Meeting 111695 - Laserfiche WebLink

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natural, cultural, and visual resources, and managed growth, while maintaining flexibility for landowners. Elements of the plan should address the following: • Development of mechanisms which will encourage preservation of rural landscapes including as much of forested and agricultural land - and active farming - as economically feasible for the landowner. • Continued identification, evaluation and inventory of significant cultural and historical features and the development of criteria and incentives for encouraging their preservation. • Continued identification, evaluation and inventory of natural terrain features and sensitive ecological areas and the development of criteria and incentives for assuring their protection. • Recognition of the generations of land stewardship by rural landowners and the protection of their property rights and land values by providing a variety of development options which will allow for flexibility and creativity in design. • Continued identification, evaluation and inventory of the area's visual resources and the development of criteria and incentives for assuring their protection. • Protection of the character of existing neighborhoods from incompatible land uses /densities and the direction of growth that is not rural in character toward municipal /urban transition areas where it can take advantage of existing infrastructure. By recognizing and acknowledging that we have a responsibility to balance all aspects of the character of this area (rural heritage, rights of landowners, and likelihood of future change) , the Stoney Creek Basin Land Use Plan should, therefore, seek to preserve as many important elements of rural character and special natural features as financially feasible, while still allowing for quality expansion and growth of rural and country suburban neighborhoods (including some very limited, internally oriented, commercial and service locations that fit in with a preserved rural character) . This must all be done without unfair or unreasonable financial restrictions or burdens either for the landowners who may desire to develop their property, or for the taxpaying citizens of the area who may have to pay for any negative effects or excess costs for public infrastructure of ill - planned development.