Burlington Today Article
As March 5 approaches, the team at Millcroft Against Bad Development (MAD) is gearing up.
They’re prepared to defend the green space at the Ontario Land Tribunal hearing that will address an appeal by Millcroft Greens, the developer that took issue with the City of Burlington’s lack of action within statutory time frames on its applications for Official Plan and zoning bylaw amendments as well as a subdivision plan.
Millcroft Greens is looking to build 90 detached dwellings on five parcels of land within the Millcroft Golf Club golf course.
But MAD, which represents thousands of Millcroft and Burlington residents, wants to maintain the existing Millcroft Golf Club lands as parks and green space.
When Millcroft was built over two decades ago, it was designed “specifically to deal with the terrain” and open spaces were planned where water could potentially be an issue, said Dennis Parass, a member of MAD’s executive team.
Parass is worried about flooding if the proposed development is given the go-ahead to move forward, as well as the potential for even more residential development if Millcroft Greens’ current application is approved.
“It’s going to ruin the community. There’s issues with the open space, wildlife and the fact that it’s a floodplain,” Parass said.
A development on the Millcroft Golf Club lands could set a precedent for the rest of Burlington’s green spaces, according to Parass.
“The project (Millcroft Greens) is trying to do in Millcroft has impacts on all of Burlington because any open space that’s owned privately could be developed on because (the OLT) would have pre-established in this decision the right to be able to do that,” Parass said.
MAD has reached $48,000 of its fundraising goal of $70,000 so its legal team and expert planner can represent the organization at the OLT hearing.
In September 2023, council unanimously passed a resolution asking Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to advise the OLT that a matter of provincial interest is likely to be adversely affected by the proposed amendments, to attend the OLT hearing in support of the city’s decision and to issue a Minister’s Zoning Order for “appropriate residential development” in one of the proposed parcels of land while ensuring protection of the green space from re-development in the other four parcels of land.
“As soon as council received the technical studies from staff and we were able to take a position on this proposed development application, we unanimously said we wanted to protect this area,” a joint statement released in September 2023 from Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Ward 6 councillor Angelo Bentivegna and Deputy Mayor for Housing Ward 4 councillor Shawna Stolte said.
The city is committed to meeting its housing goal of 29,000 units by 2031, the statement said, but added that “We do not need to give up green space to achieve these goals and with the growth that is coming, it is that much more important to preserve, and add to, the green space we have.”
Millcroft Greens could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.
