Official Plan (OP). Targets have been set in the Township’s Official Plan to support and encourage
growth within existing urban areas, and discourage growth in rural and agricultural areas. Therefore,
in terms of policy directions and goals, development of the subject lands for residential uses conforms
to the OP and is an appropriate and reasonable land use for this location. In terms of Regional
policies, the Regional Official Plan (ROP) also supports growth within existing urban areas and the
development of complete communities. The ROP designates the Elmira Settlement Area as within the
Township Urban Area designation, and the subject lands are within the Elmira Settlement Area.
Therefore, development of the subject lands for residential uses also conforms to the ROP.
The Provincial Planning Policy document, Places to Grow, places an emphasis on directing growth to
existing built up areas to make efficient use of infrastructure, encourage the development of complete
communities, and protect rural, environmentally significant, and agricultural land. To implement these
policies, Places to Grow requires that by 2015, the Region is required to secure 40% of new growth
within existing areas. To meet this target, the Township will have to direct a greater share of its new
growth to existing settlement areas (target to be determined). Development of the subject lands would
support this goal and be a logical extension of the overall residential neighbourhood. Through
functional design, the components of the development can be complimentary, consistent, and
enhance the surrounding neighbourhood.
The subject lands are adjacent to natural features, a community trail, and agricultural uses. It is
important to recognize that in addition to the proposed development conforming to Regional and
Provincial policy, the Township must also have regard to the Environmental and Stewardship policies
in the Official Plan with respect to the proposed development.
environmental features, and discourage growth into environmentally significant, agricultural, and rural
areas. Therefore, research of the overall area - including the subject lands - was required to
determine if development is possible given the environmental and stewardship policies and mandates
of the Township, Region, and Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), and if so, what the
potential developable area would be.
The lands containing the creek, wetland, steep slopes and floodplain area are located north of the
subject lands (i.e. north of Parcels 1 and 3) and are currently designated Open Space. The
Environmental Stewardship Policies in Chapter 13 of the Township’s Official Plan has not identified
that any of the subject lands contain Provincially, Regional or Locally Significant natural or wooded
areas. In addition to evaluating the subject lands and surrounding area according the Township’s
Official Plan, Staff undertook a number of initiatives to evaluate the significance other natural features
and the wooded area in keeping with the environmental policies in the Official Plan including
consultation with: the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA); Environmental Planner at the
Region of Waterloo; and, a private Environmental Consultant (Ecoplans). The following sections
provide a summary of the comments received from each party.