Bolton Community Improvement Plan

TAKE NOTICE that Council for The Corporation of the Town of Caledon will be holding a virtual Public Meeting on Monday, January 17, 2022 at 7 p.m. under Section 28 of the Planning Act to consider an updated Community Improvement Plan (CIP).

The purpose of the virtual meeting is to provide the public with an opportunity to understand and comment on the proposed Plan, which relates to certain lands within the community of Bolton.

Please note: Due to continuing efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 and to protect individuals, Town Hall will not be open to the public to attend Public Meetings until further notice. These meetings will be held electronically.

Purpose

A Community Improvement Plan is a document that is developed under Section 28 of the Ontario Planning Act and is primarily used by municipalities to promote revitalization within the community.

The existing Bolton Community Improvement Plan was adopted by Council in 2009 and was intended to be a 10-year document. The Town has undertaken an update of the Bolton Community Improvement Plan to ensure that the plan remains relevant and successfully serves the community. The outcome of the update process will include a revised Community Improvement Plan with additional financial incentive programs, Town-lead initiatives for community revitalization, and an updated Community Improvement Plan Area.

The updated Draft Bolton Community Improvement Plan includes goals and objectives for Town revitalization, along with incentive programs for eligible landowners and businesses to make improvements to their buildings or properties. Incentive programs available through the Bolton Community Improvement Plan offer support for building façade revitalization, signage, energy efficiency, landscaping improvements, relief from planning application or building fees, among others.

Public Participation

The public meeting is an opportunity for members of the public to learn more about the proposed Community Improvement Plan.

You are invited to participate in the public meeting by submitting comments and/or concerns via email to agenda@caledon.ca by noon on the day of the meeting in order that they can be circulated to Members of Council prior to the start of the meeting. Comments will form part of the public record.

Anyone wishing to speak to Council virtually (audio-telephone in) must register on the Town’s website or email the Town’s Legislative Services at Legislative.Services@Caledon.ca no later than Monday, January 17, 2022 at noon. When your registration is received, a confirmation message and instructions for participating in the virtual public meeting will be provided.

Please provide your full name, address, contact details and the item you wish to speak to when contacting the Legislative Services. Please note that all comments will become part of the public record.

How to Participate

To listen to the meeting (but not participate), call 1-833-311-4101, access code: 2632 488 5472#.

To ask questions or provide comments:

• Submit written comments by uploading them directly through the electronic registration form found of the Town of Caledon’s website.
• Submit written correspondence to agenda@caledon.ca and planning@caledon.ca for consideration during the Public Meeting. Please note that written comments will form part of the public record.
• Contact Town staff during office hours by phone or email.
• Booking an appointment to visit Town Hall to speak with Town staff. Visit caledonbusiness.ca for more information.

View the full Notice at: https://caledon.ca/notices

The Town of Caledon has undertaken a review and update to the 2009 Bolton Community Improvement Plan. The overall objective of this Project is to develop a contemporary and relevant strategy that identifies an updated direction for municipal led initiatives and establishes appropriate financial incentive programs that will continue to facilitate private sector investment and revitalization within Bolton. The Project is being undertake in two phases over a six month work plan. It was formally launched in August 2021 and concludes in 2022.

The Strategic Directions Report and Project Area Analysis has been prepared under Phase 1 of the Project. Phase 2 of the Project will include preparing an updated Community Improvement Plan and Community Improvement Project Area. These updated documents will then be presented to Council for adoption following a Statutory Public Meeting.

The following provides and Executive Summary of the Strategic Directions Report.

The findings of this Report offers the following strategic recommendations to inform an updated revitalization strategy:

A total of nine financial incentive programs are proposed. Six of the existing eight financial incentive program are recommended to be carried forward, while three new programs are identified.

The proposed new programs being explored are:

• Flood Mitigation and Protection: Offers incentives to offset costs associated with undertaking background study or heightened design, engineering and/or construction considerations to mitigate and protect against flooding from the Humber River for mixed-use and commercial buildings.
• Privately Owned Public Space: Offers incentives to eligible applicants to facilitate revitalization and physical improvements to the appearance or function of privately owned property that is publicly accessible and regularly used as such.
• Sidewalk Café and Patio Program: Offers incentives to eligible applicants to facilitate the installation of sidewalk cafes and patios to enhance activation of the streetscape.

