Latest news with #GreenbeltPlan
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Launch of mandatory Ontario Greenbelt review months overdue: internal docs
Ontario appears to be months behind launching a mandatory review of the Greenbelt, and opposition politicians and environmentalists are asking for a wide-ranging and transparent study of the protected lands to preserve their future. A mandatory 10-year-review of the Greenbelt Plan, which created the protected zone from development, was to have started earlier this year. As of late March that review had not formally begun, according to documents obtained by CBC News through a freedom of information request. Civil servants warned new Municipal Affairs Minister Rob Flack that the process should have started on Feb. 28, the day after Ontario elected the Ford government to a third term. "To date, (the Ministry) has initiated internal policy research and analysis, including developing possible approaches to consultation and Indigenous engagement," civil servants told the new minister in a March briefing note. The Greenbelt was created in 2005 to protect farm land and some of the most ecologically sensitive areas of the Golden Horseshoe region. The law provides environmental protection and specifies where development should not occur. The Greenbelt has been the subject of scandal for the Ford government since 2022, when it announced it would swap 15 pieces of land from the protected area and open them up for development. Reports from the auditor general and integrity commissioner found that the process to select lands was rushed and favoured certain developers. The property owners with land removed from the Greenbelt stood to see their land value rise by $8.3 billion, the auditor general found in her own Greenbelt investigation. Ford reversed course after heated public outcry and the RCMP continues to investigate the matter. WATCH | Ontario's 4 major parties say they would not build housing on the Greenbelt: The legislation that created the Greenbelt requires a review every decade. That involves consultations with municipalities within the protected area and members of the public. It also requires the government hear from its own Greenbelt Council, a body of 10 representatives it appoints to meet regularly and provide advice to the minister on land use planning related to the protected area. But the civil servants say that as of March, the council only had one member and no chairperson. According to the Greenbelt council's website Monday, the sole remaining appointee's term expires on June 24. Seven members of that body, including former Toronto mayor and PC cabinet minister David Crombie, resigned in 2020 in protest over changes the Ford government made to the powers of conservation authorities. But the civil servants are also clear about the parameters of the review — it's not meant to shrink the protected zone. "Amendments shall not have the effect of reducing the total land area of the Greenbelt Plan," the briefing note says. Minister Flack's office did not respond to questions from CBC News on the status of the review or the Greenbelt Council. The briefing note puts the Greenbelt review at the top of a list of early priority decisions for the minister, labelling it a "medium" operational and reputational risk for the government. Given the political trouble the government has had with the Greenbelt, NDP environment critic Peter Tabuns said he's not surprised work on the review has been slow to progress. "The fewer times the word Greenbelt is uttered in public the better for them," he said. "Having a really minimal review push through quickly would probably be politically the easiest thing for them." While the review may seem like a simple formality, it's needed to help strengthen the protected zone, Tabuns said. He urged the government to consult widely on how to strengthen the law. "Every 10 years you've got to look at it to make sure it's in good shape," he said. "To make sure it's protected in the hope that any future attack will be blunted." Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said he's concerned the province has nearly reached the halfway point of the year and hasn't made any meaningful progress on the review. "I think it is critically important for public confidence that this review take place, that it be rigorous, and it be designed in a way to ask questions about what we can do to strengthen the Greenbelt," he said. In light of the scandal, the government should use the review as a way to bolster public confidence in its management of the Greenbelt, Schreiner said. "I would say to the government, this is an opportunity to help you move forward in terms of the Greenbelt scandal and the public opposition that flowed from that, to say, 'We learned a lesson, and we're going to conduct a Greenbelt review, and we're going to do it in a way that talks about how to strengthen the Greenbelt,'" he said. The review must be expansive and the government must consult widely, said Tim Gray, the executive director of Environmental Defence. The last study, done a decade ago, took years and was substantive, he said."It is important that we do a check in and upgrade it where necessary, expand it where necessary, and address threats to it where it's necessary," Gray said. Tony Morris, conservation policy and campaigns director at Ontario Nature, said he's concerned the government will want to perform a quick review that "tinkers at the edges." "It's critical that the process be transparent and it be science-based," he said. "It must be open to Indigenous communities and all stakeholders to actually be involved and feel like they're being heard, which means that it has to be a well thought out process with appropriate timelines."
