The Honourable Wes MacAleer, Minister of Community Services, announced today an extension of up to eight weeks to the "temporary regulations" which apply to the Special Planning Areas around the cities of Charlottetown and Summerside, and the towns of Cornwall and Stratford. "These temporary regulations, which were adopted during the amalgamation process undertaken by the Province several years ago, were due to expire on August 18," explained Mr. MacAleer.
"These regulations, which have been extended twice previously, serve the purpose of restricting development from occurring just outside of urban areas, which can lead to the requirement of urban services being provided, but also they serve the purpose of controlling conflicts between urban and rural land uses. These conflicts are becoming more and more prevalent, as more land is being put into agricultural, forestry or aquaculture production, while housing starts continue to increase in rural areas," said the Minister.
"For these reasons, Government is committed to the continuation of the buffer zones," stated Mr. MacAleer. "Through the recent consultation process carried out with affected municipal councils and the general public, a longer term solution has been identified, but the regulations may require some modifications before being brought forward for adoption by Executive Council."
It is anticipated that the revisions will include a provision to allow landowners in the buffer areas to subdivide residential lots for their children. The eight-week extension was approved to allow departmental staff the time required to finalize the management plans and regulations to reflect this potential change. Any changes will not affect the overall good performance of the buffer areas since their inception in 1994 and 1995.
At the same time, steps will be taken to put forward a plan to deal with the issue of sprawl development on a province-wide basis. This issue was raised frequently during the consultation and will be reflected initially in the Kensington Special Planning Area process, which was recommended by the Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship, and endorsed by the Standing Committee on Community Affairs and Economic Development of the Legislative Assembly. Work on this will begin this fall.
Mr. MacAleer concluded by saying, "I would like to acknowledge the contribution that both the municipal councils and the general public have made to this process. I am confident that at the end of this short extension, a viable solution to deal with most of the issues raised will be finalized."
For more information contact: Anne Marie Smith at 368-5269