For over a year the residents of West Harbour an area bounded by Lake Ontario, Rebecca to the North, 16 Mile Creek to the East and Dorval Drive to the West have been in talks with the town planners and developer of a property located at the South-East corner of Lakeshore Road West and Brookfield Road.
On February 10th, Oakville's planning department submitted a proposal to council to accept the design of a four storey 22 metre tall building with 37 residential units. The proposed building would have had a significant impact on traffic as well as over shadowed existing townhouses located on the West side of 98 Brock. The local residents were not pleased with the recommended proposal to the point of hiring a top local development lawyer to present their case to council.
The developer provided their side of the story, indicating that they had worked closely with the planning department and met all the requirements outlined in Liveable Oakville including consultations with local residents. To outline their case a planner was hired, as well as an architect.
Council carefully listened to the lawyer and then the planner. However, the developer's planner was obligated to demonstrate that he had cherry picked parts of Liveable Oakville to make his case, and was obligated to read complete sentences which refuted his original argument. He was also obligated to indicate that he had come before council with a prior proposal for the site which he supported with the same level of conviction.
On February 11th, Councillors Duddeck and Damoff moved the motion for the council to deny the proposal for the rezoning of Brookfield & Lakeshore, clearly making a case for why it was a completely inappropriate development for the site. She then asked for a formal vote, which is when councillors for and against the motion were obligated to stand to show their position. The entire council stood in support of the motion.
A recess was called by the mayor at which time the residents in attendance stood and applauded the council for their logical decision. The question still remains, what will this developer decide to do next?