Last Chance to Protect our Greenbelt from Greedy Developers
- by: Environmental Defence - 2
- recipient: Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, The Honourable Bill Mauro, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and The Honourable Chris Ballard, Minister of Housing
Developers want Ontario to weaken our precious Greenbelt so they can build more of the far-flung sprawl developments that are so lucrative for them. They say there's not enough land available for first-time homeowners. These developers are not telling the truth.
There are more than 104,000 hectares of land (the size of 1.5 Torontos!) already available within the Greater Golden Horseshoe. That's more than enough space for new homes and smart, modern, transit-friendly communities. The truth is they are hoarding land so that supply is constrained artificially, and the prices skyrocket so they make bigger profits.
Sign the letter below and urge the Ontario government to stand up to greedy developers. Ontario must protect and grow our Greenbelt and not let sprawl developers pave over the last of Ontario’s prime farmland.
SUBJECT: Stop Sprawl and Protect our Greenbelt
Dear Premier Wynne,
I know Ontario’s Greenbelt and Growth Plan review is under threat from developers trying to roll back Greenbelt protections and smart growth policies. Despite false claims linking housing supply and price with these Plans, I know the public continues to support the Greenbelt and smart growth and we want you to fight for what’s right. That’s why I am looking to you to stay true to your commitment to stop sprawl, protect prime farmland and natural areas and create more livable and affordable communities in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Our prosperity depends on it.
Please take decisive action now to:
1) Protect and Grow the Greenbelt
- Grow the Greenbelt to protect at risk water supplies across Bluebelt (http://www.growourgreenbelt.ca/bluebelt_resources) map areas
- Do not allow changes to the Greenbelt settlement area policy that would permit large-scale urban development applications in small towns and villages
- Continue to prohibit new lake based water and sewer infrastructure in the Greenbelt
2) Stop Sprawl for Good
- Close risky loopholes that allow urban sprawl to pave over farmland in more than 400 rural towns and villages not designated for growth, and stop allowing sprawl to count as intensification
- Keep proposed Growth Plan intensification and density targets and freeze municipal urban boundary expansions for the next 10 years.
- Set up a compliance secretariat with oversight power and resources for the next 10 years
We need your leadership now; it’s time to stand strong as your finalize the Plans. It’s critical that you fix the dangerous policies above now so that we do not see 10 years of threats to and destruction of the Greenbelt or roll back into the 1950’s style sprawl that paves prime farmland, creates unbearable gridlock and elevated carbon emissions at great costs to Ontario taxpayers.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
