[All] OGA Meeting Tonight 7pm, ROP Update, Woolwich Motion, Hallman Pit

Thu Apr 7 16:51:46 EDT 2022

Good Day,

Some updates that are likely of interest to GREN members:

1) Ontario Greenbelt Alliance All Member Meeting - Tonight, Thurs, Apr 7th 7:00pm

A reminder that tonight at 7:00pm is the OGA meeting to discuss the provincial Greenbelt expansion, the upcoming provincial election, and the Official Plans/Stop Sprawl movements underway across the province right now.

	Register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgDAO6ceiec2143cz3f7Pj3ywRPuzbTAm1vg4n4fetlVQI4w/viewform

2) Regional Official Plan Next Steps - a) ROP Housing Strategy - yesterday the Region of Waterloo released the Housing Policy component of the Regional Official Plan Update.  This is the part of the ROP that deals with housing mix, affordable housing, the missing middle, net zero housing, etc.

It appears there are targets for all new housing to be net zero, for at least 30% of all new developments to be affordable, a call for inclusionary zoning, and rental tenure zoning.  These are all huge steps forward and could dramatically benefit our community in the decades ahead.

You can learn more on the Engage WR website - https://www.engagewr.ca/regional-official-plan <https://www.engagewr.ca/regional-official-plan>

You can also find a Powerpoint Slide Deck of the proposed concepts at - https://www.canva.com/design/DAE3_C33_Pw/7tX62C_Lzo8bGm-NjVQy9g/view?website#2:range-and-mix-of-housing-policies <https://www.canva.com/design/DAE3_C33_Pw/7tX62C_Lzo8bGm-NjVQy9g/view?website#2:range-and-mix-of-housing-policies>

It appears that we have until May 6th to provide feedback and that there will be online Zoom interactive Q&A sessions

b) ROP Land Needs Analysis - the long awaited ROP Land Needs Analysis is going to come to Regional Council on Tuesday, April 12th which means that it is going to be in the Council package released Friday at 3:30pm.  This will be the land use scenarios and reports recommending if we will sprawl over the Countryside Line, pave over only some farmland, or have an ambitious future strategy for zero urban boundary expansion like Hamilton and Halton have decided.  I will share the report when it is released.

The initial public consultation sessions have been announced for April 22nd at 11am and April 27th at 7pm and there should be more public meetings held in the first part of May.

3) Woolwich Township Council - Mon, April 11th, 7:00pm - Climate Change/Green Development Standards Built It Right The First Time Motion

The Waterloo Region Green Development Standards Group that has just formed to advocate for more sustainable buildings and communities has worked with Woolwich Councillor Patrick Merlihan to bring the recent resolution passed unanimously by the City of Waterloo on the need to update the building code and build it right the first time to the Township of Woolwich.  It is on the agenda to come before Woolwich Council this coming Monday evening.  I will be delegating in support of it and we hope that it will be strongly supported by Council.  A copy of the motion is contained in the Woolwich Council Package attached below along with a copy of the most recent IPCC Climate Change Report released earlier this week.

Please feel free to write Woolwich Councillors in support of this motion - particularly if you are a Woolwich resident.  Hopefully we will be able to get every municipality in Waterloo Region to approve this motion in the weeks ahead as a good first step to bringing in Green Development Standards in the coming months.

4) Hallman Pit Decision - Wilmot Township Council Meeting - Monday, April 11th, 7pm

Kudos to the 42 delegations that presented to Wilmot Township this past Monday evening - there were many excellent presentations.  Unfortunately, time ran out at 11:00pm before everyone could present so there is a second Council meeting scheduled for this coming Monday at 7:00pm for the 29 remaining presentations.  Then Council is expected to decide on the the pit approval request.  The Citizens for Safe Ground Water have done a fabulous job fighting this application 3 years.  Please let Wilmot Councillors know that the community doesn’t want another gravel pit using their easy 1 click tool at: 

	https://www.safeh2o.ca/email-wilmot-councillors

Please share any questions or ideas.

Cheers,
Kevin. 

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

1) Woolwich Township Council Agenda - Aprill 11th - Climate Change/Green Development Standards Built It Right The First Time Motion and IPCC Report

2) Upcoming Regional Official Plan Public Events

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

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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