Farmland conversion and landfill sites

[SF22]

Region wants to buy farms off Nafziger Road in Wilmot

"The Region of Waterloo wants to buy about 700 acres of land northeast of the intersection of Nafziger and Bleams roads in Wilmot Township. [...] “The biggest concern we have is they are buying it as agriculture land, and they are telling us point blank that before the ink is even dry the Government of Ontario will be rezoning that into industrial land."

[...] “Region of Waterloo and Wilmot Township are partnering on land readiness to create shovel-ready sites to attract economic investments and create jobs,“ said the statement. “Land assembly is underway to create 'shovel-ready' sites for large-scale economic investment to further support Waterloo Region’s economic vitality as it grows to one million residents by 2050."

https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-...b6803.html

[ijmorlan]

Region wants to buy farms off Nafziger Road in Wilmot

"The Region of Waterloo wants to buy about 700 acres of land northeast of the intersection of Nafziger and Bleams roads in Wilmot Township. [...] “The biggest concern we have is they are buying it as agriculture land, and they are telling us point blank that before the ink is even dry the Government of Ontario will be rezoning that into industrial land."

[...] “Region of Waterloo and Wilmot Township are partnering on land readiness to create shovel-ready sites to attract economic investments and create jobs,“ said the statement. “Land assembly is underway to create 'shovel-ready' sites for large-scale economic investment to further support Waterloo Region’s economic vitality as it grows to one million residents by 2050."

https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-...b6803.html

I wonder what use the purchase price reflects? Agricultural or industrial? What happens if the existing owner applies for a zone change to industrial? Seems like it would be hard to refuse a rezoning that matches the government’s own proposal.

[nms]

Meanwhile elsewhere in Wilmot Township...

Veteran environmentalist cries foul over Wilmot land assembly

In December 2023 the region announced it could not afford to prepare a big, shovel-ready site for a large investment that will create many jobs. It is just too expensive, but a good idea, said the region at the time.

But less than two months after that, a representative of Canacre started visiting property owners in Wilmot Township with offers to buy and threats to expropriate.

“There's got to be somebody driving this corporately right now,” said Thomason. “Something has pulled together the township, plus the region, plus the province, and is trying to drive this forward to one common destination.”

[panamaniac]

New auto assembly plant?

Too bad they didn't have such a site back when Scheiders pulled the plug - the Region might have kept it.

[ac3r]

I'll take electric vehicle automotive production (if that's what it is...nobody knows just yet) over a handful of farms.

[westwardloo]

I really hope that the "environmentalists" don't win this battle. A multinational manufacturer choosing the Region would be a huge economic boost. The region needs this if they want to grow towards a million by 2050. People need jobs. The productivity of 6 farms should not outweigh the thousands high paying jobs this has the potential to create.

I do think the location is not the greatest. I would have prefered the Region look at the block of land between shantz station/ woolwich-Guelph townline and Hwy 7 and the rail corridor. It would have better HWY (401&7) and rail access. It would have also been closer to workforce and easier to provide transit options from kitchener, cambridge and Guelph.

[creative]

Someone has been grading and moving dirt on this property for at least the last two summers so it was never going back to farmland.

[nms]

Now if only we still had some industrial land within the existing municipal boundaries. I'm looking at you NCR and Kraus (Waterloo) and Budd (Kitchener). Do other countries protect their industrial land banks, or are they being lost everywhere to condominiums, convention centres and stadiums?

[danbrotherston]

Now if only we still had some industrial land within the existing municipal boundaries.  I'm looking at you NCR and Kraus (Waterloo) and Budd (Kitchener).  Do other countries protect their industrial land banks, or are they being lost everywhere to condominiums, convention centres and stadiums?

We haven't built any new convention centres or stadiums in the region, but all those, and especially condominiums are much more intensive of a land use than factories, so I think it's a win.

The bigger problem is that old industrial lands are unlikely to be used by industry anyway...for many of the same reasons why building sprawl is easier than condominiums. It is cheaper to build a big new sprawling complex on undeveloped land than it is to reuse existing land. New complexes are less space efficient than old ones. Transportation costs are put off on the city and province.

FWIW...I would agree with you on development, if we had processes and policies in place to direct (read: force) developments to be more efficient with space and resources. But we don't...which is why it's rather hard to support this kind of thing.

