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<font size="+2"><small>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 </small><br>
<br>
</font>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.
<br>
<br>
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
<br>
, affordable, or advisable, and it was time to take a stand as Council
and move forward.
<br>
<br>
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.
<br>
<br>
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.
<br>
<br>
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.
<br>
<br>
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.
<br>
<br>
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.
<br>
<br>
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.
<br>
<br>
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.
<br>
<br>
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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