The Town of Princeton is proposing zoning and Official Community Plan changes after an internal review revealed discrepancies between existing bylaws and real life.
Those changes will affect the municipally-owned Bridge View Park – which was built on Luard Avenue despite its residential zoning, and the property designated for the proposed indoor pool owned by the town on Bridge Street.
There is also a change proposed for one property on Billiter Avenue that is currently zoned as half Town Centre and half medium density residential.
“It’s just housekeeping,” said interim CAO Bob Wilson regarding the changes.
Should all the changes be approved after a consultation period Bridge View Park will go from medium density residential to parks and recreation, the pool lot will be rezoned from commercial to administration institutional, and the Pentecostal Church on Vermilion Avenue will go from low density multiple housing to administration institutional.
All these changes will be accompanied by amendments to the OCP
The dual–zoned property on Billieter will go to multi-family residential in both the zoning bylaw and the OCP.
There is also a OCP amendment proposed for 12 properties on the south side of Halliford Avenue from town centre land use to medium density residential. The zoning for these property is already correct.
In 2015 the OCP came under criticism by a number of business owners who did not realize their properties had been rezoned.
Several of those people have either received or are in the process of receiving amendments.
The following year the municipality planned a formal OCP review, but deferred the project.
Wilson said he does not believe a formal review is necessary at this time.
The cost of hiring someone to do the review would be approximately $50,000, he said.
“I personally don’t see any great need,” he said, adding that changes and amendments can be made on a case-by-case basis.