[GREN-Exec] Regional Official Plan Review Update Report - December 15, 2021

[Franz Hartmann]

Hi Kevin,

This looks promising. No doubt, it's a result of all the work you did in
November. Congratulations!

Franz

On Fri, 10 Dec 2021 at 23:01, Kevin Thomason <kevinthomason at mac.com> wrote:

> Hi GREN Executive and Franz,
>
> Look what just landed into my mailbox at 7:00pm tonight!  Just after Franz
> and I spoke at noon today, trying to figure out what is next with the
> Regional Official Plan and when, it seems that Regional Staff have been
> working late and pushing things forward.
>
> Interestingly, it seems that they are rejecting the Council motion and
> request for Scenario #4 and #5 at 65% and 70% densities and instead have
> re-written the original three scenarios into three new alternatives at
> higher densities that they will be studying instead.  I don’t know if Staff
> can ignore a Council request but I guess they aren’t really ignoring it,
> they are just reconfiguring everything which may not be a bad thing
> particularly if the “middle of the road” alternative now is no boundary
> expansion similar to Hamilton.  The high intensification scenario is
> actually taking designated land out of the urban envelope and putting it
> back into the countryside which is certainly an extreme option (and from
> what I’ve heard a very ugly process since no developer wants their existing
> land approvals rolled back….).
>
> This is going to be coming to Council quickly - this Wednesday, Dec 15th
> but then for public consultation in January so I’m not too worried about
> this first timeline unless there is a feeling that we need to have
> radically different scenarios being investigated.  From my first glance
> these seem to be good and cover a broad range.  In fact, most of the
> wording seems to be against the demands of the developers and their lawyers
> and in favour of what the community has been asking for.
>
> Interestingly there is a new Director of Community Planning (Danielle De
> Fields) listed as reviewer of this report.  This would mean that they have
> finally replaced Michelle Sergi who left for Niagara, ironically with
> someone who appears to have come from Niagara and York Region.  I will have
> to see what we can learn about her and meet with her as soon as possible.
>
> You can learn more at:  www.engagewr.ca/regional-official-plan
> <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=9vcdD193qA8wVAWAMcxkDfE-2BZ7fcrTm0c5PaNLGu1mMZtiKkke1YKc74LaJ1wHjUmO-2FchtNwirIp8YOMkNihC30wSDh11UY15EHZ78-2BBb-2FlXiGN5UxPrq9BDVi-2BvRe82Lv-2FBzAPwLrYCQQnOK6anh4bYTYYA7FX589c49zuuoYgitKgNX-2FYxXB0EcL1Gp-2FaEssSbg4Y263amByDg9ABPpDKNpvbZ4U9g6pTGcmLe-2FT98pfMMHNyh-2BbqMCWghkZvFzMYG9IyikESAb4Hpies273ynnAwUuoVsKJBlaS-2Ba2S4-3DSJva_p5ZQ9mQ8XWiPBAEDaKxGg-2BE4mDdF1QeDBttQrh58TSkXFD1eQDex6FIAO2gcA8EJXADSc-2BcCAoqZ1IBir-2Fp-2F6MvvWYOWU1Lc6tw1ylPb2sWIER2w9ckLz-2FO6ubCNdO-2FHtWWtC7-2BSK7Gtz1wuWeyjJRWVI7OZBtjvvjaDoYSW46whbYLOTlhrccQlnU0SlQQ0omzjdlC7D17BF4EHZqxRUIRaBL3Jd-2B3cw4E1BCrb-2BCWO9vTz8si-2B6CJdUUU5G5RANhce0FEW7ze-2B2WCC2XNchQ-3D-3D>
> .
>
> I have attached a copy of the Staff Report below.  I will reach out to
> Kevin Eby and other experts for insights this weekend and circulate these
> new regional materials to the interested local groups and people that have
> been engaged in ROP activities in recent weeks.
>
> Let me know any thoughts or ideas.
>
> Cheers,
> Kevin.
>
>
> -------------------------------------
>
> Kevin Thomason
>
> 1115 Cedar Grove Road
> Waterloo, Ontario Canada  N2J 3Z4
>
> Phone: (519) 888-0519
> Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648
> Twitter: @kthomason
> E-mail: kevinthomason at mac.com <kevinthomason at mac.com>
>
> -----------------------------------------
>
>
> *Hello ROPR Stakeholder Committee Members*,
>
> The Regional Official Plan Review team has added a project update to the
> Engage page that summarizes a recommendation report (CPL-PDL-21-49) that
> will going to Regional Council on December 15, 2021.
>
> At the November 9, 2021 Committee of the Whole meeting, we heard concerns
> about the Region’s general approach to completing the Land Needs Assessment
> and a desire to consult on a growth scenario that has more ambitious
> intensification rates and density targets.  As a result, staff have drafted
> a recommendation report that presents a revised approach to address these
> various concerns.
>
> To view the newly added item, please visit the Project Update tab at
> www.engagewr.ca/regional-official-plan
> <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=9vcdD193qA8wVAWAMcxkDfE-2BZ7fcrTm0c5PaNLGu1mMZtiKkke1YKc74LaJ1wHjUmO-2FchtNwirIp8YOMkNihC30wSDh11UY15EHZ78-2BBb-2FlXiGN5UxPrq9BDVi-2BvRe82Lv-2FBzAPwLrYCQQnOK6anh4bYTYYA7FX589c49zuuoYgitKgNX-2FYxXB0EcL1Gp-2FaEssSbg4Y263amByDg9ABPpDKNpvbZ4U9g6pTGcmLe-2FT98pfMMHNyh-2BbqMCWghkZvFzMYG9IyikESAb4Hpies273ynnAwUuoVsKJBlaS-2Ba2S4-3DSJva_p5ZQ9mQ8XWiPBAEDaKxGg-2BE4mDdF1QeDBttQrh58TSkXFD1eQDex6FIAO2gcA8EJXADSc-2BcCAoqZ1IBir-2Fp-2F6MvvWYOWU1Lc6tw1ylPb2sWIER2w9ckLz-2FO6ubCNdO-2FHtWWtC7-2BSK7Gtz1wuWeyjJRWVI7OZBtjvvjaDoYSW46whbYLOTlhrccQlnU0SlQQ0omzjdlC7D17BF4EHZqxRUIRaBL3Jd-2B3cw4E1BCrb-2BCWO9vTz8si-2B6CJdUUU5G5RANhce0FEW7ze-2B2WCC2XNchQ-3D-3D>
> .
>
> Please feel free to contact the ROPR team with any questions.
>
> Sincerely,
> The ROPR Team
>
>
>

-- 
Franz Hartmann
Ontario Greenbelt Alliance
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