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Update

Council adopted Official Plan Amendment No. 96 on November 9, 2010. These policies are now under review by the Niagara Region, pending approval.

• Official Plan Amendment No. 96 Text
• Official Plan Amendment No. 96 Schedules
• Official Plan Amendment No. 96 Notice of Adoption

Background

The environmental policies in the City's Official Plan have been in place, with some amendment, since approval of the Plan in 1993. In response to the Provincial initiatives and the recent approval of new environmental policies under the Regional Niagara Policy Plan, the City has adopted new environmental policies with the aim of providing a health future for our environment and citizens.

The amendment proposes the amalgamation of all natural heritage policies into one section of the Official Plan which is broken down into: the Natural Heritage System (general policies) and Land Use designations.

The Natural Heritage System policies identify the approach taken within the Official Plan to protect and enhance the City's natural heritage. It involves:

• a wide scale approach to the identification of features and their interdependence by assessing them on a watershed scale
• the need for an environmental impact study for development proposals on or adjacent to natural heritage features
• maintaining and/or creating corridors and linkages between natural features
• the protection of the quality and quantity of ground and surface water
• protecting the City's tree cover

Old Tree Two Land Use Designations are proposed: Environmental Protection Area (EPA) and Environmental Conservation Area (ECA). The EPA is a more restrictive designation which limits uses to those related to natural heritage conservation. In addition to the uses permitted under EPA, the ECA designation allows uses that are ancillary to heritage conservation. Adjacent lands to the individual features located within the EPA and ECA designations have been mapped based on Ministry of Natural Resources guidelines. Any site alteration or development on lands within or adjacent to these land use designations will require an environmental impact study to ensure that there will be no negative impact on heritage features or their function.