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<p>HI GRENers,</p>
<p>I don't know if it helps to see this on a map (below), but it
does for me. I took a screen shot, and some of the detail got lost
in order to include the entire protected countryside line. <br>
</p>
<p>Legend: <br>
</p>
<p>Yellow - built up area</p>
<p>Pink - designated greenfield (future growth)</p>
<p>---- protected countryside line</p>
<p>Blue - endorsed regional employment area</p>
<p>Darker blue/green - ION <br>
</p>
<p>But you can go to this link to enlarge and separate out the above
elements for greater detail:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9259ed5880e94f3e9ef9f879249dc4e2">https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9259ed5880e94f3e9ef9f879249dc4e2</a></p>
<p>Scroll down to Basis of the Preliminary Regional Structure. <br>
</p>
<p>Kevin - does this map reflect or change the 2015 OMB decision?
Details in this Record article:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2015/06/18/omb-accepts-settlement-of-regional-land-dispute.html">https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2015/06/18/omb-accepts-settlement-of-regional-land-dispute.html</a><br>
</p>
<p class="text-block-container">"As part of the settlement, five
expansions of the countryside line were approved. The boundary was
the region's attempt to curb urban sprawl and encourage
intensification in city cores. The settlement will see 257
hectares available for development immediately. Another 200
hectares will be opened up to meet provincial growth targets put
in place since the Official Plan was originally approved in 2009.
As well, the region will study how to designate 200 hectares of
land in the southwest of Kitchener. Eby said that does not commit
the region to designating the land for development.</p>
<span style="display:block" id="contentMiddleBreakPoint"></span>
<p class="text-block-container">Regional Chair Ken Seiling said he
was pleased with the settlement because it included acceptance of
the boundary for development around the region and groundwater
protection policies. "I think it's quite a good decision, and if
we hadn't defended this then I think we would be wide open to
urban sprawl," he said.</p>
<p class="text-block-container">Regional officials want to focus
growth in city cores, and originally planned to open about 80
hectares of new land for development. Developers argued for
hundreds more. Board officials disagreed with the region and
ordered the two sides to negotiate a compromise, endorsing the
developers' formula for calculating the amount of new land that
should be available - up to 1,053 hectares. They settled nearly in
the middle, with more than 450 hectares of land to be open for new
development by 2019."</p>
<p>Susan K<br>
</p>
<p><img src="cid:part1.eFdzZeEe.oXEYCfhD@execulink.com" alt=""></p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 11/2/2021 6:23 PM, Kevin Thomason
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:9C3D2335-9560-464F-91FC-EA49F6F8F441@mac.com">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
Hello GREN members,
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">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.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">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:</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- is
below the rate that we are already currently achieving,</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>-
will require over 1,000 hectares of our local farmland to be
destroyed and developed for sprawling subdivisions and low
density employment lands,</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>-
uses up most of our remaining land reserves threatening the
Countryside Line in many ways,</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>-
may be so low that future phases of iON Light Rail Transit could
be difficult to support,</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>-
ends our historic SmartGrowth leadership in Ontario with
numerous other municipalities choosing more ambitious future
goals,</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>-
seems out of synch with Canadian's demands that our governments
to undertake bold actions to address our climate crisis.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">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. </div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">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 unappeallable at the OMB/LPAT or any provincial
court once approved by Council.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">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.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">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.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">Sincerely,</div>
<div class="">Kevin.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">------------------------------------</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class=""><b class="">Region of Waterloo Staff Report on the
Preferred Scenario for the Regional Official Plan Update:</b></div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<br>
<fieldset class="mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class=""><b class="">Additional Information on the Regional
Official Plan Update being required by the Province by July
2022:</b></div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class=""><a
href="https://www.engagewr.ca/regional-official-plan"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext" moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.engagewr.ca/regional-official-plan</a></div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">
<div class="">
<div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode:
space; line-break: after-white-space;">-------------------------------------<br
class="">
<br class="">
Kevin Thomason<br class="">
<br class="">
1115 Cedar Grove Road<br class="">
Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2J 3Z4<br class="">
<br class="">
Phone: (519) 888-0519<br class="">
Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648<br class="">
Twitter: @kthomason<br class="">
<a href="mailto:kevinthomason@mac.com" class=""
moz-do-not-send="true">E-mail: kevinthomason@mac.com</a><br
class="">
<br class="">
-----------------------------------------</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
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