Main Street Physical Design

Undertaking physical improvments are outside the scope of this strategy, however, this strategy will make recommendations on which physical improvements are most important and how to approach them.

There is also separate funding for Streetscaping & Beautification in place, which will be executed in tandem with the strategy.

Village Design Guidelines were published for Main Street in 2006.  The Guidelines are specifically designed to instruct infill and new development within the village’s historic centre.  The Guidelines strive to ensure that new development does not compromise the fine grain scale and heritage context of the village, and recommend that contemporary architectural expressions must be carefully considered for their compatibility to the scale, massing and architectural character of existing buildings.

Read guiding principles from the village design guideline:

Schomberg is a picturesque village nestled within the Schomberg River Valley and located off the main Highways of 27 and 9. This remote location has allowed the village to retain its small scale and unique heritage.

The village of Schomberg is often described by residents as a genuine Canadian small town that displays evidence of how the community has evolved. The general historic ambiance and heritage homes are set in a context of a “real neighbourhood”. This sense of authenticity is an important aspect of the village that residents wish to preserve. The village has changed very little over the last decades, except for the addition of new subdivisions. The preservation of the Dufferin Marsh is a positive aspect of daily life for Schomberg’s residents, providing a natural setting for walking, recreation and enjoying nature.

The residents would like to see Schomberg retained as a working community village that includes everyday uses such as a grocery store, hair dressing, hardware store and speciality food shops like the Butcher and Sheena’s Kitchen. Residents appreciate personal service and have long-term loyalty to the local stores. There used to be a grocery store on Main Street, but it disappeared shortly after the IGA opened on Hwy 27. There is a concern that shops on Main Street are becoming less viable as many services have moved out to the plaza on the highway. Schomberg residents would like to attract more visitors to Main Street however, the village should continue to be a “real” place with places to serve everyday needs.

An objective of the guidelines will be to encourage building forms that will increase retail uses as well as provide opportunities for residents to live and work on the main street while minimizing the loss of continuous at grade retail.

A core area parking study is currently underway.  The study will examine parking capacity, parking lots and street parking.  The findings from this study will be incorporated into the Main Street strategy.