I've called my townhouse in 34 Mistywood Drive home for the past 17 years. My children have grown up here, playing in the yard and forming close bonds with the other families in our community. Like many others, our home isn't just bricks and mortar—it's where memories are made. However, this precious part of our lives is being threatened by plans to demolish our beloved complex in favour of a new stacked apartment building.

The thought of replacing our charming homes with towering apartments is heartbreaking for all of us who value the suburban tranquility and tight-knit community we've built. Not only is our way of life in jeopardy, but the development will bring heavy traffic to our previously serene area, creating congestion and increasing risks for our children who walk and bike to school. This isn't just about preserving the charm and peace of our neighborhood—it's about protecting a community.

Numerous studies show that densely populated urban developments lead to increased traffic and a higher likelihood of accidents. Additional stress on our road system is inevitable when such high-density housing projects are introduced. Our community deserves better than to be bulldozed for profit, losing valuable green spaces and disrupting our communal bonds.

Our homes represent stability, memory, and future—for us, our children, and generations to come. Help us protect the places we love and the future of our communities by signing this petition. Together, we can make sure our voices are heard and that development occurs in a way that benefits everyone.

Concerns:

Exceeding local planning limits: The City of Hamilton's Official Plan Amendment (UHOPA-26-002) reveals the proposal requests a density of 60 units per hectare, violating the current low-density residential cap of 30 to 49 units per hectare.

Excessive building height: Local bylaws limit height in this pocket to 11 metres (roughly 3 storeys), whereas the proposed 6-storey building completely alters the low-rise visual profile of the immediate streetscape.

Massive landfill contributions: Demolishing dozens of functional townhomes built in 1991 creates immense physical waste. Up to 20% of Canadian landfill waste stems from construction and demolition debris.

Loss of embodied energy: Tearing down structures that are only about 35 years old expends unnecessary carbon compared to deep retrofits or building on actual vacant land.

Traffic and local safety: Injecting 128 units onto Mistywood Drive significantly increases localized vehicular traffic. This creates congestion at neighborhood intersections and poses safety concerns for nearby seniors housing (like Paramount Place).

Loss of open green space: Multi-residential apartment blocks typically replace the sprawling, open grass layout of traditional block townhomes with larger building footprints and concrete parking areas.

Displacement of vulnerable families: Tearing down the existing townhomes directly displaces current rent-geared-to-income and rent-controlled low-income families.

School and community disruption: Displaced families face moving expenses and the stress of uprooting children from local neighborhood schools. 

The "interim housing" gap: Construction takes years, leaving vulnerable residents to face an intensely competitive and expensive Hamilton rental market with an uncertain timeline for returning to the newly built units.