• Changes proposed remove…

• Changes proposed remove the planning policy and approval responsibilities from certain upper-tier municipalities (regions of Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, Simcoe, Waterloo, York).
This doesn’t make sense when the Region is still responsible for services such as water, wastewater and Reginal transportation planning. Many municipalities to not have the expertise or the funds to do needed studies or evaluate studies that are required for the planning process. Planning is best done on as broad a basis as possible ie. watershed basis or regional basis not with every little municipality doing its own thing.

• Changes are proposed to remove the public meeting requirement for draft plans of subdivision.
Citizens should have a right to learn about, discuss and comment on changes that impact their community.

• Changes are proposed to exempt all aspects of site plan control for residential development up to 10 units and changes are proposed to limit the scope of site plan control by removing the ability for municipalities to regulate architectural details and landscape design.
It is important, especially as our urban areas become more dense, that new development fits in with, or adds to, the urban character. Details matter. Landscaping matters. Architecture matters. Changes to site plan control and limits to municipal regulation of architectural details and landscape design should be scrapped.

• Future regulations would identify which official plans and amendments would not require approval by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (i.e., which lower-tier plans and amendments of the lower-tier municipality would need no further approval) and the proposed changes could also potentially be applied to additional upper-tier municipalities in the future via regulation.
Approval by MAH has been required to ensure compliance with Provincial Planning Policy. If approvals are being removed, how can compliance be assured? This sounds like a recipe for each municipality doing its own thing.