Frustration was expressed before Sarnia council withdrew a Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator (CIHA) Order request on Monday.
As part of the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024, the provincial government is proposing to amend the planning act to remove CIHA orders and regulate a Minister's Zoning Order (MZO) instead.
Councillor George Vandenberg questioned city staff about delays while discussing the topic.
"We're now almost into three years since we approved area three in Bright's Grove, and again I'm looking at outside areas -- like the future city of Plympton-Wyoming and the future city of Corunna -- that seem to be building faster and faster and we're building nothing," said Vandenberg. "Can somebody explain to me why we are not moving on this when it's supposed to be an accelerator?"
Community Services General Manager Stacey Forfar said the timeline was based on requirements which keep changing.
"We did bring several reports back to council as updates, but this has been an arduous process. The province has now come back and reversed their initial decision to move forward with this type of an application and these are no longer being accepted," said Forfar.
She said staff could make a CIHA application, but it would be sent back to them.
"(The province has) gone back to what have historically been the ministerial zoning orders with a much higher threshold and a test to achieve," she said. "So, at this point in time, this would be a significant undertaking for the city if council would like to pursue private property owner rights through this process, or we can revert back to what has been a historic practice, which is private property owners make their own application for this."
Landowners will be encouraged to form a group to prepare submissions.
Forfar said the challenge with the city making the application, is that the growth work already paid for doesn't support development area three.
"It is a significant undertaking to bring new raw lands online anywhere in the province," Forfar said. "These lands have never had developable rights ever, and at any point in time private property owners could have made an application over the years. This has never not been allowed by any private property owner. For the city to do it, it is a significant undertaking. At a minimum we will require $500,000 in a reserve fund to access and we will have to go (through a) third party for this."
Staff were directed to request a CIHA Order for the boundary expansion, east of Brigden Road and west of Waterworks Road, in April 2023.
The instruction followed appeals to the new Sarnia Official Plan, after the document was returned by the County of Lambton with the settlement boundary expansion removed.