I've been working on a motion for Oshawa Council's first meeting of its new 4-year term (2022-2026).
It's about protecting the Greenbelt...thinking surely a lesson was learned when NYC managed, from the 1850s on, to preserve its 800-acre Central Park on Manhattan Island when many pressures to sell off parts of it were overcome.
I plan to make this time sensitive motion that the rules of procedure be waived in order to introduce this motion related to the
importance of protecting the Greenbelt...will be looking for a seconder and will try run it by colleagues and staff for wordsmithing, but very much hoping it will be passed!
I'm also interested in some public feedback, so please feel free to share your thoughts! Here's the draft motion:
"Whereas the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing sent out a notice this month seeking feedback on proposed changes to the Greenbelt Plan that would remove or redesignate areas of land in the Greenbelt which would be switched with other lands;
Whereas this consultation closes on December 4, 2023;
Whereas the City Council meeting following the first Development Services Committee meeting is December 12, 2023, which is after the deadline for submissions;
Whereas the unintended consequences of removing land from the permanent Greenbelt will have lasting repercussions, having the effect of leaving Greenbelt lands no longer any more protected than land outside the Greenbelt once the fragmentation begins, as well as leading to unbalanced growth missing long term sustainable vision and infrastructure asset costs, as well as being seriously detrimental to the agricultural land base and Ontario’s natural heritage, protected headwater resources and health ecosystem;
NOW THEREFORE the City of Oshawa send to the Province of Ontario the City of Oshawa’s objection to the proposed changes to the Greenbelt and this objection also be sent to Oshawa and Durham Riding MPs and MPPs, the Region of Durham and its lower tier municipalities as well as the Association of Municipalities of Ontario."
With the City of Oshawa already immersed in mega development projects in North Kedron and Columbus for over 50,000 people, which is not including any of the thousands of units coming onstream within the built boundary, 1,000 more units by the new north Costco, 5,000 more units in the downtown, and 1,100+ units at the lake, Oshawa is more than well positioned to accommodate growth, but there are no guarantees the housing affordability problems will be addressed, as the Environmental Defense says:
"Ontario government efforts to take land out of the Greenbelt are premised on an assertion that this land is urgently needed to address the housing affordability crisis. This is untrue. The evidence is clear. There is more than enough land already set aside for development within existing town and city boundaries to meet the demand for all types of housing and businesses until far past 2040".
"The government’s attempt to rationalize this attack on the Greenbelt as a measure to deliver “more homes” is disingenuous. There is such a vast supply of unused “greenfield” land already open for development within existing municipal settlement boundaries (350 square kilometers as of 2019), that opening up Greenbelt lands will not deliver a single net new home. The latest round of boundary expansions would – if approved – add 17,000 hectares more of non-Greenbelt land to that vast stockpile. Far from boosting the number of new homes, because of a constrained supply of skilled labour, materials and equipment, it is likely this plan would result in fewer homes being delivered within the next decade."
It's about protecting the Greenbelt...thinking surely a lesson was learned when NYC managed, from the 1850s on, to preserve its 800-acre Central Park on Manhattan Island when many pressures to sell off parts of it were overcome.
I plan to make this time sensitive motion that the rules of procedure be waived in order to introduce this motion related to the
importance of protecting the Greenbelt...will be looking for a seconder and will try run it by colleagues and staff for wordsmithing, but very much hoping it will be passed!
I'm also interested in some public feedback, so please feel free to share your thoughts! Here's the draft motion:
"Whereas the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing sent out a notice this month seeking feedback on proposed changes to the Greenbelt Plan that would remove or redesignate areas of land in the Greenbelt which would be switched with other lands;
Whereas this consultation closes on December 4, 2023;
Whereas the City Council meeting following the first Development Services Committee meeting is December 12, 2023, which is after the deadline for submissions;
Whereas the unintended consequences of removing land from the permanent Greenbelt will have lasting repercussions, having the effect of leaving Greenbelt lands no longer any more protected than land outside the Greenbelt once the fragmentation begins, as well as leading to unbalanced growth missing long term sustainable vision and infrastructure asset costs, as well as being seriously detrimental to the agricultural land base and Ontario’s natural heritage, protected headwater resources and health ecosystem;
NOW THEREFORE the City of Oshawa send to the Province of Ontario the City of Oshawa’s objection to the proposed changes to the Greenbelt and this objection also be sent to Oshawa and Durham Riding MPs and MPPs, the Region of Durham and its lower tier municipalities as well as the Association of Municipalities of Ontario."
With the City of Oshawa already immersed in mega development projects in North Kedron and Columbus for over 50,000 people, which is not including any of the thousands of units coming onstream within the built boundary, 1,000 more units by the new north Costco, 5,000 more units in the downtown, and 1,100+ units at the lake, Oshawa is more than well positioned to accommodate growth, but there are no guarantees the housing affordability problems will be addressed, as the Environmental Defense says:
"Ontario government efforts to take land out of the Greenbelt are premised on an assertion that this land is urgently needed to address the housing affordability crisis. This is untrue. The evidence is clear. There is more than enough land already set aside for development within existing town and city boundaries to meet the demand for all types of housing and businesses until far past 2040".
"The government’s attempt to rationalize this attack on the Greenbelt as a measure to deliver “more homes” is disingenuous. There is such a vast supply of unused “greenfield” land already open for development within existing municipal settlement boundaries (350 square kilometers as of 2019), that opening up Greenbelt lands will not deliver a single net new home. The latest round of boundary expansions would – if approved – add 17,000 hectares more of non-Greenbelt land to that vast stockpile. Far from boosting the number of new homes, because of a constrained supply of skilled labour, materials and equipment, it is likely this plan would result in fewer homes being delivered within the next decade."
