City planners are proposing new “hybrid” zones to save local business flexibility from rigid new provincial rules that threaten to stifle industrial areas.
Sarnia is moving to protect the character of its employment lands as it navigates a clash between local needs and new provincial mandates. Under the 2024 Provincial Planning Statement, “employment areas” are strictly defined for manufacturing and warehousing, often excluding the very amenities—like restaurants and independent offices—that make these areas functional.
To counter this, city staff are proposing “hybrid zones” for the 402 Business Park and the south side of Confederation Street. These zones would permit a mix of “prestige” employment and service commercial uses, ensuring that local businesses aren’t hamstrung by definitions that only envision heavy industry.
This flexible approach aligns with “Strong Towns” principles, which argue that rigid, single-use zoning creates fragile economies. As the planning advocacy group notes, “Industrial land uses are the most flexible because people are generally unconcerned with the activities that occur in industrial areas as long as they’re not interfering with the rest of the city or harming the environment”.
Planners expect to bring formal Official Plan amendments to Council in March to ensure Sarnia’s zoning remains “investment ready” without sacrificing the services that workers in these areas rely on.
