The Town of Fort Erie has commenced the process of developing a Neighbourhood Plan for the Bridgeburg Area. Watch this site for further information on upcoming public meetings and other ways you can participate in shaping the future of the Bridgeburg Neighbourhood.

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At its meeting of December 8, 2008, Town Council approved the Bridgeburg Neighbourhood Plan. This signalized the culmination of three years of hard work by Council, the citizens of Bridgeburg, and the Bridgeburg Station Downtown BIA who partnered with Staff to create a vision for the future of the Neighbourhood.

In early 2009, Council will consider the adoption of the related Secondary Plan/Official Plan Amendments, which are required to implement the land-use vision of the Neighbourhood Plan. Watch this site for further information on upcoming public meetings.

The Following documents are available for viewing:

Bridgeburg Neighbourhood Plan Volume 1 – Background Report

Bridgeburg Neighbourhood Plan Volume 2 - Guidelines for Revitalization and Growth

Neighbourhood Plan Map

These documents are also available in hard copy at Town Hall, in the Community and Development Services Department.

For further information on the Neighbourhood Plan, please contact:

Tom Villella, Neighbourhood Planner
Community and Development Services Department
1 Municipal Centre Drive
Fort Erie, Ontario L2A 2S6
(905) 871-1600 ext. 223

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March 22, 2007 - The 3rd meeting of the Community Focus Group was held on March 21, 2007. Group members, who represent the community at large, officially endorsed the Background Report (Volume 1), the Draft Neighbourhood Land Use Plan, the Open Space Plan, the Special Policy Area Plans and the various Transportation Initiatives. Staff will now proceed to formulate the Policy Plan document for circulation to agencies and the public. We expect to have a final draft package ready for the end of May, with final Council approval possible by mid-June.

A further public meeting will be held sometime in May to present the final draft Neighbourhood Plan. Watch this site for details. <br>

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February 19, 2007 - The 3rd Open House for the Bridgeburg Neighbourhood Plan was held at the historic Mentholatum Plant at 20 Lewis Street, on February 8, 2007. Approximately 20 people attended the afternoon and evening sessions and provided their comments on the various Plan initiatives. Please see the Documents Section below to download copies of the various plans submitted for public review, including the Draft Land Use Plan, The Transportation Plan, the Natural and Cultural Heritage Plan, the Concept Plans for the Coal Docks property and the Horton Steel property, and various options for neighbourhoos "welcome" signs.

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January 25, 2007 - Mark your calendar! The date of the next Public Open House has been set for the Bridgeburg Neighbourhood Plan. The Open House will be held at the historic Mentholatum Plant at 20 Lewis Street, Bridgeburg. This site is an example of adaptive re-use of former industrial buildings in the Bridgeburg area and provides a perfect venue for our meeting. Download a copy of the public notice poster here. Details are as follows:

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December 8, 2006 - Staff has completed the final draft version of the Volume 1: Background Report for the Bridgeburg Neighbourhood Plan. The report is available for download below. Throughout December and into January, Staff will continue working on the draft Future Land Use Plan, including the Bridgeburg Greenways trail network plan, the future transportation route plan, and the natural and cultural heritage plans. The Community Focus Group will meet in mid-January 2007 to discuss these plans, and the next Public Open House will be held shortly thereafter. Watch this webpage for information on the next scheduled Open House.

Staff has also produced a brochure for the Neighbourhood Plan, which can be viewed and downloaded below.

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October 16, 2006 - The second meeting of the Bridgeburg Community Focus Group was held October 11, 2006 at Town Hall. In attendance were representatives from Staff, Regional Niagara Housing, Bridgeburg BIA, residents of Bridegburg and major land holders. The group explored themes and ideas for Bridgeburg Revitalization, and prioritized key items for introduction into the Neighbourhood Plan document. Staff presented the Bridgeburg Neighbourhood Plan - Volume 1: Background Report for the group to peruse. A copy is available below, or a hard copy is available in the Planning Department. The slide presentation prepared by Staff for this meeting is also available below.

The next Community Focus Group meeting will be held in mid-January, followed by our next Public Open House sometime in early February. Watch this site for further details.

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October 4, 2006 - Staff has completed the draft Bridgeburg Neighbourhood Plan - Volume 1: Background Report. This report provides a synopsis of the existing conditions and the historical context of the Bridgeburg Neighbourhood, in advance of the the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan, including the Future Land Use Plan. The Report may be downloaded from the link found in the Documents section below. Hard copies are available in the Community and Development Services Department. Please provide us with any comments you may have on this report, as it will form the basis for decisions made on future land use in the Bridgeburg Neighbourhood.

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August 16, 2006 - At the Council-in-Committee meeting of August 14, 2006, Staff reported on the proposed work plan for the Bridgeburg Neighbourhood Plan. Over the next month Staff will be compiling background information on the Neighbourhood, important to understanding the social fabric and key issues affecting Bridgeburg. A first draft of a proposed Land Use Plan will be presented to the Community Focus Group in September, followed by a Public Meeting. Watch this site for information on upcoming meeting dates. We need YOUR input to make the Bridgeburg Neighbourhood Plan a success! The full Staff Report from August 14, 2006 may be downloaded by clicking here.

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November 5, 2005 - As announced in the Fort Erie Times, the Niagara Falls Review and The Herald, a Public Open House was held at Town Hall on October 18, 2005 and at the Fort Erie Public Library on November 3, 2005 with respect to the Bridgeburg Neighbourhood Plan. The Open Houses were attended by 46 members of the public, and 20 comment sheets were submitted to Staff. Staff welcomes continued dialogue with the public, and a comment sheet is available here for download.

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Watch this section of the site for available dowloads, usually in PDF format. Information relative to the Neighbourhood Plan process will be available here. Please click on the title of the document in order to be linked to the PDF.

The following plans were submitted for public review at Open House #3 on February 8, 2007. Hard copies are also available in the Community and Development Services Department at Town Hall.

DRAFT FUTURE NEIGHBOURHOOD LAND USE PLAN

DRAFT FUTURE TRANSPORTATION PLAN

DRAFT OPEN SPACE/NATURAL HERITAGE PLAN

DRAFT CONCEPT PLAN FOR BRIDGEBURG LANDING (COAL DOCKS)

DRAFT CONCEPT PLAN FOR HORTON STEEL RESIDENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT AREA

VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD WELCOME SIGNS

Comment Sheets
Comment Sheet - Please fill out and return to Town Hall

Maps
Bridgeburg - Aerial Photography Map (575 KB)

Documents
Presentation to Focus Group on March 21, 2007
Presentation to Focus Group on Oct 11 2006
Draft Volume 1: Background Report (Text - 12MB)
Draft Volume 1: Background Report Maps (7MB)
What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
What is a Community Focus Group?
Provincial Policy Statement 2005 - How it affects Fort Erie
Bridgeburg Neighbourhood Plan Brochure

Staff Reports
CDS-143-05 on November 21, 2005 (Initiation of Bridgeburg Plan)
CDS-069-06 on August 14, 2006 (Work Plan)

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The following links may be of interest:

Bridgeburg Station Downtown Business Improvement Area