That being said, I don't know the details of this development, so I cannot speak to the value of this one specifically (although six farms isn't something to sneeze at, especially as the number 6 suggests that they are some of our dwindling supply of small farms, rather than larger agribusiness conglomerates).

[neonjoe]

This better not be the chosen hospital site :/

[danbrotherston]

This better not be the chosen hospital site :/

*snort*...should we start a betting pool?

[westwardloo]

This better not be the chosen hospital site :/

hahaha 700 acres hospital site.  They accidentally added a zero to the requirement. 

I don't know for sure, but I feel like this is for a large multinational manufacturing plant.  Either the Honda or Toyota Battery plant. I am actually leaning toward the Honda, just because they have mentioned they want to be shovel ready by August. Honda is supposed to announce the location by the end of the year.  

https://www.cp24.com/news/honda-consider...-1.6715288

I get that 6 family farms is nothing to scoff at, but I think a potential 18 billion dollar investment in the Region and 1000's of new high paying jobs trumps the small family farms. People need jobs.

[danbrotherston]

This better not be the chosen hospital site :/

hahaha 700 acres hospital site.  They accidentally added a zero to the requirement. 

I don't know for sure, but I feel like this is for a large multinational manufacturing plant.  Either the Honda or Toyota Battery plant. I am actually leaning toward the Honda, just because they have mentioned they want to be shovel ready by August. Honda is supposed to announce the location by the end of the year.  

https://www.cp24.com/news/honda-consider...-1.6715288

I get that 6 family farms is nothing to scoff at, but I think a potential 18 billion dollar investment in the Region and 1000's of new high paying jobs trumps the small family farms. People need jobs.

People also need housing, but I wouldn't support the approval of 700 acres of new sprawling and unsustainable single family housing either. The point is, we need good, sustainable jobs, in good sustainable developments, I don't think we know what this is yet, but the location and size is kind of a red flag.

That being said, if the issue of better urban form for housing is a niche issue, and better business parks is even more niche, then the issue of better manufacturing is even more so.

[Rainrider22]

I don't like to see us lose prime farming land. You say just 6 family farms but you need to look at the acreage and just how much commodities those 700 acres produce. Average yield of soybeans per acre is 4 to 5 tons. Of course it is dependent on soil and weather but typically the land in our region produces high yields because it is of good quality soil. That is a lot of good quality acres you are loosing. All that being said, I agree, it is hard to turn down a great opportunity to create a lot of good jobs that would be good pay with benefits. Plus add on the spin off economy that is created to support a large mfging site. For me as long as the owners are paid a fair market value on the land, then I can support the overall case.

[westwardloo]

I don't like to see us lose prime farming land.  You say just 6 family farms but you need to look at the acreage and just how much commodities those 700 acres produce.  Average yield of soybeans per acre is 4 to 5 tons.  Of course it is dependent on soil and weather but typically the land in our region produces high yields because it is of good quality soil.  That is a lot of good quality acres you are loosing.  All that being said, I agree, it is hard to turn down a great opportunity to create a lot of good jobs that would be good pay with benefits. Plus add on the spin off economy that is created to support a large mfging site.  For me as long as the owners are paid a fair market value on the land, then I can support the overall case.

I get it the point about losing farmland sucks, but I feel the Region has done a pretty good job at protecting farmland and accommodating a factory of this size will not change the regions mandate to protect Agricultural land. People act like there is just 700 acres of industrial land waiting for development. There isn't which is why we need to assembly the land. 

My understanding is they have been offered 35k per acre. FMV currently is 25-35k per acre in waterloo region. I think through arbitration/ expropriation they will probably see closer to 50k per acre, which is more than fair. Those that want to continue to farm would be able to buy a farm with 3-5 million they will receive.  I know they are trying (and achieving) at getting the public opinion on their side, some have even suggest they recieve FMV of the land as if it were zoned for industrial, which would be close to 500k per acres.

I really hope our elected officials don't fumble this one due to public pressure, if this actually a large factory like honda or Toyota, the economical spin off will be huge. Hundreds of part manufacturers will spring up in the area to support the factory. Similar to what we have seen with Toyota the past 50 years.