Malone Given Parsons Ltd. (…

Malone Given Parsons Ltd. (“MGP”) are planning consultants and write this letter on behalf of Terry Ballantyne (1054455 Ontario Limited), the long standing owner of lands identified for future residential development in the Township of North Dumfries (the Township), one of the lower-tier municipalities in the Region of Waterloo (the “Region”), in response to Regional Official Plan Amendment 6 (“ROPA 6”).

For the reasons noted in this letter, it is our opinion that the Region of Waterloo should have included an LNA scenario similar to that provided in Appendix 2, providing medium density housing as the primary housing form for growth from 2022-2051.

In this regard, it is our opinion that 944 hectares of additional Community Area lands beyond the existing supply are needed to accommodate future residential development in Waterloo Region.
The Ballantyne Swan Street Lands should be included as additional Community Area to provide the Township and Region with land required to meet the 2051 growth targets.

The Ballantyne Swan Street Lands are able to contribute approximately 500 new homes toward meeting the Region of Waterloo responsibility for new home supply and towards meeting the provincial target of building 1.5 million homes by 2031.

These lands stand out in the Region of Waterloo as among the best opportunities to provide new community growth in a compact and complete community that logically and efficiently extends the settlement pattern in the Ayr community, within the Township of North Dumfries.

The Township of North Dumfries has repeatedly requested that the Ballantyne Swan Street Lands (1056 Swan Street) be considered as a candidate site for expansion of the Township Urban Area. Township Council, on June 6, 2022, passed a motion which, among other matters, included the following decision:
“That as part of the new Community Area Land Expansion under Option 2 assigned to North Dumfries, that the property identified as 1056 Swan Street as conceptually identified as Parcel B-1 on Schedule 3 attached be included in the expanded Ayr Urban Area Boundary;”

In response, the Region has established Policy 2.E.2.4 in ROPA 6 identifying that the portion of the Ballantyne Swan Street Lands which has not been included as additional Community Area through ROPA 6 shall be a priority expansion area for the next MCR, if there would be an identified land need at that time. MGP’s LNA (Appendix 2), completed in accordance with provincial requirements, has already confirmed 944 hectares of additional Community Area land beyond the currently supply is required to accommodate growth to 2051.

The Ballantyne Swan Street Lands are urban adjacent and have existing municipal services available which allow them to develop in an efficient manner and within a very short timeline. The lands are positioned to be developed as part of the existing complete community of Ayr and will provide connectivity and linkages to adjacent built and to be built approved neighbourhoods.

Furthermore, the Ballantyne Swan Street Lands are proposed to accommodate a mix of housing types, which will respond to market demand, and with high caliber, sustainable and green building standards.

The Ballantyne Swan Street Lands are not Protected Countryside lands and are within the Region of Waterloo Countryside Line and meet the applicable expansion evaluation criteria as demonstrated in Appendix 4 and further are well suited to assist Waterloo Region in meeting its share of the Provincial target of building 1.5 million new homes by 2031 as well as the Region’s requirement to accommodate growth to 2051.

We request that the Minister expand the settlement area boundary to include the Ballantyne Swan Street Lands (PIN 227180179) and surrounding area and designate these for community uses. As illustrated in the figures in the letter and in Appendix 4, this entails a change to Map 1 to designate the property as Township Urban Area and Map 2 to designate the property as Designated Greenfield Area.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss this letter, please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned at any time.

Yours very truly,
Malone Given Parsons Ltd.
Matthew Cory, MCIP, RPP, PLE, PMP
Principal, Planner, Land Economist, Project Manager