Shore Lands Designation Review

The County of Prince Edward is reviewing the Shore Lands designation of the Official Plan. When Council approved the current Official Plan in 2021, it directed staff to review the Shore Lands designation to determine if this designation is needed and/or which lands are best suited for this designation.

The Official Plan identifies Shore Lands as an important resource that shall be managed in a way that promotes appropriate and sustainable development, with a focus on tourism and enhancing public access to the waterfront.

Shore Lands support a broad range of land and water-based recreational, tourism-related commercial and residential uses, which will continue to be developed in a sustainable manner that protects water resources and shoreline features, as well as enhancing the public’s access to the water’s edge.

The review of the Shore Lands designation will take place in two phases.

Phase 1 -- October 2024 - January 2025: A municipally initiated Official Plan amendment to remove the Shore Lands designation from properties where the Shore Lands designation overlaps with Natural Heritage features and areas identified in the Official Plan. The municipality is proposing this change because certain uses permitted in the Shore Land designation have a greater potential for adverse impacts on natural environment features such as wetlands, significant woodlands, and escarpments.

Additionally, the municipality proposes removing the Shore Lands designation in two areas outside the Natural Core Areas where development would not normally be supported under the policies of the Official Plan. These two additional areas are lands south of the Isaiah Tubbs Resort and lands at the end of Cressy Point.

The proposed Official Plan amendment would change the designation of these properties to either the Agricultural or Rural designation as illustrated on the four maps posted under "Important Documents" on the Have Your Say page.

Phase 2 -- January 2025 - May 2025: An evaluation of the goals, objectives, and policies of the Shore Lands designation.

A comprehensive review of the designation will consider if the goals and objectives are still relevant and appropriate, and if the policies need to be updated.

The review may also result in further changes to the schedules of the Official Plan, including Schedule A: Land Use Designations, and possibly Schedule F: Recreation and Tourism.

Get Involved:

The municipality will engage the community throughout the review process. Engagement activities will include a statutory public open house and a public meeting under the Planning Act.

Updates will be provided below and draft documents posted for review as they become available.