What is the Community Context?

  • The Official Plan of the Township of Oro-Medonte and the County of Simcoe Draft Modified Plan both depict the land use in Horseshoe Valleyas a “Major Settlement Area”. In fact, in section C14.3.3 of the O-M plan, the Horseshoe Resort area is described as the “Horseshoe Valley Village Designation” where the main commercial and resort facilities will be developed on both the north and south sides of CR-22 exactly where the truck lanes would dissect Main Street. The Township recognizes this area is“… evolving . . . as focus for many forms of development in the future.”
  • The Horseshoe Valley area is a vibrant residential-resort -recreational area of significant socio-economic value to Simcoe County for tourism and development. Some statistics:

1800 residents in Horseshoe Valley

2,332 residential units in the Horseshoe Corridor with another estimated1000 units to be built in the next several years

In Winter (150 days), Horseshoe gets approximately 220,000 visitors

Settlers’ Ghost gets 25,000 visitors annually

On any given day, there are approximately 800 transitory overnight visitors at Horseshoe and Carriage Hills

  • Horseshoe Valley is Oro-Medonte’s largest employment area.
  • Residents and visitors to the area have an expectation of safe passage whether by vehicle, bicycle or foot.
  • This area has features that are a challenge to consider when planning road improvements, features that would be better addressed by “doing nothing” in Project A than by constructing “truck climbing lanes”.
  • To date, key stakeholders such as Skyline Horseshoe Valley Inc., Settler’s Ghost, Horseshoe Valley Lands, and Carriage Hills Hospitality Inc. (see attachments)have either all communicated to the HVPRC or written letters to the County of Simcoe stating their opposition to a truck lane design. Almost 700 residents and stakeholders have signed a petition to ‘Stop the Truck Lanes’ with many commenting on their main concern of safety. Countless letters from other stakeholder and residentswho oppose the truck lane design have been sent to the County. The EA process is designed in part to encourage public input in order to inform design. To date, there is no evidence that the common voice of opposition to truck lanes and of safety concerns has in any way influenced or effected change in the County’s perspective or plansfor Horseshoe Valley Road. Nor is there any evidence in what the County has presented that the area is valued as a residential, employment and tourism asset to this County.