residential land and a deficit of 21 net hectares of employment lands.

As I read through the Watson report I saw several forecasted stats interested me.

I, like many, feel that we are growing so fast.  Since 2001 King’s growth has been 1.9% annually; through to 2052 the forecasted growth is 2% annually

The dominance of single detached household in King Towsnhip is decreasing.  In 2006 that housing format was 95%, today its 68%, by 2031 forecasted to be 35%.

By 2051 total population forecasted to be 51,000.  King City/Nobleton/Schomberg/Rural will be 23,210/13,580/3,350/10,860

The study to date has indicated that there is a deficit of employment land and that deficit is in Nobleton.   As our property tax base is dominated (96%) by the residential class a lack of adequate  land for future employment suggest that the chances of improving it  are limited. But I am some what confused about this given that there have been changes in the Planning Act whereby the definition of  “employment uses” has been modified such that some uses, traditionally considered to be an employment use, are no longer that and accordingly cannot be located in the employment lands. I need to ask some questions.

In the report there is the suggestion that there may be need to expand beyond the built up boundary.  When that option is considered we need to ask what is being given up/lost. To access the staff report and the Watson report see the Council agenda at www.king.ca/meetings and scroll down to 8.2.

If you wish to make a deputation at Council and/or make comments to Council please register with clerks@king.ca or send an email by noon Sept. 23rd. And you can provide comments here