Could Waterdown become part of Burlington? Where is the justification?

News 100 blueBy Staff

September 18th, 2018

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Mayor Rick Goldring has taken part in a trip to Queen’s Park with Aurora Mayor Geoffrey Dawe of Aurora asking the province to put a hold on the Places to Grow legislation

Goldring added his own wish to the requests being made.  He would like to see Waterdown added to the city of Burlington.

Waterdown map

Just how much of Waterdown does Burlington want to annex? Has the Mayor called his friends in Hamilton about this? Maybe those LaSalle Park water-lots the city want to buy from Hamilton could be part of the package?

In a media release Goldring said: “Mayors of Aurora, Brantford, Burlington and Whitby have significant concerns on how the province’s growth, density and intensification targets have forced our cities to grow.”
“The top-down approach of the past 13 years has resulted in forced growth on our cities that often doesn’t reflect the values of our community”

Goldring along with Geoffrey Dawe said: “We are asking the province to:

• Fix Ontario’s ‘Places to Grow’ Plan, beginning with putting a freeze on the density requirements demanded by the province while a comprehensive review takes place.

• Give local Councils the ability to control the speed of development in their communities, instead of the full-speed ahead approach demanded over the past decade.

Watertower_ water towerThe objective was to address issues specific to Burlington. Mayor Goldring is “asking the province to help alleviate growth pressures on downtown Burlington and provides fairness for Burlington taxpayers who, for years, have been directly impacted by growth in Waterdown that has created new demands on Burlington’s infrastructure.”

Goldring and Dawe met with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and MPPs on the government side.

About ‘Places to Grow’:

The Ontario government passed the ‘Places to Grow’ Act in 2005. The amended version of the Act is available at: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/05p13.

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8 comments to Could Waterdown become part of Burlington? Where is the justification?

  • Penny

    Have there been any studies to indicate if this annexation is what
    Burlington needs or wants? Oh yes, the studies are yet to come- deja-vu? What about some Citizen engagement, let alone Council input? “Past history is a very good indicator of future behaviour”

  • Hans

    Re “…asking the province to put a hold on the Places to Grow legislation…” – It’s too late, the
    damage can not be undone. Why did he wait so long?????

  • Wait until you here city plans for Clapson’s corners. They will want to get rid of all that “big box” retail for … condos!

  • Elizabeth Hamidbasha

    Good for Mayor Goldring, although it may be too late to get tough with the province. We talked together recently about their unfair demands. We should have utilized this saying: “JUST SAY NO!’
    There’s another saying too- a Menonite saying- TOO LATE SMART! The other day I was shopping at Food Basic on Lakeshore and what a sad sight that place is. More stores closed than open. Having condos there will probably improve the area, and there is certainly more room for condos than on Brant Street. My opinion- for what it is worth- is that whoever decided the condos should be built in the middle of Brant Street were the ones to blame. People are leaving Burlington by the hundreds, and one can understand why. Our charming little city is disappearing. In its place: traffic tieups, lineups everywhere, people afraid to drive on the main roads- and there are a lot of them- after three o’clock. One thing that the councillors forgot- a city doesn’t have to be big and shiny to be great. Old and a little shabby is often more interesting and easier to live with. Those of you who have travelled in France, Italy, England, etc. have seen proof of that. .

    • Lucy

      I can’t agree with your statement: “People are leaving Burlington by the hundreds…” because according to the recent Money Sense data the population of Burlington is shown as 197,683 and the 5 year population change has been 6.50 %. The traffic congestion reflects the constant growth…more like too much, too fast. And a business mix with residential is welcome at Lakeshore Village Plaza but not to the ‘insane’ extent the developer has in his original proposal. We want to maintain the character of our neighbourhood, not have it destroyed.

    • William

      Elizabeth, Please don’t accept Goldring blaming the province. He approved the downtown plan with more than two dozen highrises that puts Burlington’s growth well above what the province was asking for. He will claim that the OP does not conform to provincial growth policies – but he presents no evidence of this.

      At bottom, Goldring refuses to own up to his decisions; he refuses to be straight with people. His videos go on and on about decisions made in 2006 and 20 years ago. But he refused the requests of the citizens’ he purports to represent, to hold off pushing through council’s adoption until AFTER the election.

      The city has lost control of its planning – the planning department and developers are in control. Goldring rubberstamps what they ask – then denies he has any authority as the mayor of this city.

    • Stephen White

      Have you actually looked in detail at the development plans for Lakeside Village? It is a disaster! From a planning and an aesthetics standpoint it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Having high rise developments flush against the north side of Lakeshore Road creating massive a tunnel effect and obscuring a view of the plaza is hardly conducive to a desirable shopping experience. I attended the Open Houses in July and August, and didn’t hear a single positive comment expressed about the redevelopment proposal from those in attendance.

      “Yes”… the mall is a sad sight, and “yes” it needs to be redeveloped…but properly, and with respect to citizen concerns and input.

  • steven craig gardner

    I think when Hamilton gobbled up Waterdown the townsfolk att the time preferred Burlington. So if they are asked that may be tje prefered decision.