Where Will Athens Grow?

Athens does not need to become a large town. Nor should growth come at the expense of the agricultural and rural character that makes our Township what it is.

But we should be asking a simple question:

Where will the next generation of Athens residents live?

Our Township’s 2022 Official Plan estimated that approximately 31 hectares of vacant land remained within the Athens settlement area, with the potential for about 100 residential lots. The Plan itself acknowledged that, depending on future development, expansion of our settlement areas might eventually be necessary.

That makes this a question worth considering now—not after the available choices have narrowed.

The first step should not be buying land or expanding the village boundary. It should be understanding what we already have.

How much land within the existing village can realistically be developed? How many additional homes can our existing wells and private sewage systems support? Could some properties accommodate more housing? What kinds of homes will young families and seniors need? And, if additional land is eventually required, which direction could Athens grow while minimizing impacts on productive agricultural land?

These questions are particularly timely. The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville is currently undertaking a Growth Management Strategy looking ahead to 2051. That work will help determine where future population and housing growth occurs and will inform future settlement-area planning.

Athens should be part of that conversation with a clear idea of what we want our community to become.

I believe the right approach is straightforward:

Use the village efficiently first. Understand our servicing limitations. Protect good agricultural land wherever possible. Then determine whether additional land will eventually be needed.

That doesn’t commit Athens to rapid growth. It doesn’t commit taxpayers to buying land or building expensive infrastructure.

It simply means doing the homework.

Twenty years from now, Athens could be smaller, much the same size, or a stronger village with more housing, more families, more seniors able to remain in the community, and a healthier base for local businesses and municipal services.

Those outcomes shouldn’t simply happen to us.

We should decide what kind of Athens we want—and plan accordingly.

That’s what taking the long view means.