The development of Nanticoke was back on the agenda for Haldimand County earlier this week.
On April 10, 2024, the Minister of Municipal Affairs sent a letter to Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley. The letter explained the new guidelines and notified that the previous Nanticoke Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) request was closed. The Minister said that to consider the Nanticoke MZO again, a new request following the new guidelines would be needed.
Empire Communities gave a presentation to the Council on February 14, 2022, about its plans to develop 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres) in the Nanticoke area. During the presentation, Empire asked the Council to consider supporting a MZO. The details of the Nanticoke MZO have stayed the same since the Council last reviewed it in May 2023.
In terms of options for Council now, Haldimand staff offered the following options:
- Do nothing – this option is self explanatory and would represent Council not dealing with the matter any further. The file for the initial MZO request would remain closed and Council would not make any submissions or correspond further with the Province; or
- Pass a resolution of support and direct staff to complete all of the work relating to the submission expectations laid out in the framework (i.e. items described in Attachment 2); or,
- Pass a resolution of support and require Empire to make the submission under the new framework, completing all of the work relating to the submission expectations. Within the resolution Council would need to state that it supports Empire doing all of this work as the requester.
Haldimand council voted four to three in support of option 3, giving over the reigns to Empire Communities.
Written by Jeremy Hall