[All] Important Regional Meeting on Tuesday - Staff Report on Preferred ROP Growth Scenario

Sun Nov 7 10:42:36 EST 2021

Hello GREN Members,

A reminder that this coming Tuesday, Nov 9th around 12:30pm will be the Staff presentation to Waterloo Regional Council on their concerning Preferred Growth Scenarios until 2051.

This is a critical point in the update of our Regional Official Plan (ROP).  Over the next few weeks Regional Councillors and Mayors will be deciding how much growth will be accommodated in our urban areas, how much farmland will be permitted to be destroyed for development, what levels of intensification we will strive for, and many other important decisions that will determine where and how our community will grow, what we will protect, how we get around, and many other aspects of the future of Waterloo Region.

There was a fantastic Zoom planning meeting of more than 40 leaders and members from community groups this past Friday evening where there was broad consensus that:

	- Scenario #2 being recommended by Staff falls far short of is needed and all three Scenarios are insufficient to address our climate crisis,
	- we need to loudly speak up for a more ambitious and visionary Regional Official Plan,
	- our intensification rate needs to be at least 70% to 80%,
	- we need better employment land targets that reflect better industrial intensification efforts,
	- there needs to be far less farmland loss and no threat to the Countryside Line,
	- we must protect our water recharge areas and not target them for development (as preliminary LNA plans are),
	- there must be far more public engagement and consultation.

Greg Michalenko has volunteered to delegate on Tuesday on behalf of GREN.  I will be delegating for Smart Growth Waterloo Region.  Hopefully, you will be able to either delegate representing yourself or other community organization, or watch the Council Livestream on Tuesday at https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/regional-government/live-webcast.aspx, as well as write and phone Councillors speaking up for the future that you would like to see.

I am attaching an Action Sheet below with easy links for registering, e-mailing Councillors, and learning more.

Also, GREN is teaming up with 50x30WR, Hold the Line Waterloo Region, the Nith Valley Ecoboosters, Smart Growth Waterloo Region, and other community groups to host a webinar on the ROP Update on Monday, November 15th.  You can register to participate in this virtual online Zoom event at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/community-webinar-on-growth-plan-for-waterloo-region-tickets-204795658327

Please share any questions or ideas.  Hopefully we can get Regional Council to direct Staff to return with better alternatives and we can help guide our community in a better direction with a bolder, more ambitious Regional Official Plan.

Sincerely,
Kevin.

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

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

> On Nov 2, 2021, at 6:23 PM, Kevin Thomason <kevinthomason at mac.com> 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 unappealable 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:
> 
> 
> <Waterloo Regional ROP Scenarios Staff Report Nov 2 2021.pdf>
> 
> 
> Additional Information on the Regional Official Plan Update being required by the Province by July 2022:
> 
> https://www.engagewr.ca/regional-official-plan <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: kevinthomason at mac.com <mailto:kevinthomason at mac.com>
> 
> -----------------------------------------

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