Development of new official plan for Township of Wellesley officially kicks off

Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The development of a new official plan for the Township of Wellesley is officially underway.

At the Aug. 26 Wellesley council meeting, councillors heard from professional planner Joe Nethery of Nethery Planning, the development consulting firm hired by Wellesley to help it develop a new official plan, about the process that will unfold over the next year to develop the comprehensive land-use policy framework that will guide growth and development over the next 30 years.

“Why is this plan needed?” Nethery asked, noting the township’s existing official plan adopted in 2015 is still relatively new from a planning perspective. “ … There have been a number of changes not just at the provincial level, but also in the elimination of Waterloo Region’s responsibilities in land-use planning. … That puts new pressures and new responsibilities on the Corporation of the Township of Wellesley to be making some of these decisions around growth management, around development going forward.

“The region is still there … to help out how they can, but this is a document that is being prepared, driven and owned by the township. It still requires approval; it will go to the province in their London office, so there still remains that additional check that needs to happen.”

At the moment, Nethery said the township has two official plans – Wellesley’s 2015 official plan and the Region of Waterloo’s official plan. As part of this process, Nethery said the consultants will help the township consolidate the policies of both plans into one. The new official plan will also recognize the new Provincial Planning Statement, and the consultants will work to update and develop new policies that address land use, housing, employment, infrastructure, transportation, recreation, environment and preservation of agricultural lands.

Based on the 2021 census, the Township of Wellesley has a population of 11,900 residents across 3,365 households, and 5,500 people work in the township. By 2051, the population is expected to grow by 20 per cent, to 13,600 residents, while the number of jobs is expected to grow to 6,600.

“The difference of 1,700 new residents in a municipality with a population of, I’m using 11,900 today because that’s what’s in the region’s plan; that is a big jump for a small place like this,” Nethery said. “So, how is it that we can deliver those new residents, those new jobs – an additional 1,100 jobs being forecasted through the region’s official plan exercise – and where do they go and how does that get accommodated?

“We did a great, extensive tour of the township and saw plenty of agricultural operations on farms, industrial and diversified uses that really delivers a unique economic situation in this township – far different from most other places where I am working today. This truly is a very special place with a very unique character, and it’s very important to me – at least early and upfront, having worked on the project for two months now – that (the township’s) character is to be recognized, that it be enshrined and it be enhanced in this official plan going forward. That, at the core, is what we plan to do.”

Nethery also made note of the Township of Wellesley’s relatively youthful median age, 35.2, which he said is younger than the median age of both the wider region and the province as a whole.

Looking ahead, Nethery laid out a project timeline for the development of a new official plan, which includes the development of a workplan consultation and public-engagement strategy in its first phase; the preparation of background reports and studies, as well as extensive community engagement in its second phase; the development of draft policies and land-use maps in its third phase; and finalizing plans and policies in its fourth and final phase. The official plan is expected to come before council for final approval by June 2026.

Nethery explained community and stakeholder engagement will take place throughout the project and will include public meetings, one-on-one conversations, consultation with local agencies, pop-up events, public focus groups, open houses, council workshops and updates, and engagement with local Indigenous groups. He told council the public-engagement portion of the project had already begun as staff and consultants were at last weekend’s Wellesley Fall Fair speaking with attendees about their thoughts on the project.

That public engagement continued at the council meeting Aug. 26 as Mayor Joe Nowak opened the meeting up to the floor for comments and feedback. One resident took to the council-chamber podium to ask how sustainable and green development standards could be implemented in the new official plan to reduce the environmental impact of new development in Wellesley over time.

“Feedback received. We are going to take that in and consider what it is we can do,” Nethery responded. “Not to be a wet blanket, but I’m sure you’re aware of the recent provincial legislation that tries to scope out items like green-development standards from municipal purview. I’m not going to sit here and say it eliminates all this completely. We are definitely here to incorporate, should, of course, that be what people are looking for and is good planning – anything that we can do to improve the environmental performance of developments, of the community as a whole.

“There is a defined role within the Planning Act that we can take on of these items. We will make sure the township stays within that to avoid ministry staff in London recommending the red pen come out and take stuff away. We obviously want to have a successful plan and we’re looking forward to figuring out how that works for the Township of Wellesley.”

For more information and to stay up to date with the development of Wellesley’s new official plan, visit www.engagewr.ca/official-plan or email officialplanreview@wellesley.ca.