Burlington, Ont. – Apr. 28, 2020— The City of Burlington welcomed the news in a letter received from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Ministry of Transportation that there is no provincial requirement for mobility hubs to be identified in municipal official plans, including Downtown Burlington. The province also agrees that the John Street bus terminal does not constitute a mobility hub. The letter states that the Region of Halton, working together with the City of Burlington, has the ability to remove the identification of a mobility hub and the Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) designation in Downtown Burlington.
On Jan. 30, 2020, Burlington City Council approved the revised recommendations from the findings of the Interim Control Bylaw (ICBL) Land Use Study, including the approval of the proposed Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendments resulting from the ICBL Land Use Study. The detailed ICBL study approved by Council in January, examined the role and function of the John Street bus terminal. The study concluded this terminal functions as an intercity bus transfer point and is not serviced by higher order or frequent transit as is expected for an MTSA as defined by the province.
The ICBL has helped the City of Burlington continue to work towards establishing a clear vision for the Burlington Downtown and around the Burlington GO Station. The City heard delegations at the Jan. 14, 2020 statutory meeting and received submissions from the public, stakeholders and Metrolinx regarding the proposed Official Plan policies and zoning regulations related to the establishment of maximum building heights in proximity to the Burlington GO Station. The findings of the ICBL Land Use Study respecting the role and function of the Downtown MTSA will inform the City's consideration of the appropriateness of the MTSA designation for the Downtown.
Next Steps
The City of Burlington and Region of Halton will review the information received by the Province and review the process for seeking changes to the MTSA designation. As outlined by the Province, this can be achieved through Regional and Burlington Official Plan amendments under section 17 of the Planning Act now, or during the Region’s next Municipal Comprehensive Review, which is currently underway.
The City’s Executive Director of Community Planning was previously requested by City Council to consider the appropriateness of requesting the removal of both the provincial MTSA and Urban Growth Centre designations from the Downtown. This report will be brought forward to City Council in the coming months.
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Quick Facts
- An interim control bylaw (ICBL) is a tool available to Ontario municipalities as part of the Planning Act. An ICBL places a temporary “freeze” on the development of certain lands while a municipality is studying or reviewing its land use policies. The restrictions can only be imposed for one year, with a maximum extension of a second year. An ICBL may not be appealed when it is first passed, however the extension of the ICBL to a second year may be appealed.
- During the one-year “freeze” on development in the study area, the ICBL Land Use Study:
- Assessed the role and function of the downtown bus terminal and the Burlington GO station on Fairview Street as Major Transit Station Areas
- Examined the planning structure, land use mix and intensity for the lands identified in the study area
- Proposed updates to the Official Plan and Zoning bylaw regulations as needed for the lands identified in the study area.
This one-year freeze has been extended due to appeals made to the Council approved zoning by-law amendments and will remain in place until the appeals are resolved.
Quotes
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward
“This is a significant step forward in our community’s quest to control overdevelopment in downtown Burlington, as we continue through the process. Though there had been some previous discussion that the city and Region could remove the mobility hub designation, there was not the same clarity about the MTSA designation. This letter is the first confirmation we’ve had that the MTSA designation could also be removed.
The work that the City has done in the past year, including the scoped re-examination of the Official Plan, and the Interim Control Bylaw Study that studied the role and function of the John Street Bus Terminal, positions us well for the future. That study directly showed the downtown terminal does not function as an MTSA and provides sound planning rationale to support the removal of the designation entirely.
We want to thank our MPP Jane McKenna for her advocacy, and thank Minister Steve Clark and Minister Caroline Mulroney for listening to the evidence and the voices of residents. As well, we want to thank the province for recognizing the need for municipal flexibility and how one-size does not fit all.
The letter made no mention of the Urban Growth Centre designation in downtown Burlington. We will be following up with the Minister and our MPP to seek similar flexibility and local decision making for the city and region to determine the location of UGCs in our borders.”
Councillor Lisa Kearns, Ward 2
“For the people of Burlington, including the downtown community, this is welcomed news to improve local decision-making. Bringing about a better policy framework for sensible growth and controlling over-intensification has been a key priority for this council, staff and our residents. In this term, significant municipal planning studies confidently position the City and Region to initiate removal of the transit designations bestowed on the John Street Bus Terminal, namely the Major Transit Station Area and Mobility Hub. Today, I am cautiously optimistic that this step will contribute to delivering the vision for downtown Burlington that we can all be proud of. There is still more work to do, including addressing the Urban Growth Centre designation. MPP McKenna has done an outstanding job in advocating for this clarity and I look forward to the Province's ongoing support and commitment to alleviate growth pressures.”
Heather MacDonald, Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility
“It is helpful to have received written confirmation of provincial support for removing both the identification of a mobility hub in Downtown Burlington and the provincial MTSA designation. The letter from the Minister does not mention the provincial designation of the Downtown as an Urban Growth Centre or the process that would need to be followed to make any changes to the designation. City staff has been directed by Council to consider the removal of both the MTSA and Urban Growth Centre designations and will be reporting back on this matter. The Region and City continue to work closely in this regard.”
Links and Resources
Follow getinvolvedburlington.ca for updates and information about the re-examination of the downtown policies in the adopted Official Plan.
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