I worked in the development…

I worked in the development industry over my my 40 year working career in engineering consulting & development management for various developers. The Places to grow act & the greenbelt act were giant steps forward toward smart development to protect foodland & environmental land and increase density to use built land & infrastructure more efficiently, reduce commute times and have less reliance on cars etc. The proposed removal of greenbelt
land is a giant step backwards to undermine the smart growth achievements under those acts, and is not needed over the next 30+++ years for its stated purpose especially considering the over abundance of whitebelt lands, infill land and redevelopment opportunities in older serviced areas of the GTHA, especially in Hamilton. Also the gov't is being unrealistic expecting housing construction by 2025 in these removal areas and is being hoodwinked by the dev't industry as this deadline will undoubtedly be pushed out if the removal is approved as no homes would or could be built there for at least 5 years and likely not for 10 years, which is still an optimistic schedule to approve and service such lands in my long experience in these matters. In the Hamilton case, the City has already approved a non- expansion plan to meet its growth needs over the next decades, and even more opportunities for urban renewal are needed for gentrification of many decrepit areas of the City and this need would be unfilled and undermined by the urban sprawl under your proposal. Gentrification would also facilitate modernization of the combined sewer system in these older areas which have seen provincial orders issued against the city for polluting Lake Ontario and the pollution continues. Therefore the province should not delete any land from the greenbelt but instead use up-zoning measures to incent intensification and redevelopment of existing built areas province wide, which will have immediately effect deal with the housing shortage, housing costs and job creation. Thank you for considering these comments.

Bob, Hamilton On.