The Province of Ontario is inviting the public to provide feedback on its proposed changes to the four provincial land use plans (Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Greenbelt Plan, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and Niagara Escarpment Plan).
The four plans work together to manage growth, build complete communities, curb sprawl and protect the natural environment. Ministry staff will be at Oakville Town Hall on Thursday July 7, 2016 from 5 pm to 8 pm to answer questions about the proposed changes to the plans. No registration is required.
“As a municipality our ability to control growth and protect green space is determined by provincial requirements and growth targets,” Mayor Burton said. “It’s critical that residents come out to provide input and learn about potential changes to those requirements.”
Oakville currently meets provincial requirements and growth targets through its Livable Oakville Official Plan, which sets out the mix of residential, employment, recreational, natural and cultural land uses necessary to create a livable and sustainable community.
The province initiated a coordinated review of its four plans in 2015 with extensive input from the public, stakeholders, Indigenous communities, and an expert advisory panel chaired by David Crombie. As a result, the province is recommending numerous changes to its plans.
Proposed changes include:
- Providing more guidance on achieving complete communities and requiring municipalities to plan for sustainable and livable communities.
- Increasing the intensification target in the Growth Plan to a minimum of 60 per cent of all new residential development occurring annually in the existing built-up area.
- Increasing the designated greenfield area density target in the Growth Plan to a minimum of 80 residents and jobs per hectare (excluding certain non-developable natural heritage features, such as wetlands and woodlands, rights of way for certain infrastructure, and “prime employment areas”).
- Requiring municipalities to plan for density targets around major transit stations which support that type of transit.
- Supporting the development of community hubs by encouraging public services to be located together in existing facilities near strategic growth areas, accessible by active transportation and transit.
- Establishing stronger environmental, agricultural and planning criteria in the Growth Plan for settlement area boundary expansions.
- Requiring municipalities to identify and protect prime employment areas. New policies would serve to improve transit connections for employment areas.
- Requiring the province, through direction in the Growth Plan, to establish a standard methodology used by all municipalities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe for assessing land needs.
The province is inviting members of the public to submit their written comments and feedback on the proposed changes by September 30, 2016.