Revitalization key in updated Bolton Community Improvement Plan

January 26, 2023 · 0 Comments

By Zachary Roman

An updated community improvement plan for Bolton should soon be coming.

At Caledon Council’s January 17 Planning and Development meeting, Town staff presented on the 2023 Bolton Community Improvement Plan (CIP), and submitted a report on the same topic. The report was submitted by Sandra Dolson, Economic Development Officer.

The report recommended an updated community improvement project area, updated community improvement plan, and that Town staff be authorized to take up to $100,000 from the Town’s tax-funded operating reserve to fund Community Improvement Plan applications from properties and businesses.

A Bolton CIP was first adopted in 2009 and was meant to have a 10-year outlook. Since the plan was implemented, the Town has distributed more than $561,000 in grants to properties and businesses in the CIP area. There are three different CIP areas in Bolton: Bolton Core, Commercial Corridor, and Industrial Area. These can be seen on the map corresponding to this article.

Before submitting a report to Council, Town staff completed a full review and update of the existing CIP. Among key changes is a program to encourage properties deemed to be high priority to redevelop or be revitalized, as well as increased grant amounts available for two programs.

According to the staff report, the review of Bolton’s CIP was recently done because “the 2020 Economic Development Strategy and the 2021 Downtown Bolton Revitalization Plan identify an update of the 2009 Bolton CIP as a key priority for the Town.”

If passed by Council, there will be a variety of grants available through the CIP to eligible properties and businesses. For example, up to $14,500 could be available for facade improvement, up to $5,000 for signage upgrades, $15,000 for development charges, and $7,500 for property improvement.

According to the Town, the new CIP will be implemented over a 10-year period, and a review will be conducted after five years. The Town will develop a marketing strategy alongside the plan to ensure property and business owners know it’s available.

The updated plan was enthusiastically supported by Council, and specifically so by those representing Bolton.

Regional Councillor, Wards 4, 5 and 6 Mario Russo said he wanted to thank Ward 5 Councillor Tony Rosa and Mayor Annette Groves for championing the Bolton CIP over the years, as well as Caledon’s previous Council.

He said he’d be proud to support something with such a huge rate of return in the community, mentioning that 12 new businesses opening in Bolton during the pandemic is amazing.

“Huge kudos to economic development staff,” he said.

Russo ended his remarks by stating perhaps other villages and hamlets could have similar plans, and that when he walks in Downtown Bolton he can really feel the improvements that have been made.

Groves said because of the Bolton CIP people are now proud of how Bolton looks, and echoed Russo in saying she’d like to see CIPs extended across the municipality.

Rosa thanked Town staff for their commitment to moving the CIP forward and said his community is ecstatic about Downtown Bolton improvements and are excited for more to come.

“If you build it they will come, and people are coming,” said Rosa.

Council unanimously supported the staff report about the Bolton CIP, and it will be brought forward for a vote at a future Council meeting.