Beaver THE OAKVILLE Voted Ontario's Top Newspaper Four Years in a Row - 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Aboutowne Realty Corp., Brokerage Independently owned and operated 905 - 338-9000 Golf and Guitars ARTSCENE www.homesforsaleontario.com EXPERIENCE·EXPERTISE·INTEGRITY Renate Penkett Sales Representative CELEBRATING 25 YEARS! Between Kerr & Dorval YOUR FRIEND IN THE BUSINESS 175 Wyecroft Rd. Oakville 905.845.6653 www.lockwoodchrysler.com A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Vol. 52 No. 87 "USING COMMUNICATION TO BUILD BETTER COMMUNITIES" FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2009 40 Pages $1.00 (plus GST) Showdown ends with compromise Developers have 30 days to come up with alternative to $8,000 development charge By Tim Foran METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP Regional council agreed unanimously Wednesday to approve an extra $8,000 charge on residential developers in north Oakville and new Milton. But the resolution passed also gave those developers 30 days to come up with a way to convince residential developers in other parts of Halton and non-residential builders to share the costs, the majority of which cover roads and water and sewer pipes for non-residential developments. The compromise solution that united a fairly split council came after a full day of delegations and debate in front of hundreds of housing industry workers bused in to watch the proceedings. A spokesperson for Oakville-based Mattamy, Canada's largest homebuilder, said about 650 Mattamy employees, sub-contractors and builders attended regional headquarters. "I'm really pleased Halton council decided to direct staff to take the time to get it right and with public consultation," said Mattamy president Peter Gilgan following the late afternoon vote. "There seems to me, I really hope, to be an intention to have PHOTOS BY LEISA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER some real dialogue." Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr said he MAD HATTER: More than 650 Mattamy employees, sub-contractors and builders attended was satisfied that council didn't vote to defer Wednesday's Regional Council vote on an additional $8,000 per-unit development charge on new implementing the extra charges, but also homes built in north Oakville and Milton. Among the workers carrying signs to express their view See Lawyer page 3 points were (above) Kevin Debren of Mattamy Homes in Milton and (right) Waldemar Molenda. No Payments for 6 Months & Huge Rebates! 905-844-2949