Milton councillor ‘disappointed’ after Halton’s decision to leave urban boundary alone until 2041

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Published February 17, 2022 at 11:23 am

Milton councillor Mike Cluett has expressed his disappointment following Halton Region’s decision to leave the urban boundary alone until 2041.

At a meeting on Feb. 16, Halton regional council voted 15-9 in favour of a motion to leave the region’s urban boundary as is until at least 2041.

The motion asks staff to develop a regional official plan amendment (ROPA), which is meant to fit the projected population and employment growth within the existing approved urban boundary to 2041.

Following the meeting, Cluett took to Twitter to express his disappointment.

“Disappointed that councillors from Oakville and some from Burlington ignored over 10 years of consultations with Milton residents on our vision,” he wrote, adding that delaying an urban boundary expansion to 2041, will put Milton at risk financially.

Prior to the meeting, Milton Mayor Gordon Krantz sent a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, to address the reason for seeking out an urban boundary expansion in order for the Town to prepare for future growth.

“It is critical for Milton – and indeed for the financial health of Halton Region – that an Urban Boundary expansion is contemplated,” Krantz wrote in the letter, noting that Milton is at a different stage of development from Burlington and Oakville, both of which were granted urban boundary expansions over a decade ago.

“Milton is seeking the same opportunity and consideration to grow in the right places, with the right uses. We have a strategic growth plan capable of responding to a variety of residential and employment market demands including and especially transit-oriented development,” added Krantz.

Originally, the growth plan by regional staff proposed to open up 2,120 hectares of mostly agricultural land for commercial and residential development.

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