Municipality of Bristol

Master Plan Summary

Dear Residents:
The Municipal Council and myself are proud to present to you a summary of the Master Plan. Also, to recognize and to thanks the participation of the Planning Commission members, the true devotion of the municipal employees who have demonstrated care and consideration, since the last e years, towards a common goal of building a better place for the resident of Bristol. The main objective of this Plan is to provide an improved quality of life to all residents of Bristol by protecting and encouraging economic development of the Municipality for the next five years. This exercise was also realized in trying to render Bristol as autonomous as possible, by the same token, it will also benefits all activities such as: commerce, community services, tourism industry, agriculture and forestry.

Municipal Council
Mayor

PUBLIC NOTICE FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION:

AMENDMENTS TO THE MASTER PLAN AND PLANNING BY-LAWS

MUNICIPALITY OF BRISTOL

PUBLIC NOTICE
To all persons interested in obtaining information on the future plans to amend the Master Plan, the relating Planning By-laws and other By-laws which are listed under point 1 below:

PUBLIC NOTICE is given to the following:

1. During a session held on March 1st, 2004, the Municipal Council adopted the following Draft By-laws:

Keith Emerson
Secretary-Treasurer
March 2nd, 2004

Introduction

A Master Plan is a long-term document used to define and plan out for the next five years a comprehensive vision on land use. This vision specifically outlines the methodology for the Municipal Council to respond to the needs and expectations of the resident of Bristol. This comprehensive vision is presented under the main orientations on land use and the means to implement them (listed below).

Master Plan Summary

The main orientations on Land Use and their means of implementation

CONSOLIDATE ALL AGRICULTURAL USES WHERE THE SOIL OFFERS A GOOD AGRICULTURAL POTENTIAL

• Consolidate and develop all agricultural uses.
• The control of certain extensive agricultural uses is governed by the Provincial Ministries.
• Encourage activities that promote agro-tourism (Bed and Breakfast and Holiday Farms).
• Permit recreo-tourism activities as much as possible.

PERMIT DIVERSIFIED ACTIVITIES IN LESSER AGRICULTURAL POTENTIAL AREAS

• Analyse the possibilities that the Provincial Agricultural Act gives in terms of non-agricultural use of land.
• Better inform the population of these possibilities and rights.
• Create a specific planning tool for these areas.
• Integrate the aspects of the Master Plan revision and the consultation practices to produce a document outlining the residents’ vision on the limits relating to agricultural zoning.

CONSOLIDATE PUBLIC, COMMUNITY, COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURES WITHIN THE URBANIZATION PERIMETER AND THE SERVICE CENTRES (AS MUCH AS THE REGIONAL PLAN PERMITS)

• Organize for a specific area in the sector of the Town Hall to become the main “Local centre” of the Municipality.
• Promote Bristol and Norway Bay as “Local centres” of the Municipality.
• Establish flexible zoning within these areas to consolidate their diversity.
• Improve signage, lighting, and sense of ownership within these areas.

PROMOTE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE MUNICIPALITY

• Encourage a strategic campaign to promote quality of life in Bristol.
• Promote the potential of designated areas of lands owned by the Municipality.

MAKE THE EXISTENCE OF BRISTOL MINE SITE AND THE MUNICIPAL PROPERTY ON “FIFTH LINE” BETTER KNOWN

• Establish a development plan to designate particular activities for certain areas within the sector.

ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF RECREO-TOURISM ACTIVITIES

• Develop a recreo-tourism strategy for Bristol, (Provide signage along main roads).
• Promote specific activities.
• Promote the recreo-tourism potential of the Ottawa River and the other natural resources.
• Develop and promote the Old Horse Railroad.

PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENT

• Control the use of the riverbed, shorelines and watercourses.
• Control septic installations to eliminate pollution problems.
• Promote awareness to residents concerning the preservation of water quality in the Municipal territory.
• Protect trees and forests by applying the standards within the MRC plan.
• Encourage proactive actions toward upcoming environmental issues (such as soil amendments, etc.) as they will arise.
• Investigate pros and cons of Biosolids.

ESTABLISH A TRANSPORTATION PLAN

• Plan a preliminary pathway for potential collector roads.
• Classify existing roads according to their existing and potential uses.
• Establish terms and standards for roads to meet municipal roads.
• Indicate in the Master Plan that regional and provincial cartography mapping and plans should better show the collector roads leading to Bristol.

Summary of the Main Planning By-laws

PROPERTY ZONING

• The municipal territory is divided into several zones, of which certain use categoriesare permitted. For example, within the future Centre-village of Bristol, to create a functional core, it is permitted to establish housing and many types of Businesses, Community and Public Services. The zone divisions are indicated on the Municipal Zoning Plan found at the Municipal Hall.
• Outside the boundaries of the future Centre-village, it will be proposed to permit the establishment of residences, mobile homes and cottages. The recreo-tourism use is permitted on almost all of the territory of the Municipality. The forestry cut use, is also permitted on all of the territory of the Municipality, but must respect the regulatory standards provided by the Pontiac MRC. Also, in terms of complementary use of a residence, certain types of commercial use such as, accounting practice, daycare, etc., are allowable within a dwelling, under certain regulatory conditions. Norway Bay sector provided also for multiple choices of uses.

BUILDINGS

• A main residential building must have a maximum height of 13 metres; a minimum surface area of 37m_ (400 ft_) and it must be located at a certain distance from a road and the boundaries of the property on which it is erected.
• A secondary building can be attached or detached from the main building. When attached to the main building, there are no size limits, when detached the maximum size of the secondary building is 10% of lot size. The maximum height for a secondary building is 8 metres.

SET BACK (margin)

• The set backs are the separating distances prescribed within the Zoning By-law. They serve to establish a minimal distance between buildings and construction from watercourses, property lines, roads, etc. These set backs are specific to each created zone, dependent upon the location of the existing buildings and their permitted use.

ENVIRONMENT

• Watercourses: The margin from a natural high water mark and a main or secondary building is 10 m. or 15 m. and is dependant upon the slope between the building and the watercourse. Certain exceptions are applicable to the reconstruction or the extension of existing buildings.

LOT, BUILDING and NON-CONFORMING USE to MUNICIPAL REGULATIONS

• The lots, buildings and the uses, which were conformant prior to the adoption of the new planning by-laws, are protected under acquired right dispositions. In a general sense, an existing protected right allows the lot, building or the use to remain as is.

For more information please contact Christina Peck at the Municipality of Bristol
819-647-2424.