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April 20, 2023

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Elmira, Ontario, Canada | observerxtra.com | Volume 28 | Issue 16

Living Here | 24

70

Land-use policy

Region forced to make more land available for development Leah Gerber Observer Staff

Prior to winter’s reappearance, the sun was out and so were the kids and families during the warm snap last week, Taliesin Aberle, 1, Corbin Caldwell, 2, Parker Benesch, 16 months, and Rob King and Ryliegh King, 4, all paused at Kate’s Place in Elmira. Leah Gerber

WHILE THE PROVINCE LAST WEEK approved the regional official plan (ROP), it also made several changes, most notably opening up much larger swathes of land for development. The province included 12 modifications to the region’s official plan, forcing the region to open up an additional 5,900 acres of land for development, including areas in Woolwich and Wellesley townships. All the land up to the countryside line is now considered urban area open for development. According to the regional official plan, the countryside line represents the, “long-term boundary between the existing urban area/township urban areas and the countryside.” Established in 2003, the countryside line acts to protect the cultural, economic and environmental heritage of rural lands from urban sprawl. The goal is to keep rural settlements distinct. “What they’ve done is they took all the land inside our countryside line that was designed to last for the next five generations or as far in the future as we could stretch it, and they’re using it all up in one

go here,” said Kevin Thomason, vice chair of the Grand River Environmental Network, a group which advocates against urban sprawl. “Every square inch of it is being designated and the Premier said ‘Go ahead, you can build on it right away.’ Not exactly what we had planned on. The countryside line was very much to be our land bank and the reserve that we would draw very judiciously from for generations.” The notice of decision from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing states the decision is final and not subject to appeal. The additions include opening up land throughout the region. In Woolwich Township, that included lands on Farmers Market Road designated for business, and a change stating the township must review and update its phasing and staging of development policies to expedite development applications for housing projects. There are more additions in Elmira and Breslau, particularly near the airport, which is earmarked for industrial uses. “The changes to the regional official plan will add additional land to the settlement areas in St. Jacobs, Elmira and Breslau,” → DEVELOPMENT 4

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