Land Evaluation & Area Review (LEAR) Study and Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) Review

Transcription

1 These displays were presented at the Public Information Open House for the Land Evaluation & Area Review (LEAR) Study and Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) Review April 3, pm-9pm Brampton Fairgrounds, Heart Lake Road Caledon, ON L7C 2J3

2 Welcome to the LEAR & MDS Review Public Information Open House

3 WHAT IS A PRIME AGRICULTURAL AREA? Is a land use designation in an Official Plan. Permits widest range of agriculture, agriculture-related and on-farm diversified uses. Provides highest degree of protection from incompatible non-farm uses. Ensures only the best lands with the highest potential for agriculture are identified as Prime Agricultural Area.

4 WHAT IS A LAND EVALUATION & AREA REVIEW (LEAR)? A LEAR is the Provincial standard for the identification of Prime Agricultural Areas by municipalities. It is a technical assessment of agricultural lands within a defined study area. Factors are selected, weighted, scored and applied to land parcels within a study area to produce a recommended identification or refinement of Prime Agricultural Areas for land use planning purposes. A LEAR identifies Prime Agricultural Areas based on two types of evaluation factors: LE Land Evaluation Factor Physical factors Example: - Canada Land Inventory (CLI) soil capability AR - Area Review Factor Social, environment and/or economic factors Example: -Conflicting Land Uses -Fragmentation of agricultural area

5 POLICY DIRECTION & GUIDANCE FOR COMPLETING A LEAR Provincial Policy Statement (PPS, 2005 & PPS, 2014) (s2.3.2) Planning authorities shall designate prime agricultural areas and specialty crop areas in accordance with guidelines developed by the Province, as amended from time to time. Region of Peel Official Plan (Section ) Undertake jointly with the Town of Caledon, a Land Evaluation and Area Review (LEAR) to review the identification of prime agricultural areas and to help ensure the protection of the prime agricultural area for long-term use for agriculture and to undertake research with the Town to review and assess the application of the Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) formulae in Peel. Provincial LEAR Guidelines Developed by OMAF, the guidelines provide the direction on how to complete each component of the technical assessment.

6 WHAT DOES A LEAR DO? The LEAR is an agricultural background study to inform the current Region of Peel Official Plan Review. Current mapping of Prime Agricultural Areas in the Region s Official Plan is based on methods from the 1990 s. Since that time, the Province released the LEAR technical guidelines. The LEAR will ensure that the mapping of Prime Agricultural Areas in both the Region and Town s Official Plans are consistent with Provincial policy and guidelines. The LEAR will provide a technical recommendation for the refinement of the Prime Agricultural Area in the Town of Caledon and Region of Peel Official Plans.

7 WHAT DOES A LEAR NOT DO? A LEAR does not compare agricultural lands within the Study Area to agricultural lands outside of the Study Area (i.e., to another Region). A LEAR does not amend the Region or Town s Official Plan land use designations. This will be a separate process under the Planning Act. LEAR studies are not undertaken to satisfy municipal comprehensive review requirements for settlement boundary expansions.

8 STUDY AREA DETERMINATION Study Area includes: Lands designated Rural, General Agriculture and Prime Agriculture in the Town of Caledon Official Plan. Lands designated Prime Agriculture Area in the Region of Peel Official Plan. Study Area excludes: Lands designated Prime Agriculture, General Agriculture or Rural by the Region and/or Town s Official Plans which do not comprise 250 contiguous hectares and that were not classified Farmed by the Ecological Land Classification Data. Lands within settlement areas and urban boundaries. Properties within the Study Area that have been previously evaluated and received site specific planning approval to be removed from the Prime Agricultural Area will continue to retain their approved land use designation.

9 EVALUATION UNIT Individual property parcels were selected as the Evaluation Unit for the LEAR Study: Region s parcel fabric data available throughout Study Area Provides detailed and accurate results when applying LEAR Score A total of 4054 Evaluation Units were given LEAR Scores.

10 LEAR REVIEW COMMITTEE The LEAR guideline directs the establishment of an agricultural advisory committee to guide the LEAR process. In 2013, the Peel Agricultural Advisory Working Group (PAAWG) was formed as the LEAR Review Committee. The LEAR Review Committee also includes staff representatives from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food, Credit Valley Conservation and Toronto and Region Conservation. The Review Committee provided input into the LEAR process as it refined the Study Area and selected, scored, and weighted the LEAR factors and threshold. Based on the review undertaken by the Review Committee and Study Team potential Prime Agriculture Area mapping has been identified.

11 LEAR SCORING Each Evaluation Unit receives a LEAR score out of 800 (800 is established in the LEAR Guidelines). The closer an Evaluation Unit s score is to 800, indicates its potential of being prime agricultural land. Each LE and AR factor is given a percentage of the total LEAR score. The total LEAR score for each Evaluation Unit is calculated by adding the LE and AR Scores together. Land Evaluation (LE) Factor = 50% of Total LEAR Score Area Review (AR) Factor = 50% of Total LEAR Score One factor was selected by the Committee: Canada Land Inventory soil capability (50%) Four factors were selected by the Committee: Fragmentation (12.5%) Percentage of Evaluation Unit in Agricultural Use (12.5%) Agricultural Uses within One Kilometre of Evaluation Unit (12.5%) Conflicting Land Uses (12.5%)

12 LE FACTOR CLI SOIL CAPABILITY Evaluation Units are OMAF CLI information Intersection of CLI Example of one based on existing overlay for the same area and Evaluation Evaluation Unit intersected with property boundaries Unit data Illustrates primary and OMAF CLI data secondary CLI for each soil polygon Illustrates primary and secondary CLI Illustrates percent data (with percent occurrence of primary and occurrence) secondary CLI

