holy jumpin!!!
an additional 8410 housing units over the next 6 years!! I really hope they widen or make more roads... this is crazy!!!
https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story ... t-6-years/Milton council has given the go-ahead for future housing developments under the Region of Halton's allocation program for 2020, which will also determine municipal servicing extension such as water and sewer.
In the Monday night (Jan. 20) meeting, Planning and Development Commissioner Barb Koopmans shared that the town has received expressions of interest from developers and landowners to build 8,410 housing units over the next six years.
“Specific expressions of interest were received for 4,563 SDEs (single-detached equivalent units) in the Boyne survey; 709 SDEs in the Sherwood survey, including Milton Heights; 372 SDEs in the Bristol survey; and 2,766 SDEs in what will be the Trafalgar secondary plan area,” said Koopmans.
Combined with allocation from previous programs, the total is 12,274 units.
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AFFORDABLE UNITS
Of the new allocation, only 60 units are listed as affordable purpose-built units.
Coun. Kristina Tesser Derksen sought clarification whether developers were mandated to set aside certain number of units for affordable housing. Koopmans responded it wasn’t the case; these were simply “the expression of interest of a particular developer identifying that they were interested in building that many units.”
“It’d be nice to see a higher number, but still we’ll take what we can get,” Derksen replied.
MILTON HEIGHTS
Derksen also raised the issue of some Milton Heights residents who are without servicing.
“If this does move forward … do you foresee there being an opportunity not long thereafter for those existing residents to get access to municipal services?” she asked.
“Once the infrastructure is available to Milton Heights, the region will look at a program based on the interest of the residents in terms of what can be extended,” Koopmans answered. “For the west side of Tremaine Road, there’s a different process that would have to be followed. Currently, that area is outside of what is eligible for servicing based on the regional policies.”
“That would have to happen between the Niagara Escarpment Commission, the region, and the town.”
USE IT OR LOSE IT
Coun. Colin Best questioned whether there is “an expiration date” on any of the allocations, and cited concern about builders not following through on their commitment.
“Any specific cut-off date that if you don’t use this allocation you lose it?” he asked.
Koopmans said while she’s unfamiliar with the specific terms of the agreement, in the past there’s a renewal clause where the allocation could go back to the region for distribution.
“I encourage staff to monitor that because there’s been some builders who have allocation for, like, 13 years but still haven’t used it,” Best responded.
On the same topic, Mayor Gord Krantz inquired about the mechanism being used to ensure that builders will use the allocations in a timely manner.
“The region does retain some discretion through the allocation agreements themselves to look at factors like that. But, because of the financial commitment that the developers are making, it’s highly unusual that they would sit on it for an extended period of time – unless there was some prerequisite condition that was out of their control that they couldn’t satisfy,” the commissioner explained.
PLACES OF WORSHIP
Coun. Rick Di Lorenzo questioned whether or not the developments would accommodate the need for places of worship. Koopmans said there had been initial discussion with landowners in the new area, and staff will continue to work with various faith communities to identify potential sites.
PUBLIC DELEGATION
Resident Wendy Roberts, who was the sole public delegate, raised some concerns — among others — on how future development might affect “a fairly sensitive area” in Milton Heights.
Koopmans said that for any lands that weren’t previously part of plans of a subdivision — the town will hold public meetings where community members can come and address council prior to any development approval.