Zoning bylaws need updating as P.E.I. population grows, says developer

A P.E.I. real estate developer says municipalities need to streamline the way land is zoned to help speed up the approval process for new developments.

Prince Edward Island has consistently had one of the lowest vacancy rates in the country in recent years, due in large part to a population growing faster than planned — and a construction industry that can't keep up.

Arsenault Properties president David Arsenault told those gathered at the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities' annual meeting in Souris on Monday that municipalities need to set themselves up for a changing future.

"There needs to be an attitude and a mindset within municipalities that, you know, 'We're open for business, we're open for development, we're open for growth,'" he said.

"Whenever people come to P.E.I., we want to be there for those people as a place to live and a place to work and a community that's growing with the future, I guess, and seeing into the future and planning for that from a bylaw and official planning perspective."

Making it easier to grow

Arsenault suggested Island municipalities adopt what are called "as-of-right" development policies, which essentially eliminate the rezoning process.

"If a rezoning needs to happen or, you know, variances need to be applied for, it just brings in a whole other list of deliverables that need to happen from the municipality and the developer that slow things down," he said.

"If it's a quality housing proposal and it meets the bylaws, then we just put a set of plans together, submit for permit and off we go. It doesn't take two years' worth of public meetings and IRAC appeals to get a project to a point where we're allowed to submit for a permit."

Arsenault said the change would allow municipalities to be more nimble in meeting the Island's projected population growth.

"It's getting to the core of the restrictions and the barriers that are in place within the bylaws and official plans of municipalities and updating those so that change — which is inevitable — is made that much easier, for the builders, for residents, and for the communities to grow to where they need to grow."

'Planning is going to be essential'

Provincial Housing, Land and Communities Minister Rob Lantz, who took on the portfolio earlier this month, acknowledged the housing crisis is a huge issue.

"It's something we heard at practically every door we knocked on during the recent election campaign," he said. "It's no secret that we have a housing crunch here and it's going to be a significant priority of this entire government."

Lantz said it was encouraging to hear the annual meeting's panel, which included Arsenault, talk about the importance of municipal and provincewide planning.

"Proper planning creates an efficient environment for development [and] ultimately helps create better communities, social [and] economic environments that [are] more conducive to the growth that we're seeing in the province right now," he said.

It's a criticism we've heard — it's legitimate — that we probably weren't prepared for the type of population growth that we've experienced over the last decade or more.— Rob Lantz

"It's a criticism we've heard — it's legitimate — that we probably weren't prepared for the type of population growth that we've experienced over the last decade or more.

"We are playing catch-up to a certain point, and planning is going to be essential for meeting the ambitious goals we've set for ourselves."

Lantz said consultations on a new strategic plan are expected to wrap up in the fall, but he's hoping that timeline can be accelerated.

"The premier has put a real priority on some of these issues that are in my file. We'll be staffing up accordingly to meet all those challenges."