[All] FW: Country side line: fear of OMB in Kitchener

[Susan Koswan]

Jane Mitchell referred me to her blog re the issue. See below.

 

And thanks Yvonne for your summary. I will definitely be a delegate on
Monday. 

Susan K

 

http://chicktrip.com/blog/

 

My speech on Tuesday in response to Tom Galloway's motion to not include the
sensitive SW corner of Kitchener as part of the protected countryside.  The
motion was defeated, 14 to 3, and so the land will remain firmly
agricultural and part of the countryside, not in the urban area.  Tom, Mayor
Zehr, Jake Smola and Jim Wideman voting in favour.

The following would have been removed from the motion for the final changes
for the official plan

Request the Province to modify Maps 4 - Greenland Network and 6g - Other
Source Water Protection Areas to designate the southwest corner of the City
of Kitchener as Regional Recharge Areas as originally recommended to
Regional Council on June 16, 2009
d) Request the Province to modify Map 7 - The Countryside to designate the
southwest corner ofthe City of Kitchener as Protected Countryside as
originally recommended to Regional Council on June 16, 2009;

Speech

Kitchener is leaking out onto our farmland and deflating our environmental
plans.

The owners of the land in the SW corner have been led on a string, first for
12 months now proposed for 5 more years, that their land might be developed.

Many developers, consultants and land owners from all over the region have
come before us asking to have their piece of land put back into the urban
area. They have been turned down.

Just like Kitchener  council did for the SW corner, the previous council of
the City of Waterloo opposed designating the NW corner of Waterloo, another
sensitive water recharge area, as part of the Environmentally Sensitive
Landscapes.  The Region designated the area anyway, which I agree was the
right thing to do.

Why should Kitchener be treated  differently than the rest of the region?

It is time we drew a line in the sand around the urban area.

Mayor Brenda said, " It's time to take a stand as a regional council and
enforce a protected countryside line."

 Tom's motion was introduced by Jim Wideman, the chair, as an amendment even
though it was contrary to the full motion on the table as moved by Sean
Strickland and seconded by Jean Haalboom long before anyone moved and
seconded Tom's motion.  We complained but did not challenge the chair when
he didn't change it as "challenging the chair" can lead to councillors being
ticked off unnecessarily. We carried on. At the end of the discussion, Jim
called the question then spoke to the motion about the poor treatment of the
owners of the land that will be designated.  Jim stopped all rebutes on his
words with this manouver but fed up councillors were having none of it.

Jane Brewer waved Tom's paper in the air, calling it "This piece of paper",
refusing to call it an amendment and then she pointed out that the owners of
the land had had a discussion with staff at the Ayr meeting and that if she
was the owners,she would have pned the next day and arranged a meeting if
this was such an important issue to them.

The ROP report on final changes and provincial response:
http://bit.ly/abjUFG

ROP passed last year without SW corner included for one year for further
consultation.
http://www.region.waterloo.on.ca/web/region.nsf/DocID/CA5BC18540AE6A21852575
55006D0304?OpenDocument

After we also passed the transportation master plan, I thanked staff for all
their hard work. I reminded council once again, that when I voted for the
Light Rapid Transit, it was because I had been assured that the ROP with the
firm countryside line protecting our farmland and environmentally sensitive
areas and putting limits on urban sprawl; and the transportation master plan
with its emphasis on more transit everywhere and more cycling and pedestrian
routes would be passed. I was now satisfied that those requirements had been
fulfilled. Because without those other pieces, the LRT would certainly not
work as a method of intensification.

http://www.region.waterloo.on.ca/web/region.nsf/8ef02c0fded0c82a85256e590071
a3ce/AB487A489BD086708525774600577521/$file/P-10-059.pdf?openelement

 

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