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Consultation has concluded
NOTE: PROJECT NOW COMPLETE - After almost five years of public consultation, committee meetings, writing and re-writing, the Municipality has prepared final drafts of two new documents: the Municipal Planning Strategy and the Land Use By-law — which will shape the way that our communities grow over the next 20 years. These documents have policies and regulations dealing with the environment, the economy, heritage and community character, housing, and social and physical health.
Read More in the document library on the right.
Zoning is one tool used to achieve the outcomes detailed in the Municipal Planning Strategy. Zones determine what can be built where, and what the approval process is for certain types of development. All areas of the Municipality will see some change to zoning rules.
Municipal Council has now given 1st Reading to the new documents at a meeting held on October 24, 2019. Council has also set a date for a Public Hearing: November 25, 2019, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Forest Heights Community School. The Public Hearing is the last opportunity to tell us whether or not you agree with the new documents. Written submissions will be accepted for the Public Hearing but must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. on November 18, 2019 to the Municipal Clerk (pmyra@chester.ca) or phone 902-275-3554.
Council may vote to adopt the documents following the Public Hearing.
Visit the Interactive Map to find your current and proposed zoning.
NOTE: PROJECT NOW COMPLETE - After almost five years of public consultation, committee meetings, writing and re-writing, the Municipality has prepared final drafts of two new documents: the Municipal Planning Strategy and the Land Use By-law — which will shape the way that our communities grow over the next 20 years. These documents have policies and regulations dealing with the environment, the economy, heritage and community character, housing, and social and physical health.
Read More in the document library on the right.
Zoning is one tool used to achieve the outcomes detailed in the Municipal Planning Strategy. Zones determine what can be built where, and what the approval process is for certain types of development. All areas of the Municipality will see some change to zoning rules.
Municipal Council has now given 1st Reading to the new documents at a meeting held on October 24, 2019. Council has also set a date for a Public Hearing: November 25, 2019, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Forest Heights Community School. The Public Hearing is the last opportunity to tell us whether or not you agree with the new documents. Written submissions will be accepted for the Public Hearing but must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. on November 18, 2019 to the Municipal Clerk (pmyra@chester.ca) or phone 902-275-3554.
Council may vote to adopt the documents following the Public Hearing.
Visit the Interactive Map to find your current and proposed zoning.
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Share Zoning and Land Use Conflicts on FacebookShare Zoning and Land Use Conflicts on TwitterShare Zoning and Land Use Conflicts on LinkedinEmail Zoning and Land Use Conflicts link
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What are the changes you would like to see? Would you keep the zones but make them less restrictive? More restrictive? Would you change the zoning boundaries? Let's hear your thoughts.
Do you agree with placing some rules around farm animals and backyard chickens. Do you keep chickens in your backyard? The new rules allow 10 female chickens in all zones (except the Single Unit Residential Zone, the Conservation Zone, and the Protected Watershed Zone) with no permit, and then the regulations increase once you exeed 10 chickens by requiring things like setbacks from the neighboring property for the chicken coop and a minimum lot size . Does this seem like a fair and balanced approach? We also have some regulations around the number of farm animals. A summary is available here. What are your thoughts on this approach?
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We heard that environmental protection is important. We tried to get a good balance of regulations with environmental protection. We created an 'overlay' which is an additional set of regulations that apply within an "overlay area" which in this case is around all the lakes as shown on the lakefront overlay map. The zoning doesn't change for these areas, the permitted uses and other regulations in the zone still apply but there are some additional controls that require setbacks from the lake and limit the amount of paving or hard surfaces.
In all areas of the municipality, any use that requires a development permit requires building be setback 20m from the ordinary high water mark of a watercourse, waterbody or a wetland. This requirement would not apply if you otherwise don't require a development permit (such as a single family home in the General Basic zone that is not in the lakefront overlay)
We tried to put some protections in place to protect our watercourses and waterbodies, which we believe is a common good for our communities. However we also realize that when we do this it limits the use of an individual's property. Did we get the balance correct? Did we go too far? Not far enough?
reVISION Plan Review - PROJECT COMPLETE has finished this stage
Scoping of Project
Engagement Plan
Preparation of Technical Reports
Set-up new Citizens Planning Advisory Committee (CPAC) to oversee Plan Review
Winter and Spring 2015 - Visioning
reVISION Plan Review - PROJECT COMPLETE has finished this stage
Visioning workshops in all 7 districts
Focus groups on targeted topics
Surveys conducted
Summer and Fall 2015 - Vision Check-In
reVISION Plan Review - PROJECT COMPLETE has finished this stage
Drafting goals and vision with CPAC
Second round of public engagement
Draft Structure for plan
Pop-Up Sessions at events around MODC
Meeting-in-a-box
Winter 2016 - Policy Direction
reVISION Plan Review - PROJECT COMPLETE has finished this stage
Work with CPAC to review background document and community input to determine policy direction
Spring and Summer 2016 - Community Engagement
reVISION Plan Review - PROJECT COMPLETE has finished this stage
Second round of public engagement continues
Chester Village Engagement Sessions (Architectural Controls)
Pop-Up Sessions at events around MODC
Fall 2016 and Winter 2017 - Document Drafting
reVISION Plan Review - PROJECT COMPLETE has finished this stage
MPS and LUB drafting under CPAC direction
Rescoping removes Chester Village Planning documents from current phase
2017 - Document Drafting
reVISION Plan Review - PROJECT COMPLETE has finished this stage
MPS completed
LUB drafted
Spring 2018 - Community Consultations and Public Engagement
reVISION Plan Review - PROJECT COMPLETE has finished this stage
Joint Session with CPAC, Village Area Advisory Committee, Municipal Area Advisory Committee
Newsletter distributed
Voices and Choices website launched
Hold 2 community engagement sessions in each district
Newsletter distributed to all households
Summer 2018 - Finalize Documents
reVISION Plan Review - PROJECT COMPLETE has finished this stage
Review community input and review with Council and CPAC
Make any necessary changes to documents
Finalize documents in preparation for public hearing
Fall 2019 - Recommendation & Adoption of New Planning Documents
reVISION Plan Review - PROJECT COMPLETE has finished this stage
CPAC makes recommendation to Council for adoption of documents
Council conducts First Reading
Public Notification of Public Hearing
Public Hearing and Council vote to adopt the new planning documents
Winter 2019 - Provincial Review, Repeal of Existing Documents, New MPS and LUB In Effect
reVISION Plan Review - PROJECT COMPLETE has finished this stage
Copies of approved documents sent to Nova Scotia Department of Municipal Affairs for review
Department of Municipal Affairs notifies Municipality that review is complete
Municipality places ad in local newspaper. New Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law are now IN EFFECT. Previous Municipal Planning Strategy are repealed
New Municipal Planning Documents In Effect
reVISION Plan Review - PROJECT COMPLETE is currently at this stage
The new Municipal Planning Documents became effective on Jan. 9, 2020.
No further consultation is planned. The project is archived and available to view but will not receive further updates.