Community Improvement Plan

In 2011, the Town of The Blue Mountains completed a Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for its three commercial core areas (Thornbury, Clarksburg, and Craigleith). To view the 2011 CIP, please visit: https://www.thebluemountains.ca/document_viewer.cfm?doc=1196(External link). The consulting team hired at the time worked closely with the Town that helped guide the preparation of the CIP. The CIP was also informed and guided by an extensive program of community consultation, as well as oversight from Town Council. The purpose of the CIP was the following:

1. Identify the physical, economic, and other strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in relation to the revitalization and redevelopment of the three commercial core areas in the Town;
2. Articulate a general vision for the Thornbury, Clarksburg and Craigleith commercial core areas;
3. Define an appropriate community improvement project areas;
4. Specify a planning, design and sustainability strategy that contains recommended public realm improvements and revisions to policy and regulatory documents, and design guidelines that can be used to guide infill development, façade improvement, streetscape design, and greenfield development in a sustainable manner; and,
5. Develop a toolbox of incentive programs that can be offered by the Town to directly stimulate private sector investment in the revitalization and redevelopment of the three commercial core areas.

The Town is undertaking a study to prepare a new Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for attainable housing as well as refresh another separate existing CIP. A CIP is a planning and economic development tool that municipalities may use to facilitate broad community revitalization goals through grants or loans to private property owners and tenants. This Project will consider opportunities for the Town to administer grants or loans to encourage private sector investment in attainable housing. It will also consider opportunities to update to the existing Commercial Core CIP in light of recent economic challenges due to the Pandemic.

• Two CIPs have been recommended for the Town. Specifically, these are the Housing Within Reach Community Improvement Plan and the Town Wide Revitalization Community Improvement Plan. These CIPs will be presented to the Committee of the Whole to provide an overview of the programs and next steps. Once considered by the Committee of the Whole, Council could make a decision on the CIPs as early as December 14, 2020. Comments on the CIP documents can be received by Council at any time prior to making a decision. However, as always, the earlier comments are provided, the better equipped the Project Team will be to address those comments.

  To view the most recent Staff Report presented during the December 1, 2020 Committee of the Whole meeting, please visit: Community Improvement Plans - Recommendation Report(External link).

• Following input received during the Extended Public Consultation Period, the Housing Within Reach CIP, the Town Wide Revitalization CIP, and the CIP Project Background & Approach Report have been updated. Updates have been made to address comments received. It should also be noted that development charges have been removed from the Municipal Fees Grant Equivalent Program in the Town Wide Revitalization CIP as they are not considered municipal fees (i.e. planning fees, permit fees, etc.). A separate Development Charge Equivalent Grant Program remains in the Housing Within Reach CIP.

  Town Council will be considering the updated Community Improvement Plans for adoption at the January 11, 2021 Council Meeting. A link to the agenda, staff report and associated attachments is provided here.