Official Plan

official planOfficial Plans

We were at the City of Waterloo last week, peeking at the draft version of the Official Plan. Alasdair and I were looking into possible zoning changes to a Waterloo neighborhood for some clients. We got most of what we needed. When you ask the right questions, the cities in Waterloo Region are happy to help. If you’re interested in Cambridge zoning, our friends at Wonderful Waterloo posted the Cambridge Official Plan. Here it is.

 

How bad Waterloo taxes?

Waterloo municipal taxes are ranked middle to high, the second highest ranking in the province, on par with Kingston and Oakville. Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa have higher taxes.

But how does Waterloo compare to Kitchener and Cambridge?

According to estimates by a Hamilton consulting firm, the average Waterloo home pays up to $647 more in taxes than the average home in Kitchener or Cambridge.

 

And what do you get for your taxes?

According to an annual survey of Waterloo Regions cities,  Kitchener provides the highest level of service for the lowest cost. Cambridge is ranked second and Waterloo is third with the lowest level of service at the highest cost.The survey considers 138 measurements on firefighting, roads, libraries, parks and recreation, water, sewer and planning.

Interesting (and related to the first story about the Official Plan), the survey found that Kitchener is the best at protecting farmland. Waterloo is the worst.

 

Breithaupt Block

Similar to the Tannery, a project that is getting a lot of attention is Brethaupt Block. I happened across the website for the architecture firm so I thought I’d share it here. Keep you eye on this project. It’s a good example of how our cities are intensifying.

If you like this post, please share it.

 

Past Issues –> This week in KW real estate:

February 18

February 11

February 4

January 27

More from Keith Marshall
What $150,000 buys you from Indonesia to Argentina
I met a retired couple recently that had just sold their $600,000...
Read More