There was standing room only at the Town of Morris council chambers last Thursday evening as over 45 area residents gathered to hear the Grow Morris: 2025-2050 Community Plan.
Following a nine-month process that began with strategic planning by council in 2023, an online community feedback survey, two open houses last spring, and provincial and additional community input through the summer, the public hearing led by consulting team M Richard & Associates Ltd. provided insight into how Morris town council is planning for the future.
“Grow Morris is a roadmap for future councils … providing course correction in a consultative manner,” said Mayor Scott Crick. “We are laying out a plan for future councils and setting things up on information that we have today.”
Councillor Mel Baxter added the goal was “an open strategic plan of futuristic growth patterns with expected input from the town’s citizens.”
Consultant and junior planner Hooman Hematian presented council’s vision of a town design balancing “future aims, directions and goals while respecting the heritage values, preservation, and conservation of the community.”
Four core goals of the project focused on ensuring a future Morris with unique character and identity, community amenities and support, and a diverse growing economy while maintaining food, land and water protection.
Concerns from citizens following the presentation included topics ranging from the aging condition and loss of Main Street businesses, the ongoing cycle of no large corporations to attract new workers, lack of housing, the opportunity to age in place, the “crumbling” hospital, and the possible encroachment of new development on green space.
There were raised voices and vocal feedback surrounding unintentional language used in the report of “prohibiting the use of personal vehicles” in the community. Deputy Mayor Chris Hamblin responded that “there will be a verbiage review because council does not want a self-contained community” and this perspective was “certainly not the intent of council. We will make sure the words are changed.”
Hematian stressed the project intent was “not to reduce cars, but give people the opportunity to walk and be outside.”
Conversation moved to whether the federal government’s signing of the Paris Climate Change Accord and resulting carbon policies could override and change current projects depending on wording in the guiding documents.
Mayor Crick assured that council is focused on long-term aspirational goals for community growth, while knowing that “nothing is permanent and everything can be undone” and any opinions on carbon taxes would have to be “taken up with the federal government.”
There was excitement surrounding the plan for senior housing in the community, with Hamblin sharing that although the $25 million budget for the proposed housing complex attached to the Morris Multiplex is over budget, council is in talks with a construction manager for preliminary plans and a review to help cut costs. Schematics will be available in Rosenort, St. Jean Baptiste, and Morris for review in the near future.
She was clear that there is commitment to “making it happen, but council will not be responsible for the facility and there will need to be significant fundraising to create a facility that is self sustainable.”
Mayor Crick ended the hearing with, “We don’t want a community plan that is problematic and don’t want issues for the future. It was nice having the amount of people that came out tonight, making it feel more like an open house.”
Council is committed to ongoing edits from community feedback as next steps in the project are implemented, including a second reading, minister approval in six to eight weeks, and third reading in early 2025.
The full report can be obtained by emailing info@townofmorris.ca.
