Provincial Review of Municipal Government
We strongly urge you to educate yourself on this issue. You should also plan to write a letter to your MPP
Local Action Group
A local community group, named We Love Oakville, has established a web site which includes information, sample letters residents can send to MPPs, additional resource materials and a blog to provide updates as they happen. They also offer lawn signs for sale if you wish to display one. You can visit them online at:
www.weloveoakville.org
Our Submission
Recently, the government invited interested citizens and community groups to provide submissions to the review. Unfortunately, these submissions were limited to 500 words, however, Coronation Park Residents Association did comment. You can read the letter here.
Earlier this year, Premier Ford announced his government would undertake a review of the governance, decision-making, and service delivery functions of 8 regional municipalities and Simcoe County. Halton Region, which includes Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills is included in the review.
Shortly after the announcement, two special advisors were hired. They were given the mandate to: provide expert advice to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and to make recommendations to the government on opportunities to improve regional governance and service delivery.
These two advisors have been engaged to review 82 municipalities and make credible recommendations in less than six months. Given the scope of work and the serious effects an amalgamation would carry, the efficacy of such a review seems flawed at best.
Amalgamation of Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills and Milton into one large metropolitan centre could result in a number of undesirable outcomes:
Shortly after the announcement, two special advisors were hired. They were given the mandate to: provide expert advice to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and to make recommendations to the government on opportunities to improve regional governance and service delivery.
These two advisors have been engaged to review 82 municipalities and make credible recommendations in less than six months. Given the scope of work and the serious effects an amalgamation would carry, the efficacy of such a review seems flawed at best.
Amalgamation of Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills and Milton into one large metropolitan centre could result in a number of undesirable outcomes:
- increased property taxes
- the level and quality of services at the regional and local levels will likely be negatively impacted (policing, fire protection, waste collection, snow removal, community centres, and libraries)
- less access to our local councillors as their numbers will decrease and the population they represent will grow. As residents, we are due fair representation at all levels of our government.
Development Application - Harvest Bible Chapel at 1215 Lakeshore Road West (Lakeshore Rd and Wolfdale)
Fernbrook Homes filed an application with the Town of Oakville requesting permission to build 42 semi-detached and 3-single detached homes on the lands known as the Harvest Bible Chapel.
In submitting the application, Fernbrook asked for several exceptions
a rezoning of the land to permit semi-detched homes and reduced lot sizes, resulting in an increase in density of approximately 100%
permission to build structures that are 11-meters in height
permission to build structures that will have a 3rd level loft
permission to situate the entire subdivision on a condominium road
permission for reduced set backs from the street and reduced distance between units.
permission to build structures that will exceed the current maximums allowed in terms of the footprint of the building on the lot
approval for a series of pipes and a tank-like unit to be placed beneath the complex to control storm water. In order to accommodate these controls, the site will have to be graded higher than Lakeshore Road and above the ground level of homes on the perimeter of the development.
permission to measure building height of units from the new condominium road (now raised above Lakeshore Road) which will have the same effect as building units that are 12 and 13 meters high.
The land in question has two Zoning designations: An R01 ribbon of property that runs the full length of the plot immediately adjacent to Lakeshore Road, and R02 for the remaining piece of the property. Neither of these zones allow semi-detached housing. In each, structures are limited to 2-storeys and height is not to exceed 9 meters. Lot sizes in the R0-1 designation are to be a minimum of 1,393 square meters and in the R0-2, 836 square meters. Other important measurements are the set backs for front, side and rear yards, as well as minimum frontage, etc. All of these measurements are shown on the Regulations Table for Residential Zones, which is part of the overall Zoning Bylaw that governs this land. See a Copy Here.
Timeline:
June 2011
Residents in the area of the Harvest Bible Chapel received a notice from David Faye & Associates on behalf of Fernbrook Homes, advising that Fernbrook intends to redevelop the site for residential use. A preliminary concept of Ferndale's plans will be available to view at a meeting to be held Tuesday, June 21 at 7:00 pm in the Bronte Room of the Holiday Inn Express (located at Wyecroft Road & Bronte Road)
June 22, 2011
After attending the information meeting on June 21 and being contacted by several residents, we prepared and distributed a letter to the Town of Oakville Planning Department regarding the Fernbrook presentation. We take the position that any development on the site conform to the present zoning - namely RO-1 on the flank bordering Lakeshore Road West and RO-2 on the remainder of the land.
