By Staff
February 23rd, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The Mayor of Milton is not happy.
The Regional government made a decision earlier in the month related to the Preferred Growth Concept that impacts all four municipalities in the Region.
Mayor Krantz wants to be able to expand the urban boundary for Milton and use some farmland to handle the growth that has to take place.
Citizens told the Regional Council that farm land had to be saved. A majority of Regional Council agreed
The 58 people who delegated at the Regional meeting took the position that climate change was far too important and that to have a chance of meeting the reduction in C02 gasses being pumped into the environment farm land had to be saved.
Thus the letter to the Minister;
The Hon. Steve Clark
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing 777 Bay Street, 17th Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 2J3
RE: Halton Region Official Plan Review
Dear Minister Clark,
As you are aware, Halton Region Council and Councils in municipalities across Ontario are engaged in ongoing discussions to finalize their Official Plans. As you know from your time as Mayor, determining a community’s Official Plan is a very important decision and one that cannot be taken lightly.
Gord Krantz – longest serving Mayor in the province.
I appreciate the opportunity I have had to connect with you, your staff, as well as with
the Hon. Parm Gill, Milton’s Member of Provincial Parliament, regarding this issue over the past few months. We appreciate your ongoing attention and interest.
On behalf of the Town of Milton, I am writing to continue to ensure you are aware of our position with respect to Halton Region’s Official Plan review. As we have previously communicated, it is critical for Milton – and indeed for the financial health of Halton Region – that an Urban Boundary expansion is contemplated. Based on recent discussions at Halton Regional Council, we are concerned the Preferred Growth Concept that will be approved will not allow for the expansion required to strategically and appropriately manage the coming growth.
As per the provincial policy and mandates, Milton is committed to intensification and densification of our existing urban structure. To better serve our citizens and to align with A Place to Grow – The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Milton is building complete communities and A Place of Possibility. We are intensifying, developing, and creating 15-minute walkable, accessible, integrated neighbourhoods with jobs, schools, transportation, community services, parks and recreation facilities and a variety of homes that are easily accessed with multi-modal – walking, cycling, bus and GO Transit rail – connections.
As you know, Halton Region municipalities are maturing at different stages. Milton is at a different stage of development from both Burlington and Oakville. Both of these municipalities were granted urban boundary expansions over a decade ago and as a result, have already developed to their outer edge. Milton is seeking the same opportunity and consideration to grow in the right places, with the right uses. We have a strategic growth plan capable of responding to a variety of residential and employment market demands including and especially transit-oriented development.
Increased population across Halton Region is unavoidable and must be strategically planned. Milton Council continues to demonstrate its commitment to intensify and densify our community and to allocating growth – residential, commercial, mixed-use and industrial to ensure the development of complete communities. For Milton, an urban boundary expansion will ensure the ability to strategically manage anticipated growth pressures and the proper use and allocation of land from now until 2051, while continuing to protect the over 71 per cent of Milton’s community that consists of the Greenbelt, Natural Heritage Systems and farmland.
We continue to communicate to our Halton Region Council colleagues that we are concerned that establishing a hard, urban boundary will create a number of unnecessary and avoidable risks to Milton and to Halton Region including:
• Removal of Milton’s ability to direct growth to the appropriate location, for example, designating industrial/warehousing and logistics abutting the 400 series highways
• Incompatibility within employment lands
• By 2031, stalled assessment growth creating fiscal instability for Halton Region and Milton
• Increased pressure on the residential tax base resulting in increases to property taxes
• Disruption to Milton’s ability to create compatible, complementary and complete communities
• Elimination of Milton’s ability to create desirable mixed-use, complete communities with local amenities
• Increased risk of actual urban sprawl
Four decades as a politician – Gord Krantz is still at it.
On February 16, 2022, Halton Region Council will discuss a Notice of Motion (NOM) which contemplates no urban boundary expansion until 2041. Should that NOM be approved, this will mean that Milton will experience a 10 year gap in our available employment lands as our current supply will be at capacity by 2031. Further, it will mean disruption to the appropriate balance between residential intensification and new greenfield development to 2051.
Milton’s members of Halton Regional Council and I will continue to work with our colleagues to find an amenable solution. However, in advance of Halton Region Council’s decision regarding the Preferred Growth Concept, I felt it critically important that Milton’s position be clearly communicated to and understood by you.
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration of Milton’s position. If you or your staff have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Mayor Gordon Krantz Town of Milton
The decision made at the Region will go to the public again, sometime in April as a Statutory meeting.
The province requires a commitment from the Region as to what it is doing to comply with the need to grow requirement the province has put in place.
Liberal Mayor Meed Ward once again dictating what the entire region should do based on her “My Take ” Can’t wait for the upcoming Municipal election
“dictating”? Really, Eve.
How has MMW done that in this matter. Please elaborate. The vote was 15 to 9. The Mayor has no veto, no “golden” vote. She had no sway over the other councilors, particularly those from Oakville.
I’m not saying I agree with the position of the 15. I want to understand where the residents of Milton stand on the question. But you characterization comes from a position of complete bias against the Mayor.
But I give you the benefit of the doubt. So if you can provide evidence of the Mayor dictating to her Regional Council colleagues, I’m open to being persuaded. Can you do that ?
Just a note on plundering farmland. From Wikipedia:
Burlington Density – 947 people per square kilometer (2016).
Milton Density – 230 people per square kilometer (2016).
Not sure what your point is.
My point is, both Oakville and Burlington have built over large tracks of farmland, but seem hypocriticly to want to stop Milton doing the same. I was asking if anyone has a good understanding of the position of the residents of Milton on the subject.
It seems Milton Council are in favour of taking some farmland. Are the redidents for it too?
Is it at all clear what is the desire of Milton’s residents?
Are the council and residents on the same page in both wanting farmland taken for urban expansion? Or are they holding opposing views?
If Council and residents are on the same page and want the urban expansion, who are we (Burlington and Oakville), who have already plundered our farmland, to deny them. Seems a bit hypocritical.
But if Milton residents are against the urban expansion, we should support them in their fight against their council.
How many of the 58 delegates were Milton residents?
Pictured in the article are people protesting against the taking of farmland. How many of the protesters were Milton residents. If one was to drive around Milton would one see signs, like those shown in the picture, widely displayed on residential lawns?
So please can anyone shed light as to where the majority of Milton residents stand on this subject?
Thank you.