City Council votes to re-examine the policies in Burlington’s adopted Official Plan

Posted on Friday February 08, 2019

Aerial view of Burlington, Ontario

Burlington, Ont.—Feb. 8, 2019—Burlington City Council voted in favour of a motion to begin the process of re-examining the policies in Burlington’s Official Plan, adopted in April 2018 and currently with Halton Region for approval. The motion, brought forward by Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, was approved during a Special Meeting of Council yesterday.

The motion directs Burlington's Director of City Building to immediately commence a process to re-examine the policies of the Official Plan adopted April 26, 2018 in their entirety, including, but not limited to, matters of height and intensity and conformity with provincial density targets.

Additional directions in the approved motion:

Direct the Director of City Building to send a letter in respect of the Official Plan adopted by Council on April 26, 2018, (Adopted 2018 Official Plan) to the Region of Halton acknowledging receipt of the Region's Notice of Statement of Opinion of Non-Conformity with the Regional Official Plan dated Dec. 4, 2018 and requesting sufficient time to address the conformity issues identified; and
Direct the Director of City Building that until such time as the modifications that result from the work being undertaken, but not limited to, in (1) and (2) above are brought forward and adopted by Council and sent to the Region for approval, that the Adopted 2018 Official Plan policies not be given weight in evaluating development applications that may be processed in the interim period; and
Direct the Director of City Building to report back to the Planning and Development Committee meeting in March to provide a progress update on the Official Plan work plan with key milestone dates, public engagement plan, budget and resource requirements; and
Direct the City Manager to discontinue the use of the "Grow Bold" brand.

A copy of the approved motion is available online.

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Quote

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

“I am thankful to all of City Council for voting to see this through. Re-examination of the policies of the Adopted 2018 Official Plan is another step toward fulfilling a more community-based vision for our city. This action will also provide residents and staff with more clarity going forward. We expect our city’s Official Plan to truly reflect the needs, input and best interests of the entire community and its elected council. This re-examination will give the new council the time necessary to define what areas we want to study, undertake that work, consult with the community and work with Halton Region to approve a comprehensive plan we can all feel good about.”

Quick Facts

An Official Plan is a statutory document required by the province of Ontario that describes a city's land-use strategy to 2031, and beyond. It addresses the location and form of new housing, industry, offices and shops as well as anticipated needs for infrastructure. Streets, parks, transit, schools, community amenities, and other elements of a growing city are all considered in the Official Plan.

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