By Staff
April 9th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
A Burlington resident attending the public meeting taking place at the Haber Recreation Centre in the Alton Village reports that “there is a shouting match going on at Haber right now.”
The city Planning department was holding an information session on the most recent changes being made to draft of the new Official Plan.
The Planners are expecting to bring the latest version of the Official Plan being prepared to a city council meeting April 24th and have set aside time on the 25th if needed to be able to take the document to a special meeting of city council where they expect the document to be approved and sent along to the Region where it will sit for a period of time before t is approved at that level.
Burlington’s Official Plan must comply with the Region’s plan.
The Burlington document has been the subject of a lot of delegating by residents who do not want the document approved until after the municipal election in October.
Tension between the elected council and citizens has been growing – it appears to have blown a gasket at this most recent public meeting.
I attended last night, and it was an embarrassment to this city. The Enraged Citizens of Burlington or whoever these people were have every right to be upset, I am too, but you can’t behave like that. It was borderline violent at times, with people so out of control with rage that they had to physically be removed from the building. Right or wrong, it crossed a line. Security Guards, real ones, not night watchmen, might be a good idea for the April 24th meeting. We’re supposed to feel safe at these meetings. Last night, for the first time, that safety was called into question. Come on Burlington, we’re better than this.
That’s the question…..why?
It has come to ECoB’s attention that staff has added the SECTION 37- COMMUNITY BENEFITS FOR 421 BRANT STREET as an additional agenda item to the April 10th Planning and Development meeting. Not only was the Agenda for the meeting not updated but one has to search through the City’s Website to find a small announcement of this ADDITIONAL ITEM. This was discovered by accident. I would like to know just when this ADDITIONAL ITEM was made public.
On average I receive 3 emails a day from the City about the Official Plan or bicycle lanes or how to deal with coyotes , yet no email telling me that this most important item has been added to the April 10th Planning and Development Committee Meeting.
I have sent an email to the Mayor, Council, James Ridge, Mary Lou Tanner and some members of the press to ask that this item be deferred to the April 24th Committee Meeting, to allow residents to properly prepare to delegate on this important issue which grants additional height and density to the 421 development application, and will affect the quality of life in this area.
Council needs to remember that they were elected to represent the residents.
Please, send an email, or phone the mayor and all councillors concerning this. After all did Burlington not receive an award for Public Engagement?
The citizens of Burlington must be wondering:
1. “Why our politicians do not want to wait until after the October elections to approve the Official Plan”.
2. Why do the politicians want to approve this proposed Operational Plan (OP) without support from the citizens.
3. Why are the groups such as the Engaged Citizens of Burlington (ECoB) and others upset and resisting acceptance not only of the OP but also over height building proposals and the unnecessary closing of Burlington high schools, etc.
There were signs placed throughout Burlington that stated:
A FLAWED PROCESS MEANS A FLAWED DECISION”.
The flawed processes include the processes associated with the Official Plan, the disregard of existing bylaws on building heights, the closing of two Burlington high schools.
I believe the citizens of this once great city are fed up and unwilling to take it anymore!
Bring on the Provincial and Municipal elections and let us rid ourselves of the politicians who have caused or failed to effectively react to this trauma.
Shall we name them (MPPs, Council Members, HDSB Trustees)?