<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Hi GREN folks,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The Region of Waterloo has announced a Special Council Meeting (virtual) for Public Feedback on the Regional Official Plan Review to be held on Wednesday, May 18th at 3:00pm. This Regional Official Plan update will determine almost everything for our Region over the next 30 years. If we are going to meet any of our climate change targets it starts by ensuring that this ROP starts to implement the needed changes.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Regional Staff have proposed 3 Growth Scenario Options all which continue to be insufficient or problematic. As a result, a core group of citizens and expert planners are proposing an Option #4 that is simpler, easier to achieve, and far more congruent with our current intensification that has zero urban boundary expansion meaning that there would be no farmland loss to urban sprawl. An easy-to-read PDF document is attached below outlining this new proposed Option #4 we need to advocate for.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I hope that you will:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- review this document and share it with others to help advocate for Option #4,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- register to delegate on May 18th and speak up for the future that you would like to see,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- e-mail Regional Councillors (<a href="mailto:regionalcouncillors@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">regionalcouncillors@regionofwaterloo.ca</a>) to let them know they need to choose Option #4 for the best possible future,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- provide feedback to Regional Staff at the EngageWaterloo ROP site - <a href="https://www.engagewr.ca/regional-official-plan" class="">https://www.engagewr.ca/regional-official-plan</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">We have only until May 27th to provide feedback to Regional Staff on these Land Needs Assessment Growth options that will determine if we destroy thousands of acres of prime farmland (Option #1), destroy hundreds of acres of prime farmland (Option #2), or stay within our urban boundaries and grow sustainably using smart growth best practices (Option #3 and Option #4).</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Please share any questions or ideas.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Thanks,</div><div class="">Kevin.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">-----------------------------------</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class="">Regional Official Plan Citizens Proposed Option #4</b></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""></div></body></html>