2015 Coordinated Provincial Review
of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe,
the Greenbelt Plan and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan
[Accessible formats or communication supports are available upon request
Contact: Regional Clerk’s Office, @email, 18774649675 extension 71320]
Consolidated recommendations adopted by York Regional Council at its meeting held on May 28, 2015.
1. Regional Council endorse the following 37 staff recommendations as the Region’s formal response to the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) posting entitled Coordinated review of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Greenbelt Plan, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and Niagara Escarpment Plan (EBR No. 012-3256):
1. The Province stay the course by maintaining the integrity and objectives of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the Greenbelt Plan and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan.
2. The Province provide no less than a six month period for review of any proposed amendments to the Plans.
3. The Province recognize the importance of significant woodlands and urban forest canopy cover as integral to delivering complete communities, and take a no-net-loss approach to managing forest cover in the Greenbelt Plan and ORMCP areas.
4. The Province amend the Plans to reflect recent Provincial Policy Statement modifications (2014) to agricultural definitions and permitted uses.
5. The Province review and resolve the conflict between the Holland Marsh Specialty Crop Area in the Greenbelt Plan and the Provincially Significant Wetland.
6. The Province amend the Plans to include policies that require appropriate buffers and/or mitigation measures in new urban areas adjacent to Greenbelt Plan agricultural lands.
7. The plans be amended to provide guidance and policies which support municipal efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
8. The Province provide standardized data and a methodology to analyze and quantify climate change impacts.
9. The Province develop a process to allow municipalities to access strategically located employment lands, if deemed necessary through a Municipal Comprehensive Review.
10. Policy 2.2.6.5 of the Growth Plan be amended to include the words “… through an upper- or single-tier municipal comprehensive review…”
11. The Province provide greater direction on what constitutes ‘strategic’ employment lands.
12. The Province not expand the Greenbelt onto the developable portion of ‘whitebelt’ lands as part of the 2015 review.
13. The Province revise the Plans, in how they refer to the ‘whitebelt’ lands.
14. The Province consider amending the Greenbelt Plan to permit compatible community uses.
15. The Province align the mandates of provincial ministries beyond the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to achieve Growth Plan objectives.
16. The Province consider removing the requirement that cemeteries be “small scale” on rural lands within the ORMCP to provide access to a greater supply of land to accommodate future needs.
17. The Province explore opportunities to provide guidance within the Provincial Plans related to infrastructure to ensure that planning for new communities and intensification is carried out in a coordinated and consistent manner across the GTHA (e.g. acknowledge Master Planning exercises).
18. Provincial investments in infrastructure be made strategically to support forecasted growth and to ensure that the GGH is positioned competitively in the global marketplace when competing for employment attraction.
19. The Province continue financial support to municipalities in constructing and operating multi-modal transportation networks essential to achieving the required densities and objectives of the Growth Plan.
20. The Province revisit policies regarding servicing communities in the Greenbelt and ORMCP, in consultation with municipalities and stakeholders.
21. The Growth Plan be amended to shift policies 3.2.6.5 and 3.2.6.6 from Section 3.2.6 Community Infrastructure to a new subsection within the Where and How to Grow section.
22. The Province allow municipalities to use inclusionary zoning to require affordable housing units in new developments.
23. The Province consider minor amendments to the method of measuring density for the planning of complete communities, particularly as it relates to incorporating industrial and warehousing type employment uses.
24. The Province develop a methodology for consistently undertaking a land budget and for forecasting population and employment growth.
25. Although York Region takes no new positions on individual landowner requests, the Region asks the Province to develop a process to review boundaries associated with the Greenbelt Plan and ORMCP.
26. The Province amend subsection 2(4) of the ORMCP to permit residual lands outside of the ORM, resulting from confirmation of the 245 contour, to be reconciled with the adjacent land use designation.
27. The Province consider growing the Greenbelt northwards into south Simcoe County in order to prevent continuing ‘leap-frog’ development in communities which may not have the appropriate infrastructure to manage such growth in a sustainable manner which is consistent with delivering complete communities as is the intent of the Plans.
28. The Province amend Section 42 of the ORMCP and Section 3.2.3 of the Greenbelt Plan as necessary to identify and resolve mapping and policy conflicts and terminology inconsistencies.
29. The Province consider amending the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act and Greenbelt Act to include ‘sunset’ clauses, excluding strategic employment lands on the “400 series” corridors.
30. The Province reconcile policies, terminology and mapping within legislation and plans to ensure they align.
31. The Province deliver outstanding technical guidelines in a timely manner.
32. The Province develop guidelines to address the fiscal implications for not accommodating forecast growth through the development of complete communities.
33. The Province revoke outdated technical guidelines.
34. The Province consult with stakeholders on monitoring in accordance with the indicators and available data to establish the baseline conditions for future monitoring.
35. The Province provide enforcement assistance and/or additional resources to local municipalities to address the legal or illegal placement of fill, dumping and outdoor storage on rural and agricultural lands within the Plan areas.
36. The Province examine the possible expansion of the Greenbelt after local municipalities complete subwatershed studies or other environmental studies that might identify additional lands appropriate for the Greenbelt Plan.
37. The Province develop a process to consider compatible additions to land use permissions within the Greenbelt Plan and ORMCP.
2. The Regional Clerk forward this report and attachments to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
3. The Regional Clerk circulate this report to the Clerks of the local municipalities and to the York Region Agricultural Advisory Liaison Group.
