By Pepper Parr
June 17th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Regional Council met Wednesday morning and on their agenda was a Statutory meeting required under the Municipal Act to permit the public to respond to changes in the Regional Official Plan.
There were a number of delegations. The one from the West End Home Builders Association (WEHBA) formerly the Hamilton Halton Home Builders’ Association) which represents approximately 300 member companies across Hamilton and Halton Region with the industry employing over 22,700 people, paying $1.4 billion in wages, and contributed over $2.6 billion in investment value within the local economy in 2019, was delivered by Michael Collin-Williams.
As a key partner to Halton Region in the delivery of new housing supply and the building of complete communities, WE HBA wishes to ensure we can effectively work together towards a range of housing choices at prices and rents people can afford in Halton Region.
ROPA 48 and the Future of Halton Region’s Growth
Our region is growing rapidly – The Greater Golden Horseshoe is anticipated to grow from approximately 10 million people today to just under 15 million by 2051 – to put this into context, that is the equivalent of the entire population of Greater Montreal moving here over the next 30 years.
Halton Region is forecast to take on its fair share and to grow by 485,000 residents and 220,000 jobs by 2051.
In its current form, ROPA 48 presents risks to Halton Region’s ability to effectively and efficiently promote housing development and construction in accordance with the Housing Supply Action Plan.
Through consultation on Halton’s IGMS, City of Burlington staff recommended Growth Concept 3A/B as being most closely aligned to the City’s goals.
Development lobby wants to squash the permitted change to the Urban Growth Centre.
Therefore, Halton Region should not approve ROPA 48 without modification to the proposed relocation of Burlington’s Urban Growth Centre given the change to the Downtown Burlington UGC runs contrary to this very ambitious growth scenario through higher levels of intensification.
Downtown Burlington & ROPA 48:
The Burlington Downtown UGC was established as one of 25 UGCs in the initial growth plan in 2006 to direct both growth and investment to downtown Burlington.
Each review of the Growth Plan through both Liberal and Conservative governments maintained the Downtown Burlington UGC to establish long-term planning certainty.
Currently, ROPA 48 proposes to change the boundary of the Downtown Urban Growth Centre to exclude almost all of Downtown Burlington, including the existing regional public service facilities, commercial, recreational, cultural and entertainment facilities.
The first downtown condo to have shovels in the ground is opposite City Hall.
The WE HBA is disappointed by the announcement yesterday that the provincial government will permit the removal and relocation of the Downtown Urban Growth Centre.
While we absolutely support intensification and growth of the Burlington GO Lands that are designated as MTSAs – we believe that the downtown and the GO station areas represent different markets and should both have planning frameworks that support growth and intensification.
Complete Communities and the Flip of the Downtown Urban Growth Centre
WE HBA maintains that directing growth away from Downtown Burlington—an emerging complete community—does a disservice to the City and Halton Region.
With Halton Region proposing aggressive intensification targets, WE HBA believes the Region should be capitalizing on significant investments that have been made in Downtown Burlington by both the public and private sectors.
The WE HBA believes that redirecting growth away from downtown Burlington loses sight of the progress that has been made in revitalizing downtown Burlington.
Further to this, WE HBA notes that the land by the Burlington GO Station serves a different purpose in the City than downtown Burlington.
The WE HBA recognizes BOTH populations and locations are important components of the Burlington community, and supports a greater focus on planning towards creating a complete community for residents surrounding the GO Station.
For this reason, WE HBA recommends ROPA 48 be amended to either:
not relocate the Downtown Burlington Urban Growth Centre OR as a compromise to expand the boundary of the existing Downtown Urban Growth Centre to include BOTH Downtown Burlington and the Burlington GO Station lands.
Our association respects that this is a long and multi-layered process and is strongly supportive of the Region of Halton continuing to work with stakeholders to advance ROPA 48 through the process to achieve conformity with the Growth Plan by July 1, 2022.
Lastly – we support the conformity deadline of July 1, 2022.
There were questions of the delegate – you can just imagine how his comments went over with Burlington Mayor Meed Ward who pointed out that there would still be growth in the downtown core but that it would not be the kind of over development the city has seen in the past five years.
