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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Norah,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I think that is a great idea.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Kevin has done a lot of work and the poilticians as
well as the bureaus know of his past and present passion.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Jan</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=nrchaloner@hotmail.com href="mailto:nrchaloner@hotmail.com">Norah
& Richard</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=all@gren.ca
href="mailto:all@gren.ca">gren</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, June 27, 2010 10:26
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [All] successful OP for
Waterloo!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><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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