All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes

David Alton

City/Township Council · Kitchener

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All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes
This candidate finalized their responses after this guide and scoring methodology was published.

Growth & Planning

How should councils weigh the long-term cost of maintaining existing infrastructure when making decisions about outward growth and expansion?ranked from highest to lowest importance
  1. Limit outward growth unless full lifecycle infrastructure
  2. Prioritize infill and intensification where infrastructure
  3. Use development phasing tied to infrastructure capacity
  4. Require detailed cost and risk analysis before approving
  5. Proceed with outward growth to address housing supply
How should councils balance provincial and regional mandates for increased housing density with neighbourhood opposition and local infrastructure constraints?select up to 4 per part
A. Planning & zoning tools
  • Expand as-of-right zoning to reduce case-by-case political decisions on housing forms
  • Allow small-scale housing forms city-wide as-of-right (e.g. up to four units per lot)
  • Set up an age in place program to acquire and convert low density senior housing into midrise affordable seniors housing
B. Managing neighbourhood opposition
  • Cities are not honest with residents about the economic pressures fueling development pressures. I want to do a study comparing the infrastructure debt of neighbourhoods with their ability to generate property tax revenue. I want to publish this widely and then do targetted neighbourhood level planning with the low density neighbourhoods that are currently being subsidized at an unsustainable rate.
C. Infrastructure & servicing
  • Approve density where infrastructure capacity already exists
  • Pair density approvals with targeted infrastructure upgrades
  • Use development charges or conditions to fund needed upgrades

Describe one concrete zoning, planning, or development decision you would support (or oppose) that reflects how you would balance these priorities.candidate's own words

Eliminating stable neighbourhood zoning. I want to do an aggressive public education campaign on the immense cost of low density development.

Please describe one concrete example of a growth or infrastructure decision you would support or oppose using this approach.candidate's own words

Holding the Countryside line. Low density development is causing a municipal finance crisis. Last year property taxes were raised but all services (except police) were frozen or cut. We need to actively address the inefficient development portfolio of the city so that capital debt is not undermining operations.

Would you like to provide any additional context for your views on growth?candidate's own words

I was really informed by the book You'll Pay For This.

What can the municipality/region do, if anything, about land which sits vacant for years because it is being used as an investment (land banking)?candidate's own words

Setting up charges for land that is underused and pairing it with a municipal acquisition strategy and land leasing to get that land back in public benefit.