Town launches Plan Amherst
Plan Amherst, a project to update and renew the Town of Amherst’s Municipal Planning Strategy and Land-Use Bylaw, was launched by the town on Thursday, March 31, 2022.
The 18-month-long project, led for the town by Upland Planning + Design, aims to ensure the two planning documents reflect the goals of the community.
The Municipal Planning Strategy is the town’s primary planning document. It establishes the vision, goals and polices for growth and development. The Land-Use Bylaw is a companion document that sets out various rules and regulations pertaining to development activities.
Together, they shape the community by determining what types of development can happen and where they may occur.
In order to ensure the documents work for the community, the town, through Upland, will work closely with residents, businesses and other community members during the coming months to determine their needs and aspirations for the future.
This collaborative community participation is essential, and there will be many opportunities for residents to contribute and share their thoughts, ideas and opinions over the course of the project, including:
- The Initial Engagement Phase, which will take place from April to June 2022. It will include a range of online and in-person engagement opportunities. The information collected during this phase will be summarized into an easy-to-read report that will be released to the public later in June 2022.
- During the Draft Plan Phase, the planning team will take the information from the previous phase and begin shaping the direction of the updated Municipal Planning Strategy and Land-Use Bylaw. The team will present the plan in the late Fall of 2022 and the public will have the opportunity to comment in early 2023.
- The planning team will complete the revised Municipal Planning Strategy and Land-Use Bylaw during the Final Plan Phase, which will take place over the Winter of 2023. The public will have the opportunity to provide any additional comments or concerns about the new planning documents at a public hearing held before the Amherst town council.
Please visit https://www.planamherst.ca/ for more information about how you can stay up to date with the project. The Public Survey and Online Interactive Mapping Tool, which can be found on the website, are now live for residents to begin sharing their input.
The Plan Amherst project team can be reached anytime at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
