Sarnia Council has approved a new official plan that will expand the settlement boundary to include an area in Bright's Grove in principle.
The lands are bounded by Waterworks Side Road, Lakeshore Road and Brigden Side Road.
Councillor George Vandenberg said any proposed developments will still have to go through city staff and be approved by council.
"This is just putting forward the settlement areas, it's going to take at least five years before we see anybody getting a full development out there," said Vandenberg. "I'm not suggesting that 500 acres is going to be plowed under tomorrow and is going to be filled in. This is a gradual process."
Councillor Nathan Colquhoun agreed the decision was to plan for the next 30 years.
"This is just getting things done now that helps develop things in the future," Colquhoun said. "My biggest concern always is not where the boundaries are, but the kind of development that we're doing within the boundaries that we've established."
Councillor Brian White voted against expanding the settlement boundary as proposed.
"I'm a little awestruck at the size of this," said White. "This would just be a significant shift. I was giving serious thought, and still on the fence, but giving serious thought to the consideration of using the creek as a boundary, or allowing the Huzevka's to do what would be considered some infill, but this would require a huge investment in infrastructure in order to accommodate."
White also felt it would push infrastructure debt onto future generations.
"The math is going to have to be super tight in order to make sure we get the right kind of densification that we need in order to make sure it pays itself long term. Adding that many roads and that many municipal services to a new area, while we still can't even afford the stuff that we have, to me is just mind blowing."
Councillors Terry Burrell and Mike Stark also opposed the boundary expansion.
Council approved an additional amendment that future developments in the expanded area make mixed use a priority.
The Planning Partnership’s Ron Palmer, while presenting his latest version of the document, said if council felt expanding the boundary was appropriate, his job was to make sure they're successful.
"I want whatever this official plan does for you to work," said Palmer.
He said the amendments, subject to a public meeting first, could be forwarded to the County of Lambton, the Minister of Municipal Affairs or the new Community Infrastructure Housing Accelerators Order through Bill 109 for approval.