Letter re Colchester Overdevelopment - Sent to Federal MP, MPP, County of Essex, Town of Essex

We represent a small grassroots organization 'Colchester Matters', located in Colchester, ON.  Our goal is to inform and educate our residents as to changes and housing developments slated for our community.

The purpose of this letter is to advise of what we feel is inappropriate building and unreasonable growth including a push for Colchester to become a major tourism industry.  These alterations to our hamlet are being planned by the Town of Essex, in contravention of the Provincial Planning Statement, 2024.

Colchester is designated a 'Secondary Settlement' area, yet gross overdevelopment is being planned, well beyond what a Secondary Settlement can manage, even beyond expectations of Bills 23 and 185.

Colchester has neither the infrastructure nor facilities to support these developments.  As per the Provincial Planning Statement, the type and density of these developments should be planned for 'designated growth' areas and 'high density targets' which we are not.  Land better suited to these developments is available far closer to employment and education facilities.

Presently, there is one major development, Colchester Bay, plus another five beach developments planned.

Colchester Bay has plans in Phase 1 for a build of 458 "dwellings", plus a Phase 2 development plan to include a hotel, all planned on 39 acres.  Another, within a few KM's, currently at the approval stage with the County of Essex includes 52 "single unit dwellings" which we acknowledge could turn into 156 actual residences.  This development is immediately north of a lakefront area designated by ERCA to be "flood prone".

Additionally, there are five more beach developments planned.  Consideration of everything currently planned (of which we're aware), equals 892 units, many of which will allow 2 more dwelling units or ADU's within or attached.  This places our density into one similar to that of New York.  Our lack of necessary infrastructure and appropriate facilities to support these new residents renders these plans inappropriate and out of compliance.  We are not a strategic growth area - period.

Additionally, more greenhouses are to be allowed, without consideration of valuable agricultural land.  Essex County is touted as having the richest soil and most prime agricultural land in Ontario, yet it is being rezoned residential.  Essex County has alternative land more suitable for future residential yet a village the size of Colchester is being exploited due to our proximity to Lake Erie.

Our expectations are that the Provincial Planning Statement will supersede the 2024 County of Essex and 2024 Town of Essex Official Plans.  If so, much review of these developments and plans of expansion will require mitigation.

Respectfully,