Halton Region has announced two virtual events to both inform the public and gain input on the region's growth management strategy. Both events will review and discuss Halton's proposed amendment to the Regional Official Plan: "ROPA 49: An Amendment to Implement the Integrated Growth Management Strategy."
The purpose of proposed Regional Official Plan Amendment 49 (ROPA 49), according to regional staff, "is to help define where and how Halton will grow." This newly proposed ROPA 49 applies to all lands in the Regional Municipality of Halton, including the town of Oakville.
One of the events will be an "open house" to ask questions and review the amendment. The second event will be a statutory public meeting, which is more formal and allows residents to give direct comments to Halton Regional Council about the amendment. Both scheduled events are virtual.
The virtual events are scheduled as follows:
- The Open House will take place on Wednesday April 6, 2022 at 7 p.m.
- The Statutory Public Meeting will be one week later on Wednesday April 13, 2022 at 9:30 a.m.
Both events will be held over Zoom. Meeting IDs and passcodes have been released publicly and are available at the bottom of this story.
"Halton Region," they begin in a public notice, "is holding a Public Open House and a Statutory Public Meeting in connection with Draft Regional Official Plan Amendment No. 49 (ROPA 49). ROPA 49 is proposed as a component of Halton’s Regional Official Plan Review and municipal comprehensive review process pursuant to the Provincial Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and Section 26 of the Planning Act, as amended."
This is the second Amendment to be considered by Regional Council as part of the Regional Official Plan Review (ROPR) and Halton says it "builds on the Regional Urban Structure defined by ROPA 48."
"It proposes," they continue, "to implement the results of the Integrated Growth Management Strategy and Regional Council’s direction to accommodate population and employment growth within Halton’s existing Regional Urban Boundary to 2041 and to develop a framework for planning for growth from 2041 to 2051."
ROPA 49 also proposes changes that support Halton’s growth strategy, including updates to:
- Policies and mapping related to Settlement Area boundaries
- The Regional Urban Structure
- Strategic Growth Areas and Employment Areas
- Forecasts and targets for population and employment growth, intensification, density and phasing
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EVENTS
Questions can be submitted in advance for the open house by emailing [email protected] or calling 311. Attendees are asked to "please check halton.ca/ropr closer to the meeting to download a copy of the presentation and follow along."
Advance registration is being "strongly encouraged" for those who wish to make a verbal presentation during the statutory meeting. Halton says that, to preserve the integrity of the meeting, "anonymous or offensive Zoom account names will not be allowed to speak."
Halton Region says they are "not responsible for unstable internet connections that may impact your ability to provide your comments. Participants who are disruptive or who speak on a subject other than the stated purpose of the meeting may be removed from the meeting without warning."
To join or attend either event, there are two ways to do so:
- Online: On the date of the event, visit halton.ca/ropr.
- By phone: Call 1-855-703-8985 (toll-free) or 1-647-374-4685 and use the Meeting ID and Passcode above.
For the public open house on April 6, the Meeting ID is: 998 6917 9299. The Passcode is: 682244 (if requested.)
For the statutory public meeting on April 13, the Meeting ID is: 999 8275 2781. The Passcode is: 624381 (if requested.)
If you wish to be notified of the decision of Halton Region on the proposed Amendment, you must make a written request to the Regional Clerk.
For more information about this event, you can read the full details in Halton's public notice online.