The Inter-Governmental Action Plan (IGAP) is a study developed by a think tank formed in 2004 and made up of municipal and regional representatives from within Simcoe County along with representatives from the Province.
This group was set up to study and develop a growth/action plan for the area that will best accomodate the inevitable urban growth the region will see over the coming years. Consideration for density management, infrastructure requirements and ecological impact are the cornerstones of the study.
As far as Barrie Mayor Dave Aspden is concerned, enough study has been done and what is needed now is action. He believes that conclusions have been drawn and any further study will only rehash that which we know and at further expense to the taxpayers.
Mayor Aspen agrees with many of the conclusions and recommendations of the IGAP study but not the idea of a two tier governing system between the City of Barrie and the County as recommended by the study.
In a release from City Hall Mayor Aspden said, “The City of Barrie strongly believes that the time to act on the IGAP recommendations is now. We support the principle of long-range land use and infrastructure planning for the region but reject any further consideration of two-tier service delivery involving the City. We do not support more government, additional taxation, and red tape. As a separated City, Barrie operates the most efficient and effective type of government for our residents.”
Barrie currently has the physical space to accommodate another 45,000 residents but the IGAP research forecasts the need to accommodate a further seventy thousand beyond that by the year 2031. Additional land resources will be needed to meet these numbers not just for residential growth but to provide economic opportunity to support the increased population.
Attracting and implementing opportunities for existing commercial and industrial lands are concerns for present day Barrie. Hopefully action is what we do in fact see from Mayor Aspden and his council in the coming months.
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