Grimsby Greenbelt already partly developed

But ‘vital agricultural land’ will be lost to more housing The two properties identified in Niagara — both in Grimsby — include about 30 hectares on Main Street where roughly 90 single detached homes have already been built

While about 35 hectares of land in Niagara has been identified in the Ontario government’s plan to remove roughly 3,000 hectares of farmland from the Greenbelt, Niagara Region’s planning and development commissioner Michelle Sergi said much of the property in Niagara has already been partially developed.

Sergi told regional councillors at Thursday’s meeting the provincial legislation approved Monday will remove “significant tracts in the hundreds of hectare range of vital agricultural land that will be removed from the Greenbelt plan,” replacing it with an equivalent amount of land primarily in the Milton area.

However, she said the two properties identified in Niagara — both in Grimsby — include about 30 hectares on Main Street where roughly 90 single detached homes have already been built, as well as about five hectares on Winston Road where an existing place of worship, a church hall and religious retreat were located, both predating the establishment of the Greenbelt.

“We consider these lands to be effectively already utilized, not truly part of an agricultural system,” she said.

Despite a report from regional staff that does not oppose the removal of the property from Greenbelt protection and identifies two additional plots of land that could be removed — property south of the future GO Train station planned

for Grimsby as well as waterfront land in Lincoln where a hotel is now located — Sergi said staff continues to support the Greenbelt and the need to protect agricultural land, especially in Niagara “where it’s so vital to our economy.”

Sergi said the timing of any development that occurs on those lands is a concern.

“I think by 2025 they need to have shovels in the ground, was the expectation,” she said.

“Meeting those timelines given some of the challenges associated with the provincial plans and the policy requirements, as well as the fact that these lands are in some parts a redevelopment, would be challenging,” she said.

As a result of those concerns, Grimsby town council approved a motion at its last meeting expressing concerns about the time frame as well as concerns about Bill 23 overall.

Grimsby Mayor Jeff Jordan said town councillors were also concerned the plans to remove those two properties could lead to “further erosion of our Greenbelt area in Grimsby.”

He said town councillors would have preferred to see some of the property identified for removal from the Greenbelt remain protected.

Although Jordan said the undeveloped property in the area has not been used for agriculture, it has “naturalized quite well” with tree cover.

“It’s keeping wildlife, probably, away from other built-up areas.”

Lincoln Coun. Rob Foster was one of several councillors concerned about the legislation’s potential impact on protected farmland.

“There’s an awful lot of controversy going on with regards to Bill 23 and the switching in and out of the Greenbelt,” Foster said. “I happen to be somewhat ill at ease about removing things from the Greenbelt.”