The Town of Antigonish is pleased to announce its brand-new Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-Law are now in effect after receiving final written approval from the Nova Scotia Department of Municipal Affairs. An MPS is a document that allows Council to identify goals and policies that will guide future decisions on the development of the Town, as well as services available for residents.
The Town began the MPS review process by hosting the Engage and Envision Antigonish community consultation sessions. During these sessions the Town was able to learn from citizens what their main areas of concern were for the community and the top priorities for building a stronger and more sustainable Antigonish.
“The community’s feedback was vital for the Town in being able to create an MPS document that truly reflected the needs of our diverse population,” said Laurie Boucher, Mayor of the Town of Antigonish. “The review process was the first time the Town’s MPS went through a complete update in almost 20 years. As a growing municipality that has seen a lot of positive change in recent years, we were due for a new strategy that captures our collective vision and properly reflects where we are headed as a community.”
With a focus on helping the Town thrive in the present and in years to come, the overarching mission of the Town’s MPS was to build a framework with three pillars of community sustainability in mind, that include our social, fiscal and environmental well-being. Once the Town understood the community’s concerns it could then work strategically to build an MPS with realistic and actionable solutions that were informed the three pillars of sustainability.
As a result, eight action areas were identified to help facilitate the work of the Town to address the community’s top priorities. Those areas include: Affordable Housing; Active Transportation; Mixed-Use Neighbourhood Character; Environmental Sustainability; Recreation, Arts & Culture; Economic Development; Accessibility & Equity; and, Collaboration with Partners.
Town staff and Council will work to implement plans and projects that will achieve the overall vision outlined in the MPS, while also remaining flexible in order to adapt to the natural changing conditions within the Town and beyond. The LUB is the support document to the MPS. It establishes the rules and regulations for land use development consistent with the vision of the MPS. To understand how the changes to the LUB may impact you, please contact the Eastern District Planning Commission.
“The new MPS and LUB will play a significant role in Council being able to enhance the livability and quality of life for residents of our Town for today and for generations to come,” said Mayor Boucher.
The MPS and LUB, as well as the updated Zoning Map can be read and downloaded on the Town of Antigonish’s website at: https://townofantigonish.ca/plans-strategies-and-reports.html
To download a PDF copy of the MPS Infographic, pdf click here. (148 KB)
