Brampton - City Council has achieved a milestone for Brampton's future, adopting a new Brampton Official Plan to guide land use planning, design and development for the next 20 to 30 years.

The 350-page document was approved by City Council on Oct. 11 and will go to the Region of Peel for review and approval. It's all part of Our Brampton…Our Future, a public participation process that over the past two years has involved thousands of Bramptonians—from environmentalists to business owners, residents and homebuilders.

"The new Official Plan addresses what matters most to the people of Brampton," said City Councillor Grant Gibson, Chair of the City's Planning, Design and Development Committee.

"The Official Plan outlines a blueprint for the protection of environmental and man-made features; for the creation of high-quality construction and for building communities based on complete and compact neighbourhoods—all supported by infrastructure."

Councillor Gibson added that the Official Plan supports a transit-oriented Brampton, with a pedestrian-friendly Downtown core, preserved valuable green spaces, and well-connected pathways. It provides for parks, and plans for the high-growth needs of the City whose current population is 432,000, expected to exceed 700,000 by 2031.

The plan includes a cap on residential development which went into effect in early 2006, and reflects the direction of the City's Growth Management Strategy.

"Building a great city requires a vision and our citizens want to live in a city planned to a human scale with an unparalleled quality of life, without sacrificing our environment, heritage or economy," said Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell. "Over the past two years, citizens and government have worked together successfully to build a great plan for a great City."

The Planning Act requires Official Plans to be reviewed after five years to ensure they are current and reflect a municipality's evolving needs. The current version of Brampton Official Plan was adopted by Council in 1993 and approved by the Province in 1997.

"City Council approved a far-reaching communication campaign to ensure everyone in Brampton was invited to participate in the City's Official Plan process," said Regional Councillor Paul Palleschi, vice-chair of the Brampton Planning, Design and Development Committee. "This fall, we will continue providing information to our community."

"Some key steps we have already taken to communicate with the people of Brampton and encourage everyone to voice their opinions about the City's future include bus shelter advertising; radio ads; posters; flyers; media relations; newspaper advertising; web information; and a newsletter update to every home in Brampton," Councillor Palleschi said. "We want people to know that every voice counts."

As part of its newly-adopted Official Plan, the City addresses:

• New growth forecasts;
• Economic Development, in particular office and retail space;
• Transportation and transit;
• Natural Heritage/Open space
• Cultural heritage;
• Urban design;
• Housekeeping items, including making the Official Plan more user-friendly; and
• North West Brampton Urban Expansion Area

The Official Plan is one component of the many approaches the City of Brampton has taken over the past three years to manage growth and development, said John Corbett, Commissioner of Planning, Design and Development with the City of Brampton.

"Never in the history of the City of Brampton have so many exciting planning, design and development initiatives gone forward simultaneously with the potential for such a positive impact on the future of this City," Corbett said. "This Official Plan has brought together a variety of community partners and has produced a very impressive spirit of partnership with the many participants."

Key City initiatives, either underway or completed in conjunction with the Official Plan review, include:

• Transportation and Transit Master Plan;
• Brampton's Strategic Response to Growth including the Growth Management and Development Cap program;
• Central Area (Downtown) Secondary Plan Review including visioning and built form studies and a new zoning by-law;
• A new comprehensive zoning by-law covering the entire City;
• FlowerCity Strategy;
• Pathways Master Plan;
• BramWest Secondary Plan Review;
• City Wide Development Design Guidelines;
• Kennedy Road Revitalization Strategy;
• Parks, Culture and Recreation Strategy;
• North West Brampton Urban Boundary Review;
• Stormwater Management Master Plan;
• Integrated G.I.S. Development Tracking Systems Development;
• Incineration and Waste Processing, Transfer and Disposal Study.

For more information regarding the City's Official Plan, or to order the adopted Official Plan on CD or in print for a fee, please visit www.brampton.ca, e-mail ourfuture@brampton.ca, or call 905-874-2050.