Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, October 26,1994 ,Page 21 Whitby has new officiai lan By Mike Kowalski More than four years in the making and Whitby's new official plan is nearly a fait accompli. PeendingDurham Region approvaown officials will soon have at their disposal, an upda- ted and thoroughly revised pan- ,ning document to take Witby into the 21st century. Following numerous public meetings, consultants' reports, and occasional controversy over the past four years, Town council last month gave its blessing to Whitby's new official plan. A detailed set of rules and regulations that stipulate prefer- red land uses, an officiai plan essentially determines how and where a municipality will grow. But it is much more than simply a "blueprint" to guide future growth, insists councillor Ross Batten chair of council's planning anc development com- mittee. "It's a handbook to proper development of the municipa- lity," said Batten. "The policies are comprehen- sive, they set more than a guide- line. They set direction,"he said. "So that when developers look at an officiai plan, they know what to expect" -- where and what they can build, Batten said. As for Whitby residents, "if they really look at it they will see what their community will look like in 20 to 30 years," he said. "This plan should set at ease the concerns of people who think we are going to destroy the future of the town." As planning committee chair for most of the past five years, bringing the official plan to frui- tion was a subject near and dear to Batten's heart. Even during his stint as deputy-mayor, Batten willingly agreed to then planning commit- tee boss Joe Drumm's request to continue guiding the plan through the approval process. "I feel a sense of accomplish- ment," said Batten during a recent break from his election campaigning. P (One of Whitby's three regional councillors, Batten is seeking.re- election on Nov. 14.) "In spite of some criticism when we started the process, when it came to the Sept. 28 (council) meeting, very few depu- tations were left,"he said. "We had satisfied almost everyone's concerns." ' Even then, most of the com- plaints that night dealt with an issue over which Town council no longer had any control, Batten pointed out. Members of the Save Lynde Marsh citizens' group asked council to delete the Lynde Shores Secondary Plan from the officiai plan. The secondary plan -- which paved the way for a proposed housing development of 5,000 people near the environmentally sensitive wetland -- had already received provincial government approval two years ago. 'It couldn't be taken out, that was impossible," Batten stressed. In recalling council's reasons for deciding to update Whitby's official plan, Batten said the existing 1974 plan had to be "brought up to modern times." "There wero new policies being p ut eut by the province, the Regon was doing its new officiai plan...there were a lot ef new concerns that had te be addressed." For example, more and more of the re-zoning applications, offi- cial plan amendments and sub- division proposais coming befere council were on the "periphery" of environmental areas such as woodlots and valley lands, Bat- ten said. WHITBY'S NEW official plan attempts to balance future and existing lifestyles. development with.the need to preserve the environment Photo by Mark Reesor, Whitby Free Press «We had to have policies in place to address them. But for those who might argue "why allow development at all?", the "answer is clear," said Bat- ten. "We don't have a choice, they're making new babies every da he population is growing and people ave to have a place to hive.I As Batten explained, the Ontario government determines population projections and expects municipalities to adhere to the targets. Whitbys population is expec- ted tobe 125,000 by the year 2011 and 163,000 ten year later. The current population is 70,000. "Those numboers are given to us and we have to find space in this community for 163,000 people by the year 2021," said Batten. "The official plan determines how and where.' But the difficulty lies in accommodating the needs of future residents while maintain- ing the "good lifestyle" enjoyed by those living in Whitby now, Batton said. "We have to review infiltration onto our open space and agricul- tural lands, intensification and housing uses, and what type of "T he poliies are sfrong and willprotect environmentally sensitive areas." densities to allow." The latter point, however, has been a particular bone of conten- tion between the Town and Queen's Park, Batten admitted. "The province, in their direc- THIS WILL be a familiar sight in years to come as Whitby's population is expected to tion, would like to pile people on top of each other and we don't like that,"he said. "We're trying to make an attempt at building good lifestyle communities and not create the ghetto situation favoured by the province." Batten said Whitby is not "anywhere close" to the govern- ment's suggested density of 10 persons per acre across the municipality. "We did studies and will try to live with seven persons per acre," he said. "That may still be challenged by the province." Although Save Lynde Marsh members and others may dis- agree, policies aimed at protect- ing Whitby's open space and green belt areas are a major component of the new plan, Bat- ten said. "We've developed a comprehen- sive ecosystem and had some very significant environmental- ists workc on it. "Our woodlots are better defined and broadened so ne development takes place on them and flood lines are extended so development does not encroach into those areas." As a result, the rules will be more stringent as to what must reach 163,000 by the year 2,021. Photo by Mark Reesor. Whitby Free Press be done to protect the environ- ment when future development proposals come before council, Batten said. "The policies are strong and will protect environmentally sensitive areas in town,» he declared. Aside from measures dealing with the environment and popu- lation densities the plan also includes new policies on a num- ber of other issues such as trans- portation -- encouraging greater use cf public transit -- and com- mercial and i:.dustrial develop- ment. For instance, an effort will be made to curtail the spread of strip malls and local piazas by restricting this type cf develop- ment to specific areas, Batten said. This should help alleviate the problems created when a com- mercial development is built within or adajcent to a residen- tial area, he said. "I think people will see a more orderly location of commercial areas,'"he said. In the same vein, the plan encourages businesses of a like nature to locate in the same area, such as Thickson Road and Hwy. 401 being targeted for large-scale retail uses. "We established policies to put these types of uses together," said Batten, "not just or the economies of the commercial users but more for the comfort and security of residents, tokeep them out of residential areas." While acknowledging that there has been criticism about creating centralized business and commercial areas, such as one planned at Taunton Road and Brock Street, Batten insisted, these commercial "nodes" will not detract from the downtown core. "Downtown Whitby remains the largest business area,» he emphasized. Although the official plan spells out how Whitby is sup- posed to develop, changes to the document are possible, Batten said. "This is a democracy,"he said. "There still is the opportunity for people to come in and say I know the official plan says that, but I feel I have a better idea'. "They have that opportunity. But they will need approval not or',/ from council, but also Dur- ham Region and the various pro- vincial governrment agencies before changes are made."