A draft plan to spruce up Wallaceburg’s south side was presented to Chatham-Kent councillors at the Civic Centre on Monday.
Ute Maya-Giambattista, of Fotenn, an urban planning consultant group which is providing support for Chatham-Kent on the project, provided an update of the secondary plan, as well as an overview of the work completed and the next steps.
Maya-Giambattista said the area has been historically part of the Wallaceburg downtown, but has experienced a decline over the last 70 years.
The secondary plan will be a land-use tool to adapt and implement objectives to allow for improvements and revitalize the area by guiding private and public investment, Maya-Giambattista said.
The draft plan was formulated using public feedback from an open house, workshop, and online survey held earlier this year.
An official plan amendment – or OPA – was the focus of an open house in the main floor atrium Monday afternoon, prior to the council meeting.
Highlights of the OPA include five ‘activity areas’ including a community park along the waterfront; an accessible, pedestrian-oriented commercial space; a public community facility which could also be used for arts and culture; and a new splashpad.
Wallaceburg councillor Aaron Hall said it has been a long-time coming to revitalize the south-side.
Mayor Darrin Canniff said the plan is not only exciting for Wallaceburg but for all of Chatham-Kent. “This is going to be a plan that’s going to be alive and we’re going to move to making this happen,” Canniff said.
Further public hearings will be held in the fall as there will be movement to adopt the secondary plan.
