Town & County News

Virtual Official Plan Review Meeting Scheduled for June 7

The County of Essex will hold a virtual public meeting to gather input as part of its Official Plan Review process.

The meeting will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The meeting will be streamed live on the County of Essex website at the following link:  https://video.isilive.ca/countyofessex/live.html.

Members of the public who want to attend the meeting virtually can register using this form and will be provided via email a link to attend the meeting.

Members of the public who wish to provide comment on the Official Plan during the meeting must also register to be a delegate prior to the meeting using this online form. Delegations will be limited to five minutes.

A meeting on April 5 to gather public input on the Official Plan had to be adjourned shortly after it began because of the large number of attendees, which made it difficult for people inside and outside of Council Chambers to hear what was being said or to take part in the proceedings.

Holding a virtual public meeting open to all provides a vehicle for meaningful and respectful dialogue about the County’s Official Plan and will help ensure that all opinions can be freely shared and considered as part of the Official Plan Review process. Participation in a virtual public meeting will not be limited by the capacity restrictions of Council Chambers in the Essex County Civic Centre and maximizes the potential for meaningful public engagement.

This meeting is only one way to comment on the Official Plan review, which is in its early stages. There will be additional opportunities throughout the process for the public to review draft documents and provide comments to Council and staff.

Written comments can be provided at anytime via email to OfficialPlanReview@countyofessex.ca.

More information, including a timeline of the review process and two background reports prepared as part of the review’s initial phase, is available at countyofessex.ca/OfficialPlanReview.

The County of Essex has had an Official Plan since 2005 and the current Official Plan was adopted and approved in 2014, based on background work that started in 2009.

The Planning Act requires municipalities to review their Official Plan to ensure it is up to date and consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement adopted by the Province in 2020.

Read some FAQs about the virtual meeting and the Official Plan Review process.

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