October 10, 2011
A second presentation by Fernbrook Homes for local residents took place on Thursday, October 20 - 7:00 p.m. at the Harvest Bible Chapel Building.
January 22, 2012
The Town of Oakville established the date for the first meeting in the formal application process - Wednesday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m., Town Hall, Oakville & Trafalgar Rooms. All residents are encouraged to attend to gather more information on the application and to voice concerns.
April 30, 2012
The first of two meetings of the Planning & Development Committee. The association and residents made presentations to Council.
June 11, 2012
Oakville Town Council voted unanimously to refuse the Fernbrook Homes application.
April 16, 2013
The OMB Hearing relating to this application begins April 17 at Oakville Town Hall (10:00 a.m.) and is expected to run approximately 10 days.
Good News! On May 10, 2013 the decision regarding Harvest Bible Lands was decided in favour of residents and the Town of Oakville. The developer will now have to submit an entirely new development application for these lands.
Rogers Communications - Application for Cell Tower at 1461 Rebecca Street (immediately adjacent to the Big Bear Convenience Store) located at Hopedale Mall.
Rogers Communications made application for a 29-metre cell tower, constructed as a monopole, to be installed next to the Big Bear Convenience store on Rebecca Street, just east of Third Line adjacent to Hopedale Mall. The location of the tower would be within 85 metres of homes, giving rise to noise and health concerns from local residents.
Because the location of cell towers is under the auspices of Industry Canada, local municipalities are severely limited in their ability to influence decisions that relate to when, or where towers can be established. Local governments are not permitted to participate in the process and communication to the general public is severely limited. As such, one step in initiatives going forward will to be to lobby the Federal Government for changes to these policies.
Also at issue were the questionable procedures used by Rogers when submitting the application. Information presented at a residents' meeting on Saturday, May 14 at Sir John Colborne Seniors Recreation Centre, outlined several disturbing points that suggested the application in question did not meet requirements. Consultation activities with the public were inappropriate and the application submitted omitted important information. This would be the focus of opposition to the project to ensure that the application was declared void.
For additional information on health issues surrounding Electro-Magnetic exposure visit Dr. Magda Havas, www.magdahavas.com/ and Dr. Sam Milham, author of Dirty Electricity at www.sammilham.com/.
On May 16, 2011, in response to the community’s concerns and to clear up confusion about who approves telecommunications installations, Town Council unanimously passed a motion requesting that the federal government take action so that transmission towers have minimum setbacks from sensitive land uses such as residential areas. If the federal government doesn’t take action, then the motion requests that municipalities be able to use their powers under the Planning Act to provide minimum setbacks from any land zoned for residential purposes. The motion passed by Council also asks that municipalities be given the ability to require broader consultation prior to the placement of these towers.
On May 24, 2011, Planning and Development Council took further action on this issue by unanimously approving a motion introduced by Ward 2 Councillors Pam Damoff and Cathy Duddeck. The motion revokes the town’s letter of concurrence for the Rogers Wireless Communications proposed telecommunications installation at 1461 Rebecca Street. The motion also rescinds the town’s existing telecommunications facility and installation policy and procedure dated May 23, 2007. Council directed staff to develop a new policy for telecommunications applications that appropriately recognizes the need for public consultation by proponents. Until such a policy is developed, the Town of Oakville will not provide any response to applications made to Industry Canada for telecommunications facilities.
On May 31, 2011, the World Health Organization issued a press release, carried in the National Post, suggesting that cell phones may cause brain cancer and that further study is definitely needed. The article noted... "The evidence, while still accumulating, is strong enough to support a conclusion . . . the conclusion means that there could be some risk and therefore we need to keep a close watch for a link between cellphones and cancer risk,” Dr. Jonathan Samet, a University of Southern California professor who was chairman of the group, said in a statement."
On June 2, 2011, Rogers Communications suspended its work on the cell tower pending further discussions with the Town of Oakville to find alternate sites that would be acceptable.