A well-loved Sixth Line neighbourhood plaza is set to be replaced with an eight-storey, 237-unit condo building.
It’s the latest sign that Ontario’s planning system is badly broken, says Ward 5 councillor Jeff Knoll.
The loss of the plaza will eliminate the local, easy-to-access stores and service options that neighbours rely on – and believed would always be a part of their neighbourhood, he said.
"They’re disappointed, I’m disappointed. It just demonstrates another example of how planning is broken in this province," said Knoll. "Local opinion doesn’t matter."
"The more that this broken planning system of ours favours the developer, the less livable our communities become."
In 2022, the Bara Group applied to tear down the M&M Food Market plaza and the adjacent medical building located near Sixth Line and River Oaks Boulevard, and replace them with a nine-storey, 247-unit condo building.
The company said the plaza was an under-utilized property that could add needed housing to Oakville.
But local residents expressed their opposition, arguing that the proposed building was too big and tall to fit into their low-density neighbourhood and would exacerbate traffic issues on Sixth Line.
Read more here: The worst thing to happen to River Oaks
When town council failed to decide on the application within the timelines set out in provincial planning rules, the developer appealed the application to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
The OLT is a provincial appeals body with the power to rule on land use planning issues in Ontario. It’s also a “backwards, ridiculous” system that’s stacked against municipalities and communities and in favour of developers, complains Knoll.
"They’re applying very community-agnostic philosophies to making planning decisions," he said. "It almost seems like the existing communities don’t matter."
To avoid a full hearing before the OLT, the town reached a settlement with Bara. The deal reduces the building height to eight-storeys from the proposed nine-storeys and adds almost 300 parking spaces.
Full details are in the recently released OLT decision.
While the new development will have some ground floor retail space, Knoll says he thinks it will be used for medical offices. He laments the loss of the barbershop, pharmacy, karate school, florist, pizza restaurant and other businesses that provide neighbourhood options and help complete the community.
He also worries for the future of other similar plazas throughout town.
While Knoll says he and his fellow Ward 5 councillor Marc Grant fought against the proposal, he understands the need for settlement deals to avoid expensive OLT hearings that offer uncertain outcomes.
"I’ve voted for settlements in the past and felt nauseous doing it because I know it’s exactly the opposite of what the community wanted," he admits. "The OLT is very anti-democratic and it needs to go away, honestly."