An updated municipal leadership strategy is proposed. It reflects key recommended programs and initiatives that may be undertaken by the Town to further facilitate the revitalization vision, goals, and objectives of Bolton. New municipal leadership strategy actions that are recommended include:

• Celebrate Success: Formally celebrate “stories of success” to promote the CIP and to recognize local champions who have undertaken exemplary community improvement works.
• Climate Change Action: Recognize the Town’s commitment to climate change adaptation, mitigation, and resilience by meaningfully advancing the guiding principles through the CIP.
• Improve Local and Regional Transportation: Consider improving multi-modal transportation infrastructure and connections within Bolton itself, as well as with other communities of the Town and the Region.
• Collaborate with Partners: The long-term success of the CIP will necessarily require ongoing collaboration with key partners from both the public and private sector, as well as both locally and across jurisdictions
• Review Relevant Studies: Consider undertaking new or additional studies where warranted or deemed appropriate to augment the revitalization objectives of an updated CIP.
• Programming: Focus of facilitating and organizing public gatherings and events within the downtown core to contribute to the ongoing revitalization efforts of Bolton.

The Report also establishes the following observations and additional general recommendations:

• The Town has undertaken numerous studies and plans since 2009, and there is a need to revisit the 2009 Community Improvement Plan within the current land use planning context;
• Overall, the implementation policies of the 2009 Community Improvement Plan have functioned well for administrators of the Plan and are generally consistent with more contemporary practice. Only scoped refinements to these policies are recommended;
• There is no apparent need to replicate or reiterate the guidelines that are already available and provide supplemental design guidance based on current urban design best practice within the Town; and
• The existing Community Improvement Project Area is generally recommended to be carried forward, subject to refinement as an outcome of the engagement and consultation program of this Project.

This Report may be revisited and subsequently finalized at Project conclusion.

The full Strategic Directions Report Summary is available under “Documents” in the right sidebar.

If you have any questions or comments please forward to Sandra Dolson, Sandra.dolson@caledon.ca

Thank you to those who responded to our recent survey. As we look to update the 2009 Bolton Community Improvement Plan, your feedback is important.

Highlights

It's clear from the responses that people care about Bolton. They value the small-town, friendly feel, the amenities, the green space, the heritage vibe (downtown). But there are challenges, too: traffic, pedestrian access/connectivity, shopping choices, and need for revitalization.

Next steps

The data collected through the entire consultation phase of the project is being analyzed and will be used to guide the Strategic Directions Report. The Report will be available on this site in the coming weeks. The draft CIP document will be posted in December and a Public Information meeting scheduled for January. Please stay tuned by subscribing to this project (see the sidebar at right to subscribe).

Summary

55 people took the survey.

Here is a selection of the data.

QUESTION:
Describe Bolton as you know it today (what it offers and what characterizes the community).

The most common positive responses: small town, friendly, peaceful, lots of amenities, safe, abundance of green space, heritage preservation.

Comments about challenges or room for improvement: too much traffic/too many trucks, revitalization of downtown and south hill needed, not enough of certain types of retail (clothing), lack of transit, encourage changes on private property (vacant buildings and fence between commercial properties).

QUESTION:
Bolton as you wish to see it in the future (what it will offer, what will excite people, and what will attract people and businesses to the community).

The most common responses: Stay small, more parking, better connectivity/sidewalks/trails, improved road and transit options, more residential development downtown, more business diversity

QUESTION:
There may be some actions or initiatives the Town can undertake to support community improvement.

The top three choices:

• Improved appearance of streets/sidewalks
• Enhanced trails and pathways
• More pedestrian-oriented furniture and features

Chart 1: What actions can the Town undertake to support community improvements?

QUESTION:
CIPs can be used to achieve many community benefits. Rank the importance of the activities provided.

Top three responses (ranked):

• Preserving community heritage
• Improving attractiveness of commercial areas
• Redevelopment of former industrial or brownfield sites

Chart 2: How would you rank the following benefits?

QUESTION:
Are there specific commercial and industrial areas of the community that you believe are in need of improvement, redevelopment, or revitalization?

Most common answers:

• Industrial area should be greener/revitalized
• Downtown core – Chapel, Mill and Elm Street, old fire hall, empty storefronts, garbage
• South Hill – strip malls

QUESTION:
Do you have any additional questions?

There were a couple responses where we were asked how to access the CIP grant programs.

• Answer: If you are a commercial or industrial business or property owner in Bolton contact Economic Development staff at business@caledon.ca or 416-460-4177 to see if you are located in the CIP area (CIPA) and if your improvement project may meet the eligibility criteria.

Please note: Comments outside of the scope/area of the project have been passed on to the appropriate Town departments.

Be sure to subscribe to this project to stay informed about future engagement opportunities.