Thank you for accepting the…

Thank you for accepting the Township of Amaranth’s comments about the proposed Greenbelt Expansion.

The Council of Amaranth indicated that the Province’s presentation on February 8, 2018 in Orangeville was very poor. Ministries’ Staff did not have sufficient information about the moraines, streams and wetlands locations in relation to people’s properties and how the Greenbelt Plan would affect their lands. A presentation including a period for questions and answers would have been more appropriate for understanding the study.

Concerns have been raised that it would impact on future farm practices by imposing limitation.

The Rural lands that will be affected by the Greenbelt expansion will be restricted of their potential to sever lots and establishing uses that are incompatible with agricultural and environmentally sensitive areas and are not suitable in residential areas or hamlets. It will create limitations of potential financial revenues to the municipalities by taking away the already limited potential for growth of the Rural designation.

The Township requests that the existing approved designations located within the final expanded Greenbelt boundary which predates the 2005 Greenbelt Plan be recognized and continue to be exempt from the application of the Greenbelt Plan Policies.

The Province wants to protect water while no or very little enforcement is done by Conservation Authorities to stop the extraction of peat. The Township of Amaranth has been having several problematic cases of peat extraction where there has been loss of natural heritage features and incidentally affecting their ecological function.

Aggregate extraction should be better regulated by the Greenbelt Plan especially in cases of extraction below the water table in order to better protect water and having consideration to the cumulative effect of active pits and disturbed areas to reduce adverse impacts. Maximizing rehabilitation should be required.

There should be consistency between all Provincial Plans and new regulations that have increased limitation on land uses at different levels and for several matters.

Council is requesting the Ministry Staff to attend one of their meetings to present the proposed changes and implications of the Greenbelt expansion. A delegation can be organized by contacting our office at the phone number indicated below or by email me at suestone@ amaranth-eastgary.ca .

[Original Comment ID: 213526]