By Pepper Parr
June 15th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Ward 4 resident Phil Steinberg is asking Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte for her position on the size and scope of the proposed development project that residents are slowly learning about.
Steinberg claims residents in the riding are very concerned about the size of this project and how it will negatively affect their community and lifestyle, increased traffic volume and environmental and flooding risks.
He adds that residents know development of the proposed lands is inevitable; however, adding 25,000 new residents between Appleby Line and Inverary and another 6,000 east of Appleby is ridiculous.
The proposed development with 28 towers west of Appleby, some as high as 45 storeys is definitely not in keeping with the existing surrounding neighbourhoods.
Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte doing her best to hold the Mayor to account during a debate on the way Mayor Meed Ward was clutching her Strong Mayor powers.
Stolte looks for “lower gentle density infill in our communities that provide necessary additional housing without dramatically changing the character of our neighbourhoods.”
Steinberg asks: “Can we count on you to advocate on your residents’ behalf and ensure any development of these lands are kept reasonable and in keeping with your statement above?
Stolte will stick to her position – it won’t make a pinch of difference. Council will do almost anything to get shovels in the ground.
Tansley Woods on Monday between 4:00 and 7:00 pm
I guess we are no longer interested in having businesses in Burlington, or attracting new enterprises. We are only interested in mass housing projects. That’s why we’ll redevelop industrial properties for high density residential housing. I guess the City thinks everyone will work from home…in their 400 sq. ft., 35 storey chicken coops.
Left to the developers, our City administration and Doug Ford this City will soon end up looking like a workers’ compound in Pyongyang, North Korea. I guess that’s apt given what a dictator Ford has become.
All we hear about is more development and bringing in thousands of new residents but never any mention of providing the services these new residents will need. Many of our existing residents can’t find a family doctor, we still only have one hospital, the wait time for any diagnostic procedure is ridiculously long now, our roads are already congested with no plans to widen any. The argument here is widening the roads just brings in more cars, The roads wouldn’t have to be widened if you stopped bringing in more new residents. They are not all coming with bikes. I simply can’t see the logic here. Any plans for new schools? I’m sad to say life as we once knew it in Burlington is slowly being eroded.
There are two important meetings on this ridiculous development proposal which residents will want to attend. Yet in typical fashion, the City put them both on the same day at overlapping times at two different places. And they wonder why we don’t believe a word of their mantra about wanting to engage with and hear from residents.
Is this more incompetence in lack of planning or is it a deliberate move to split the number of people who may descend on one of them to voice their concerns? Which one will the Councillor attend? The Councillor should be at both for the entire time.
Read the article linked below which appeared in The Spectator and Inside Halton on these meetings, the proposed development, and the failure by the City to mention the massive development proposal in their Notice about the flood mitigation plans, as if one doesn’t have anything to do with the other.
Here are the details of the two overlapping meetings:
“the proponent is hosting an in-person pre-application community meeting on Monday, June 17, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Tansley Woods Community Centre”
“A public open house has been scheduled for Monday, June 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Appleby Ice Centre (1201 Appleby Line) to share information about plans to update The Appleby Creek Flood Mitigation Municipal Class Environmental Assessment, due to proposed development at Fairview Street and Oval Court, east of Appleby Line.”
The full article:
https://www.insidehalton.com/news/open-house-planned-to-discuss-intensive-fairview-appleby-line-development-plans/article_d27cbef4-d35c-55e5-a42e-b9458489b72a.html
Councillor Stolte seems to have little regard for the opinions of those who worked to elect her originally. This huge influx of people all within about 1 km on either side of an already busy intersection doesn’t reflect the reasonable planning platform that got her elected. This combined with what appears to be Council’s disfunction is a disappointment.