The planners, legislators,…

The planners, legislators, analysts and solicitors who wrote these proposed amendments understand that upper tier municipalities (Regions) undertake the necessary LONG RANGE planning for infrastructure, watershed planning, strategic growth, employment areas and transit. However, it appears that their political bosses do not grasp this notion, and believe that eliminating long range planning will speed up development approvals across the Province. Spoiler alert - it will not.

Lower tier municipalities do not have the capacity to undertake development approvals, site plan and day to day building oversight as well as the necessary long range planning that the Growth Plan requires. What will be the result when the assimilative waste water capacity of watercourses reach their limit and a lower tier does not have enough funds within their development charge collection to undertake the necessary improvements to their waste water treatment facilities. What about when cross border servicing is required and two lower tier municipalities are competing for that capacity, or when a transit route is needed but the population within the municipality does not have enough ridership to truly justify the route...or enough funds to cover the deficit with the transit authority? There are so many ways that long range planning at a higher scale than a lower tier municipality (many with populations under 50,000 that will be orphaned as a result of this legislation) makes sense and provides the necessary vision and direction to facilitate growth in lower-tier municipalities. Please reconsider the proposed removing of planning policy and approvals responsibilities from Upper-tier municipalities. It will not streamline building houses, it will lead to (very expensive) chaos in the immediate term and irresponsible growth and have and have-not communities in the long run. 20 years from now, Ontario will not be a place to grow, it will be a ghetto.