13 AR FACTOR - FRAGMENTATION Fragmentation is an assessment of # of Lots Score # of Lots Score the number of land parcels within 300 metres of the Evaluation Unit, excluding the Evaluation Unit itself. < = 10 additional lots = lots = 50 A GIS analysis is used to determine the number of parcels within the 300 metre buffer. The fragmentation score was assigned using this table: 11 lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = lots = 50 >= 29 lots = 0

14 AR FACTOR - PERCENTAGE OF LANDS IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION This factor is assessed on the percentage of land within the Evaluation Unit that is used for agriculture. Using Ecological Land Classification data (2010) which shows land in agricultural production, a GIS program calculates the percentage of land within that Evaluation Unit that is used for agriculture. This percentage was then applied to a scale of 0-100, using the percentage as the overall score. EXAMPLE: If 50% of the Evaluation Unit was used for agricultural purposes, its score for this factor would be 50.

15 AR FACTOR - PERCENTAGE OF LANDS IN AGRICULTURE WITHIN 1 KM OF THE EVALUATION UNIT This factor is assessed based on the percentage of the total land within one kilometre of the Evaluation Unit that is used for agriculture. The percentage was applied to a scale of 0-100, using the percentage as the total score. EXAMPLE: If 80% of lands within one kilometre of the Evaluation Unit is used for agricultural purposes, its score for this factor would be 80.

16 AR FACTOR - CONFLICTING LAND USES Three types of conflicting land uses make-up the 25% score for this factor: Non farm and sensitive land uses (33 %) Location to urban areas (33%) Location to major traffic arteries (33%) 1. Non- farm and Sensitive Land Uses Evaluation Units were scored based on the number of adjacent non-farm and sensitive land uses (e.g., schools, parks, places of worship, industrial, etc.). Conflicting land uses were determined based on data from Municipal Property Assessment Codes. 2. Urban Areas Evaluation Units were scored based on their distance from an urban area. Evaluation Units greater than a 2km radius from an urban area were scored as having no conflicting impact from the urban area. Within 2km, scores were then calculated based on the Evaluation Units distance from the urban area. 3. Location to Major Traffic Arteries Evaluation Units were given lower scores if they were adjacent to major traffic arteries.

17 WHAT IS A THRESHOLD? After each Evaluation Unit is given its LEAR score the entire Study Area can be assessed. The analysis considers the pattern and distribution of high scoring Evaluation Units. A LEAR score is selected to determine which lands above this Threshold score and range may potentially be considered as a Recommended LEAR Prime Agricultural Area. Lands that fall below the Threshold score and range may retain or be considered for a General Agriculture or Rural Area land use designation.

18 LEAR NEXT STEPS Public comments are requested by April 30, The LEAR Review Committee will meet to discuss the outcomes of the Open House and provide final recommendations to Region and Town staff. Reports providing a recommended LEAR Prime Agricultural Area will be given to both Town of Caledon and Region of Peel Council. Any proposed changes to the Prime Agricultural Area will then be required to undergo a formal amendment process under the Planning Act to incorporate the refinement into the Region and Town s Official Plans.

19 WHAT IS MINIMUM DISTANCE SEPARATION (MDS)? Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) is a Provincial policy that is implemented through the Region and Town s Official Plans and the Town of Caledon s Zoning By-Law. Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) is a land use planning method to address odour. MDS policy: Separates new or expanding livestock barns or manure storage from existing non-farm uses. Separates new or expanding non-farm uses from existing livestock barns or manure storages. Ensures that farm operations can operate viably by minimizing conflict from nuisance complaints. The separation distance is calculated based on the type of non-farm land use and the type and number of livestock in the barn and/or manure storage.

20 WHY IS THIS STUDY REVIEWING MDS? MDS guidelines used today were implemented by the Province in This MDS review will: Help ensure that the MDS guidelines are effective as a planning tool; and, Understand any restrictions that MDS applies to existing and future agricultural opportunities. Recommendations from the review will be used to inform the Region and Town s comments during the upcoming Provincial review of the MDS policies.

21 EXAMPLE OF THE MDS GUIDELINES MDS I Applies setbacks for new or expanding non-farm uses from an existing livestock barn or manure storage. The setback amount is based on the type of non-farm use and intensity (i.e., frequency) of the use. MDS II Applies setbacks for new or expanding livestock barns and/or permanent manure storage from existing nonfarm uses. The setback amount is based on the type and number of livestock in the barn and/or manure storage capacity. There are 46 Implementation Guidelines.

22 Example of MDS I -Proposed new lot Example of MDS II Proposed new barn or permanent manure storage

23 PRELIMINARY MDS REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS MDS is an effective planning tool to mitigate land use conflicts due to odour. It is appropriate for policy to be applied to both livestock and nonfarm uses. Preliminary Recommendations: More technical guidance is needed for municipalities to apply and interpret MDS guidelines. Greater flexibility should be considered in the MDS guidelines for farms in proximity to urban areas to ensure they remain viable. MDS guidelines should be reviewed by Province to confirm that setbacks from some outdoor recreational uses are not unnecessarily restrictive.

24 MDS REVIEW NEXT STEPS Public comments are requested by April 30, The Peel Agriculture Advisory Working Group will meet to discuss the outcomes of the Open House and provide final recommendations to Region and Town staff. Reports providing recommendations from the MDS Review will be given to both Town of Caledon and Region of Peel Council. The recommendations from the MDS Review will be used to inform Region and Town comments on the next five year provincial review of MDS policies and guidelines. The Provincial MDS review is anticipated to begin in 2014.