As the deadline looms for input on changes to the provincial Greenbelt and Growth Plan, land developers and municipalities, citizen groups and individuals are making their final arguments. Hamilton city council is highly critical of proposed changes to the Growth Plan, and is still pushing to have some lands removed from the Greenbelt, but has agreed to a substantial Ancaster addition to the protected agricultural zone despite intensive opposition from its landowners.
The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) claims the two provincial plans are driving up housing prices by imposing a shortage of residential lands. But that’s disputed by the Neptis Foundation which points to designated development areas that can easily accommodate all the projected growth in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area until well past 2041.
Neptis’ executive director is speaking on Monday, October 17 at 7 pm at the Hamilton Central Library in an event co-sponsored by Environment Hamilton.
Environment Hamilton responded last week to the BILD contention with a media release that pointed to the Neptis research and concluded that “contrary to what the developer sector is saying, we have more than enough land to accommodate our growing population without going into the Greenbelt.” The group says only 20 percent of development approved lands have been used and is alarmed that over 650 requests to remove Greenbelt lands have been filed during the provincial review.
Some of those are in Hamilton and include 104 acres of fruit land in Stoney Creek, and 28 acres in Waterdown that the majority of city council argues should be made available for development. At their last meeting in September, councillors even directed staff to declare one of the pieces as “a strategic growth area for future development for urban uses” – a move that seems likely to bring them into more conflict with the Wynne government.
The on-the-fly motion by Maria Pearson was opposed by Matthew Green and Mayor Eisenberger, with the latter arguing that it was unwise to try to craft the motion without a staff report. He was proven correct when Pearson had to move a correction to the resolution at the most recent council meeting.
But at the same time, councillors decided to acquiesce to the province’s proposal to add 450 acres in rural Ancaster to the Greenbelt, despite strong lobbying by many of its landowners. The Book Road lands were identified last fall by city planning staff as one of two areas “that could be considered for addition to the Greenbelt”. They were subsequently not included in staff’s final recommendations last December, but the province added them to the Greenbelt as part of draft changes issued in June.
Last month, the planning committee approved a motion by Green and Jason Farr to support the addition. When that decision arrived at the September 28 council meeting for ratification, there were Book Road owners in the gallery and they had submitted both letters and petitions demanding it be reversed to ensure their lands were free for future urban development.
But their councillor, Lloyd Ferguson, countered that “Ancaster is weary of development right now” and his constituents want the city to protect agricultural land and prevent more urban sprawl.
“My community has told me for a long while that our roads are congested and it’s getting crowded.” Ferguson stated. “We’ve gone through significant development and taking 850 hectares out for the Airport Employment Growth District is enough.”
Ferguson noted the Greenbelt will be reviewed again in ten years – well before any boundary expansion could include the Book Road lands – so “it’s not the end of the road.” He also argued that the province is the real decision-maker on the Greenbelt and the city is “just a commenting agency.”
Another Book Road letter was on the agenda of last week’s council meeting, and Ferguson backed a motion by Green to just receive it after getting assurances from the general manager of planning that the city is not going to change its position.
“Our comments have been submitted based on the council resolution and there’s nothing further happening from our perspective,” explained Jason Thorne.
Comments on the Greenbelt and Growth Plan can be submitted to the province here until October 31.