Official Plan Review

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The Town of Petawawa is comprised of a diverse mixture of uses and natural features reflecting the municipality’s rural and urban roots, and its location at the junction of the Petawawa River and Ottawa River. The land uses and natural features that characterize the Town include residential subdivisions, waterfront cottages, commercial and industrial uses, high-quality mineral aggregate deposits, forestry, rural lands, an airport, a Provincial Park, community facilities, beaches, and islands.

Significant changes have occurred in Ontario and Renfrew County since the Official Plan was last updated. There is a significant opportunity to enhance the Official Plan to provide long-term economic and sustainable growth for all facets of the community.

The Town’s Official Plan was last updated in 2013 and approved in 2014, and under section 26 of the Planning Act is required to be updated every five years. The new Official Plan will establish innovative and contemporary policies to reflect the changing characteristics and demographics of the community and manage growth and development to the 2051 planning horizon.

Significant changes have occurred in the world and in Ontario in the eight years since the Official Plan was last updated.

There is a pressing need to find ways of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapting to the impacts of a changing climate (extreme weather, changing or unpredictable growing seasons, etc.).
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in enormous economic disruptions as well as a mass migration of people from larger urban centres to smaller municipalities like the Town of Petawawa in search of more space or more affordable housing.
The pandemic has also illustrated how vulnerable small businesses are to the shocks of disasters and how important it is for people to have access to recreation and open space, critical services, and active transportation opportunities close to their homes.

Key Dates

Notice of Special Meeting of Council - Town of Petawawa Official Plan Update - Wednesday, March 8th 6:30 pm. (in-person)
Invitation to Stakeholder Meeting - Stakeholder Meeting - Wednesday, March 29th 9:00 am (virtual presentation) Town of Petawawa Stakeholders Meeting _ 1-20230329_090354-Meeting Recording.mp4 (sharepoint.com)
Council Meeting - Council OP Briefing - Monday, June 19th, 6:30 pm In Council Chambers (in-person)
Invitation to Stakeholder Group and Public Opportunity Meetings - Tuesday, June 20th 2 pm - 4 pm and 5 pm - 7 pm. These in-person sessions will take place at the upstairs hall of the Petawawa Civic Centre.

Both sessions will start with a presentation outlining the progress of the Official Plan Update project and key recommendations for policy directions for the new Official Plan. The presentations will be followed by interactive engagement activity to gather feedback on the proposed policy directions to be addressed in the Official Plan. If interested in attending either session please RSVP by June 12th to Karen Cronier, Director of Planning and Development, Community Emergency Management Coordinator for the Town of Petawawa by email kcronier@petawawa.ca.

Project Contact

If you have questions or comments on the Official Plan Review, please contact:
Karen Cronier, Director of Planning and Development, kcronier@petawawa.ca 613-687-5536

Helpful Links

Planning Act - Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13 (ontario.ca)
Provincial Policy Statement - Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 | ontario.ca
Citizen’s Guide to Official Plans - Official plans | Citizen’s guide to land use planning | ontario.ca

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