<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="">Hi Community Leaders,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Despite the early evening timing, the Region of Waterloo has just released the Recommended Approach to Growth for the Regional Official Plan:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><a href="https://pub-regionofwaterloo.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=9e62bc9d-d4bf-4a2a-b0e7-a4c3c9e9051b&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English&Item=53&Tab=attachments" class="">https://pub-regionofwaterloo.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=9e62bc9d-d4bf-4a2a-b0e7-a4c3c9e9051b&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English&Item=53&Tab=attachments</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class="">From what I can see just quickly skimming it, it appears to be a very good news story:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">- Intensification rate of 61%</div><div class="">- Density 59 pj/ha</div><div class="">- Community Area Expansion: 150 ha</div><div class="">- Employment Area Expansion: 456 ha</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">So this is much less than half of Option #2’s 376ha of farmland loss, and less than the 220ha we saw in December and less than even the 180ha we saw in November.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">It’s also fantastic to see the better of the two employment options taken.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I think we have had a pretty significant impact and I’m not sure we can do or expect much better than this. I have a feeling that there will be some very disappointed land speculators - particularly when it appears that Cambridge is getting only 8ha of expansion.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">There are also many other reports and documents that have been released this evening.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">We are going to have to figure out as a community how best to respond on Wednesday. I will circulate a more detailed update to a much broader audience likely by tomorrow morning as we figure more out.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Please share any thoughts or ideas. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Cheers,</div><div class="">Kevin.</div><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"></div></div></div></div><div class="">
<meta charset="UTF-8" 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="">-------------------------------------<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="">E-mail: kevinthomason@mac.com</a><br class=""><br class="">-----------------------------------------</div></div></div>
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