July Update
Dear Millcroft Neighbour
We write to update you on our activities since our successful delegations in March, where the City saw record participation and engagement from our membership. Not only did we have the highest number of delegates in history (by a large margin) – we also had the youngest delegate in history, at only five years of age.
MAD members met with the City’s stormwater management division to discuss our concerns with Millcroft Greens’ application as it relates to flooding and stormwater management. The City thereafter engaged a third-party expert to conduct a peer review of the developer’s stormwater management plan.
MAD also recently met with our local MPP, Effie Triantafilopoulos. Ms. Triantafilopoulos advised us that while she is not anti-development in general, she is in favour of smart development and does not believe that Millcroft Greens’ application qualifies as such. Shortly after our meeting, Ms. Triantafilopoulos spoke in front of the Ontario Legislature to voice her opposition to the development. We are grateful for her support and trust that she will be invaluable in our fight, particularly if the application is appealed to LPAT. To view Ms. Triantafilopoulos’ presentation to the Ontario Legislature, please click here.
At Ms. Triantafilopoulos’ suggestion, we will be sending a traditional petition via regular mail to all Millcroft residents in hopes of garnering more support and signatures to complement our online petition. We encourage you to have all adult members of your household sign. We will offer drop off and pick up services for signed petitions. This petition will implore the Ontario legislature to use a Minister Zoning Order to convert the golf course to private open space.
Ms. Triantifolopoulos is not the only public figure to speak out against Millcroft Greens’ application. Gary Carr, Regional Chair for Halton, also recently voiced his opposition to the application, stating that he is “concerned about the unwinding of the fabric of the community that would occur should this development proceed.”
In late May, we met with Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Councillor Angelo Bentivegna, and Councillor Rory Nissan for an update on the application and to discuss next steps. The City is waiting on reports from external agencies, such as Conservation Halton and the Region of Halton, and believes residents will be best served by planning staff receiving and reviewing these studies prior to rendering a decision.
MAD was granted party status at LPAT regarding Millcroft Greens’ appeal to Burlington’s new Official Plan. The new Official Plan includes a provision to prevent developers from submitting applications to rezone open space. Although Millcroft Greens’ application will be reviewed under the existing Official Plan, the City emphasizes that the new Official Plan will influence their decision. MAD will support this provision of the new Official Plan through our party status at the LPAT appeal. Our planner, Mr. Allan Ramsay, will serve as an expert on our behalf, and we will hire a planning lawyer in the coming weeks to support us in our opposition. Although the cost of these experts will be higher than what we’ve raised thus far, they will be instrumental to our success. We are grateful for all donations to compensate these professionals and ask that you be generous going forward, if you’re able.
For a news article by Millcroft resident Tony Lo Presti highlighting the undesirability of the development applications on the Millcroft and Glen Abbey golf courses, please click here.