The Town of Essex is inviting the public to review and provide input on the draft of the new Official Plan and Colchester Secondary Plan.
The Town will be hosting three public open houses at the end of August and the beginning of September.
The current Official Plan was adopted in 2009, and hasn't been updated since 2017. The Official Plan is a long-range planning document containing goals, objectives, and policies of land use, development, and growth in Essex.
Alongside the Official Plan, an update has been made to the Colchester Hamlet Secondary Plan which is intended to guide residential and commercial growth in the Hamlet of Colchester, and improve connections to the Lake Erie waterfront.
The Official Plan will be focused on several key areas including growth management, affordable housing, parks and open spaces, agriculture and specialty crops, natural heritage, among other areas.
Essex mayor Sherry Bondy says Colchester is looking to change the most in upcoming years.
"The Colchester area is a secondary settlement area, so it's not a primary settlement area, in our primary settlement areas that's where we really want development. But Colchester is very unique in what it has to offer, so that's why we made sure to hold different open houses in different areas of our municipality."
She says in terms of housing and growth in Essex - it's estimated that by 2051 the Town will have close to 30,000 people - a 10,000 increase from now.
"We're not given any more residential expansion, I mean in terms of farm land. We have to look at developing on existing sites, looking at infill developing, and looking at intensifications. So, that's really how can we get more houses on our current vacant lands, and potentially look at going up."
Bondy says aside from housing, there are other important factors to think about for the Official Plan.
"We're looking to focus on natural heritage systems, and ensuring that we have enough greenspace going forward for multi-generations recreation leisure. We're really making sure that we're looking at active transportation, we're building homes where there's safe pedestrian crossing environments."
The Official Plan is set to be adopted this fall, however Bondy says she's unsure of an exact date of when that will be approved by council as it depends on how much public feedback they receive.
Residents can review the draft plan on the Town's website. Those who can't attend the open houses can submit written comments to the Town online.
The first open house will be August 28 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Colchester Harbour Community Centre. This open house will have a focus on the Colchester Secondary Plan.
The second open house will take place on September 4 at the Essex Arena Shaheen Room from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a focus on the municipal-wide Official Plan.
And the final open house will take place on September 11 at the Harrow Arena Community Room from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. - again with a focus on the municipal-wide Official Plan.