Residents are being asked to participate in an 18-month process that will lead to a new set of guidelines for land use, development and sustainability in Region of Queens Municipality (RQM).
Dartmouth-based planning and design firm UPLAND was awarded a $138,000 contract in July to spearhead the modernization of RQM’s municipal planning strategy and land use bylaws. The company is now embarking on a citizen engagement process in Queens, applying best practices from similar work in other municipalities.
“We really try to reach out,” said UPLAND’s engagement manager, Erica Brooks. “We meet people where they’re at as much as possible and use different methods to make it easier for people to have their say.”
The engagement process has already begun, with information cards being placed in post offices and the first of 10 “pop-up” consultations held recently at the Liverpool farmers market. “We got some really good feedback,” Brooks said. “We reached about 40 people throughout the course of it, including seasonal residents, market goers and vendors.”
The province requires municipalities to make periodic updates to their planning strategies. RQM’s current strategy is more than nine years old and in need of modernization, said Mayor David Dagley.
“It’s time to revisit what we have,” he said. “We won’t discard the entire process we have now and start from scratch. We will build on what we have and amend as necessary.”
Public consultations are a vital component of the review process and were a pre-requisite for companies bidding on the contract with RQM, Dagley said.
“We want to ensure that the community members and citizens, as well as our seasonal residents, have meaningful input,” he said. “I do believe that UPLAND is putting the information out to the public using a variety of methods and means.”
In addition to pop-up consultations and information cards, UPLAND’s engagement plan includes posters, advertising, social media posts, an online survey and two rounds of public meetings. The first round of public meetings will take place in late September and early October, although dates have not yet been announced.
“At those meetings we’re going to give a presentation on some of the key issues that we already know are present in Queens County, like housing, the economy and the local environment,” said Brooks. “Then we’ll guide people through some interactive activities and discussions to better understand their personal experiences and what they’re hoping to address in those areas in the next 10 or 20 years.”
Several public meeting locations, including Caledonia and Greenfield, are expected. “I know that during the process there will be community stakeholder meetings in all areas of Queens,” Dagley said. “I would think that any individual that wants to be heard will certainly be given that opportunity.”
In a July news release, RQM listed its “guiding principles” for the review of its municipal planning strategy and land use bylaws. These include building sustainable communities, balancing urban and rural interests, growing the population and economy, preserving “community character” and responding to climate change.
According to Dagley, UPLAND and RQM are entering the review process with open minds and have not made any decisions in advance of public consultations. “I have not heard any preconceived direction that we would like to take, other than of course we want to ensure some of our priorities moving forward,” he said.
For more information about the review of RQM’s municipal planning strategy and land use bylaw, visit http://www.queensplan.com.
LighthouseNow Progress Bulletin
September 12, 2018
Scott Costen 