I do not support Bill-23 and…

I do not support Bill-23 and the removal of R1 zoning. I specifically did not vote for the mayoral candidate who supported this initiative. While I understand the need for intensification and providing affordable housing to people, this will not address the issue. Instead of building houses faster, how about building houses smarter. R1 zoning, or neighbourhoods that have single-family homes, also have a lot of green space and established trees and parks. Forcing development on those lots will replace the green space with concrete and create unnecessary waste. People who live in these neighbourhoods built their homes and lives around the green space and picked those areas for the privacy that a single family home affords. Allowing developers unfettered access to build towering triplexes without additional fees and checks in place, will decrease the quality of life those existing residences currently enjoy. There are smarter ways to go about this. Encourage intensification in neighbourhoods that are built to withstand low rise & high rise apartment buildings, townhomes, duplexes and triplexes. Where parkland, trees and breathing space is not being compromised. Where buildings have been demolished or abandoned. Where services and infrastructure are already available to support the additional population and vehicular traffic. Give incentives to developers who are willing to develop buildings using environmental and sustainable materials and systems. Deepen the incentives if those systems benefit the neighbourhood as a whole (like geothermal heating/cooling that allows neighbours to tap in, or using electricity that is off-grid, for example). This is a better way of addressing the housing need without allowing developers to build fast, cheap buildings that fall apart within a few years. Just so you can say you met your target. Be smart about this; use the tools available to you from all the studies published regarding sustainable living. It doesn't have to be expensive and can even be cheaper if enough developers & builders buy into it. Thank you for your consideration.