Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

88 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 core. “My vision is that the main street won’t be as much a place for traffic to move through, but it will be a people spot, a place that is moving people to find those entertainment experiences, those little craft and boutique type stores, on our main street. I see us trying to move more to a place where people gather, not where vehicles fly through.” Plans for the Future Looking ahead, Mayor Eccles says that residential expansion is a top priority for West Grey, underscoring the importance of attracting people to the area to drive both economic development and local businesses. “You’ve got to attract businesses, and I don’t care whether it’s an automotive plant, or whether it’s Aunt Bessie’s flower shop. You need people, one to work in them – and two - to be the traffic through the door at the flower shop, or at the bakery, or whatever,” he said. The mayor also discussed walkable communities, expressing the municipality’s commitment to creating livable spaces in urban centers. For Schipprack, actively addressing the growing demand for housing by streamlining processes and cutting through red tape is an area of focus. He shares that the municipality is poised to implement a new official plan and zoning bylaw, with a focus on easing restrictions and promoting greater flexibility in property use. The goal is to encourage additional residential units, increased density in the downtown core, and a more efficient approval process for developers and builders. As West Grey continues to grow and innovate, it reinforces its status as a welcoming and dynamic municipality, ensuring a bright and prosperous future for all who call it home. PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n H Bye Construction www.hbyeconstruction.com n Intact Public Entities www.intactpublicentities.ca