Today, the City of Barrie, the Township of Oro-Medonte, the Township of Springwater, and the County of Simcoe released the following statement:
“The City of Barrie, the Township of Oro-Medonte, the Township of Springwater, and the County of Simcoe (“the municipalities”) continue to be engaged in facilitated discussions, with the intent of developing mutually acceptable approaches to address growth pressures in the broader region. These discussions are being supported by the Office of the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator (OPLDF), a provincial agency.
In September, the parties jointly retained Hemson Consulting to complete a Joint Land Needs Analysis and Study. This study was intended to determine the need for additional employment and/or residential land within and around the City of Barrie, the Township of Oro-Medonte, and the Township of Springwater.
The study is now complete and is available on each municipality’s website (Barrie, Oro-Medonte, Springwater) and will be presented and discussed at upcoming Council meetings for each municipality on December 11. At that time, each Council will be requested to receive the study and consider re-engaging Hemson to prepare a work plan to complete a more detailed analysis of the options for further consideration by all parties. This work plan will serve as a foundation for further discussions moving forward.
More details regarding next steps in the continued discussions, will be shared as they become available. The City of Barrie, the Township of Oro-Medonte, the Township of Springwater, and the County of Simcoe remain committed to finding mutually beneficial solutions for managing growth that strengthen our respective communities and provide opportunities for all residents.”