Stop Sprawl Orillia calling on city to reject boundary expansion plan

Stop Sprawl Orillia created this image to show how members feel about the idea of expanding the city’s boundaries.Supplied image

From OrilliaMatters, February 22, 2022
By OrilliaMatters Staff

As many of you know, the City of Orillia, under the provincial government, is being required to plan for growth to the year 2051. The city has chosen an Urban Boundary Expansion by way of annexation of 939 acres to accommodate this growth. Which means – you guessed it – urban sprawl.

Urban sprawl represents one of the greatest threats to environmental sustainability, food security, and affordable housing that will harm generations to come. Worse yet, the City has chosen to take this route in the absence of a comprehensive urban intensification plan, and also amidst their development of ‘Orillia’s Climate Change Action Plan’.

This campaign aims to convince a majority of Orillia City Council to vote against the Urban Boundary Expansion of annexation of 939 acres of prime agricultural land, wetlands, and woodlands from development. This campaign is modelled after Stop Sprawl Hamilton and Stop Sprawl Halton, who after hard work and campaigning, successfully got their councils to vote to reject their urban boundary expansions!

Our government can’t even plan for next week, yet they are fast-tracking decisions now for 30 years in the future? There is already plenty of land to accommodate the provincially mandated growth projections to 2051. But it will require building more sustainable compact communities within our urban boundaries to create vibrant, walkable communities with residential, employment, and recreation spaces.

We don’t need another land grab for the benefit of developers.

Suburban sprawl costs us all. New developments require expensive infrastructure, including miles of roads, sewers and hydro.

When it comes time to maintain and replace that infrastructure, the local taxpayer must pick up the tab. Investing within current boundaries brings in a larger tax base using existing infrastructure, increases ridership for transit systems, reduces car dependency and carbon emissions, and offers residents safer, healthier lives. “Gentle density” makes housing more affordable and lowers taxes.

Stop Sprawl Orillia is closely partnered with organizations such as Orillia Wetland Watchers, Couchiching Conservancy, Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition, Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition, Refillery District, Green Orillia, and more.

We believe that the majority on council wants to do the right thing – but they currently lack the courage. We need your help and that of the whole community to come together and do the hard work to make our community a place we all want to live.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

• Follow the Stop Sprawl Orillia Instagram page, and join the Facebook group – and engage in frequent discussion with fellow community members.
• Check out the Stop Sprawl Orillia website (and check in regularly for updates)
• Sign the petition
• Send an email to council (or stay tuned for one-click email tool coming soon)
• Make a donation (charitable tax receipts available)
• Follow these email updates closely (there may be an opportunity to get a lawn sign in the near future!)
• SHARE THIS WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS! And send them the Newsletter Sign Up Form to receive these updates

Please feel free to reach out to us at greenorillia@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like to chat or get involved further!

Read the article here