The city now has the information it needs to lift the Interim Control bylaw - council approved the study unanimously.

News 100 yellowBy Pepper Parr

January 14th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Fifteen delegations; one lawyer threatening to sue, a private sector planner suggesting that the city planners might want to get some legal advice before they go much further was all part of the mix.  The Council Chamber was packed – not even standing room.

One group of developers complaining that they have suffered a 40% drop in the value of their investment because of what they see coming in the way of changes being made to an Official Plan that has been approved but not adopted.

Snider 2

Scott Snider – lawyer for a group of developers who he claimed were about to take a financial bath.

Sharman hand up

Councillor Paul Sharman

Council Sharman gave a rather lame excuse for the serious failures of the 2014-2018 to do their homework and understand just what the province meant when the created MTSA’s Major Transit Station Areas.

The city had to spend more than half a million dollars on consultants who dove into the weeds and asked the necessary questions – they learned a lot and taught this council a lot.

The city’s solid core of delegations held Council’s feet to the coals and consistently reminded them why they were elected in 2018

The Interim Control bylaw will in all probability be lifted, and if not, several of the developments that were frozen will get an exemption from that bylaw. The Molinaro’s took a significant financial hit when the bylaw was passed.

Dillion consultants Paddy and Justine

Patrick (Paddy) Kennedy and Justine Giancola from Dillon Consulting confer before answering a question at the Standing Committee that was debating the Land Use Study.

The Land Use Study done by Dillon Consulting. while both dense and complex, has served the interests of the city very well.

It will take a little time for the flaws in the report to come to the surface – there are always flaws.

Bld heights for Fairview GO

Developers who invested heavily in land, especially at the Drury Lane end of this area – were shocked when they saw the height limitations that were going to be imposed.

A group of developers were “shocked” (those were the words used by their lawyer) when they saw what the height limitations were going to be for land they had acquired. Those developers are not going to walk quietly into the night.

Council voted unanimously to receive and file the consultant’s report – but before Mayor Marianne Meed Ward put an amendment on the table – which got unanimous approval.

There is much more to say – a lot of detail – but it is late and I have to go home to let the dogs out for their evening constitutional.

At a Special Council meeting January 30th council will vote on what they spent the day talking about – expect the city to have made some good decisions.

Then the hard work really begins – they now have to deal with all those development applications that were stopped.

The developers, their planners and their legal counsel will begin figuring out how they deal with this new regime.

Return to the Front page
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

1 comment to The city now has the information it needs to lift the Interim Control bylaw – council approved the study unanimously.

  • Janice M. Jones

    our council should not be bullied by the over zealous developers who are ruining our downtown with mega height condos that are NOT wanted or needed. They are not providing affordable housing for anyone. Look at the prices being charged for new condominiums. They are definitely not affordable to an average family or a single person.

    According to this article it is likely the interim bylaw will be lifted, if not, the developments that were put on hold may get exemptions. Ludicrous. This is defeating the purpose of reigning in over development in the core.

    What about the retail space that has been lost in our downtown. I remember when you could shop for several blocks in the core and park for free. Now those shops are few and far between and we have to pay to park. Developers tell us that they will be providing retail space on street levels of the new condominiums. Do you really think that these small shop owners will be able to afford the new retail space. Unlikely.

    I am deeply saddened by the overdevelopment of downtown Burlington. Despite much feedback from the community that we DO NOT WANT THESE HUGE DEVELOPMENTS, it seems that no one is listening at City Hall.