New Oakville parks plan, funding tools get approval from council
Published September 15, 2022 at 12:14 pm
The Oakville Parks Plan 2031 is a go as are the infrastructure funding tools to pay for growth.
Oakville Town Council approved the plan and the associated Parkland Dedication by-law, which together will help the town maintain its parkland standards, at a meeting on Sept. 12.
As well, this helps establish a mechanism to ensure sufficient land and cash-in-lieu is on hand to support the town-wide parkland standard.
Park designs, sites, sizes, distances and other details will be decided later by Council in a public process.
“The new Parks Plan 2031, Community Benefits Charges and the community infrastructure funding measures will support responsible, long-term financial planning that ensures growth pays for growth in Oakville,” said Mayor Rob Burton.
“These tools will help ease the tax burden for residents, and better fund the community services that enhance our livability.”
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Council approved a new Community Benefits Charges by-law back on Sept. 6. The new by-law will help cover infrastructure costs for such amenities as parking, public art and cultural entertainment spaces, among others.
These two by-laws, along with the Development Charges by-law approved on July 12, 2022, concludes the town’s comprehensive review of its major growth infrastructure financing tools.
These funding tools will help the town plan for future growth and build complete communities by recovering infrastructure costs from developers and minimizing the impact on existing taxpayers.
Here’s what was approved:
Parks Plan 2031 – Provides strategic direction on how the town will grow its already impressive parkland system. The Plan addresses how park needs can be addressed in urban centres identified as Strategic Growth Areas (e.g. Midtown, Uptown, Bronte GO and Palermo). The enhanced parks system could include a unique range of urban parkland types such as urban squares, pocket parks, courtyards, and pedestrian connections, approved by Council through a public process. The town will aim to maintain a parkland ratio of at least 2.2 hectares per 1,000 people until 2031, providing greenspaces to enhance livability.
Parkland Dedication by-law – Is the tool through which developers are required to transfer parkland or cash-in-lieu of parkland to the town as part of a new development project. This is required because municipalities are not permitted to use Development Charges for purchase of land for parks. Once land is dedicated or acquired by the town using the cash collected in lieu, new park amenities are constructed using Development Charges or Community Benefits Charges. The by-law maximizes the amount of non-tax dollars that can be available for parkland expansion.
Community Benefits Charges by-law – Introduces a new charge to be collected from high-density development of five or more storeys with 10 or more residential units and will be used towards the cost of new municipal parking, public art and cultural entertainment spaces. This is a dedicated financing tool that replaces bonus zoning for increased height and density under the previous section 37 of the Planning Act.
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