<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Good Day GREN Folks,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The two final meetings on the bold and visionary Regional Official Plan that we need to survive and thrive in the future are happening this coming Thursday, August 11th at 3:30pm where Regional Staff will be seeking an approval at the virtual Regional Planning & Works Committee Meeting (which is really full Regional Council) and then on Thursday, August 18th at 5:00pm at a Special Regional Council Meeting.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">While I don’t believe any delegations are needed at this point at these meetings, developers and a couple of Councillors are working hard to delay and undermine this ROP update to enable more unnecessary and unjustifiable urban sprawl. It will be very important for Councillors to continue to hear positive messages from the community and for us to write/e-mail/call Regional Councillors urging them to vote to approve this ROP update with its excellent climate change and sustainability focus as recommended by Regional Staff.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Additional details are below. Please share any questions or ideas and speak up for the future that you want to see!</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Cheers,</div><div class="">Kevin.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">-----------------------------------------</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><b class="">1) Upcoming Dates:</b></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class="">Thursday, August 11th at 3:30pm - virtual Regional Planning and Works Committee vote on the Regional Official Plan</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Thursday, August 18th at 5:00pm - Final vote and approval of the 2051 Regional Official Plan by Regional Council</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Monday, October 24th - Municipal Elections</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></div><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><b class="">2) Key Data Points of the Regional Official Plan:</b></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Intensification rate: 61%</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Density: 59 pj/ha</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Community Area Expansion: 150 ha</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Employment Area Expansion: 456 ha</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">There is a very strong climate change and complete 15 minute neighbourhood focus. This is much less Community Area (residential) greenfield farmland loss than former Option #2’s 376 ha of farmland loss, and even less than the 220 ha proposed back in December or the 180 ha of farmland loss proposed November. While ideally we would see 0ha of farmland loss we’ve known from the onset that additional employment lands were required, a solution would have to be found for Wellesley Township’s land needs, and there were situations were rounding out or adding a few acres of expansion could help to complete a community or provide space for needed/missing services. </div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Learn more at: <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=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class="">3) Contact Regional Councillors and Staff - </b>Please Show Your Support and Speak Up for the Future You Want to See:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class="">Write all Regional Councillors at: <a href="mailto:regionalcouncillors@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">regionalcouncillors@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Or contact individual Councillors at:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Karen Redman (Regional Chair) - <a href="mailto:kredman@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">kredman@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Kathryn McGarry (Mayor, Cambridge) - <a href="mailto:kmcgarry@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">kmcgarry@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Karl Kiefer (Regional Councillor, Cambridge) - <a href="mailto:kkiefer@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">kkiefer@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Helen Jowett (Regional Councillor, Cambridge) - <a href="mailto:hjowett@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">hjowett@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Berry Vrbanovic (Mayor, Kitchener) - <a href="mailto:bvrbanovic@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">bvrbanovic@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Tom Galloway (Regional Councillor, Kitchener) - <a href="mailto:tgalloway@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">tgalloway@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Geoff Lorentz (Regional Councillor, Kitchener) - <a href="mailto:glorentz@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">glorentz@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Michael D. Harris (Regional Councillor, Kitchener) - <a href="mailto:mharris@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">mharris@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Elizabeth Clarke (Regional Councillor, Kitchener) - <a href="mailto:eclarke@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">eclarke@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Dave Jaworsky (Mayor, City of Waterloo) - <a href="mailto:djaworsky@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">djaworsky@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Jim Erb (Regional Councillor, City of Waterloo) - <a href="mailto:jerb@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">jerb@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Sean Strickland (Regional Councillor, City of Waterloo) - <a href="mailto:sstrickland@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">sstrickland@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Les Armstrong (Mayor, Wilmot Township) - <a href="mailto:larmstrong@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">larmstrong@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Joe Nowak (Mayor, Wellesley Township) - <a href="mailto:jnowak@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">jnowak@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Sandy Shantz (Mayor, Woolwich Township) - <a href="mailto:sshantz@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">sshantz@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Sue Foxton (Mayor, North Dumfries Township) - <a href="mailto:sfoxton@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">sfoxton@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Contact Regional Staff at:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Bruce Lauckner - CAO - <a href="mailto:blauckner@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">blauckner@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Rod Reiger - Commissioner - Planning, Development and Legislative Services - <a href="mailto:rregier@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">rregier@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Danielle DeFields - Director, Community Planning and Development - <a href="mailto:DDeFields@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">DDeFields@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Brenna MacKinnon - Manager, Development Planning - <a href="mailto:bmackinnon@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">bmackinnon@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Cushla Matthews - Principal Planner - <a href="mailto:CMatthews@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">CMatthews@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">John Lubczynski - Principal Planner - <a href="mailto:jlubczynski@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">jlubczynski@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class="">Kate Daley - Environmental Sustainability Specialist - <a href="mailto:KDaley@regionofwaterloo.ca" class="">KDaley@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></div></div></div><div class="">-------------------------------------</div></div><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><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="">E-mail: kevinthomason@mac.com</a><br class=""><br class="">-----------------------------------------</div></div></div></div>
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