I am writing on behalf of…

I am writing on behalf of Council for the Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen in Peterborough County.

Housing:

It is slightly problematic that the Province is encouraging the replacement of commercial spaces in favor of residential intensification, especially in rural communities/municipalities that rely heavily on commercial/industrial assessed values for taxation purposes. Not all municipalities are made equal and a "one size fits all" policy document that would apply to large urban centers might not be directly applicable to smaller rural municipalities. I urge the Ministry to revise Section 2.2.1. The policies in this specific section encouraging the change of land use from commercial/industrial to residential may have the effect of negatively impacting "downtown cores" of small rural communities like HBM.