I, along with a number of my council colleagues from Milton and Oakville received an email from a resident who was confused about what might happen should Halton Region council not move forward with a growth plan strategy that staff at many levels has said is NOT compliant with the Provincial Growth Plan.
If you have concerns about potentially allowing Queens Park to direct Milton and Halton’s future growth to 2051, please let me know and email mike.cluett@milton.ca
Mayors and Councillors of Halton Region:
After listening to Milton’s town council meeting and Oakville’s town council meeting on January 18, 2022, I was left confused on some issues and would appreciate a definitive answer.
It is my understanding that even if the majority of the regional councillors on February 9, 2022 reject this proposal, the provincial government has the authority to take the decision into their own hands. If this is true I assume that this could give them the authority to:
– approve this proposal as is regardless of the regions decision OR Could there possibly be a worse scenario where they take control over our planning of our region and they decide where and how our future development will occur to meet their provincial targets?
If this second scenario is possible, are we willing to take that risk?
Again, if my understanding of this process is correct, the province has given the region targets that must be met so whether we like it or not, Milton is going to grow! I would much rather see it grow under the Region’s and Municipalities’ control and planning than that of the Provincial government!
Here is my response:
Thanks for your email. The answer to your question is yes. The province is requiring all municipalities in Ontario during this process to submit plans that will comply with the provincial Growth Plan.
We have been told many times and despite a unanimous motion from Halton Region Council earlier last year asking for a time extension, the province which is ultimately the approving body has said the time limit will not be extended in no uncertain terms.
Do we like that we have to plan out until 2051? Not at all. We’d prefer to keep the timeframe shorter because things change with technology and innovation etc but we simply don’t have that option available to us.
Milton Council presented what we call the balanced approach where we are setting aside enough land to accommodate development as the provincial growth plan has said over 1.1 million people are set to come to Halton. We need to make sure we’re planning properly to deal with that amount of people and more importantly the jobs they will require.
What we don’t want is to have that many people here and not be able to have enough economic development and jobs to avoid the problem we have now, gridlock on roads from people travelling daily over an hour to get to work.
In Milton we are building a world class education facility and village with Laurie University and Conestoga College. Business follows education as do people. If we don’t have a wide variety of inventory of housing available along with the jobs we’re going to be adding to climate change in a negative way.
Halton Hills unanimously approved their plan along with Milton with a very strong majority of support. All the growth in this plan will be in Halton Hills and Milton with minimal expansion in Oakville and relatively none in Burlington.
Halton wants a Halton solution made. Milton and Halton Hills want a made in Halton plan and not one written by Queens Park. This will happen if we don’t comply with the growth plan. Our staff many times has said that the land we have available will NOT accommodate growth last 2031.
There are concerns about sprawl and that will happen if we try to piece in intensification in our current boundary. This means more traffic in neighbourhoods, the loss of park space and the loss of opportunities for community centres and less walkable neighbourhoods with super high towers. Sprawl happens when here is bad planning. For example Milton is planning on building more housing options to provide people with the choices they need for more affordable housing. We’re planning smart and not trying to cram the round peg through the square hole.
We need a variety of housing options like single family homes, townhouses, stacked townhouses, mid rise and high rise -condo and rental – to give people options based on the market and family sizes.
I hope all regional councillors will see the benefit of the balanced growth plan see this is a way to comply with the provincial growth plan and help Halton Hills and Milton grow the way that we want. Milton for example has worked with our citizens for well over 10 years plus on a vision for our community – a complete community.
If this plan doesn’t get approved it will out that vision at risk and just simply add to the sprawl that isn’t wanted and head us on a course of being a bedroom and unsustainable community.
Again, if this plan is sent to the province and it doesn’t comply with the provincial growth plan, it will be rejected and either sent back and costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars to Re do or fight legally or simply the province will say, ok here’s OUR plan with no flexibility and a loss of opportunities, jobs and the loss of us making a community that the people want.
There is a lot of rhetoric out there from some councillors and special interest groups that can and will be dispelled by the facts. I hope in our meeting on February 9th the facts will be seen and we can move forward in Halton’s growth in building sustainable communities in all four municipalities.
Please let me know if you have any questions and I’d be happy to speak with you more.
Have a great day and a wonderful weekend.
Be safe and take care.
Mike