I oppose any amendments to…

I oppose any amendments to the Greater Golden Horsehoe 2017 Growth Plan because
1. It promotes Sprawl Driven Planning – by weakening the ‘standardized’ land needs assessment
methodology just put in place by the province in early 2018.
2. It makes Urban Boundary Expansions Easier & Less Planned because it would allow urban boundary expansions in 40ha increments outside of the land needs assessment/ municipal
comprehensive review process. The province has no business circumventing municipal reviews. Land needs assessment starts at the municipal level and should not be initiated by provincial interests , particularly those which are politically driven.
3. Weakens rather than strengthens Greenfield Density Targets & allows for more urban sprawl in Hamilton for example by reducing the requirement from a minimum of 80 people & jobs per ha down to minimum of 60 people and jobs per ha of land.
4. Protects Some Employment Lands & Makes Others Vulnerable.
The province should not establish "Significant Employment Zones" that confer stronger protection on some land while making arbitrary decisions that leave some potential Significant zones without the designation. It would make these lands more vulnerable to conversion to mixed use or residential use
5. There are no tools within the plan to mandate the creation of more Affordable (income based) Housing.
6. It removes all references to Climate Change and the necessary commitments at all levels to build compact, complete communities – communities that are resilient, inclusive and sustainable.

Overall, it is yet another retrograde step that could cause irreparable damage to our remaining farm land, adversely affect our First Nation communities, and our Green and Blue belts.