Region's official plan gets green light from the province, with expanded boundaries

The Region of Waterloo's official plan has been approved by the province's Ministry of Municipal  Affairs and Housing, which is allowing the region to expand its boundaries beyond what was expected.

In an emailed response, the province said an additional 2,380-hectare settlement boundary expansion has been added. 

"The population of Waterloo Region is expected to grow to 923,000 people by 2051 ... the Region's own Land Needs Assessment identified the need for 2,866 hectares of additional urban land in order to meet minimum intensification and density targets," said a spokesperson for Steve Clark, minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

"My first blush look at it, the [province] did adhere to the planning principles, which is the 15-minute communities so that there's variety of housing types so that there's availability for growth," Regional Chair Karen Redman told CBC News.

Redman said the majority of the land the province added is within the region's countryside line. 

"It was always slated for growth. We have probably 50 years of growth now within the boundaries we can build up. I think now, what's really important is that the townships and urban centres deliver on the housing." 

She said her role as regional chair will be to work with the cities and townships to plan for that growth.

Clark's spokesperson said "it is important to note that the existing countryside line will be maintained," and added "this balanced approach will allow for growth while protecting the environment for future generations." 

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said the main parts of the region's plan were adopted, like protecting the countryside line and protecting major transit areas in Kitchener.

"It also recognizes that there were some areas that we felt, for example in south-west Kitchener, that those land should be, in fact, included," he said during an announcement in Kitchener Thursday.

"I think the decision of the minister recognizes there were lots of strong arguments about why those lands needed to be included."

Vrbanovic said that will help the city achieve its mandate to build 35,000 homes by 2031.

'Supply and demand'

"We have to grow," Premier Doug Ford said during the same announcement in Kitchener Thursday morning.

"We need to make sure to drive the economy, but more importantly, create affordable and attainable homes. It's not just  young people, it's middle-aged people, other people that need a home."

"People come here too, new immigrants [and] their goal is to buy a home. So, supply and demand," he added.

The province's approval came with 12 modifications that address "provincial policy direction related to accommodating residential growth and housing options, settlement areas, employment areas, and additional residential units, among other matters."

The province also proposes decreasing the minimum density target of 160 residents and jobs combined per hectare for three of the Region of Waterloo's major transit stations areas: 

• Laurier-Waterloo Park to 95 residents and jobs combined per hectare.
• Block Line to 80 residents and jobs combined per hectare.
• And Delta station in Cambridge to 120 residents and jobs combined per hectare due to development constraints. 

Regional council is expected to go over the plan with regional staff May 9.