Dear Neighbours,

After review of the proposed 6-story 157-unit apartment development we have identified several concerns that seem to stem from inadequate planning and perhaps not fully transparent interests. These issues cast doubt on the true merits of proceeding with this plan, calling for a more thorough evaluation before moving forward.

We, the undersigned members of the community, REJECT the proposal to build a new 6 story 157 Unit Rental Apartment building (1/3 Subsidized) at 14015 Danby Road at the corner of 8th Line. We believe that this development will have a negative impact on the character and quality of life in our existing community.

We are opposed to the proposed apartment building for the following reasons:

Proven and Qualified Developer:  It has been confirmed that that the developer in question Kindred Works who was founded in 2022 and functions as the development arm of the United Church of Canada does not have experience or previous completion of building apartments, which raises concerns about their ability to successfully complete the proposed project as well as manage it in the future. We urge the town and local authorities to carefully consider this issue and ensure that the developer has the necessary skills, resources, and expertise to carry out such a project if approved. There are multiple communities across Canada with proposals in place from the Kindred Works / the United Church Corporation and they are pushing back and voicing the exact same concerns. -  The United Property Resource Corporation (UPRC) was also founded by The United Church of Canada, the shareholder is the United Church with Kindred Works as a sub-co."

Incompatible design: Affordable housing in Ontario, according to the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Halton Hills Planning Act a proposal must comply with the same building restrictions and design standards as market-rate housing and is to be designed to fit in with the character of the existing neighbourhood. The proposed apartment building does not fit in with the character and style of the neighbourhood. It would be the only and largest standing apartment building in the South of Georgetown, East of 8th Line. We ask that the city or local authorities reject this proposal and/or work with us to find a more appropriate and sustainable solution for our neighborhood that would service the current residents.

Overcrowding: The proposed apartment building could add an additional 300+ residents to our neighborhood, putting pressure on our already strained infrastructure, including the Georgetown Hospital, limited number of available family doctors, capacity at schools, capacity at daycares and public services. 
Hospital Wait Times / Capacity: Currently existing residents in our community are being turned away at our hospital.
Police Response:  It is already very difficult to get by-law officers or police to respond to issues in town. In general, areas with higher population densities may require more police presence. 
Budget for Emergency Services
This should be in the long-term plan for the town as they would need to have that in place for the planned growth to the West of 8th line, confirmation is needed on this and what is the timeline. School Capacities: our schools in Ward 4 are at capacity with multiple grades placed in portables year over year. 
Daycare: Current wait list 280+ families 

Traffic and safety concerns: The new development will increase traffic congestion in Georgetown, making it more difficult to navigate and potentially increasing safety risks for pedestrians and cyclists. The current infrastructure may not be prepared to accommodate this growth, and additional cars and traffic may pose concerns for school bus stops and other main arteries in the area. 

Lack of priority for local residents: Kindred Works has confirmed that there is no priority for Halton Hills residents who are in need of subsidized housing, despite the United Church's claim that this project is intended to service our community. With approximately 4,000 people on the regional waitlist for subsidized housing and only 120 are from the Halton Hills area; the proposed apartment building will not address the needs of local residents. 

Parking and transportation issues: The proposed apartment building may result in parking shortages and increased traffic congestion, as it provides only 1.24 parking spaces per unit instead of the 1.75 required by the town's by-law. This could lead to cars parking on neighbouring streets and/or the Gellert lot.  Furthermore, Georgetown's limited public transit options may not be able to accommodate the increased demand from new residents and the walk score of the proposed location is 2.

Tax implications and reduced property values: The presence of a large apartment building may decrease the value of homes in the neighbourhood, making it harder for residents to sell their homes and attract new buyers. Families that move to Halton Hills do so for the small town feel that it is known for and that which our new Mayor claimed in her candidacy she wants to protect. The United Church, as the property owner, may not be held to the same tax standards as residents, potentially impacting our community taxes. Halton Hills has already experienced a 6.62% increase in taxes this year, which may be difficult for the town and residents to afford.

Declining United Church membership: The United Church's membership has been declining rapidly, with its percentage of Canadian affiliated members decreasing from 6.2% in 2011 to 3.1% in 2021. The proposal to build the apartment complex may be a corporate effort to generate revenue and attract new members, rather than genuinely addressing the community's needs for affordable housing.  - "To answer specifically on part of our mandate, our group is new, really the reason why the United Church had committed to establishing our organization is because as churches were closing they were selling their churches and they were often being turned into private condo developments so part of our mandate was rather then selling to a condo developer,  how could we try and preserve these as community benefit and that being helping congregations to keep their doors open and be financially viable" said a representative from Kindred Works at a Public meeting held on Tuesday, April 18th.

‘Gone by 2040’: Why some religions are declining in Canada faster than ever - National | Globalnews.ca

We recognize the need for affordable housing in Ontario and Halton Hills; however, we disagree with the proposed location and its ability to serve the needs of the current residents of Halton Hills, who are already struggling with a lack of infrastructure and resources. We ask that local authorities carefully consider these concerns and work with the community to find alternative solutions that better address the needs of the community while maintaining Georgetown's unique character and quality of life.

We appreciate and THANK YOU for your support.

Please sign the petition and then email your name and address to Stop14015danby@gmail.com so that we can compile a credible list for Town Council.

Sincerely,

Concerned neighbors of our Georgetown Community

P.S. Don't forget to EMAIL the Town of Halton Hills Council members directly to express your concerns on this matter:  annl@haltonhills.ca, mayor@haltonhills.ca, clarks@haltonhills.ca, janef@haltonhills.ca, bobinglis@haltonhills.ca, dkeene@haltonhills.ca, jeffma@haltonhills.ca, malbano@haltonhills.ca, ahilson@haltonhills.ca, jbrass@haltonhills.ca, jracinsky@haltonhills.ca, cgarneau@haltonhills.ca, rnorris@haltonhills.ca

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