Curbs needed now to stop development sprawl on P.E.I., committee hears

The Federation of P.E.I.Municipalities is calling for interim rules and restrictions on development on the Island to prevent sprawl while the government works on a comprehensive land use plan.

In a presentation to the province's standing committee on education and economic growth, the federation pointed out that a provincewide land use plan has been called for in numerous reviews dating back 50 years, starting with the Royal Commission on Land Ownership and Land Use in 1973.

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Such a plan was most recently called for in a 2021 report.

"We are gradually changing the landscape that supports farming and attracts tourists," federation policy advisor Satyajit Sen told the committee.

"Sprawl works against the province's efforts to support rural economic development. It also undermines rural services."

Sen said sprawl and unplanned development are to blame for the loss of agricultural land — with estimates as high as a loss of 39 acres per day — and the rising cost of services like water treatment, garbage collection and snow removal.

Answering questions from MLAs, the federation also clarified that interim measures should not necessarily re-direct all development to cities like Charlottetown and Summerside, but encourage growth in towns like North Rustico, Borden-Carleton, Kensington and O'Leary — areas that already have infrastructure and services.

Plan coming within 3 years

About 80 per cent of the province consists of unincorporated areas outside any municipality, meaning that in the absence of a land use plan, four-fifths of P.E.I. has no guidance or governance for development. 

The Dennis King government has committed to developing a provincewide land use plan, but on Thursday a spokesperson for the Department of Land and Communities said the current timeline has that still two and a half to three years away.

We cannot turn back the clock, but we can do things differently in the future— Satyajit Sen, Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities

"While we do the work needed to create a land use plan for the province, interim measures to reduce red tape, improve the decision-making process, and bring clarity to applicants are underway," an emailed statement read. 

"This includes putting in measures to preserve agricultural land for agricultural use and prioritizing new housing developments with an emphasis on development within municipalities."

The department said the first step in that plan development is the release of the State of the Island report, expected by the end of March.

"We understand that it might take a few years before the plan is in, but in the meantime, with the population growth, we see a lot of development and those developments are not necessarily good development," Sen said.

He used the example of large subdivisions being built away from municipal water in unincorporated areas.

"The way you can solve the housing crisis is actually to direct the development towards service centres. Create economics of density," he said.

"That's also going to create a sense of community. The newcomers, people who are moving to the province, will be living in these small towns and cities in a more concentrated way where you can have services that can be delivered to them."

The federation also recommended the MLAs consider restricting rezoning or redevelopment of farmland and coastal view areas.

"We cannot restore… the landscapes that we have altered or bring back the farmland that we have lost," Sen said.

"We cannot turn back the clock, but we can do things differently in the future."