Doyle urges residents to share thoughts on town plan

By Craig Westcott \ May 18, 2023

Councillor Danielle Doyle is making one last push to encourage residents to offer their two cents’ worth on Carbonear’s coming new municipal plan, warning if they don’t it could cost them in the long run.

The Town hosted two public consultation sessions earlier this month for people who want to have a say about the town’s future. There is also an online survey residents can complete on the Town’s website, which consultants will take into consideration as they compose a draft version of the plan.

“I can’t emphasize to residents enough that if you want to have an opinion on (building) side widths, lengths, or how high your fence is allowed to be or whether or not you’re allowed to have chickens, and all these other things that are covered under the development regulations, how important it is for you to fill out that survey and have your say,” Doyle said at last week’s public council meeting. “Because once the development regulations are done, they’re done for at least another 10 years.”

Doyle, which chair’s Carbonear’s planning committee, said it costs a lot of money to rezone a property and suggested if anyone is looking at developing property in the future that could be affected by the new regulations, they should consider having a say now.

A draft of the plan is expected to come to council for review this year.

“The guy from Upland (the consulting company preparing the plan) did share with us that once the first draft comes out and people see what changes (there are) or what changes won’t be happening, that’s generally when you get a bit more feedback,” Doyle said. “But again, I can’t say (enough) how important it is to be engaged.”

The online survey has some 30 questions, many of them multiple choice, and asks about everything from how people get around Carbonear now – by foot, bicycle or car, to what kind of housing the community needs more of – whether single-family homes, granny homes, mobile homes, tiny homes, and other options. Responses to the survey will be kept anonymous, according to the Town.