I am very strongly in favor…

I am very strongly in favor of the changes proposed in this bill. Municipal official plans have not only become lengthy, complicated, and highly restrictive, they also include arbitrary blocks to much needed housing development in areas close to GO train transit in, for example, Wellington County (south). The Wellington County OP includes a section (Sec. 10.4.4) which bans any future rural lot severances on any lot that has been severed since March 2005! This means any lot, regardless its size, location or the suitability of the application, will be rejected by the county if the lot has been severed in the last +20 years! There is no particular reason for this regulation, County planners have not provided a rational reason for its existence as all application still would have to pass through strict review, and have decided to keep the restriction in Erin township (which includes secondary ag lands close to Acton and the KW GO Train line), but remove the restriction on the neighboring township Puslinch - the planners have again provided no justification for this despite the County projection pointing to a minimum 120 rural lot deficit in Erin Township that could be met, according to County analysis, by removing the Sec. 10.4.4 prohibition, or simply changing the date from March, 2005 to March 2015 or 2020.

This is a great example of County planning working to block much needed rural growth for what appears to ideological reasons. I strongly support any changes that will help address arbitrary blocks to much needed rural housing development on secondary ag lands close to public transit (GO). I have attached an analysis of the economic/fiscal impacts of Wellington County OP Sec. 10.4.4 on Erin Township and Wellington County.