Open houses early in the new year will outline two master plans.
One will cover the downtowns of Fonthill and Fenwick. The other will deal with a “mixed use centre” at Rice Road and Regional Road 20 in East Fonthill.
Each master plan will eventually blend into Pelham’s Official Plan as guides for the future development of the areas.
The Official Plan is the town’s basic planning document. The latest version was approved earlier this year. From it arise secondary plans and property zoning bylaws.
At the public meetings in January or February, consultants and town staff will show details of the master plans and seek reaction.
Following the open houses, reports will go to town council for changes and approvals before the master plans become part of the Official Plan.
Originally, the downtown and East Fonthill master plans were together. Planners presented them as such last June in discussions of design guidelines for the downtowns and East Fonthill.
However, planning staff and consultants have separated them because they deal with “separate issues that required their own policies and Official Plan amendments.”
Chief Administrative Officer Darren Ottaway said Monday drafts of the downtown and East Fonthill mixed centre master plans will soon be found on the town’s website www.pelham.ca. They will also be in printed form at town hall and in the Pelham Public Library.
Generally, the downtown master plans encourage a “village character” in downtown Fenwick and a “town character” in downtown Fonthill. They build a framework to guide development of stores, shops, offices, apartments, and houses in the area.
They control streetscapes, paths, pedestrian crossings, building heights, lighting, parking and encourage private property upgrades through community improvement programs.
Speaking about the East Fonthill mixed use centre master plan at Monday’s council meeting, Ottaway said he was thrilled to present it to council.
It is part of a plan a decade in the making affecting 19.7 hectares at Rice Road and Regional Road 20.
The area will become a showcase entrance to the town with its heart around a pedestrian-dominated square, he said.
It is called an “unprecedented opportunity” for the town to develop retail and office commercial uses, major community facilities, and medical facilities as well as medium and high density residential including housing for seniors.
Ottaway said planning for the area puts walkers and cyclists ahead of cars rather than the other way around, which is typical in North America.
“We can develop a community we can be proud of,” he said.
Ward 3 Coun. Peter Papp called it “a major dramatic change in community planning.”
Ward 3. Coun. John Durley, who also watched the area come together for more than a decade, said it will reshape the corridor at Rice Road and Highway 20.
Public open houses for the two master plans are expected to be held in late January or February.
