[All] Region of Waterloo Staff Report on ROP Growth Scenarios

Wed Nov 3 14:13:36 EDT 2021

Thanks Susan- the colour coding is very helpful. Here is an email I got today which gives helpful links to look at the ROP via Engage -Region of Waterloo, which I think you have to sign up for/register for to get their updates  - it looks like the new GO train station is planned to go on Greenhouse Road east of Breslau and North of the Airport. It will come from Guelph, go to this station, then connect to the Victoria + King St. Transit Hub. This station is planned to have parking for 1000 cars, so people can park and fly. I learned about it when Karen Redman was giving an update on CBC-KW a couple of days ago…kind of saying lots of things are still happening even though we have lost our MP, Bardish Chagger.

  <https://s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/ehq-production-canada/e341fa258158329c9be691434242024f8c3fe50e/themes/banners/000/003/759/original/collage.jpg?1591885201> 

Hi L Strothard,

The Regional Official Plan Review team has added a project update to the Engage page as well as a link to a new Growth Scenario Evaluation Technical Brief.  This Technical Brief provides an evaluation, using a set of criteria, of three preliminary growth scenarios that were presented to the public for comment and feedback in June 2021. A brief summary of the where we are in the project timeline is also provided in the project update, as well as information on a recommendation going to Regional Committee of the Whole on November 9, 2021 regarding a preferred growth scenario.  

To view the newly added items, please visit the Project Update tab at www.engagewr.ca/regional-official-plan.

Thank you for using Engage Region of Waterloo. If you have any questions, please contact BMackinnon at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:BMackinnon at regionofwaterloo.ca> 

 -           Brenna MacKinnon

Manager, Development Planning

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Lori

From: All <all-bounces at gren.ca> On Behalf Of Susan Koswan
Sent: Wednesday, November 3, 2021 12:10 PM
To: Grand River Environmental Network (GREN) <all at gren.ca>
Subject: Re: [All] Region of Waterloo Staff Report on ROP Growth Scenarios

HI GRENers,

I don't know if it helps to see this on a map (below), but it does for me. I took a screen shot, and some of the detail got lost in order to include the entire protected countryside line. 

Legend: 

Yellow - built up area

Pink - designated greenfield (future growth)

---- protected countryside line

Blue - endorsed regional employment area

Darker blue/green - ION 

But you can go to this link to enlarge and separate out the above elements for greater detail: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9259ed5880e94f3e9ef9f879249dc4e2

Scroll down to Basis of the Preliminary Regional Structure. 

Kevin - does this map reflect or change the 2015 OMB decision? Details in this Record article: https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2015/06/18/omb-accepts-settlement-of-regional-land-dispute.html

"As part of the settlement, five expansions of the countryside line were approved. The boundary was the region's attempt to curb urban sprawl and encourage intensification in city cores. The settlement will see 257 hectares available for development immediately. Another 200 hectares will be opened up to meet provincial growth targets put in place since the Official Plan was originally approved in 2009. As well, the region will study how to designate 200 hectares of land in the southwest of Kitchener. Eby said that does not commit the region to designating the land for development.

Regional Chair Ken Seiling said he was pleased with the settlement because it included acceptance of the boundary for development around the region and groundwater protection policies. "I think it's quite a good decision, and if we hadn't defended this then I think we would be wide open to urban sprawl," he said.

Regional officials want to focus growth in city cores, and originally planned to open about 80 hectares of new land for development. Developers argued for hundreds more. Board officials disagreed with the region and ordered the two sides to negotiate a compromise, endorsing the developers' formula for calculating the amount of new land that should be available - up to 1,053 hectares. They settled nearly in the middle, with more than 450 hectares of land to be open for new development by 2019."

Susan K

On 11/2/2021 6:23 PM, Kevin Thomason wrote:

Hello GREN members, 

Attached below please find a PDF of the Region of Waterloo Staff Report on the Preferred Scenario for the Regional Official Plan Update that was just released this afternoon.

As anticipated, it is very disappointing to see Staff recommending Scenario #2 - an unambitious level of long-term intensification of 60% and 60 people and jobs per hectare for the next 30 years that:

                - is below the rate that we are already currently achieving,

                - will require over 1,000 hectares of our local farmland to be destroyed and developed for sprawling subdivisions and low density employment lands,

                - uses up most of our remaining land reserves threatening the Countryside Line in many ways,

                - may be so low that future phases of iON Light Rail Transit could be difficult to support,

                - ends our historic SmartGrowth leadership in Ontario with numerous other municipalities choosing more ambitious future goals,

                - seems out of synch with Canadian's demands that our governments to undertake bold actions to address our climate crisis.

Staff will be presenting the Report and their recommendation to Council on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 9th.  Hopefully, there will be a variety of delegations who will send a strong message to Council that these unambitious targets are not good enough and that we need to do better.  

I have not been able to learn the revised timeline for when Council will be expected to make a final decision on this Preferred Scenario that will then lock us into this growth plan for 30 years until 2051.  Hopefully there will be adequate time for vigorous community consultation and engagement on how we want to grow and our visions for the future.  So much of our future success as a community is going to be determined by these pending decisions for the Regional Official Plan that is permanent and unappeallable at the OMB/LPAT or any provincial court once approved by Council.

Hopefully our citizens and community groups will be able raise awareness, share information, help to educate our community, and do all that we can to ensure the best possible outcomes.  This could include webinars, informational materials, delegations to Council, meetings with Councillors/Staff, working with the media, letters and e-mails to elected officials along with other activities.

Please share any questions, ideas, and ways you might be able to help as we may not have much time before final decisions are to be made.

Sincerely,

Kevin.

------------------------------------

Region of Waterloo Staff Report on the Preferred Scenario for the Regional Official Plan Update:

Additional Information on the Regional Official Plan Update being required by the Province by July 2022:

https://www.engagewr.ca/regional-official-plan

-------------------------------------

Kevin Thomason

1115 Cedar Grove Road
Waterloo, Ontario Canada  N2J 3Z4

Phone: (519) 888-0519
Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648
Twitter: @kthomason
E-mail: <mailto:kevinthomason at mac.com>  kevinthomason at mac.com

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