A timeline of Empire's development proposal for Nanticoke
Earlier this year, Empire Communities proposed a residential and commercial development on provincially significant lands at Nanticoke Industrial Park.
Feb. 14: council meeting
Planner for Empire Communities, Stephen Armstrong
Empire purchased 1,699.68 hectares in the Nanticoke area, the majority of which are lands that, while used as agricultural, have been provincially zoned as industrial for over 40 years.
Haldimand has actively tried to sell these lands to industries for decades, but the main drawback is a lack of servicing - specifically, gas and wastewater treatment.
The province gave Haldimand permission to build a wastewater treatment plant that could service not only the entire county but also Norfolk and both First Nations. It could potentially service other parts of southwest Ontario - around half a million people. Empire wants to help build it.
If the wastewater treatment plant was built, Stelco could opt to get connected and decommission its lagoons.
Empire has done preliminary studies looking at noise and odour in the area. Soil samples have come up clean.
Buffers were proposed at a maximum distance: 300 metres between residential properties and industry, and 500 metres from industrial wind turbines.
Empire proposed a 60/40 split of the lands: 60 per cent to be residentially developed with schools and parks, and 40 per cent to be employment lands. The split did not include waterfront, which would be an additional 50 hectares for the public.
Infrastructure would cost $180 million.
Empire is proposing about 15,000 dwellings (that) ultimately could be developed in the area with about 40,000 residents."
Between 7,500 to 11,000 jobs would be created on employment lands, not including those created to service residential areas.
When you bring the residents and you have the servicing, you're going to get the industrial and you're going to get the manufacturing, you're going to get the data centres that (are) looking for large land. You're going to get a nice mix of jobs in this area. It's not just going to be one kind of job."
Haldimand Mayor Ken Hewitt
Spoke with Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing of Ontario Steve Clark, and had conversations with both Chief Stacey LaForme of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Chief Mark Hill of Six Nations of the Grand River, and they have an idea of what is being presented and can see the benefits to their territories as well as the environmental benefits that Stephen alluded to."
I spoke with (then-Haldimand-Norfolk MPP) Toby Barrett just over the weekend and had the same conversation, and got the same assurances from him that this is something he can get behind. It's a plan that is going to grow and benefit all of the county, as well as Norfolk County."
Haldimand Chief Administrative Officer Craig Manley
It would be doubling the population. So, this is a significant proposal ... in order to make that proposal come to fruition, there's a process that is required, which is asking the province to pass a ministry zoning order."
March 1 council-in-committee
Manley outlined the minister's zoning order application for council's consideration. If approved, it would be a holding provision that sets a series of conditions that must be addressed before development can take place. It would require all stakeholders to be involved in a public process.
Stelco representatives voiced the company's opposition to the proposal and frustration at learning about it in local news reports. Council said the process was and would continue to be transparent.
March 7, 2022
Council ratified their vote from the March 1 council in committee meeting to request a minister's zoning order.
March 9, 2022
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing received the county's request for minister's zoning order. To date, no decision has been made.