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

Waterloo — Ward 3

1 candidate responded

← Return to the home page
All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes
Victoria Robertson See responses
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. Prioritize infill and intensification where infrastructure
  2. Limit outward growth unless full lifecycle 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
  • Focus incremental density near transit, schools, and commercial areas
  • Allow small-scale housing forms city-wide as-of-right (e.g. up to four units per lot)
B. Managing neighbourhood opposition
  • Use public engagement to inform design, not to veto density
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

A top priority for me is to avoid paving any more farmland, and solve city size issues within the currently developed areas. I would propose adding mixed residential and commercial zoning in areas that are currently small plazas, you could have the exact same businesses on the ground floor while adding housing above. This would also encourage accessible housing for folks who maybe cannot drive or need easy access to pharmacies or corner stores, etc.

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

I believe that we should be using infill to meet growth goals.

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

We should implement significant fees for land sitting vacant. Particularly in the context of developers, there is no reason to leave houses boarded up for years waiting for the market to "get better".

Permalink to this response → Full candidate profile →

On the ballot but have not responded to survey (1)

  • Hans Roach

Full candidate list: CBC Waterloo Region election coverage ↗