Case study: Shoreline plan strikes a balance

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent developed a sustainable community plan for its shoreline areas.

Shorelines account for almost 40 per cent of the land mass in Chatham-Kent, and the majority of residents live along them. The municipality wanted to better define the balance between public access, private development and the preservation of natural areas along the shorelines.

After extensive community engagement, the municipality produced a plan filled with specific actions. It will create an organization to promote and develop Chatham-Kent as a tourism destination and improve municipal docking facilities to attract boaters and fishers. The plan also includes ways to help restore shoreline cover and wildlife habitat, as well as improve access to public areas.

Results

Challenges

• Confusion among the population about who has jurisdiction over waterways and shorelines.
• A sense among landowners that a sustainability plan merely imposes more regulations regarding what they can do on their property.

Lessons learned

• Public engagement is vital to the success of your plan. You need involvement from both property owners and those who use shoreline areas but are not property owners. 
• Consider a variety of avenues to get information out, from social media and the internet to public libraries.

Resources

• Shoreline Area Sustainable Community Plan

Partners and collaborators

• Municipality of Chatham-Kent
• MMM Group (now WSP group)
• Storey Samways Planning
• Ecoplans
• Shoreplan Engineering
• FCM's Green Municipal Fund

Project contact

Ralph Pugliese
Director, Planning Services
Municipality of Chatham-Kent, ON
T. 519-352-8401, ext. 3042