Shaping a town

Secondary plan aims to block big boxes from Picton

Picton, as envisaged in the Preferred Development Strategy adopted by council last week. The map highlights the protected area around the Waring Creek watershed and potential residential development at Prince Edward Heights.

Picton, like many rural Ontario towns, is the product of about 200 years of history—it has seen growth and endured decline. It has been a place of wealth and prosperity but it has also endured its share of tough times.

It has, as one councillor recalled last week, witnessed Main Street sidewalks barely passable, with shoppers “shoulder to shoulder on a Saturday night.” Those days have gone but this history has helped shape the town and its citizens’ impressions of it.

Picrton residents seem pretty happy with the way the town turned out. That’s certainly what they’ve said to planning consultants seeking to prepare an update to the town’s secondary plan—the plan that will help guide future development in Picton.

Secondary plans and design guidelines provide the framework to ensure that new development fits and complements the existing town, infrastructure and natural features.

In absence of such community standards, residential or commercial developers would build homes and businesses without regard for the overall goals of the community. Picton and Hallowell residents have told planning consultants, IBI Group, they like their community pretty much as it is. They prefer to see growth fit mostly within the current limits of the village, similar in look and feel as it is now. In particular they don’t want big boxes on the edge of town—or anywhere else in the village, for that matter.

Most seem satisfied that large format retailers are accessible to them in the urban centres of Belleville and Kingston, and not transforming the entrances to Picton. To this end, the consultants have placed a limit on the floor size of new retail stores at no more than 12,000 square feet to be developed in the core. This is one of the key recommendations included in the Preferred Development Strategy endorsed by council last week.

Placing limits in the secondary plan doesn’t prohibit big box development, but puts significant hurdles in its way.

Many have worried that retail development on the edge of town in the form of a food store, automotive supply and hardware store opened the door to the rapid transformation of the western entrance to Picton. That remains a possibility. But the development strategy proposed, and yet to be developed as a full fledged plan, puts another hurdle in the way of big box developers beyond the hard limit on floor size.

The Waring Creek watershed area is identified as a public policy area—granting it special status and an extra level of protection.

According to the Preferred Development Strategy:

“Waring Creek is a natural resource that is an important part of the environmental, social, and economic well-being of the community and its management is important to its long term sustainability. Efforts should be taken to maintain and enhance water quality within the Waring Creek watershed as required.”

To accomplish this the development strategy proposes a large shadow be cast over the watershed extending north of Loyalist Parkway, south below Lake Street and east to almost the intersection of Talbot and Main St.. Any proposed development will be required to meet an array of tests including proving that such development won’t adversely affect the creek.

Is this enough to block big box development on the edge of town?

“Not on its own,” says John Uliani, consultant with IBI Group. “But this exercise and secondary plan can help define what you want your community to be or not to be. Just because a community has made a mistake in the past doesn’t mean it has to continue to make the same mistake. This is Picton’s chance to redefine what it is and what it wants to be.”

The Preferred Development Strategy calls for a steep rise in the density of new development for the town. Most new residential development in Picton has been built at a density of about five homes per acre—this means big yards and lots of common area. But low density is not efficient use of land and tends to push development outward, leading to urban sprawl.

The preferred strategy endorsed by council last week calls for density of not less than seven homes per acre and a target of 10 homes per acre generally, and even greater density in in appropriate areas.

Higher density offers several desirable features according to Picton Councillor Bev Campbell. These include efficient land use, affordability and vibrancy of the community. But diversity of the existing town and the vision of the Preferred Development Strategy encompasses many of these values—and is really the unique product of this exercise.

“New developments without direction or guidance does not typically provide diversity,” said Campbell. “Ours is already a diverse community—this plan helps to ensure we retain the mix that people have said they want and value in our community.

“Frankly I see a more vibrant community—primarily because of the diversity that such communities offer. It seems to me that we are pretty much in line for current thinking for communities of our type.”

The proposed strategy suggests that council and the community faces at least six issues and opportunities over the next couple of decades.

In addition to protecting the Waring Creek watershed the strategy points to the lack of a town square as a weakness. It suggests a couple of options; both would mean acquiring private land.

Other issues and opportunities include Picton harbour, town design, infill development, heritage preservation and residential development of lands at Prince Edward Heights overlooking the village.

The Preferred Development Strategy is available to for download on the County’s website or by clicking here.

Councillor Bev Campbell feels the process so far has been positive.

“I think the process has been excellent,” said Campbell. “I have been very pleased with the community involvement, I have been pleased with the consulting firm and the way they have marshalled it along.

“We’ve got some good expertise at the table—and it appears as though they are listening.”

The process does not end here, however. Now the planning consultants go away and write the secondary plan. Later this year they will hold another public meeting to deliver the draft plan. There they will be seeking comments and suggested refinements before finalizing the document and presenting it to provincial authorities for approval.