Public outreach project for official plan review a success

While Fort Erie residents were out enjoying the summer fun, they were also helping town staff prepare for a new official plan.

A staff memo to council outlined the results of a summer project that saw staff head out to community events to seek input through its Planners in Public Spaces (PIPS) program. Throughout the summer, town planners would set up at festivals, markets and other events to meet residents and talk about the official plan review.

It was a project some on council were grateful staff undertook. Earlier this year, they expressed concern about a perceived lack of interest in the review.

“If they don’t come to us, we’ve got to go to them,” said Councillor Ann-Marie Noyes. “They can’t say we didn’t try.”

The project seemed to drive traffic to the Let’s Talk Fort Erie official plan review page, the memo suggests. Total web traffic nearly doubled, with 1,800 visitors after the PIPS, compared to 989 before. Unique visitors also increased by a similar amount, to 1,200 from 665.

During the PIPS events, staff handed out surveys that included questions regarding what they value about Fort Erie, what contributes to it being a complete community, and what would make it better.

Additionally, staff also asked residents what they would like Fort Erie to look like in 25 years and asked for three ideas about the official plan.

Many of the responses about what residents value about the town revolved around it having a small town feel, along with the Peace Bridge and tourism.

When asked about what makes it a complete community and how Fort Erie could improve, respondents brought up topics like transit and transportation, housing, more work opportunities and a functional downtown business area, an improved race track, and more entertainment for children.

Residents would like to see a future Fort Erie be a place for families, with increased access to waterfront areas, as well as a place that’s known for its creativity. They’d also like to see the town rebranded as a gateway to Niagara instead of being an end point.

The ideas residents gave to inform the official plan review ran the gamut. Some of the key points included consulting with industries, partnering with educational institutions, waterfront development and access, housing, transit, more affordable shopping opportunities, developing a dog park, and more entertainment in general.

All told, planners attended four events over the summer, all in July. A fifth was planned but got rained out.

Despite worries around the horseshoe earlier this year during a presentation on the review,  consultants working for the town said the response from residents was above average for a municipality the size of Fort Erie.

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