Hamilton Spectator
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Stouffville May Escalate Push to Open Protected Lands for Additional Housing
● Stouffville's Council will debate a proposal June 4 requesting expanded housing permissions on Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt lands from the Ontario government. ● The recommendations encourage the Province to allow two Additional Residential Units (ARUs) per rural property. ● Currently, ARUs are restricted in key environmental zones like Oak Ridges Moraine Natural Core and Linkage areas and the Greenbelt's Natural Heritage System. ● Staff say expanded ARUs could support multi-generational living, affordable housing, and secondary income for rural residents. ● Critics have condemned such expansion of development permissions, saying they threaten conservation efforts. ● The report also recommends broader reforms to conservation area governance, including streamlined processes for minor amendments and expansion of land uses. ● If approved, the Town will submit the request to Provincial ministers and circulate it to other affected municipalities. Stouffville is weighing a bold step that could reshape housing rules on some of Ontario's most protected lands. On June 4, Council will debate a proposal to formally ask the Province to ease development restrictions within the Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt. A report prepared in response to a February 2025 Strong Mayor directive from Mayor Iain Lovatt recommends the Province amend both the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (ORMCP) and the Greenbelt Plan to allow for up to two Additional Residential Units (ARUs) on Stouffville's rural properties. The proposed request would build on Council's April endorsement of a resolution from the Township of Adjala-Tosorontio, which urged the Province to generally amend restrictions preventing property owners on Oak Ridges Moraine lands from building ARUs. Under Ontario's Planning Act, an ARU refers to a second or third self-contained living space. These units can be located within a primary residence or in a detached accessory structure and are permitted on properties with a detached, semi-detached, or townhouse-style home. The proposal would apply across all land designations within the Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt, including the Moraine's Natural Core and Linkage areas, and the Greenbelt's Natural Heritage System, where ARUs are currently prohibited. Each ARU would function independently, with its own kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area, and would be required to meet all applicable building and fire code standards. 'The majority of the Town's rural residents are unable to utilize Federal and Provincial incentives to build even a single ARU,' the report explains. 'Allowing for ARUs more broadly would accommodate multi-family residential units on the same lot, allowing older residents to stay in their homes longer, and allow younger families to live in their own units and save money to afford their own home.' 'ARUs can also provide a source of secondary income and contribute to the provision of more affordable housing options within the Town,' the report adds. The recommendations seek to align ARU permissions in the conservation lands with the recently adopted Provincial Planning Statement, 2024 (PPS 2024). That policy document permits up to two ARUs per lot in prime agricultural areas, but only outside protected conservation plan boundaries. This allowance would come with some conditions. When two units are proposed, at least one must be located within or attached to the main home. Guidelines stipulate that ARUs must not interfere with farm operations and must be supported by suitable water and sewage infrastructure. Units must also be of 'limited scale' and situated close to existing homes or farm buildings to avoid unnecessary loss of agricultural land. The Staff report does not advise specific size or scale limits for new accessory structures intended for the ARUs. Instead, it recommends the Province provide general guidance to ensure new development remains appropriately scaled and compatible with the area's rural and environmentally sensitive context. 'Given the environmental sensitivity associated with lands within the Provincial plan areas, it may also be appropriate to include additional development criteria for permitting ARUs to ensure the objectives of the ORMCP and Greenbelt Plan are maintained,' Staff explain. In addition to size considerations, potential criteria could include setbacks from key natural heritage and hydrologic features, as well as vegetation protection zones. 'My Strong Mayor directive was catalyzed by a number of residents facing intergenerational housing inequity who struggle to support their families due to Provincial policy limitations,' Lovatt said in comments to Bullet Point News. 'With a municipality made up of 90% protected lands, reasonable reform is required to address the challenges Stouffville families are facing.' 'This directive does not seek to eliminate protections of the Greenbelt or the ORM, rather it seeks to allow specific permissions at a local level to address our unique realities,' he added. Critics, however, remain opposed to expanding housing and development permissions within the protected areas. The Greenbelt Alliance, a coalition of more than 100 organizations that describes itself as a 'watchdog and defender of Ontario's innovative Greenbelt,' has recently raised concerns about the growing push for ARUs from municipalities within the ORMCP area. 'It takes unwavering vigilance to protect the Greenbelt. Most municipalities think their land is unique. A protected landscape can't be piecemealed by political flow everywhere,' they wrote in an April 13 post on X. Bullet Point News reached out to the umbrella group for comment on the Staff report but did not receive a response by deadline. Beyond ARU permissions, the report proposes a series of broader land use policy reforms intended to update governance within the conservation areas. These changes are designed to grant municipalities greater flexibility in addressing local planning needs. Staff recommend that the Province establish a process for municipalities to make minor amendments to the Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt plans without triggering a full provincial review. They also call for a more efficient and clear method for evaluating whether prime agricultural lands can be reclassified as rural. Further recommendations include expanding permissions for small-scale commercial, industrial, and institutional uses within the Greenbelt Plan and ORMCP, and enabling the development of public service facilities—such as fire stations, community centres, and parks—in areas where such development is currently restricted. Town Staff are also requesting a formal process for settlement area expansions into the conservation plan zones where justified by local municipalities. The report calls for the Ontario government to 'expedite the review of these Provincial plans, as opposed to waiting until the mandated 10-year review (anticipated by 2027), to establish a consistent planning framework and ARU permissions across the province and help facilitate the development of needed housing.' If endorsed by Council next week, the Town would submit its request to Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, as well as the Ministers of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Red Tape Reduction. The report would also be circulated to other municipalities within the Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt areas. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
