Have Your Say November 5 on the 2030 Caroline Proposal
You are invited to attend a Statutory Public Meeting under the Planning Act concerning these applications. This meeting will be held using a hybrid model, allowing members of Council, City staff and the public to participate remotely or in-person at Burlington City Hall, 426 Brant Street.
Meeting Date: Nov. 5, 2024
Time: 9:30 AM
Location: Online at www.burlington.ca/calendar or in person at Burlington City Hall, Council Chambers, 2nd floor, 426 Brant St., Burlington, Ont.
Inaria Burlington Inc. has made applications on behalf of the landowner to amend the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw for the lands located at 2030 Caroline St. The File Reference Numbers are 505-03/24 520-08/24.
The City of Burlington’s Official Plan designates the property as part of the "Downtown Mixed-Use Centre," allowing for mixed-use developments that combine residential, retail, and office spaces. The general height limit is 4 storeys, but taller buildings up to 8 storeys can be allowed if they fit with the surrounding area and maintain a pedestrian-friendly design.
There’s a specific exception for this property that permits one 17-storey building on Maria Street with a higher floor area limit. The updated 2020 Official Plan allows up to 11 storeys, with conditions for additional height, and the zoning rules also allow office buildings, parking garages, and apartments within specified guidelines.
Requests to delegate to this hybrid meeting can be made by completing the form at www.burlington.ca/delegate, by emailing the Legislative Services at clerks@burlington.ca or by phoning 905-335-7600, ext. 7481 by noon on Friday, November 1, 2024.
For more information and to view the proposed Official Plan Amendment and Zoning Bylaw Amendment, please visit www.burlington.ca/2030caroline. This webpage contains additional material, including studies that the applicant has submitted. This webpage will be updated throughout the process and include information about a future Council Meeting.
Read the full Notice of Statutory Public Meeting and Recommendation Report HERE.
My Take
I want to take a moment to thank all the residents who have reached out with their concerns and questions regarding the proposed development at 2030 Caroline Street. Your input is incredibly valuable, and I truly appreciate hearing from you throughout this process.
The decision-making on any development project is shaped by a combination of feedback from residents like you, City Planning Staff, and the applicant’s input. As your Mayor, I want to assure you that I do not take a position on any application until I hear from the community and the full review by staff is complete, and they provide council a recommendation whether to refuse, approve, or approve with modifications. This ensures that we maintain transparency and protect our community's interests, especially in the event of an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
This project has a lengthy history, and the current application differs from what was initially proposed. The original plan included a 17-storey residential building, a 6-8 storey parking garage to replace and expand the city-owned lot on the block, and a 6-8 storey medical centre. City Council approved this proposal in early 2010, before my time and that of the current Councillors. Since then, the applicant scaled back the project, reducing the number of affordable units and only moving forward with the 17-storey tower. Now, they are submitting a new proposal that retains the six-storey parking garage but without the public parking component and replaces the medical centre with a 28-storey building that includes ground-floor retail.
Although this new plan is different from what was originally proposed, it’s important to remember that property owners are legally allowed to submit new applications for land they own, even if the new proposal varies from previous approvals. The City is required by law to process all complete development applications within a provincially mandated timeline, or risk the application being appealed to the OLT for non decision. The OLT is required to have regard for any decision a council makes when deliberating on an application. If an application is appealed for non-decision before council makes a decision, that valuable input on behalf of our community is lost.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to sign petition regarding the proposed development. We received it at Council, and I want to express our appreciation to those who signed and shared their perspectives. Your engagement is vital, and we value your input.
I also want to highlight that when City Council updated the Official Plan policies for the downtown in the 2020 Official Plan, I brought forward a motion, co-sponsored by the Ward 2 Councillor, to retain the existing approvals on this property. This remains the official position of the City regarding the parcel.
I strongly encourage all residents to stay engaged as this application moves through the development review process. Your feedback is critical, and sharing what you would prefer to see at this location helps us advocate on your behalf. If the current proposal doesn’t align with your expectations, let us know what changes you would like to see.
To stay updated, you can subscribe HERE to the project page on the City’s website to receive updates on public meetings, notices, and other key information as this file progresses.
