Through Request for Proposal process, the Municipality has hired consultant Stantec to update our Land-Use By-law, to ensure that the Municipality’s policies will adhere to the Province’s mandate for minimum planning standards. The Municipality is required to complete this work by March 31, 2025.
DRAFT Planning Documents
Here are the Municipality’s DRAFT planning documents, resources and associated research reports. It is important to note that these documents are in DRAFT form only and are not yet endorsed by Council in any way.
DRAFT Municipal Planning Strategy
DRAFT Land Use By-law
Shelburne Municipal Background Report
Renewable Energy Best Practice Report
Provincial Coastal Protection Hazard Map
Wind Turbine Setback Scenario Maps (1km, 1.5km, 2kms, 2.5kms)
Proposed Zoning & Land Use Maps
Land Use Designations & Zoning
*The Consultation period for these DRAFT documents has now expired and we are working on incorporating feedback into another version of DRAFT documents – we will have additional consultation once a new set of DRAFT documents are available (anticipated to be late January 2025).
Warden and Council invite you to engage in our planning review process.
In December, we invited residents to participate in planning review process for the Municipality of the District of Shelburne. The DRAFT documents above were created by our planner based on initial feedback, rural best practice research and with input from Council. These documents are not yet endorsed by Council and we are now working to incorporate the feedback from our consultation sessions listed below into an additional version of DRAFT documents for further public consultation (anticipated to be late January 2025). Thank you to all businesses, residents and community stakeholders who participated! Here is the presentation that our planner gave at each of the consultations session.
Public Consultation Sessions
Below are details of the three “world cafe style” public consultations we host to engage our residents to share their community goals and vision:
📆Monday, December 2nd
5pm – 8pm
Shelburne Regional High School
Snacks and Light Refreshments
Hosted for District 3, 4 & 5 however open to all residents.
🏃♀️Recreational Childcare Available (at this session only)!
📆Tuesday, December 3rd
5pm – 8pm
CGC Fire Hall
Snacks and Light Refreshments
Hosted for District 1 & 2 however open to all residents.
📆Wednesday, December 4th
5pm – 8pm
Lockeport Fire Hall
Snacks and Light Refreshments
Hosted for District 6 & 7 however open to all residents.
One on One Consultation
Private appointments will be available starting at 9 am, December 3rd and 4th.
Renewable Energy Webinar
On November 28th, at 7pm, we hosted a webinar focused on wind turbines and green energy. At this meeting, we reviewed a best practices report and discussed different options to regulate turbine locations. You can view the video recording from that webinar here .
Email Questions and Feedback
The link to email feedback will expired on end of day December 9, 2024. We are currently working to incorporate feedback into an additional version of our DRAFT documents for further public consultation.
Key Policy Directions
Why is Municipal Planning Important to Everyone?
Renewable Energy
The land-use by-law will designate permissible areas for wind farm development within the Municipality and establish wind turbine setbacks based on industry best practices. This approach aims to balance the promotion of renewable energy with minimizing visual impact on residents. Additionally, the by-law will require any proposed wind farm to obtain an approved Provincial Environmental Assessment before receiving Municipal approval.
Coastal Protection
Owning or developing a property is a significant investment. Properties in the provincially designated coastal protection zones require extra attention due to the risks associated with coastal development. With guidance from Provincial government, we strive to balance development interests with environmental stewardship and public safety, promoting long-term resilience in coastal areas.
Wild Fire Protection
he land use by-law could include wildfire prevention measures by including road development standards and discouraging sprawl we can reduce wildfire exposure and make emergency response more effective in the event of a wildfire.
Housing
Nova Scotia is currently experiencing a housing crisis. A land use by-law can address housing challenges by implementing policies that encourage dense housing development, promote accessory dwellings and set minimum living standards.
Economic Development
With strategic industrial and commercial zoning this by-law can creating an environment that attracts investment, supports business growth, and enhances the local economy.
What We’ve Heard So Far
To initiate the planning review process for the Municipality of the District of Shelburne, we hosted three open house engagements. For those unable to attend our engagement sessions we encouraged participation in our online survey (closed March 31, 2024).
What We Heard Report is now available. This report provides detailed results of feedback received from our first round of public engagement sessions and public survey.