PUSLINCH – The township and county are working together to implement an employment lands study with a "made in Puslinch" approach in 2024.
Presented to council earlier this month, the Puslinch by Design study will develop land use options for a minimum of 30 ha of new employment growth, a preferred land use concept and a local development framework throughout 2024 to guide the township's future planning decisions.
This follows a county-funded analysis of rural employment land needs as part of the Official Plan Review which determined Puslinch needs a minimum of 30 ha of additional industrial designated land.
"Rural communities like Puslinch deserve the opportunity to prosper and thrive. Maintaining the right amount and type of employment lands in the right location is vital to the economic competitiveness of Puslinch and Wellington County as a whole," said staff in the report. "This cannot be accomplished with a one-size-fits-all solution or on an ad-hoc basis...(the township) needs a plan."
According to the report, the proposed employment lands will mainly be industrial with some associated/additional commercial uses and will recognize the "strategic importance" of lands near the Highway 401 and Highway 6 corridors.
Developing three key goals to guide the study's preparation; diverse employment areas, leveraging improvements to Highways 6 and 401 and prioritizing high-quality and sustainable design, the study is also required to incorporate a transportation analysis, a servicing strategy and an agricultural and environmental review.
Starting in early 2024, the study should be completed by the year's end.
Now that the scope of work has been approved, staff will work with the county to issue a request for proposal "as soon as practical" in the new year.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
