FAQs
- Environmental Impact Studies;
- Traffic Impact Studies;
- Servicing Option Reports/Functional Servicing Study which evaluates Infrastructure needs and Improvement;
- Archaeological Studies;
- Hydro Geological, Stormwater Management;
- Noise and Vibration Studies;
- More housing density across the province,
- End exclusionary municipal rules that block or delay new housing,
- Depoliticize the housing approvals process,
- Prevent abuse of the housing appeals system, and
- Financial support to municipalities that build more housing.
What is a Ministerial Zoning Order or “MZO"?
A Ministerial Zoning Order or “MZO” is a tool under the Planning Act which allows the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to make certain decisions respecting planning matters including the authorization of rezoning.
Why was the MZO application necessary?
There is a critical shortage of attainable housing in the West Parry Sound area. This MZO will speed up the process of addressing this problem by several years.
Now that the MZO has been approved, what are the next steps?
These lands are like any land in Seguin Township that is zoned residential, but undeveloped.
Before the lands are developed, further land use permissions are required, such as a plan of subdivision. In order for future development to be permitted, some of the following studies (amongst others) may be required:
Such studies will form part of any subdivision or condominium application for Council to consider. The build out of the lands will take time. However, approval of the MZO is an exciting milestone for the region.
What will the environmental impacts be?
The Planning Justification Report will include an Environmental Impact Report that will determine any constraints to development from an ecological or natural heritage perspective. Any development in this area will undergo the same approval process as projects elsewhere in Seguin Township, in line with the official plan, which is guided by strict environmental regulations
What studies have been commissioned to date and what are the outcomes?
The MZO submission included an Environmental Constraints Analysis completed by Hutchinson Environmental Sciences Ltd., a Preliminary Functional Servicing Report completed by Tatham Engineering and the Planning Justification Report completed by MHBC Planning Urban Design and Landscape Architecture.
These reports are available on this website.
How will the new development be serviced and how will these services be paid for?
As outlined in the preliminary functional servicing report, there are several options for servicing the proposed lands including private services, communal services or alternatively through a servicing agreement with the Town of Parry Sound. Any and all costs and risks associated with any of the options outlined in the report are the responsibility of Seguin Township and would be borne by the development through development charges and local service improvements.
What impact would the rezoning have on West Parry Sound residents? What about access to social services, health care, education and emergency services?
Social services boards across the province have repeatedly stated the dire need for affordable housing. The proposed new residential development is not expected to have a strain on the services offered by District of Parry Sound Social Services. Rather an increase in housing supply will initiate the evolution of home ownership. Those in rental units who could purchase a home at an attainable price could do so, thereby opening up additional rental units for those who are without or are leveraging publicly funded resources needed to have a roof over their heads.
The health care sector has expressed concerns of a shortage of healthcare professionals in the region citing the challenge of attracting doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals is in part due to an exceptionally low supply of housing options in the district. This is demonstrated by the letter of support included in the MZO submission from the West Parry Sound Health Centre Board.
Homes being built in the proposed area will be built incrementally over the course of many years. Seguin Township along with the collaborative efforts of the West Parry Sound municipalities will continue our collective efforts with our partners at the school board and the Ministry of Education to ensure that education plans and resources reflect community growth.
Expanding housing options using this MZO process is the first step in a long-term plan. Growth will be incremental and not the explosive and rapid growth. This will allow emergency services departments to grow and expand as the population grows. These homes will be serviced by Seguin Township Fire services and should there be the need for additional support from the Town of Parry Sound or other municipalities, our existing mutual assistance agreements have and will continue to be beneficial for each of us.
What is the intended scale of the development and what studies support this scale of housing in the area?
The scale of the development has many varying factors that will be determined at the time of a plan of subdivision submission. The functional servicing analysis completed sets targets subject to the type of servicing that shows ranges as low as 100 units up to 2500 units with full municipal servicing.
There is ample documentation (including the outcome from a local housing summit held in May 2019) that demonstrates the region is in need of additional housing. Further to this and as recently as February 7, 2022, the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force released its findings after several months of throughout analysis into the housing crisis in Ontario. The report highlights a number of key themes that apply to all communities across the province including:
Seguin believes this housing initiative directly aligns with the Provincial priority of increasing the housing supply in all corners of Ontario and addresses an immediate need locally in the West Parry Sound District.
How might Town of Parry Sound residents be impacted financially by this new development?
Seguin Township is committed to understanding the Town of Parry Sound's concerns about how this initiative might impact its current residents. Seguin is undertaking a Development Charges Background study to ensure all costs associated with development are borne by the development. Seguin believes that development pays for development and no resident in the Town of Parry Sound or any other West Parry Sound municipalities will be burdened with the costs of this development.
Seguin views this housing initiative as an accelerator that will bolster the local economy, put more residents to work, create new jobs, bring new residents into the Town of Parry Sound’s commercial shopping plazas, restaurants, and businesses. We are confident that this initiative will be a win-win for the entire district.
If increasing attainable housing Seguin’s primary objective in submitting the MZO, why does the application outline 17 land uses, 13 of which are not housing designations?
The MU (mixed use) zoning was the recommended zoning applied in Seguin's MZO. This approach was taken as the uses allowed are considered complementary to the goal of providing attainable housing on condition that opportunities for future mixed uses and public service facilities will be necessary to support the housing.
The intent behind including commercial/retail uses in the MZO is to ensure that the daily needs of new residents could be met. A municipality cannot expect to bring affordable/attainable housing units on line and not provide the residents with the ability to address their daily needs within walking distance; recognizing that for families who require attainable/affordable housing that luxuries such as a vehicle to complete the grocery shopping for instance, just is not necessarily in their budget.
Seguin's intent remains to bring attainable and affordable housing to the district; the MU zoning supports this initiative and is not intended to foster large scale commercial development.