RUNNING FOR MAYOR: SMART GROWTH

This blog post is part of my series, Vote Valiquette.

This blog series includes the following posts:

• Why I Want to be Mayor

• Running for Mayor: Collaborative and Transparent Government

• Running for Mayor: Strong, Rural Roots

• Running for Mayor: Smart Growth

This post explores how as the mayor of Grey Highlands I support smart growth.

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You might recall from the post, Why I Want to be Mayor, the following:

Everyone deserves a home they can afford, where they want to live. We are in a housing crisis, and we need to think outside of the box to provide attainable and affordable housing including more housing choices through expanded zoning options, gentle density via infilling with smart growth within our existing urban boundaries. This can be done all while preserving our farmlands, wetlands and forests.

I am running because I am committed to supporting affordable housing in Grey Highlands through infilling with smart growth in our built-up areas.

Grey Highlands has implemented some very forward policy changes in the past four years aimed at supporting attainable housing.

• Removed the minimum building size for a single family dwelling

  • Councillor Paul Allen started the process by requesting a Staff Report on amending the Grey Highlands zoning by-law to eliminate or reduce the minimum square footage of a single family dwelling in a residential zone. This motion was seconded by Councillor Tom Allwood, and supported by all of Council.

  • At the April 17, 2019 Council Meeting, Council authorized staff to remove the minimum dwelling unit sizes on a single family dwelling; It was moved by me, seconded by Councillor Paul Allen, and supported by all of Council.

• Removed development charges on Secondary Dwelling Units (SDUs)

  • In the past, any SDU was charged as a new single family dwelling.

• Allow a duplex or triplex by way of right in serviced areas.

• Supported a review of minimum parking requirements in built-up areas.

  • Recently, I put forward a resolution to support the review of parking minimums.

As your mayor, I will:

• Encourage infilling within existing in-catchment boundaries that are currently serviced, I.E. Markdale.

• Support secondary dwelling units (SDU), as well as an analysis of increasing to three units.

• Support tiny homes on temporarily leased land in Grey Highlands (coming very soon to a County Table near you).

• Support partnerships to get truly affordable homes built in Grey Highlands.

• Support a review of minimum parking requirements

At the County level, Temporary Land Leases are being explored as a way to help support tiny home development. (Though this solves the high cost of land, it does not solve the high cost of hooking into services.)

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