Shelburne’s Town Planner helping to guide community into the future

January 2, 2020 · 0 Comments

Written By PETER RICHARDSON

When you think of a Town Planner, do images of someone sitting at a drawing board, laying out streets and avenues, come to mind? Well, throw that image aside and prepare to be amazed, as one of the municipality’s chief thinkers discusses what he does on a day-to-day basis.

Steve Wever became Shelburne’s official Town Planner back in 2008, when Dana Andrews, of Meridian Planning, the Planner at that time, left Meridian for greener pastures. The position went up for tender and GSP Group, Mr. Wever’s company, won the bid. Mr. Wever, a senior planner with GSP, became Shelburne’s new Town Planner. Steve has a Bachelor of Environmental Planning degree from The University of Waterloo, and is a Member of the Canadian Institute of Planning, MCIP, as well as a Registered Professional Planner, RPP. Together with many years of work experience, Steve is recognized as a leader in his field.

So what, exactly, does a planner do? Although they may be enjoined in the layout of a municipality, the planner really comes to the fore in the day to day oversight of how a municipality grows and expands. Everything from zoning bylaws to building permits, official plans and even something such as a parks and recreation master plan would fall within their realm of influence.

When a developer comes to town with plans for a new subdivision, it is the Town Planner who will guide them through the potential labyrinth of codes, bylaws, official plans and required permits. The planner works with the developer to ensure that their proposal will meet all of the Provincial, County and Municipal, rules and regulations, as well as comply with the vision for the Town, held by the municipal Council. All of this, comes in steps and procedures that, if successfully followed, will see the developer’s dreams become reality.

Every step of the way, the Town Planner leads the progress of the proposed plan, through numerous Council meetings, assuring compliance with the requirements of Conservation Authorities, County Official Plans and Provincial legislations. It is the Planner, who will determine that the water and sewage requirements of the proposed development fit within the abilities of the municipalities facilities. The planner will maintain the “look” of the Town, assuring that everything from light standards to road widths meets the local Councils guidelines.

Beyond all this, however, the Planner also is instrumental in the design and drafting of zoning within the town, as well as helping to create, and maintain, municipal bylaws and official plans. Together with other members of Town staff, the Planner brings all the various intergovernmental requirements to the table, allowing the municipality to design all of its regulations so as to maximize their control over the appearance and the structure of their municipality.

At first glance, a planner can appear to be working for the developer, rather than the Town, but nothing could be further from the truth. Although the Planner is in constant contact with the developers, or others wishing to build or renovate within the municipality, including residents doing major changes to their lots or buildings, the planner’s role, is to assist the individual builders, with being compliant with the wishes of the Town. When the day is done, it is the Town that is the client of the Planning Consultant, not the developer/builder.

There are numerous pitfalls in every municipality, and the planner must know and understand all of them to do thier job properly and effectively. Although federal statutes do not often come into play, all other tiers of government do. For a municipality such as Shelburne, both the County of Dufferin and the provincial government directly affect how the Town is allowed to grow. Ultimately, expansion is not always the answer. The County, must adhere to Provincial legislations and regulations. In turn, the municipality must adhere to both the County and Provincial initiatives.

The County puts forth an official plan, to which the eight local municipalities must adhere to when composing their own official plans. Furthermore, both must comply with provincial legislations. All of this is the domain of the Official Town Planner. In carrying out his duties, Mr. Wever must know all of theses various regulations and comply with them all when presenting a report on a development, or other potential change to the town. It is the Planner’s job to mold the plans presented to him into a plan that the Town Council will sign on to.

By using off site services for it’s planning, Shelburne reduces it’s costs dramatically, while being able to avail themselves of a much larger facility than would otherwise be feasible. GSP Group, plans everything, from large industrial parks, such as Hanlon Creek Business Park in Guelph, to municipalities such as Shelburne. They have in-house landscape design capabilities and even plan and design cemeteries. Their large size and staff could never be sustained by a small municipality, yet all its expertise is at Shelburne’s disposal if required. Steve Wever is the tip of a very large iceberg on one hand, and on the other, he represents the heart of Shelburne’s sustainable development .

From the grandest plan to the smallest detail, Steve Wever guides Shelburne into the future. Whether it is a homeowner wishing to expand his homestead, or a major developer planning a grand commercial/residential addition to Shelburne eastern boundary, Steve Wever is an integral part of their success. With his guidance and knowledge of the legislations involved, no project is beyond the realm of possibility. Ultimately, it is the Town Council that decides what will and will not become a part of Shelburne’s landscape, but they come to those conclusions on the back of the advice and expertise of Town Planner Steve Wever MCIP,RPP !