Update on Howard Industrial Plan given at open house

By Ron Giofu

The public was given an update on the Howard Industrial Park District Secondary Plan last week.

The open house was held last Tuesday evening at the Libro Centre, with members of the town’s planning department and consultants from MillerSilani Inc. going over the plans and the next steps of the process. Kevin Miller, from MillerSilani Inc., pointed out the area defined in the proposed plan is bounded by Howard Ave. (County Road 9), North Townline (County Road 8), Concession 8 North and North Side Road.

“These lands are situated at an ideal location,” said Miller, during his presentation, as he referenced the proximity to the Gordie Howe International Bridge, Ambassador Bridge, the new EV battery plant, Windsor Airport, and Highway 401. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for industrial growth in the Town of Amherstburg.”

The area the plan covers is approximately 800 acres in size with Miller pointing out there is no piped sanitary sewer nor is there municipal stormwater management facilities. All existing parcels of land are serviced by private on-site sanitary sewage facilities, owned and maintained by the property owner, Miller stated, and all parcels of land handle their own stormwater and discharge to existing roadside ditches and swales.

Miller added that existing municipal piped water supply services existing parcels of land, but Miller warned that major upgrades are required to service the full build-out of lands within the industrial district.

Existing Official Plan designations are

Heavy Industrial (HI) for the most part with Light Industrial (LI) in the Smith Industrial Park area. There is also a small woodlot designated within that area. Zoning is predominantly agriculture, with some Light Industrial and a small amount of Heavy Industrial.

Should the Howard Industrial Park District Secondary Plan be adopted, Official Plan designations would switch mainly to light industrial with the woodlot designation and a portion on the south end being designated “space extensive” industrial. Residential properties on the east side, along Concession 8 North, would be designated agricultural.

Three additional roadways are in the plan, with one being a north-south road and two other roads running off of that road to Howard Ave.

The purpose of the plan is to provide a more detailed policy planning framework for the largest remaining greenfield industrial land supply that is already designated in town, Miller said in his presentation.

“The Town of Amherstburg is trying to support growth and job creation in the community,” he said.

The plan would ensure “permitted new development takes place in a co-ordinated, orderly, integrated and environmentally and fiscally responsible manner.”

There is a shortage of shovel-ready industrial lands in the area, said Miller.

“Industries are looking for lands that are pre-zoned and have services that are ready to go,” he stated.

With full municipal servicing not currently available, the plan would support a “limited range of new dry industrial uses that do not use or discharge large volumes of water, and to discourage new lot creation activity.” Light industrial permitted uses identified during the presentation included truck and transportation terminals, office uses, and limited gross floor area devoted to retail sales of the goods manufactured, processed, assembled or packaged on the permitted dry industrial premises. Dry industrial uses that would be permitted within closed buildings would include manufacturing, processing, assembling, fabricating, repairing, packaging, warehousing and wholesaling, data processing, commercial self-storage and related uses.

Space extensive industrial uses could include larger uses and that could include contractor yards such as concrete batching plants and other space extensive dry industrial uses that incorporate land uses as part of their normal operation, trucking and transportation terminals, and office uses provided they are on the same lot and are related to the main permitted use.

The Howard Industrial Park District Secondary Plan would incorporate a number of policies including transportation infrastructure and servicing, lot creation, community improvement, zoning bylaw and holding zone provisions, phasing and infrastructure financing among others.

“Council will have the opportunity to ensure studies are done to ensure compatibility,” said Miller.

A public meeting is planned for Aug. 14 on the issue but administrative officials and consultants indicated decisions would have to be made by council during upcoming budgets for any upgrades or improvements the area would need. Dr. Chris Aspila, the town’s manager of planning services, indicated Amherstburg is working with Essex to determine what would be involved in expanding capacity to the McGregor lagoon system.

“We’re looking at a few more years before studies are completed,” said Aspila. “The studies will determine what is feasible.”

Being part of the Official Plan, Aspila said the plan would be reviewed every five years to see what is working and what is not.

Noon gun firing

Fort Malden National Historic Site of Canada and the Provincial Marine held a noon gun firing in King’s Navy Yard Park last Saturday. Another is scheduled for this Sunday. Fort Malden is also hosting Military Heritage Day this Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with admission $7.89 for adults, seniors $7.39 and youth $3.64. More information is available at www.parkscanada.gc.ca/malden.