By Pepper Parr
June 16th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Regional government is working on an amendment to its Official Plan.
Burlington’s Official Plan has to be approved by the Region – so what the Region approves is what we are permitted to and expected to do.
Planning is about growth.
A proposed Carriage Gate development at the east end of the football – a stone’s throw from the ADI Nautique that is now under construction.
For the people of Burlington growth is what they don’t want to see in the downtown core.
The province has mandated that future growth is to be focused around the three GO stations where some significant growth has taken place.
The Aldershot GO station has a large new community that will be home to some 2500 people when it is complete. It is more than halfway completed at this point with more to come.
The Paradigm from the east side
Burlington has the Molinaro development that is entering into stage 2. Nothing in the Appleby GO – yet.
Longer term – out to 2051 here is what the numbers look like as the planners at the regional and municipal levels work through what the province has mandated.
About 350,000 + people will pour into the Region between now and 2051 – planners are currently working out what each municipality will have to absorb.
Correction to last sentence “No appeals were allowed etc.
“Burlington’s Official Plan has to be approved by the Region” is absolutely right. The evidence in the hands of LPAT, Burlington and Halton is the New Official Plan adopted by Burlington April 26, 2018 has not been approved. Burlington Legal, Tim Commisso and Meed Ward were given to chance to comment on this evidence and make corrections but are absolutely silent:
1. Andrea Morgan failed to comply with the authorization and direction in April 26, 2018 enacted Bylaw 24-2018 to forward the adopted plan to Halton Region (Council is the decision maker). The LPAT Halton Electonic Municipa Record submitted by Kelly Yerxa to LPAT contains nothing from Morgan in this regard. Planning Act provides 15 days from adoption to submission to LPAT.
2. Mayor Meed Ward and Heather MacDonald discussion December 11, 2018 P&DC webcast identifies a purported Halton Notice was sent to Meed Ward as Head of Council for Council (Planning Act requirements). It never went to P&DC or Council and minutes of Dec. 11, 2018 show no reference to Meed Ward and MacDonald disussion. It is attached to Meed Ward’s first social media effort in December,2018 (and was reported on by Tevia Moro)as Mayor but not in Council records.
3, There is no record of any review of BNOP by Halton Council or Committee of the Burlington New Official Plan April 2018 to December 30, 2020.
4. Two Halton Notices of Decision only one of which is before LPAT states Curt Benson has delegated authority to approve, modify and approve or refuse to approve and as a result no Planning Act allocated timeon the approved file Benson claims had been submitted to Halton Region.
5. Kelly Yerxa Halton Senior Legal Counsel has not been able to provide any evidence to either Marsdens or LPAT through Halton EMR that Benson has the delegated authority of Halton Council for BNOP. Rather it is an unevidenced figment of the imagination of Meed Ward, MacDonald Burlington and Halton Legal and those at LPAT who screened the statutory authority for the PL210040 appeals before opening the file.
6. The Curt Benson statement that appears at page 1203 of the Halton EMR and in every appeal application as it appears in the Notice of Decision of December 30, 2020 “the Region of Halton has delegated its authority to the Chief Planning Official” turns the Notice of Decision into a false document as set out in Section 366 of the Criminal Code of Canada apparently with the full blessing of Minister Clark who has been well informed through Heather Watt, Loralea Tulloch, Halton provided Ministry representatives set out in the Halton EMR submitted to LPAT.
Steve Clark has also been well informed by the Marsdens (correspondence no. available) and confirmed as received and we would be contacted by Minister or his officials. Nothing at all.
Our retained lawyer’s comments, Andre Marin, is “what a mess” and that people of Burlington and Halton is a huge understatement connected to Marin’s comments reported in the Globe and Mail long ago – municipal councillors compared to gangrenous limbs and make provincial politicians look like choir boys- Google Marin and gangrenous limbs if you don’t believe us!. Anne and Dave Marsden Pro Bono Community Health, Safety and Access Advocates.appeals were allowed in December 2018 when Halton had made no decision as per the required legilsated time line, Only in Burlington!