City Council Ask Province To Step In
Council Asks Province to Step-in to Save Greenspace at Millcroft:
Joint Statement from Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward,
Councillor Angelo Bentivegna & Deputy Mayor for Housing Shawna Stolte
Burlington, Ont. - Sept. 27, 2023 - In December 2022, Burlington City Council unanimously declared our opposition to the proposed residential development of the Millcroft Golf Club, particularly Areas A, B, C, and D in its plan, and our support in principle for the proposed residential development of Area E of the golf course. Unlike the other areas, Area E does not impact greenspace. At that meeting, Council approved a direction to have the Mayor, Ward Councillor and Deputy Mayor for Housing work together to bring a resolution to Burlington City Council and Halton Regional Council seeking the Province of Ontario declare a provincial interest in Millcroft Greens.
Yesterday, Burlington Council unanimously approved that resolution. This has been a collaborative and true team effort by Council and City staff.
In Council’s resolution, we have requested the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Hon. Paul Calandra, to:
advise the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) under section 22(11.1) and section 34(27) of the Planning Act that a matter of provincial interest is, or is likely to be, adversely affected by the amendments in respect of which the appeals are made regarding Millcroft Greens Corporation’s proposed Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments and related plan of subdivision (OLT-22-004149);
attend the OLT hearing in support of the City of Burlington’s position;
use all resources and tools at its disposal to confirm the Province’s interest in the Millcroft Golf Club golf course, including introducing legislation and preparing a development plan under the Ontario Planning and Development Act to protect and preserve the existing uses of Areas A to D;
issue a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) under Section 47 of the Planning Act to facilitate appropriate residential development in Area E and ensure the protection of the greenspace and natural areas from re-development of Areas A, B, C and D on the Millcroft Golf Club golf course; and
confirm the Minister has the authority to issue a community infrastructure and housing accelerator order under section 34.1 of the Planning Act to (i) facilitate appropriate residential development in Area E, and (ii) protect and provide community infrastructure in Areas A to D, including green space that supports the quality of life for residents of the City, upon receipt of a resolution passed by Burlington City Council requesting such an order.
The community’s efforts in ensuring this beloved piece of greenspace have been unprecedented. We want to thank all those who came out to delegate at yesterday’s Council meeting and all those who have shared their feedback and input throughout this process. Thank you for coming to us and talking to us about all that we could potentially lose at this space. Additionally, through technical studies on the area, we learned we would be putting current residents in the neighbouring areas and future residents at-risk if the floodplain at Millcroft is developed. We have also seen the importance of greenspace amplified during the recent pandemic.
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.
The City of Burlington and this Council are committed to meeting our housing pledge of 29,000 units by 2031, and we know we can do this at our GO stations, aging retail plazas, major transportation corridors and select growth areas. We do not need to give up greenspace to achieve these goals and with the growth that is coming, it is that much more important to preserve, and add to, the greenspace we have.
We are not just planning for today, but for the next seven generations of our city. The decisions that are made today will impact our children, their children’s children and beyond.
