Latest Updates
Find the latest updates from the Mayor and City Hall.
Residents seek changes to Ghent site plan
City staff have reviewed and support (with modifications) several conditions requested by residents on the site plan for the Branthaven townhome project on Ghent related to groundwater monitoring, construction staging and border vegetation. With council's approval, staff would bring these conditions to the Ontario Municipal Board hearing Nov. 26. The OMB will ultimately decide on the project, including site plan.
Habitat for Humanity provides two options for Glendor/Plains development
Based on the feedback at a neighbourhood meeting June 5, Habitat for Humanity has created two design options for a proposed townhouse development at Glendor & Plains Rd East. One option includes 14 back-to-back townhouses. The other includes standard townhouses (3-storey) with backyards, and a single storey accessible unit at one end.
My Take: There are a variety of views in the community on this project. At the first meeting, residents supported townhouses but wanted standard with yards, not back to back. I also prefer standard townhomes to back-to-back units.
At the second meeting, residents expressed concern about any townhouse development. In my view the townhouses are preferable to a commercial use, or a six storey building in this area. That said, the concerns about parking, traffic, drainage and tree loss must be addressed for any development.
Your Take: What are your views on the proposed development? Email me at marianne.meedward@burlington.ca.
Site plan joined to Ghent OMB appeal
My Take: I did not support the original rezoning to accommodate the back-to-back and standard townhouses (but did support a modified project of semi-detached with some standard townhouses that would still have met intensification requirements). As a result of council's support for this project, residents must spend their own time and money to uphold the city's zoning at the OMB. I also share the concern about lack of notification regarding the site plan not coming back to council. Though there was no legal requirement for notification, out of courtesy to the neighbourhood, providing this information to residents and their elected representative would have helped build trust and good will.
Less office & parking, varied heights proposed for Paradigm on Fairview
My Take: This type of intensification belongs here - next to a transit hub, which allows more people to use the bus or GO train rather than cars, and next to a major retail outlet, where people can meet their day-to-day shopping needs. I was hoping for more office space (although it was not a requirement of the original OMB decision). Burlington sorely needs commercial tax revenue which is higher than residential taxes, and costs less to service than residential development. However, I am working with the Molinaro Group and the Burlington Economic Development Corporation to fill the office space, and if there is a market the Molinaros will build extra to suit.
Old Lakeshore Road review won't explore height/density or design, or include public input
Save Our Waterfront brought together 2000 residents from across the city to seek a review of policies in the Old Lakeshore Road area in particular, and more public input on waterfront issues in general. They asked for and secured the formation of a city-wide citizen's committee on waterfront issues in 2010, the Burlington Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory Committee.
The official committee spent over a year reviewing the Old Lakeshore Road area. They recommended a review of planning policy and design for public areas within the precinct, and consideration of options for public waterfront access and a related City acquisition strategy. The review was intended to lead to recommendations, and include the public. This was initially supported by council.
But these hard-won gains for public input on waterfront issues are slowly being unravelled by council as time goes on. The advisory committee was sunset at the end of last year (though their work continues via the Burlington Waterfront Committee), and now the requested review of policies in Old Lakeshore Road is narrowly scoped and excludes public input in the first Phase.
Revised application received for retirement residence at 2170 Ghent
Though a reduced project with fewer units will be welcome news to residents, the reduction in parking remains a concern, as it was with the previous proposal. The other potential variances will need to be reviewed to assess their impact on the neighbourhood when the zoning review is complete. I'm pleased city staff are treating this as a new application, which provides for additional public input on the revised project.