Matt T. MacDonald

The City of Belleville's Economic Development Strategic Plan (2025-2028) outlines a roadmap for future growth and prosperity, emphasizing innovation, sustainability, collaboration, and inclusivity. It leverages the city's diverse economy, cultural heritage, and strategic location through five core themes: Destination Development, Business Retention and Expansion, Attraction of New Investment, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Infrastructure and Connectivity. The plan is designed to enhance the quality of life for residents, attract talent, and ensure sustainable economic growth, positioning Belleville as a regional leader.

The committee held a public meeting to discuss two zoning bylaw amendment applications. The first application proposed rezoning land at Davy Road and Davy Court from commercial to service industrial to allow for a warehouse facility. The second application proposed rezoning a property on Dundas Street West from residential to a multi-unit residential zone to facilitate the development of a five-story building with 39 residential units. The meeting included presentations from staff and consultants, as well as comments from the public regarding concerns about neighborhood character, traffic, and density.

The Council meeting included a community recognition award presentation for a local youth's charitable efforts for first responders. Additionally, the Executive Director of the Bay of Quinte Marketing Board provided a comprehensive update on fiscal year achievements, highlighting tourism-related economic growth, marketing campaign impacts, and successes in workforce attraction through the workinquinte.ca platform. The council also moved to enter into committee to discuss further reports and resolutions.

The Committee discussed a minor variance application for a property at One Spruce Gardens, Belleville, involving the replacement of an existing deck with a smaller sunroom. The committee addressed a neighbor's concern regarding potential drainage issues, which were clarified by staff to be a non-issue as site grading will remain unchanged. The committee subsequently voted to approve the minor variance application.

The committee discussed a structural complaint regarding the underground parking area at 60 Bird Street. The property manager and regional manager from Sterling Kamar presented an assessment report and requested a six-month extension to perform waterproofing and concrete repairs. A bylaw officer confirmed that the proposed timeline is reasonable given the scope of work and the number of residents in the building. The committee approved the request and briefly addressed a personal matter during a closed session before concluding the meeting.