The proposed “More Homes…

The proposed “More Homes Built Faster Act” (Bill 23) fails to consider its social, economic, and environmental impacts on rural waterfront communities throughout Ontario. Through efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing, I am concerned that the Ontario Government is proposing to further centralize community planning and limit public consultation through changes to the Planning Act, a concern already expressed by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and others including Watersheds Canada. 

In addition to cutting regulatory measures that serve to protect and restore the natural environment in the face of climate change, Bill 23 also seeks to limit the decentralized approach to land use planning in Ontario. Community land use decisions should remain in the hands of those directly affected by the outcome; namely, the local community.

I am writing to you today to strongly urge you to rescind Bill 23. 

The Bill will significantly weaken municipalities’ use of Site Plan Control (Section 41 of the Planning Act) in regulating waterfront development. Limiting the application of site plan control to residential buildings containing 10 or more units removes a municipality’s ability to review and apply conditions to single, detached dwellings, the main form of development affecting the health and sustainable use of Ontario’s shorelines.  These proposed changes were written with urban development in mind, yet they have significant implications for rural communities. Blanket changes based on urban planning should not be applied to wetlands and freshwater areas.

This Bill fails to support a municipality’s ability to restore or maintain vegetated shoreland buffers to protect Ontario’s freshwater. 

Even if the above points were addressed, the proposed exclusion of exterior design from the Site Plan Control review process removes a municipality’s authority to impose landscaping/vegetation requirements as a condition for approval to mitigate the environmental impacts of development (e.g., impacts of surface runoff on water quality).  The Provincial Policy Statement briefly mentions the importance of protecting and restoring Ontario’s shorelines to protect water quality (s2.2.1), however, municipalities are given very little guidance and tools to ensure their protection in the face of proposed development. Site Plan Control is the main tool used by municipalities to regulate residential waterfront development and protect the adjacent water body. Thus, it would be detrimental to the protection of freshwater resources to exclude exterior design requirements from Site Plan Control.

The Bill removes an individual’s right to appeal land use decisions in their community, limiting this right to the applicant and public entities.  Taxpayers deserve to be part of the decision-making process, therefore, third-party appeal rights to land use decisions must remain available to individuals. 

Watersheds Canada supporters want to defend nature in their community from rushed private interests that could ultimately neglect local environmental needs and social wellbeing. Individuals have the right to express their concerns and offer their perspectives on how their health, livelihood, and enjoyment may be impacted by local development.

Bill 23 will only further limit the ability of municipalities and taxpayers to decide how their communities are shaped and take steps towards sustainable community planning. Every community is unique. Therefore, land use decisions cannot be made by the province. Land use decisions should remain in the hands of municipalities. 

I stand with Watersheds Canada. Scrap Bill 23. Save our shorelands.