The Council Round-Up (Mar/Apr 2024)
A snapshot of what's happening in council chambers around Waterloo Region
The last two weeks, I have focused on Wilmot Township and the possible expropriation of 770 acres of farmland. Click to read part one and part two. While there is more to come on the Wilmot lands issue, I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the other local council discussions and decisions that have been happening over the last month or two.
Waterloo:
Staff provided Waterloo Council with an update on the impact of their Speed Management plan in the last year. The Speed Management Plan is one tool to enhance pedestrian safety, cycling and motor vehicle safety and align with Vision Zero principles. Staff noted a “positive impact that the first year of implementation has had on reducing driver speeds on residential streets.” Last year, school zones were reduced to 30 km/h and also reduced on residential streets in Wards 2 and 7. In the ten school zone locations where speed data was collected, on average, drivers reduced their speed by ~3.4 km/h. In the 17 locations where speed data was collected in Wards 2 and 7, the average ‘85th percentile driver speeds’ decreased by 4.4 km/h.
Additionally, Council approved a new Traffic Calming and Collision Countermeasure Program that will allow staff to access new data sources to proactively identify areas for traffic calming and road safety improvements. “The new program will allow staff to be more proactive, access information from across the city and ensure that all neighbourhoods are equally represented in this data-driven, evidenced-based decision-making process.”
Last month, Waterloo Council heard from The Arts and Creative Industries team on the City’s culture plan “to show ongoing commitment to view culture as a contributor to a vibrant, creative and engaging community with a strong local economy.” The 2023 report card on culture outlined:
a new Arts Grant Program providing much-needed funding for community arts organizations;
engaging City of Waterloo Museum exhibits that increased the range of visitors;
Lumen 2023 saw a record attendance of 37,000 participants;
and a new Artists in Neighbourhoods program was developed.
Kitchener:
Kitchener Council recently approved an environmental report that will see parts of Schneider and Shoemaker creeks naturalized in an effort to reduce flood risks. The existing concrete channels will be replaced with a naturalized watercourse, at an estimated cost of $50-70 million (Federal funding is expected to cover about 40% of that). The city will need to acquire private properties (11 non-residential buildings) which will be demolished in order to expand and naturalize the creeks.
In addition to being more aesthetically-pleasing and creating more natural wildlife habitat, “the naturalized creeks and borders slow water down and better accommodate higher flows, allowing more water to infiltrate the ground naturally. That shrinks the area’s overall floodplain, reducing flood risk and increasing safety.”
Kitchener took the next step in welcoming the City’s first net-zero carbon building and one of the most sustainable recreation facilities in all of Canada. The indoor recreation complex planned for Kitchener’s RBJ Schlegel Park (which Council recently supported in Committee) will provide:
A FIFA-sized indoor turf field that can be divided into four individual fields
An aquatics centre including a community leisure pool and a separate lane pool
A second-floor walking track
An indoor cricket batting cage
A multipurpose space with top-notch athlete amenities, including a large dividable room for community events, family parties or other rentals
“It’s planned to become Kitchener’s first net-zero carbon building, with a geothermal heating and cooling system and a rooftop solar array that should save about $100,000 a year in operating costs.” The $144 million project is expected to open in 2026. Local media claim “none of the $144-million price tag will be borne by taxpayers”. However, since it will be funded through Development Charges (which are passed on to new homeowners through the cost of new housing) and Federal and Provincial dollars, the more accurate description is found in the City’s media release which states:
Construction of the new recreation facility would be funded through a previously announced grant from the Federal and Provincial governments, and Development Charge revenues – meaning there would be no impact on municipal taxes.
Additionally, the city will issue almost $48 million in debt to pay for the facility, which will be repaid through future development charge revenues.
As the city continues to look at ways to increase local housing supply, Council “approved zoning and official plan changes to permit up to four dwelling units on any lot that allows a single-detached dwelling, semi-detached dwelling or street fronting townhouse dwelling, subject to regulations.” This work complements the recently approved Growing Together project, which enables more housing in medium and higher density housing forms in Major Transit Station Areas. The staff report claims, “enabling four units will unlock the potential for up to four dwelling units on about 41,500 residential lots across Kitchener.”
Region of Waterloo:
After a delay of nearly two and a half years, Regional Council is once again working on the business case for Stage Two of light rail transit which will extend to Cambridge. The business case, which is now expected to be completed by the end of next year, “is a crucial document that spells out the costs and benefits of the project in detail.”
The manager of rapid transit co-ordination at the region, Matthew O’Neil, said there were several reasons for the delay in preparing the business case, “most had to do with updating key information such as cost estimates, which are now almost triple the 2021 projected cost, as well as provincial population estimates for the region, and a change of the proposed south terminal to Ainslie Street.”
If approved, Phase 2 construction could start in 2032, taking five or six years to build. The region hopes to secure full construction funding from the federal and provincial governments for this second phase. More information on Stage 2 of the light rail transit plan is available at regionofwaterloo.ca/stage2ion
A number of housing-related policies and plans have been discussed by Regional Council this month, which include opportunities to:
Create a new program to help fund groups, such as not-for-profits, cooperatives, and Indigenous housing providers, to buy existing affordable rental housing and preserve them as long-term affordable housing.
Explore a “right of first refusal policy” that would allow municipal governments to buy properties with affordable rent by matching an offer from a private buyer.
Work with area municipalities to identify where affordable housing can be preserved, and where we could strategically acquire more affordable housing.
Identify gaps and find solutions to support tenants affected by renovation, conversion, and demolition.
Request federal and provincial government programs to help acquire or convert properties into new affordable and supportive homes.
Click to read the staff report.
Additionally, Council is changing property tax rules to encourage more affordable housing. The Property Tax Exemption for Affordable Housing Program, launching later this year, “will allow exemptions for affordable housing providers to help them acquire and maintain buildings and keep rents low in the long-term.” The program aims to maintain affordable housing buildings that exist in Waterloo Region, and support property buyers who are committed to affordable rents.
In the March 2024 meeting, Regional Council directed Public Health staff to provide a report to help understand the scope of drug overdose and addiction issues in the community. “The report will include data on the current situation, how the Region of Waterloo is responding and an overview of other initiatives that address high-risk substance use.” The motion was brought forth by Councillor Doug Craig, and while I’m glad this issue is on Council’s radar, given Craig’s opposition to harm reduction services such as Consumption and Treatment Services, I’m concerned about the motivation for this motion. I’ll share more when the staff report, which is expected later this year, comes to council.
We’ll get back to the Wilmot Lands issue with the next post, focusing on what, if anything, elected officials are saying, and actions residents are taking. Thanks for reading.
Thanks for the roundup!
Net-zero is great, but I don't see anyone walking to RBJ Schlegel, and it's still quite a stretch by bicycle. Sigh.