Thank you for your continued engagement and for sharing your thoughts. Together, we can work toward a solution that benefits our entire community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why would the City accept applications proposing to change previously approved plans?
The Ontario Planning Act allows any property owner the ability to propose buildings or land uses that do not meet the policies and requirements of the City's Official Plan or Zoning Bylaw. These requested changes are called amendments. Municipalities are required to accept and process these amendment applications in a timely manner. Proposed amendments are reviewed by City planners, along with technical studies that look at things like traffic, noise and shadow impacts. Public input is also gathered and considered as part of the review process.
Within the City, professional planners provide advice and recommendations to Council. The planner's job is to evaluate amendment applications using:
Provincial and Regional plans and policies
Local Official Plan policies
Community / Resident input
Technical requirements
Q: Now that applications have been received, what happens now?
As part of any application, multiple City departments in addition to Community Planning have to provide input into the review of the applications; this includes staff from Transportation, Development Engineering, Roads, Parks & Forestry, Legal, Transit and others. In addition to City staff, other government agencies also review and provide feedback into applications, including the Region of Halton, Conservation Halton and any necessary external consultants. These reviews are on-going and will culminate into an eventual recommendation report to City Council.
Based on all the information collected, the City planner will recommend approval, modification or refusal of the Official Plan and/or Zoning Bylaw amendment. If approval is recommended and approved by City Council, the amendment is made to allow the development to proceed.
Any decision of Burlington City Council is subject to appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal
More information on the planning process can be found at www.burlington.ca/planningprocess
Q: Have any reports gone to Council on these applications?
No. The Planning Act sets out that municipalities are to make decisions on combined Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendment applications within 120 days. These applications were submitted on July 10, 2024, which means that City Council needs to make a decision by November 7, 2024, following which the applicants would have the ability to submit a non-decision appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). Planning staff are working towards bringing a recommendation to Committee and Council on November 5, 2024, within the timelines set out by the Planning Act.
Q: Why can’t Council members take a position now on the applications?
Council members do not typically take a position on applications until a report has been presented by staff that has all the information about the applications and input from the public, agencies and consultants. This allows for a fulsome understanding of the application, technical considerations and the staff recommendation, prior to taking a position. Taking a position prior to having a fulsome understanding of the application, feedback and staff recommendation could compromise the City’s ability to make an appropriate decision that protects the interests of the City and its residents.
Q: How can I participate in the process?
There are a wide variety of ways you can stay informed, get involved and submit feedback on development applications and projects.
A dedicated project webpage (www.burlington.ca/2030caroline) has been created. This webpage contains the following:
The status of the applications;
Applicant contact information;
City Planner contact information;
Proposed development details;
Supporting technical studies and reports;
Previous and future public engagement opportunities;
You are able to ‘Subscribe’ to the project webpage, which will provide you with email updates anytime there is a change or update to the file.
News and Notices - Monitor our news and notices and subscribe for updates to stay on top of development projects and construction updates in your community.
Calendar Subscriptions - We deliver development project updates through our Calendar subscriptions, which offer updates, summaries and meeting notifications on:
Development application meetings
Engagement opportunities
Public information sessions
Surveys
Contact us and request to be put on a mailing list - Call or email the City Planner with any questions, or to ask to be put on a mailing list to be kept informed about the application.
Share your feedback in writing - You can email the City planner or your ward councillor with feedback on a development proposal. All written comments will be considered as part of the review of a development application.
View staff reports - Planning reports related to development applications are available one week before a Committee of the Whole meeting. Get a copy of a report online or in-person with Service Burlington at City Hall.
Attend Meetings and Delegate - You can attend the November 5, 2024 Committee of the Whole meeting and/or the November 5, 2024 Council meeting. At these public meetings, you can express your views directly to City Council and the property owner/developer.
View our City meetings calendar and pre-register to speak at a meeting as a delegation. Each delegation has 10 minutes to present their thoughts. Joint presentations with other speakers are permitted, as long as each speaker does not re-state the same points.
Links and Resources
Burlington.ca/delegateBurlington.ca/2030caroline Notice of Statutory Public Meeting and Recommendation Report for 2030 Caroline - Nov. 5, 2024