Facing noisy and energetic lobbying from local “anti-sprawl” groups opposed to an expansion of Halton’s urban boundary, the mayors of Oakville and Burlington drafted a compromise motion that unsurprisingly was approved by regional councillors last week.
That motion – which freezes Halton’s urban boundary until 2041 while allowing the region time to evaluate land needs from 2041 to 2051 – was a shrewd political move aimed at satisfying both the political forces and provincial demands.
Eventually approved by a vote of 15-9, its support primarily came from south Halton councillors.
All eight Oakville votes were in favour of the motion. Burlington split 4-3 in favour, while Milton voted 4-1 against and Halton Hills voted 2-1 against. Regional Chair Gary Carr voted for the motion.
In many ways, the motion appears eminently sensible.
As Mayor Rob Burton pointed out, changing markets, shifting demographics and possible changes to provincial planning rules make it difficult to forecast Halton’s needs out to 2051.
Despite that, the province’s firm deadline of July 1 for an updated official plan looms.
Burton argued that the compromise motion leaves the region’s options open as the future unfolds.
“The phased approach provides needed time to evaluate the uncertainties about future housing and employment needs for the period 2041 to 2051,” he said. “This motion does not assume or entail expansion in 20 years. However, that possibility opens up every five years in the legally required municipal comprehensive reviews.”
In other words, the region will still have the option to add more land to its urban boundary five years from now, when it presumably will know more about the forces that determine how much is needed.
Opponents of a staff growth plan that would have opened an additional 2,100 hectares (5,200 acres) of agricultural land near Milton and Halton Hills to development argued that it would be impossible to reverse that decision, even if future trends meant the land wasn’t actually needed.
Lack of respect for local plans
But from the perspective of north Halton councillors, Burton’s motion was a political ploy that ignored the already well-understood and documented need for more urban land in Halton Hills and Milton.
It was also a slap in the face to local decision-making, said Milton councillor Zeeshan Hamid.
Years of work and public consultation by local councils fed into the call for additional land for housing and employment, as well as a new Georgetown hospital, he said.
“Certain decisions belong to local municipalities, and we need to respect their role,” he said.
“This motion, all it does is allow the two larger municipalities of the region to impose their will on the smaller municipalities, when that plan might or might not work for Milton.”
Politics is the primary driver of support for Burton’s motion, added Halton Hills councillor Clark Somerville.
He noted that the original growth plan seemed to have the support of council when it was first presented in November – “until politics got in the way.”
Milton councillor Rick Malboeuf was even more blunt, arguing that some councillors appeared to be motivated by dislike of Doug Ford’s provincial government.
“Other councillors are prepared to ignore the advice of highly qualified and experienced planning professionals in order to appease a small but vocal group of individuals,” he said. “Councillors are prepared to allow a few special interest groups that represent less than 1 per cent of our population to decide the future of Halton Region.”
His comments came after nearly 60 delegates offered their opposition to the region’s proposed growth plan.
Several local environmental and social groups sent multiple delegates to speak, and their repeated pleas to “stop sprawl,” “save farmland,” and “build gentle density” gave the impression of shared scripts.
And while they rightly noted that Halton regional council declared a climate emergency in 2019, their presentations ignored the fact that municipalities are already planning and building density that's far beyond gentle.
The night before the regional meeting, Oakville councillors considered a plan for 11 buildings ranging in height from 8 to 28 storeys at the corner of Speers Road and Kerr Street.
Milton mayor reaches out to provincial minister
The wild card in the planning process remains the provincial government’s reaction to Burton’s compromise plan.
A final decision on the region’s growth will ultimately be made by Steve Clark, Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs and housing. Several councillors expressed concern that a no-growth Halton decision could result in a made-at-Queen’s-Park plan less favourable to the region.
But at least one politician is now looking for provincial interference.
Milton Mayor Gord Krantz has sent a letter to Clark expressing his concern about freezing the urban boundary.
Without a boundary expansion, he wrote, Milton’s ability to grow strategically, develop necessary employment lands and create desirable mixed-use communities will be threatened.
While stopping short of inviting the province to intervene, Krantz added, “I felt it critically important that Milton’s position be clearly communicated to and understood by you.”
The letter is a stunning move that could indicate tumultuous days ahead for a divided region.