Urban Growth Centre land use study is done.

Newsflash 100By Pepper Parr

December 19th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The good news is that the Interim Control Bylaw (ICBL) Land-Use Study was produced within the one year time frame Heather MacDonald, Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility, said it would be done in.

It will be formally presented to Council at a Statutory meeting on January 14th. In the meantime the report – 135 pages long – will be closely read and re-read by the development community, their advisors and their legal counsel. All those billable hours will be racked up and billed before the end of the year.

Too early to say whether or not this is a gift to anyone.

Heather_MacDonald COB planner

Heather MacDonald, Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility

In a statement released by the city, Heather MacDonald, Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility said: “The recommendation to implement an ICBL was brought forward by City staff in response to two primary concerns, including growth pressures that continue to emerge for the lands in the study area and a need to review the role and function of the John Street Bus Terminal as a Major Transit Station Area (MTSA).

There was a time when a much larger bus termial existed 25 yards to the left of this small terminal onm John Street - it was where people met. There were fewer cars, Burlington didn't have the wealth then that it has now. We were a smaller city, as much rural as suburban. The times have changed and transit now needs to change as well.

Is this John Street Bus Terminal a Major Transit Station Area or just a place where you can buy a bus ticket?

With the findings of the study in hand, City staff will come back to City Council on Jan. 14 with proposed amendments to the current in-force-and-effect Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw that will make it possible for new development in the identified study area to be better informed by the City’s transit, transportation and land use vision.”

The staff recommendation report and proposed amendments can be viewed online.

The full Dillon report is HERE

The purpose of the proposed Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendments is to:

• strengthen the integration between land use and transit by introducing policies related to transit-supportive development

• introduce the concept of Major Transit Station Areas and a policy framework

• introduce development criteria for development applications within the study area

• update or add definitions to the Official Plan to align with Provincial policy documents and/or assist in the interpretation of Official Plan policies

• introduce additional permitted uses and heights on lands near the Burlington GO Station.

A review of the Land Use study will follow – soon.

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