Tony Veltri

Candidate for Mayor

Online Profiles

Strong Town Responses

Question 1

New Tecumseth is forecasted to grow by 35,000 people over the next 30 years (an almost 80% increase to the current population of 45,000). The maximum amount of land to accommodate this growth is 450 hectares. The next Official Plan will be re-written in 2023 assigning where to put these new residents.  What is your vision for where and what kind of housing should be built to accommodate this growth? Should we consider reducing the amount of land required?

Response from Tony Veltri

I don’t support urban sprawl to fill developer driven growth demand pressures. Over the past two decades, but accelerated in the last few years, our councils have not only embraced development speculators buying up farms/rural properties between Alliston and Beeton, and Beeton and Tottenham, they built our entire long term financial plan on thousands of new housing units generating millions in development charges. But the developers pass along those costs, while New Tecumseth’s current residents not only pick up the gap in costs, but have to endure more traffic, worsening roads, overloaded schools, and a hospital that burst through its seams years ago.

Treetops for example, built in the middle of nowhere and Alliston, requires the Town to spend several millions of dollars to build a new fire station to service it. It’s stretching our paramedic services, again, our schools and hospital.

Question 2

What are your thoughts on building ‘complete communities’ where people can have their basic needs met within a 15-minute walk from their house such as access to retail, green space, school, a range of housing choices and safe modes of transportation (biking, walking, public transit)?  How can this be achieved?

Response from Tony Veltri

I support urban intensification, building skyward. There are some exciting apartment/condo proposals currently working through the approvals process that are located in downtown Alliston, on the west end, and as part of a revamped Smart Centres site. And while the east end Alliston project is a long walk into town, it at least is supported by nearby commercial – groceries and retail, and service industries. I support incentive programs that create rental housing units, renovations of downtown upper floor apartments – in many cases decades old, and possible fire traps. I support different fee structures for building. Currently it doesn’t matter whether you’re building your own home or 1,000 homes, the development charges are the same. That discourages intensification/infill because the rates are set for the large developers. Urban intensification makes public transit more efficient. I support the concent of “tiny houses” and secondary suites. I support Simcoe County’s incentive program which provides forgiveable loans for renovations to accommodate seniors – elder parents etc. There are many successful programs to copy from and make our own.

Question 3

How do you suggest that downtown Alliston, Beeton, or Tottenham are revitalised after the pandemic has taken a toll on local businesses?  How can we increase economic activity without adding to the traffic congestion and more sprawling parking lots?

Response from Tony Veltri

I believe the addition of the outdoor patio program in the summer has been, and will continue to be, a great benefit to the downtown. Of critical importance is working with and supporting our BIAs with their programs and events. We should make sure they’re not choked by “red tape” and/or have to wait weeks or months for responses. We should be promoting more effectively the grants available for facade improvements.

Question 4

The 2019-2022 TNT Strategic Plan has a Pillar of “Environmental Sustainability: Lead in promoting and preserving our unique physical environment.”  Climate change is not mentioned in this plan.  What are the biggest threats to the local environment and what are your proposed solutions?

Response from Tony Veltri

Some ideas I believe that can be enacted immediately and start having a positive impact is ensuring all new residential construction include roughed in electrical charging station for electric vehicles. I would support incentives for current homeowners to install electric charging stations. I support new residential construction to incorporate solar energy components on each of their new homes, as well as incentives for current homeowners to employ more solar. I support transitioning the Town’s fleet to electric as the opportunities present themselves. Public transit has a role to play and needs to be more than just a regional service to GO Station in Bradford.Some ideas I believe that can be enacted immediately and start having a positive impact is ensuring all new residential construction include roughed in electrical charging station for electric vehicles. I would support incentives for current homeowners to install electric charging stations. I support new residential construction to incorporate solar energy components on each of their new homes, as well as incentives for current homeowners to employ more solar. I support transitioning the Town’s fleet to electric as the opportunities present themselves. Public transit has a role to play and needs to be more than just a regional service to GO Station in Bradford.

Question 5

The price of home ownership or rent for many in TNT is unaffordable. What can be done municipally to increase housing affordability?

Response from Tony Veltri

I won’t even pretend to have a solution because if it were simple, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. What I do know is Premier Ford’s plan to build one million homes in a short time span, isn’t the answer either unless they are truly offered as “affordable.” But there are no indications of that. We can scrutinize every municipal fee we tack on to the cost of building a new house, which are now passed on to the home buyer. I’d be worried that developers wouldn’t pass along the savings since they’re bottom line is profit. We could insist new development proposals include rental apartments as part of their approval. There have been many of those in the past, only for council to approve red line revisions to approved plans that eliminate apartments in favour of more townhomes or detached units. Not approving red line revisions that eliminate the more affordable components can help price pressures.

---