PROTECT FUTURE OAKVILLE 

We, the undersigned citizens of Oakville, do request that the Government of Ontario repeal Bill 23 - More Homes Faster Act, 2022, hereinafter referred to as “Bill 23”, and that Oakville Council reject the current proposals for the Official Plan Amendment pertaining to Midtown based on the following:

Bill 23

Bill 23, which was passed into legislation in late November 2022 implemented significant changes to the Planning Act, which will cause negative impacts on communities in Ontario including Oakville. 

The key changes were the requirement by municipalities to adopt zoning by-law amendments implementing policies identifying protected major transit station areas and associated maximum densities and minimum and maximum heights.

The Planning Act of Ontario, along with associated Provincial Policy statements, which have existed for many years, has provided a good framework for regulating and controlling development in the province. The Planning Act is sufficiently well worded to allow good planning practice to be maintained under a variety of circumstances, paying close attention to the specific nature of the land under development. Bill 23 sets out rules which ignore such a practice, setting specific rules for a particular parcel of land.

The provisions of Bill 23 via Midtown will have a negative impact on Oakville with devastating long-term effects and will destroy the nature and fabric of the Town of Oakville causing significant social and civil problems in the future. 

Midtown Proposed Development Area

In Oakville, the Midtown Oakville proposal encompasses 103 hectares adjacent to the Oakville Go station and has been defined under Bill 23 as a Major Transit Station Area (“MTSA”.)  Under Bill 23 such an area is required to meet or exceed a minimum density target of 200 residents and jobs per hectare which translates into 20,000 residents and jobs for the MTSA. The Midtown land parcel stretches from 16-mile Creek in the west and Chartwell Road in the east. Its northern section begins at the QEW and finishes in the south at Cornwall Drive. The arterial roads of Trafalgar and Ford Drive form the only two access points from the QEW to southeast Oakville. The Ford plant restricts any further access and would turn Southeast Oakville effectively into an island. It would also make it almost impossible for computers to access the Go station from many parts of Oakville, the station being the second busiest in the GTA.

The Midtown Oakville proposal contains a proposed road network to address the serious traffic issues associated with the development proposal. No costing has been obtained at present by the Town of Oakville. It seems apparent from the road network proposed, including extensive work for connections to the QEW, that capital projects will be required at an enormous cost to the Town and its taxpayers. The projects will also lead to huge disruptions in the Town for many years.  The road network was also based upon a traffic study undertaken in 2014 with a minor update in 2017. Traffic conditions, particularly on the QEW, have changed significantly since then.

After careful consideration, the Council directed the Planning Department to review the comments made at the public meeting in May 2023 and amend the Official Plan Amendment before the fourth quarter of 2023. However, we believe that significant changes will not be made to the proposed density levels due to the requirements mandated by Bill 23. 

Many Oakville residents have voiced their opposition to the Midtown proposal due to the inclusion of many 50 to 60 storey buildings in the proposed development area, the density being on par with Manhattan, the significant traffic congestion that will ensue, the lack of infrastructure to support the proposed development area, and the fact that the proposals do not fit within the character of Oakville.

The Midtown Development area as being proposed will have significant and devasting long-term negative effects on Oakville.