After more than 20 years, development in north Bradford is seeing progress

Part of Bradford’s north end could finally be ready for development after decades of uncertainty.

Council approved the terms of reference and directed staff to work with a group of landowners on a plan to develop about 67 hectares east and west of Yonge Street, south of the 9 Line and north of the Bradford Bypass, known as under the name of Special Policy Area 8 (SPA8), during the ordinary meeting of the council on 18 June.

Originally included in Bradford’s official plan in 2002 as Community Plan Area 5, SPA8 was continued in the city’s official plan for 2023, which identified the need to manage and direct growth in the area, according to a report by Ray Kelso, senior planner.

Mayor James Leduc called the process a “great opportunity” to address “the needs and wants of the community.”

“This is actually going to be a historic moment for all of you,” he told the council. “You’ll be proud to say you were a part of (SPA8).”

The area is currently designated as predominantly commercial/industrial or low-density residential, and to create a secondary plan for the area – intended to provide more detail and development objectives – the terms of reference list specific background studies that landowners will need to have completed, some of which include: land use, environmental and heritage studies and master plans for transportation, water and sewer service, and stormwater management.

Kevin Bechard, senior associate at IPS Consulting Inc., spoke on behalf of the SPA8 owners at the start of the meeting during the open forum and assured the board that the group is not suggesting any changes to the report.

“It’s a detailed process and there’s been a lot of back and forth to get what we think is a very good approach to a secondary plan,” he said.

However, Bechard acknowledged the group is considering converting some of the land for employment to residential, which is what Ward 3 Coun. Ben Verkaik, who wanted to see shopping facilities “stretched across the city” so people “can walk to a shop”.

“If we’re going to build more houses, we need more auto shops, we need more places for people to work,” he said. “We just have to maintain that balance.”

The conditions also set out a work plan divided into four main phases, with the following anticipated timelines:

1. Existing conditions and basic technical studies (second to fourth quarter 2024)
2. Vision, goals and targets, including development concepts (first to third quarter 2025)
3. Development of a draft secondary plan (third quarter 2025 to second quarter 2026)
4. Completion of secondary plan (second to third quarter of 2026)

Landowner consultants are expected to provide updates to council at the end of phases 1 and 2, and a public meeting is expected to be held at the end of phase 3 to present and solicit feedback on the secondary project, according to the report. plan.

Bechard confirmed that work is already underway to assess environmental conditions and take soil samples and anticipates that technical studies will be completed by the end of this year.

Whether or not all the targets can be met could depend on external factors, and both Bechard and Kelso noted five key issues facing the area relating to the Bradford Bypass and the city’s growth management plan:

1. The location of infrastructure to provide municipal water and sewer services in the area depends in part on service corridors and right-of-way, which could be negotiated with the Ministry of Transportation or nearby landowners.
2. A recent change to the bypass route reduces the amount of land available for development in the area by approximately 9.53 hectares.
3. Depending on the final design of the bypass, the extension of Professor Day Drive north into the area could cross the bypass as either an underpass or an overpass, which could affect how the land could be developed.
4. Depending on the results of the city’s growth management plan, the boundaries of the settlement could be expanded, and SPA8 landowner consultants suggest including approximately 25.5 hectares of additional land already owned by one of the landowners in the group.
5. A “significant” amount of land in the area is designated for commercial/industrial use and how much can be converted to residential or other uses is expected to be determined as part of the growth management plan.

Following a recent announcement providing more certainty about the bypass, as well as a number of provincial policy changes, the city continues to work on its growth management strategy, which is why “now was the right time” for council to consider the terms. reference and work plan for SPA8, according to Kelso.

Section 7 Con. Peter Dykie said he appreciated Bechard speaking at the meeting and was glad to see “the right players at the table” cooperating to move forward.

“There’s a lot of potential there in the north end of town,” he said. “There is a community that can be formed.”