Plan It Colchester - Municipality of Colchester

Plan It Colchester Municipal Planning Stradegy Engagament

The Municipality of the County of Colchester is launching Plan It Colchester - a project to develop a County-Wide Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS) and Land Use Bylaw (LUB). Much of the County is unplanned, resulting in an organic form of growth and development over the years. Colchester, like the rest of Nova Scotia, has seen a recent population increase, and with a growing population comes pressure for new development. Without planning in place, communities have no say in where and how their communities grow and change.

Recognizing the changing dynamics of development in Nova Scotia, the Provincial Government passed Bill 58 in 2018, an amendment to the Municipal Government Act that requires every municipality to develop and adopt planning that meets the minimum planning standards. This project will bring Colchester County into compliance with the new provincial regulations, while also presenting an important and exciting opportunity for residents to help shape the vision for the future of their communities. Plan It Colchester will rely heavily on feedback from the community to help shape the vision, guiding principles and policies that will determine how the Municipality grows and develops.

Quick Definitions

Municipal Government Act (MGA): The primary legislation that governs the structure, powers, and responsibilities of municipal governments in the province of Nova Scotia. It empowers municipalities to create bylaws, make planning decisions, and ensure local community development in accordance with provincial laws.

Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS): A comprehensive policy document created by the Municipality to guide land use and development within its jurisdiction.The MPS sets long-term goals and objectives for the community, addressing issues like zoning, growth management, transportation, housing, environmental protection, and public services. It must address the statements of provincial interest outlined in the MGA.

Land Use Bylaw (LUB): A municipal regulatory document that is used to implement the land use policies provided in the MPS through land use bylaws. It ensures that land development aligns with the municipality's planning goals, helps avoid conflicts between different types of land uses, and manages the physical form and appearance of the community through zoning

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Planning Graphic
A municipal regulatory document that is used to implement the land use policies provided in the MPS through land use bylaws. It ensures that land development aligns with the municipality's planning goals, helps avoid conflicts between different types of land uses, and manages the physical form and appearance of the community through zoning

Six community meetings held across the County to facilitate group conversations and receive direct feedback

An interactive online zoning map that allowed residents to explore proposed land use changes and provide feedback digitally

A public online form for submitting thoughts and suggestions on the draft plans

Direct communication via email or phone with consultants, providing a personalized way for residents to discuss specific concerns or ideas

Fact Sheets that summarized five key topics covered in the draft plans, presented in a short, accessible format for easy understanding

Stakeholder Meetings with adjacent municipalities and key community interest groups to gather input from organizations and regional partners with a vested interest in the planning process

Project Updates

What is an MPS? How is it different from an LUB?

An MPS is the primary planning document for the Municipality which establishes the vision, goals and policies for growth and development. In other words, it’s the roadmap that helps to guide decision making relating to what we build, where, and what intensity. An MPS looks at many different aspects of life in the community including (but not limited to) housing, economic development, agriculture, drinking water, and infrastructure. It also looks at important environmental considerations in our community, like the effects of climate change, coastal erosion and flooding and the impacts that these have on development.

The Land Use Bylaw (LUB) is the companion document to the MPS, and puts the vision, goals, and policies into action through specific regulations that have to do with development activities. The LUB sets out things like: the land-use zones, permitted uses for these zones, standards for development, performance standards, developments to be considered by development agreement, developments to be considered by site-plan approval process, among other things

How Can I Participate?

The Municipality is launching public consultation for Plan It Colchester and we want to hear from residents about their vision for the future! This is an exciting opportunity to help co-design the evolution of growth and development in communities throughout Colchester County. There will be multiple opportunities to participate and share your vision for the future of your community throughout late Winter and early Spring.

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The Open House events will be an opportunity to learn a bit more about the planning process and the project more generally, and to talk directly with the project team and ask questions. The Online Open House Presentation will be recorded for those who cannot attend in person and will be uploaded to the municipal website for viewing on demand. The Pop Up Events will be held at public locations throughout the Municipality and will be a casual opportunity to share feedback with the project team.

There are also be a number of online activities, both available now - a Public Survey and an Online Interactive Mapping Activity. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to fill out and asks a variety of questions about your community, what you like, what the challenges are and what you’d like to see in the future. The Online Interactive Map allows you to leave comments about your community on the map - letting the project team know about area specific issues and concerns, as well as what you love and value about your community. These online activities will be open for the duration of the engagement period and residents can participate at their convenience.

Take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/PlanItColchester

Check out the Online Interactive Map: https://upland.mysocialpinpoint.ca/plan-it-colchester

The Online Group Discussions will be an opportunity to delve deeper into specific issues, such as agriculture, coastal issues, and housing. Dates to be determined.

In Person:

Open House Events (4 across the Municipality)
Pop Up Events (4 across the Municipality)

Online:

Online Open House Presentation
Public Survey
Online Open House Presentation
Public Survey

Engagement Timeline

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Stay tuned for updates as engagement dates and locations are finalized. More information will be available on this page and via the Municipality’s social media pages.

To reach the project team, you can email them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..