As Oakville's Midtown development plans take shape, concerns from some of town staff and residents continue to grow.
That's why an online petition has been launched to capture the community's apprehension and demand for action.
The petition is being spearheaded by Alison Gohel, Oakville's Liberal member of parliament (MPP) candidate. Gohel wanted to quantify the number of growing concerns surrounding Midtown developments that she's heard while canvassing and campaigning.
"This is time and time again the one issue I’m hearing about, as many others," Gohel said.
The Midtown development, part of the Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) program, received provincial approval in November 2024. The plan allows Distrikt Developments to build 6,900 condo units on four properties near the Oakville GO station.
Community groups like We Love Oakville and local residents have raised concerns about a lack of collaboration with the town and the public, as well as the development’s potential impact on the community.
“We need housing," Gohel said "We all agree on that. We need housing and we’re growing.”
However, she believes that better planning with a community-centric approach is also needed, especially considering that the units are aimed for families, she says.
"If you've tried to drive anywhere near the GO station currently, it's absolutely packed with cars," Gohel said. "How are we going to fit the hyper density that they're proposing into that one local area?"
Gohel also highlighted the lack of amenities such as community centres, schools, and hospitals near the proposed units. "All of those things haven't been thought out," she said of the Midtown plans.
"There hasn’t been an actual plan that is transparent that is working with the residents of Oakville. It’s a top-down approach that doesn’t make sense for our community as is."
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The "Save Midtown" petition currently has three specific demands: pause the TOC proposal, to make Oakville's MPP Stephen Crawford engage in local consultation and work with the Town of Oakville, and to push Crawford to work with provincial ministers to push for pausing the plans.
Last week Crawford announced in a statement that he was working with Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma to address the community's concerns surrounding the Midtown development plans. "I will continue to advocate for our community's needs, working to ensure that any new housing and infrastructure, particularly near transit, is planned thoughtfully and responsibly," he said in the statement.
Since its launch in December 2024, the petition has surpassed its original goal of 500 signatures and is now aiming for 1,000.
While Gohel is still deciding what to do with the petition, she sees its growing support as a sign of Oakville residents’ desire for meaningful action.
"They actually want to see some tangible results and feel like there's action," she said.