Meed Ward added that there is never any affordable housing in the developments in the downtown core and that the provincial policy focuses on new growth at the MTSA’s.
The Mayor pointed out that the relocation of the UGC was community inspired and that its focus is on where development should take place in each of the precincts.
Mayor Meed Ward in front of city hall
Meed Ward said the existing UGC was misused to justify over development; going forward downtown growth will be managed more reasonably in keeping with the vision determined by the public.
It was back and forth between Collins-Williams who countered that “long term plans should not sterilize opportunities on where people want to live, work and play”.
Meed Ward had pointed out that Burlington is very close now to reaching the required 200 home/jobs target for 2031 (which is the minimum target) and that development beyond that point will be determined by good planning principles, adding that Provincial Policy calls for development to be directed toward the MTSA’s.
Collins-Williams said the city should not be jamming development growth into a couple of areas and that political changes which have impacted how some of the changes have been brought about.
He added the need to lower political temperature and build complete communities.
Mike Collins-Williams, Chief Executive Officer, West End Home Builders Association.
Meed Ward responded that if Collins-Williams meant by being political meant listening to community input in a democratic fashion then democracy is alive and well in Burlington.
The Mayor is scheduled to meet with the builders association in a few weeks where this conversation will no doubt be continued.
In responding to the Burlington Mayor Colin Williams said moving the Urban Growth centre would “limit and sterilize” grow in the downtown core.
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns asked Collins-Williams to help her to understand his definition of the downtown core. “What might we be missing that the policies in place do not address?”
Collins-Williams remarked that the province had never before changed an UGC boundary to which Kearns responded “we have had the history lesson before – my question to you was more forward looking and asked again “what did we miss that your association members are looking for in the way of complete communities”.
Collins-Williams said seniors wanted to be able to downsize and still remain in the community – the downtown condo market met that need but if the UGC was moved north there would be an imbalance.
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns puts Chief Executive of Builder Association through an impressive jujitsu exercise.
More back and forth before Kearns said “I don’t see anything compelling in your responses – the supply and demand claim being out of balance does not hold water.”
And with that Kearns dismissed Collins – Williams bringing to a close the Kearns Collins -Williams verbal jujitsu exercise.
He wasn’t out of the hit set yet. His sterilized downtown remark had Councillor Nisan speak on a Point of Order saying the words were “disgusting”, “inappropriate” and “inflammatory”
Thanks to the Burlington Gazette for always keeping us informed!
Got that one right Penny…..I worked in the accounting office of a “developer” believe me they are ruthless in the pursuit of profit.
David Barker is absolutely correct . The developers only think of themselves. Its time for the developers to realize that their projects must be compatible with what the citizens want. We are a democracy.
With the developers’ claims of local employment & investment, and motivation to just want to help the city meet its’ growth targets, you would think they were humanitarian organizations. No mention of the profits they’ve made over the years!
I’m also conflicted about their argument of creating complete communities. When I look at the Berkley, I observe little to no vibrancy at the street, retail level, but see a sterile lot where medical offices and an adjoining parking ramp were to have been built and are still MIA.
The fact is that the effects of over-intensification will be long felt after the developers have made their money & left town. The citizens/ voters have spoken. Let’s all move on!
Well, there is a surprise…NOT !
“limit and sterilize” growth. Yes, exactly as intended. No more out of place unwanted super towers.
“Imbalence”? The only thing imbalanced is developers’ mindset focused simply on maximizing profit to the detriment of the community. Developers of these towers, particularly those seeking super towers in the downtown are not good corporate citizens.
There was a term used back in the 70s and 80s for where one corporation takes over another and strips out the assets to the detriment of the acquired corporation and its employees. The acquiring corporations became known as corporate raiders. These super tower developers are modern day corporate raiders. They over develop to maximize profit, without regard fir the community and then leave the municipality to “clean up the mess” they leave behind; load on civic services, traffic congestion, parking etc.
If anyone expected anything differently they were fooling themselves. Developers have too much money invested in the downtown core to simply walk away.
This is just the beginning.