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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday September 13, 2006 - 7 Council told Oakville can't say no to growth Continued from page 1 Halton's "share" will double its population and more than double its employment opportunities. While it's up to Halton, in consultation with its municipalities, to determine where growth will occur, much of Halton is protected by the Greenbelt. There are some 30,000 hectares -- white belt -- that could be developed, mostly in Milton and Halton Hills, but if development follows past practices, it will be exhausted in 50 years. The land could last 120 years, if development occurs in the more compact, transit-friendly manner the Province is advocating. And the growth won't occur in just green fields -- 40 per cent will go into existing areas. Town councillors heard that of every 10 houses, or units, built in future, the Province will require that for six built in greenfields, four must go into built-up areas. This rule won't be applied until 2015, but the ratio will be based on what was considered "urban area" in December 2005. In Oakville, it means for every six units built in north Oakville -- and in some cases, areas not yet developed south of Dundas Street -- four must be built in existing neighbourhoods. "The Town has always been encouraging intensification, but certainly not at the rate towards the targets being proposed," said Town planner Allan Ramsay. On Monday, councillors received an update on the Liberal government's growth plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Greenbelt legislation says where growth can't occur and Places to Grow legislation says where it should. FAMILIAR SIGHT: Construction scenes like this will continue as Oakville absorbs its share of anticipated growth in the Greater Toronto Area. However, councillors will again ask the Province for an infrastructure plan they say is missing and necessary to implement the Province's growth strategy. Councillors also deferred for two weeks the formation of a stakeholders group to provide feedback as the Town investigates where growth should go in existing neighbourhoods -- what's dubbed intensification. A presentation on Durable Halton by the Region's Commissioner of Planning and Public Works, Peter Crockett, prompted councillors to ask whether Oakville has to absorb growth it may not want. Durable Halton is a new regional planning study that comes on the heels of the Halton Urban Structure Plan (HUSP), a major planning study that set the parameters of growth in Halton to 2021. However, the Region has found it's still short on population and employment given the Province's new targets -- both to 2021 and through Places to Grow, which looks to 2031. So Halton is going back to the public and experts to plan where and how Halton will grow to meet the provincial targets -- Durable Halton. The exercise will explore what Halton wants to protect in the future, what role agriculture should play in the region and, finally, where development should occur. While many councillors asked Crockett if Oakville could just say no to growth, Crockett spoke to what he called "realism." "Provincial legislation requires the Region and its municipalities to conform. We have legislation and we're required to conform," he said. Mulvale said the municipality can't resort to anarchy. Council is sworn to uphold the law, she said. If laws are to be changed, she suggested that must be accomplished via federal, provincial or municipal elections. "Oakville will take its share of growth. That's what I've been told repeatedly," said Mulvale. "Sometimes in Council Chambers and definitely during elections, people can deny reality, but that does not remove the municipality from reality. I'm sure we're going to hear a lot of that discussion in the weeks ahead," said Mulvale. Ward 3 Councillor Chris Stoate asked Crockett of the consequences of having growth and not planning for it. Crockett said that would be "self evident." Ward 1 Councillor Mike Lansdown spoke to federal immigration policies not meeting local planning and being far in excess of what's seen in the United States. He was reminded that the "durability" of Halton is part of the broader issue of durability of the country. Crockett said choices and tough decisions will have to be made, but Durable Halton is all about what he called "Halton's preferred mature state." He said it means planning so that in 50 to 100 years, the community would still be recognizable, livable, with beautiful, natural areas. Durable Halton will form the basis of a new regional Official Plan (OP) and it's to that regional plan that local OPs -- Oakville's is currently under review as OPs are reviewed every five years -- must conform. "The Province is saying you must grow, you must double your size by 2031," said Crockett, adding, "They've told us how and to what level, they haven't told us where, that's what the process (Durable Halton) we're going through is all about." -- Angela Blackburn can be reached at angela@oakvillebeaver.com. SAVE UP TO OVER 50% ON ANY STOCK POOL OR SPA AND HAVE IT INSTALLED NOW OR IN THE SPRING ABSOLUTELY FREE!! SAFETY COVER SALE! * FREE INSTALLATION * FREE POOL CLOSING PLUS FOR A LIMITED TIME * NO INTEREST * NO PAYMENTS 'TIL SPRING 2007 (O.A.C.) $.09/litre refill LIMITED QUANTITIES ON SOME ITEMS