[All] successful OP for Waterloo!

[sdlachance]

Hi GREN.

            It is important to put anything in public in writing that is
respectful. Being associated in any way with extreme protesters at this time
in light of what has happened in Toronto could do us more harm than good.
Everyone has the right to an opinion all have the responsibility to be
respectful.

Sandra Lachance

 

  _____  

From: all-bounces at gren.ca [mailto:all-bounces at gren.ca] On Behalf Of Norah &
Richard
Sent: June 27, 2010 10:27 PM
To: gren
Subject: [All] successful OP for Waterloo!

 

Can this well written piece  go on the GREN website? It is a good reference
for other municipalities who have weak councils on these sorts of issues.
Kevin, it is excellent reportage. You may want to change it a bit for the
site but I think it is great as is.   Norah 

In an emotionally charged and fascinatingly insightful meeting today the
Regional Planning and Works Committee (consisting of every Mayor and
Regional Councillor in Waterloo Region) approved the Regional Official Plan
(ROP) and new amendments including extending the Countryside Line and the
Protected Countryside into the SouthWest Corner of Kitchener despite the
pleas and protests of Carl Zehr, Jim Wideman, and Tom Galloway who tried
repeatedly to propose yet another motion to defer protection of this
critical groundwater aquifer recharge area and leave the door open to future
development. 

The meeting lasted several hours and included presentations by all the usual
large developers and area planners trying to get exceptions for their lands
and/or arguing against the Region's science and the environmental
sensitivity of the SouthWest Corner.  Following the developer delegations
there was a lengthy and fiery debate by Councillors with some such as Jane
Mitchell, Jean Haalboom, Jane Brewer, Claudette Millar, and Brenda Halloran
arguing that it is time to complete the ROP process and pass it in full,
that positive feedback had been received from the province and that the
minor changes being proposed by Regional Staff dealt with the outstanding
Provincial issues, that there had now been a full year of consultation,
public meetings, open houses, etc. on the Protected Countryside, the
Countryside Line and the Regional Recharge Mapping, that the water studies
and traffic studies had been completed that clearly showed development in
the SouthWest Corner was not feasible 
, affordable, or advisable, and it was time to take a stand as Council and
move forward. 

Tom Galloway tried to put forward a motion that for a while looked like it
might get enough support that proposed to approve everything but the
SouthWest Corner of Kitchener - similar to the motion passed by Carl Zehr in
his Kitchener Council Chamber last night to defer any decision on the
SouthWest Corner for five years until better information was available and
development needs were better understood. 

Kudo's to the Councillors who stood up to Carl Zehr, Tom Galloway, and Jim
Wideman and argued that there was already conclusive studies that the area
was not at all appropriate for urban development, the costs of
infrastructure including significant new roadways would be incredibly
prohibitive, it would never be feasible to service the area with effective
transit, and that by the wording of Galloway's motion it would remove all
protection and there would actually be no environmental or water protection
over most of the SouthWest Corner area (with the exception of the wellhead
perimeters) for the next five years.  Jean Haalboom also brought up the
point of the Provincially Significant Wetland and the ESPA Forest that have
already mysteriously disappeared from Activa Lands in this area this year
and that the SouthWest Corner is an area that needed more protection and not
less. 

Finally, in a series of 12 to 3 votes the Regional Recharge Area Mapping
including the SW Corner was approved, the complete Protected Countryside
Plan was approved including the SW Corner, and then finally in a 15 to 0
vote the rest of the Regional Official Plan and provincial amendments were
approved. 

It was certainly a dramatic meeting and kudo's to those Councillors who took
a strong stand and argued passionately for the environment, our groundwater,
and for protection of the critical natural areas throughout Region. In
addition to the Protected Countryside, Countryside Line, and detailed
Groundwater Recharge Area mapping that prevents any development in these
areas, this Official Plan also includes two new massive ESL's
(Environmentally Sensitive Landscape areas), stronger protection from in
appropriate aggregate extraction, support for public transit, green energy,
reduced urban sprawl, increased intensification in the core areas, and
numerous other progressive initiatives. 

The ROP will now move from the Planning and Works Committee to full Regional
Council next week (Wednesday, June 30th).  It is anticipated given the
support today of 13 Councillors that it will pass next week as well.  The
ROP will then return to the Province for a final approval. 

Upon the Minister's final approval anyone will have 20 days to appeal the
final decision or aspects of it.  It is anticipated that some of the
aggregate policies, SW corner issues, and minor mapping issues around the
Breslau airport will be appealled.  The Region had a full legal team there
today to prepare for any possible challenges though the strong endorsement
by the majority of Council as well as all of the supporting research,
studies, and years of work by Regional Staff should provide a very strong
case for any challenger to try to overturn. 

Please let either myself or Deb Swidrovich who was also in attendance know
any questions.  I did a couple of short interviews after the meeting on
behalf of GREN with Rogers TV following up a piece they had done a few
months ago on the Protected Countryside and also with some of the newspapers
looking for comments. 

Overall, the ROP is an amazing blueprint for the future and today's decision
to approve it in its entirety and immediately protect the SouthWest Corner
from significant future development will positively impact the quality of
life for everyone in Waterloo Region for generations to come. 

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