Municipal officials are hoping to make the development process in Chatham-Kent a little easier through a new compact manual that contains all the information one needs to plan a project.
A draft of the Development Standards Manual has been posted online and municipal officials are asking for feedback. Chris Thibert, director of engineering and transportation, said the new draft doesn't necessarily contain new information but it makes current procedures more accessible.
"What's really different is this is a consolidated easy to use single source document that is not intended to introduce any new standards or procedures that are not already backed by previously approved council policy, but it rather pulls in existing standards into one more streamlined document," he said.
Thibert said the document will be reviewed over time and revised when policies change. He also mentioned that this is something that has been adopted by neighbouring municipalities.
"The purpose of this manual is that it's intended to be both a design and a development process manual that will clearly lay out and define the municipality's expectations or requirements for new developments," said Thibert. "This includes everything from new subdivisions, as well as single or multi-unit private developments."
Although the Development Standards Manual is targeted more towards municipal staff, contractors, developers, and engineers, Thibert said the draft is also up for residents to look at and perhaps gain a better understanding of the type of planning that goes into a project.
By making municipal information more accessible, Thibert said the hope is to attract and support more developers within Chatham-Kent.
"This is really a great tool for them so that they have that understanding now and they're aware of our expectations and how to proceed with that process," he said.
The municipality is accepting feedback on the draft until April 26. Thibert said the feedback will be considered when creating a final report which will go to council sometime in May or June.
An educational video about the manual and additional information can be found by clicking here.