Lawrence R Nicoll Photographer
Plan It Colchester Municipal Planning Strategy Engagement
The Municipality of the County of Colchester has launched 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.
Upcoming Meetings
No upcoming meetings at this time.
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Project Update
The new Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw are currently being drafted by the project team and will be available for public review in the Spring. We will be conducting another round of public engagement at that time to hear your feedback on the draft documents! The engagement will include:
Community Meetings
Stakeholder Meetings
Online Zoning Map
Fact Sheets
Public Engagament Recap
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Project Steps
1. Engagement Summary and Recommendations Report
This document includes a thematic analysis of information that was received throughout the formative engagement phase and also contains a draft Vision Statement and Goals for the Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS) and Land Use By-law (LUB). The draft Vision Statement and Goals provides a comprehensive overview of community land use issues and perspectives related to current and emerging areas of interest. The report also identifies any information or knowledge gaps that need to be filled in before the drafting of the planning documents. Click the link below to read the draft report.
pdf Plan It Colchester Engagement Recommendations Report 2023 (16.62 MB)
2. Drafting of the Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law (Fall/Winter 2023-24)
3. Draft Consultation (Winter/Spring 2024)
4. Final Edits and Plan Adoption (by the end of 2024)
Stay Involved
For project updates, please keep an eye on the Colchester website and social media pages. Regular project updates will also be featured in the Municipal Newsletter.
The former Salmon River Elementary School property was acquired by the County after the school closed in 2008 and a request for proposals was conducted in 2009 with none received. The school was demolished in 2017 and the site has been vacant for several years with some local recreational use. In 2021, the Municipality began to do some light maintenance of the property. In Fall of 2021 municipal staff began an engagement process to gather residents' thoughts on the future of this property. As a next step, staff will complete a more detailed analysis and recommendation for Council based on the information and input gathered to date.
On October 13, 2022, staff presented its Report and Recommendation to Council Committee regarding the future use of the former Salmon River Elementary School property. District 5 Councillor, Tim Johnson also provided a report on his extensive conversations with residents (see documents).
Following discussion at their October 13th meeting, Council Committee recommended the future use of the site be 40% housing and 60% park/greenspace and that staff be directed to proceed with a request for proposals for development. This recommendation was considered by Council at their meeting on October 27, 2022, and a motion was carried. Council directed staff to designate 40% of the lands at the former Salmon River School property for housing development and 60% for park/greenspace; and staff was also directed to proceed with a Request for Proposals for the property.
pdf Former Salmon River School Property – Future Use Final Report & Recommendation 2022 (781 KB)
Supporting Documents
Virtual Public Engagement Responses
In-Person Public Engagement Responses
pdf Salmon River School Property Survey (Councillor Johnson) (427 KB)
Former Salmon RIver Elementary School Property
The former Salmon River Elementary School property was acquired by the County after the school closed in 2008 and request for proposals was conducted in 2009 with none received. The property was leased to RCMP for training in 2012 and retained for potential future use by the Municipality. The school was demolished in 2017 and has been vacant for several years with some local recreational use. In 2021, the Municipality began to do some light maintenance of the property.
The Municipality has been undergoing an engagment process to dertermine the future land use of this property.