The Leslie Stouffville Landowners Association (LSLA) took out an advertisement in the online Chinese newspaper Sing Tao and initiated a petition that claims to support the Greenbelt and our farmers.
The petition states "Please support Richmond Hill Councillor Muench’s motion by signing the petition below, sending a message to the Council of the City of Richmond Hill and York Region that you want to grow the Greenbelt, support our farmers and STOP any idea to cultivating Marijuana farms in our neighborhoods."
If you sign this petition what you are really supporting is:
A study for the re-designation of Oak Ridges Moraine Countryside lands to Oak Ridges Moraine Settlement Area and where appropriate Natural Linkage and/or Natural Core in the northeast area of the City and around the Gormley GO Station.
Read Councillor Muench's motion here.
The re-designation to Settlement Area will open the lands for development permitting a range of residential, commercial, industrial and institutional uses.
This motion is NOT about growing the Greenbelt it's about opening those lands up for potential development.
Using a threat of potential marijuana cultivation if you don't sign the petition is misleading.
The Leslie Stouffville Landowners Association (LSLA) comprised of landowners in the Leslie Street/Stouffville Road area, encompassing approximately 500 acres of land in the area surrounding the Gormley GO Station.
The LSLA paid for the ad that was in the Chinese newspaper Sing Tao and they also initiated the petition.
The LSLA have been actively pursuing different levels of government to convert their 500 acres to Settlement Area which would then make their land attractive to potential developers. Developers cannot build on Countryside designated lands in the Moraine/Greenbelt.
A report by LSLA planner, MPLAN dated January 13, 2021 states "we (LSLA) request, and recommend to Council that the COUNTRYSIDE designated area within this part of Richmond Hill" and "be re-designated to SETTLEMENT AREA and that a comprehensive Secondary Plan process be initiated for these lands."
If you sign this petition you will NOT be sending a message to Richmond Hill Council and York Region that you want to grow the Greenbelt, support our farmers and STOP any idea to cultivating Marijuana farms in our neighborhoods. You WILL be supporting a study to convert these 500 acres of land to allow for potential development.
NOTE: Marijuana is also a crop so if the land is not viable for agriculture then it likely wouldn't be viable to grow marijuana.