by Sylene Argent
During the Colchester Family Fun Event, staff with the Town of Essex’s Planning Department hosted an open house in the Colchester Community Room to gather public comments regarding the future of the area and potential changes to the Colchester Secondary Plan.
Around 30 residents attended the event to review the guideline plan for Colchester Centre and to gage public opinion on potentially rezoning the Colchester main-street area.
The purpose of the plan is to develop a complete and sustainable waterfront community that accommodates residents’ daily activities and needs, while promoting the surrounding lakefront’s unique agriculture, nature, and built heritage, recreational, and tourism features to create a vibrant and livable community.
Part of the open house included Planning Department staff receiving resident feedback on a potential Zoning Bylaw amendment, Policy Planner Jeff Watson said. The current Zoning Bylaw does not provide for a mix of residential and commercial uses along County Road 50.
The Town, he explained, is looking to amend the Zoning Bylaw to accommodate a mix of residential and commercial zoning along County Road 50, from the east-side of Jackson Street to Erie Street.
The idea, in doing this, is to preserve the character of Colchester, while catering to local and visitor needs.
The community’s response to the Zoning Bylaw amendment, Watson said, was favourable.
The Planning Department also received public feedback on the Colchester Concept Plan. Watson said the formerly picked Tudor English-style is outdated and the Town is thinking of New England waterfront as the new theme.
One concern the Planning Department heard from residents was the need for more parking in Colchester, especially to accommodate visitors at events.