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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Hi GREN.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> It
is important to put anything in public in writing that is respectful. Being
associated in any way with extreme protesters at this time in light of what has
happened in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Toronto</st1:place></st1:City>
could do us more harm than good. Everyone has the right to an opinion all have
the responsibility to be respectful.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Sandra Lachance<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:windowtext;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font
size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:windowtext'> all-bounces@gren.ca [mailto:all-bounces@gren.ca] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Norah & Richard<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> June 27, 2010 10:27 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> gren<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [All] successful OP for <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Waterloo</st1:place></st1:City>!</span></font><font
color=black><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:13.5pt'>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 </span></font><font
size=5><span style='font-size:18.0pt'><br>
<br>
</span></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 <st1:place
w:st="on">Breslau</st1:place> 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. <o:p></o:p></p>
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