Sustainable Land Use Plan for East Bolton

The Municipality of East Bolton wanted to equip itself with a sustainable land-use plan to replace its more traditional 2001 plan and to integrate sustainable development principles in its land-use decisions and in its vision of municipal development for the coming 10 years. For several years, East Bolton — a small municipality in the RMC of Memphrémagog — had witnessed rapid vacation home development on its lakeshores. Following an initial assessment, consultants were expected to recommend sustainable development objectives that took into account environmental, social and economic impacts. These would be reviewed and approved by the municipality and the public, after public consultations. The plan addressed the municipality’s key activity sectors such as wastewater management, shoreline protection, waste management, local road and bike lane management, and the production and management of renewable energy. A sustainable development committee was to be in charge of follow-up and would use performance indicators to measure progress against objectives. The municipality was required to implement and comply with the plan, particularly in its decisions on zoning and subdivisions. The plan was to be aligned with the municipal committees’ five-year action plan. It would also be anchored within other similar plans developed by the municipality and with larger plans developed by the RMC of Memphrémagog.

(Project description from original funding application)