Smithville Master Community Plan
Background Characterization
Background characterization provides a greater understanding of the existing conditions and challenges facing Smithville that must be taken into consideration when planning for future growth. Various studies are underway or have been completed for the following disciplines:
The findings from the above studies, along with those of the Subwatershed Study, help to inform the Concept Plans (both preliminary and final) for the MCP.
Click on the links above or scroll down to learn more.
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Water and Wastewater
The Township of West Lincoln and the Regional Municipality of Niagara need to understand what new water and wastewater infrastructure is required to meet planned future growth in the most economic and sustainable manner while considering phasing and capital/operating costs. Models are being used to confirm current and future infrastructure requirements to meet future growth based on the selected Smithville development concept.
- The Niagara Region Water and Wastewater hydraulic models were reviewed and updated to reflect the latest below ground linear (i.e. watermains/sanitary forcemains/gravity sewers) and above ground (i.e. water, pumping and storage, and wastewater pumping) infrastructure.
- We have reviewed the existing Niagara Region wastewater model and updated to reflect local sanitary sewer collection system.
- A suite of water and wastewater infrastructure projects has been identified that are required to meet MCP long term servicing demands.
- Identified key water distribution attributes (e.g. pipe size, flow rates, fire flows, and redundancy).
- Confirmed wastewater system capacities based on existing conditions.
- Identified the potential need for additional pumping (water and wastewater) and linear (e.g. water transmission mains, sanitary sewers) infrastructure.
- Infrastructure implementation will be subject to phasing that considers critical infrastructure in service dates.
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Transportation
A baseline understanding of existing transportation conditions is required to anticipate the impact of an urban boundary expansion and future population growth on transportation in and around Smithville. The baseline conditions need to consider all possible transportation modes in order to develop a sound understanding of the existing conditions in the town. This understanding informs whether parts of the transportation network currently have additional capacity or are already under strain. The review of the transportation network also needs to consider what the transportation network will be like in the future if there is no development and only existing committed development and municipal infrastructure plans were implemented. This process establishes an existing and future baseline (do nothing) scenario.
- We have reviewed the existing transportation network, conducted site visits and risk assessments, and have also developed an understanding of future planned schemes and infrastructure.
- A traffic model using 2019 data and traffic counts has been developed to show existing performance of road network and will be used to inform proposed land use concepts.
- On the existing network, most of the roads have more than 50% available capacity during the peak hours.
- The highest volumes are in the morning along RR20 and northbound on Canborough Street.
- There is inconsistent cycling and walking infrastructure within the community.
- There is some initial data available for the on-demand transit pilot that will be leveraged in this study.
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Agriculture
The long-term protection of quality agricultural lands is a priority of the Province of Ontario and has been addressed in the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020.The Township wants to ensure the protection and effective use of the community’s agricultural resources while planning for future growth in Smithville. Effective land use planning protects unique and high capability agricultural lands to allow for productive and sustainable farming, while permitting for controlled urban growth.
- An Agricultural Impact Assessment (AIA) was conducted for the study area and secondary study area (extending an additional 1.5km around the study area).
- The AIA identifies the community’s agricultural characteristics, assesses potential impacts to agriculture, develops recommendations and improvement measures to mitigate potential impacts to agriculture, farm operations in the study area and secondary study area.
- The predominant agricultural land use is common fields crops (e.g. corn, soybean, wheat).
- There are numerous residential units along Young Street, South Grimsby Road 6 and Regional Road 20.
- There are 129 potential agricultural facilities or complexes identified as having or have potential to house livestock.
- Canada Land Inventory and planning policy review indicate that lands are considered Prime Agricultural Lands and Prime Agricultural Areas, respectively.
- Future development in Smithville, while unavoidable within Prime Agricultural Areas, is to be minimized to what is necessary to accommodate projected growth and avoid areas within Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) 1 arc radii around agricultural facilities, such as barns.
Figure 1: The map illustrates the location of agricultural facilities and provides visual indicators of the Minimum Distance Separation calculated arcs from active and potential livestock facilities.
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Aggregate
The protection of mineral aggregate resources for long term use is a requirement of the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 (PPS). All decisions regarding mineral aggregate resources are required to be consistent with the PPS.
- An Aggregate Potential Assessment (APA) has been completed to characterize the Aggregate Potential through review of available background information and policy review.
- The areas of aggregate resource potential are confirmed.
- Background and policy review determined that while there are significant bedrock resources present within the local area, their development is not considered to be realistic given the nature of the extraction processes (e.g., significant blasting, impacts related to noise, dust, and traffic) and significant impacts to the community.
Aggregate Potential Assessment – Master Community Plan for Smithville is available here for review.
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Archaeology
The protection of archaeological resources is a requirement of the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020. The Township needs to have a good understanding of archaeological potential when planning for growth in and around Smithville.
- A Stage 1 archaeological assessment has been conducted for the study area using background research to describe the geography, land use history, previous archaeological fieldwork and current conditions of the study area to determine its archaeological potential.
- Some areas do not contain archaeological potential as it has been extensively and deeply disturbed by past residential and commercial construction activity or been cleared by previous assessments.
- There are sections of the study area that are not obviously disturbed and will therefore require a Stage 2 archaeological assessment.
- As the Smithville community design is refined and there is a better understanding of the planned impacts, areas that require further archaeological assessment will be examined against the type of impact planned to formulate the appropriate Stage 2 archaeological assessment strategy on a property by property basis.
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Cultural Heritage
The protection of cultural resources and landscapes is a requirement of the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020. The Township needs to have a good understanding of potential resources when planning for growth in and around Smithville. Public input from PIC0 stressed the importance of maintaining Smithville’s character as the community grows and develops. The identified resources and landscapes will be incorporated in subsequent phases of the project.
A Cultural Heritage Report has been completed in order to:
- Understand the built form of the existing urban area;
- Present a cultural heritage resource inventory of previously identified properties;
- Identify potential cultural heritage resources (properties not listed or designated but which may have cultural heritage value or interest); and,
- Propose appropriate high-level mitigation measures and recommendations for minimizing and avoiding negative impacts due to the urban growth plan on previously identified and potential cultural heritage resources.
- The Cultural Heritage Report identified and confirmed 111 cultural heritage resources (e.g. buildings, structures, monuments, installations, etc.) and three cultural heritage landscapes (e.g. group of buildings and structures, views, archaeological sites, natural elements that are valued together for their interrelationship, meaning or association).
Provide Feedback
We want to know what you think about the Smithville Master Community Plan!
To provide feedback on the MCP, including the draft Preferred Concept Plan, key policy directions and draft Official Plan Amendment No. 62 and 63, please click the link below.
Next Steps
The MCP Project has recently completed Phase 3 of its timeline, following the completion of the Preferred Concept Plan and the Monitoring, Management and Implementation Recommendations in consultation with review agencies, stakeholders and the public.
To learn more about what’s coming up for the Project and how you can be a part of the ongoing consultation, please click the link below.