City setting up a virtual public meeting to take one last look at the development rules that will apply to the downtown core

News 100 redBy Staff

August 9th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

There is a public meeting that will take place virtually that could well be the best opportunity citizens will have to provide input on the downtown portion of the Official Plan.

All the protesting, all the delegations, and the letter writing were important – the event on the 18th is critical – there are different views of what should, could and can be done with the downtown core.

The meeting on the 18th is going to finalize what gets written into the Official Plan.

The virtual information event is on Tuesday, August 18; you will learn more, be able to provide feedback and ask questions about the staff recommended modifications to the downtown policies.

New OP graphic

In June, the City of Burlington “Taking a Closer Look” project team released recommended modifications to the downtown policies in the adopted Official Plan, along with related reports.

Enns group

Planners along with the consultants the city hired to develop two concepts on how the downtown could be further developed.

The virtual information meeting takes place at 7:00 pm; the project team will present the recommendations and then answer questions.

Information on how to participate in the virtual information will be posted on the project webpage on Get Involved Burlington closer to the meeting date.

The Gazette will make that information available as soon as it is public; we are wondering why it can’t be released now – technical reasons no doubt.

Alison Enns

Allison Enns listening carefully to what the few people who took art in the tours staff arranged.

If people have have feedback, the city would like to receive it back by August 28th, ten days after listening to the virtual presentation.

A final report will be heard at the September 30th Standing Committee meeting.

Questions and comments can also be directed to the project team at: newop@burlington.ca

Planning Staff worked hard and diligently to involve the public.  The several events the Gazette took part in were poorly attended, which was unfortunate; staff really did want to listen.

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5 comments to City setting up a virtual public meeting to take one last look at the development rules that will apply to the downtown core

  • Janice Jones

    Lynn, you’ve nailed it! Everything you have written is exactly what has happened since the new mayor and council were elected. Has the mayor changed anything she promised prior to the election. Not in my eyes. The developers are winning by a long shot whether it’s Carriage Gate, Mollinaro, ADI etc. They have all built enormous structures that were not wanted by the residents of Burlington. Mixed living. These buildings don’t offer the space or pricing for the average family to afford. Not to mention the overcapacity we are putting on the infrastructure of the city. It’s a nightmare if there is an accident on the QEW. Drivers speed down to Lakeshore Rd and cause yet more traffic congestion. Lanes are reduced for years so the developers can build. in the meantime the traffic moves at a snails pace in the best of times. Also, What happened to zoning bylaws where land was zoned for 4,8,11 stories. Instead somehow the developers have a math program I’m not familiar with, building 22,23,27 stories. I am so discouraged with the downtown.

    Who’s being paid off at city hall by the greedy developers?

  • Joseph A Gaetan

    It is hard to imagine what more could be said that would make a difference. If you look at the developments that are in the hopper right now the material fate of our downtown was signed, sealed and delivered some time ago. Glad I live in what one developer calls Downtown West. Years from now no one will even remember what UGC stands for and will get a real chortle out of the Mobility Hub designation.

  • Blair Smith

    It’s wonderful that the Urban Growth Centre (UGC) and the mis-designations are being dealt with now. But this should have and could have happened almost two years ago when it actually would have made a difference. It is too little, too late. The pattern for downtown has been set and no amount of visioning will change the disaster that this Council has enabled. And in December 2019 and January 2020, when WeLoveBurlington and Gary Scobie delegated to Council recommending exactly the direction now proposed, we were told that it had never been done, would not be successful, was a fool’s errand; that correcting the mis-designations was enough, no need to worry about the UGC. What a difference time, idea ownership and political expediency make.

  • Judy G

    I totally agree with the first and second paragraphs, Lynn.

  • Lynn Crosby

    My goodness we are tired of giving feedback. They have it. They had it before this even started.

    Stop destroying the downtown with massive uninspired overintensification for which we don’t have the infrastructure or the transportation or the room to accommodate. Stop believing developers like Carriage Gate or whatever new names they call themselves when they say they will build parking or affordable units or a medical centre and then ten years later still have not. Stop allowing developers to close the streets and sidewalks for years while they build, especially when they go years over the supposed time frames promised. And now that we see what life is like with COVID, surely we need a total rethink about the need for more greenspace and enough open space for people for their mental and physical well-being and that of the rest of us. Two elevators for 26 storeys also won’t cut it in a pandemic.

    Don’t be surprised if they don’t get bombarded with virtual comments. We are tired and don’t feel heard anyway, even when they let us stand there in person.

    I’m more interested in learning about the nameless senior staff members who seem to make decisions like the recent National Homes recommendation to settle, behind closed doors, and why so much that happens is done with no transparency. Why do we still miss deadlines which then trigger closed door proceedings? Not interested in hearing it’s the fault of LPAT.