Plan priority 03

Growth Without Losing Port Hope

Port Hope's small-town character grows stronger when renters, younger families, new residents and people who need affordable or supportive housing can build a life here. Development should be judged on servicing, design, safety and fit.

Grow deliberately and keep Port Hope distinct

Port Hope should grow deliberately, at a pace its infrastructure and services can support, with more housing and investment that strengthen its character.

The short version

At a glance

Three first actions

Focus new housing and investment on serviced or previously developed land wherever practical.
Create clearer paths for Additional Residential Units, thoughtful infill and viable heritage reuse.
Publish objective design, servicing, drainage, access and approval standards.

What it costs

Growth should pay its fair share through development charges, project agreements and infrastructure contributions that protect existing taxpayers.

How you can check

More housing choices are created.
Approval timelines improve.
Vacant buildings return to useful occupancy.
More development occurs on serviced or previously developed land.

Jordan’s commitment

Protect Port Hope's character while making room for the people who need to live and work here.

Port Hope should grow deliberately, at a pace its infrastructure and services can support, with more housing and investment that strengthen its character.

What I'll do

Concrete commitments

Publish objective rules for height, drainage, trees, parking, fire access, streetscape, infrastructure and neighbouring properties
Track approval times and remove avoidable barriers on already serviced land
Require council to identify a viable path when it rejects a serious heritage proposal
Prevent demolition by neglect and establish clear decision timelines
Require developer-funded, publicly accessible digital preservation when major alteration or demolition of a significant property is approved

What I support

Additional Residential Units, thoughtful infill, duplexes and triplexes where conditions support them
Upper-floor downtown homes, adaptive reuse, smaller and accessible homes, mixed-income development and workforce housing
Community-integrated and scattered-site supportive housing with portable services
A preserve, reuse, adapt, salvage and publicly document sequence for significant heritage

Standards I'll apply

Direct growth to places where infrastructure, design and local character can support it
Use objective neighbourhood standards and clear approval rules
Require development to pay its fair infrastructure cost
Give heritage properties a viable path and clear decision timeline

Details and trade-offsHow the position works

Community-integrated housing

Make ordinary homes and portable support the default where the resident's needs allow it.

Rent supplements, ordinary apartments, Additional Residential Units and small mixed developments
Portable case management and mobile addiction and mental-health support
Landlord support, damage and vacancy protection
Conflict mediation and tenancy stabilization

Public digital heritage

When major alteration or demolition is approved, developer-funded preservation should create a public experience rather than a forgotten archive.

LiDAR or laser scanning, photogrammetry and detailed 3D models
Browser tours, VR-compatible experiences and on-site augmented-reality overlays
Historical photographs, plans and oral histories
Library, archives and municipal web access
Open durable formats and funded long-term hosting and maintenance

Measure the shape of growth

Report the amount of agricultural land protected and the share of development occurring on serviced or previously developed land, alongside unit and approval measures.

In practice

Preservation should keep heritage alive

When Council rejects a viable heritage reuse proposal, it should explain the alternative path, likely funding source and timeline. A workable plan keeps significant buildings occupied and prevents demolition by delay.

Where major alteration or demolition is approved, the developer should fund durable public access through tools such as laser scanning, photogrammetry, interactive 3D tours, historical records and oral histories. Physical preservation and adaptive reuse remain the first serious options.

What an honest decision must include

Gentle density still requires infrastructure, drainage, fire access and thoughtful design
Full physical preservation is not viable in every case, but digital work is mitigation, not permission by default
Purpose-built supportive housing may be needed for some populations, but scale, staffing and integration matter

ResponsibilityWho is responsible

Responsibility sets the route to action. Jordan will keep the file moving until residents have a clear answer.

Port Hope controls

Local zoning, planning processes, building approvals and servicing decisions
Additional Residential Unit rules and municipal heritage decisions
Municipal infrastructure sequencing and local public access to heritage records

Cooperation required

Northumberland County housing and social services
Provincial planning law and housing programs
Developers, landlords, support providers, conservation authorities, library and archives

Measure progressHow you can check the result

Units enabled by type, including Additional Residential Units
Approval timelines and servicing barriers removed
Vacant buildings returned to use
Heritage properties stabilized, reused or given a clear decision
Public digital-preservation projects delivered and maintained

Official sourcesRead the public record

How I'll Govern

Help improve the plan

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