Notice of Public Meeting - January 24, 2024 - Amendment 12 to Lanark County SCOP (LEAR)

TAKE NOTICE that a Virtual Public Meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 7:00 p.m., with respect to the following amendment:

Proposed Amendment No. 12 to the Lanark County Sustainable Communities Official Plan (SCOPA#12), County of Lanark File No. 0900-OP-23002.

The Municipality of Mississippi Mills has adopted Amendment No. 29 to the Community Official Plan (COPA #29) to designate Prime Agricultural Areas using a Land Evaluation Area Review (LEAR). Any change to the Agricultural designation in local plans with the County of Lanark requires an amendment to the Lanark County Sustainable Communities Official Plan (SCOP).

The LEAR stands for Land Evaluation and Area Review and is a process created by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to evaluate or “score” lands for agriculture based on the land’s characteristics and other factors affecting agricultural potential. LEAR studies are used to identify prime agricultural areas, which is a requirement by the province through the Provincial Policy Statement.  

The purpose of SCOP #12 is to designate lands proposed as “Prime Agricultural Areas” on Schedule “A” to Community Official Plan for the Municipality of Mississippi Mills as “Agricultural Land” on Schedule “A” to the Sustainable Communities Official Plan (SCOP) for the County of Lanark. SCOP #12 applies to a large area of lands throughout the Municipality of Mississippi Mills. A key map is therefore not provided.

IF YOU WISH to be notified of the adoption of the proposed official plan amendment, you must make a written request to the Senior Planner, County of Lanark, 99 Christie Lake Road, Perth, Ontario, K7H 3C6.

IF A PERSON OR PUBLIC BODY does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the County of Lanark before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted; the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision of County of Lanark Council to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

IF A PERSON OR PUBLIC BODY does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the County of Lanark before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION in regard to the proposed official plan amendment can be obtained from the Senior Planner, electronically by contacting plan@lanarkcounty.ca, or by phone at 613-267-4200 ext. 1505.
If you wish to participate in the meeting, please register with the Clerk at clerk@lanarkcounty.ca by Wednesday, January 10th to be notified of the format and details of the meeting. We strongly encourage any written comments / questions to be submitted prior to the meeting to plan@lanarkcounty.ca.