Bill 185 - SCHEDULE 12 -…

Bill 185 - SCHEDULE 12 - PLANNING ACT
Comments:
* Stripping upper-tier municipalities of planning responsibilities will (in case of Niagara) leave
12 lower-tier municipalities without input of environmental experts who exist solely at the upper
level — i.e. removing one of the most cost-effective and efficient planning tools we have here.
* Stripping municipalities of ability to require parking will lead to on-street parking chaos.
* Further stripping of citizens’ right to appeal bad planning (to stop NIMBY appeals) is planning
equivalent of throwing the baby out with the bath water.
* Permitting appeals of official plan or zoning by-law amendment applications that propose to
alter all or part of the boundary of a “area of settlement” unless the land to be included is land in
the Greenbelt Area --- thereby allowing applicants to appeal a municipality’s refusal or failure to
make a decision on a privately requested OPA or ZBA application — completely disregards
the municipal planning rationale that went into creating an official plan and will promote
urban sprawl.
Bottom Line:
Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes is good in name and intent.
Schedule 12 cuts common sense out of the process — please do NOT make it law.