West Lincoln Sustainable Community Improvement Plan (CIP)

The Township of West Lincoln will develop a sustainable Community Improvement Plan (CIP) focusing on the remediation of brownfield sites throughout the township and on the revitalization of the historic downtown centre of the Town of Smithville. Led by a multi-disciplinary steering committee, the township will review applicable municipal and provincial legislation and identify policy options to promote the redevelopment of potential sites. Based on site inspections, the team will identify any barriers to redevelopment and conduct research on sustainable options. Following public meetings and visioning workshops, the township will prioritize opportunities to incorporate Smart Growth design principles and LEED guidelines. With stakeholder input, a draft of the CIP will be prepared that sets very specific community improvement targets. It is predicted that the CIP could guide the remediation of three to five brownfield sites per year, resulting in the redevelopment of all the township’s sites within 10 years. In-situ remediation processes will completely eliminate soil and groundwater contaminants from most of these sites. . The intensification or infill of downtown properties, along with brownfield redevelopment, will reduce the environmental risks associated with urban sprawl. For each acre of redeveloped land, 4.5 acres of farmland may be spared from greenfield development.