Burlington’s single-home areas threatened
Coun. Meed Ward announces she will run against Mayor Goldring this fall
As Burlington reaches build-out, different scenarios are appearing.
At one time, single-family neighbourhoods were sacrosanct. But last week the planning committee approved 20 townhouses where R3.1 single homes are zoned — and not in a designated intensification area.
Ebenezer Canadian Reformed Church owns property that stretched from Dynes Road east to the Hydro right-of-way. In 1960, it sold the back portion, which became John Calvin Christian School, now demolished and owned by DiCarlo Homes. DiCarlo needed an OPA (official plan amendment) and rezoning to build the proposed 25 units — two semis and 23 townhouses. After a neighbourhood meeting, they reduced that to 20 townhouses.
School access was through the church property. Resident Chris Pritchard provided a copy of the deed, to “the parties of the second part, their successors and assigns,” which includes a right-of-way over church lands. Access is a huge issue. The city, however, owns a one-foot reserve south of the property to the dead end stub of Maplehill Drive, meaning they can extend dead-end Maplehill to the townhouses.
The church apparently told the company it couldn’t use the right-ofway, and it agreed; but property owner and professional planner Marsha Paley told the committee there’s a process needed to remove a right-ofway. The city supports access through Maplehill for safety reasons. Problems exist using that strip — emergency access, garbage pickup, snow clearing, etc. But this leaves Maplehill and area residents feeling betrayed. And they worry that the church will change hands, too.
The previous night, the committee had heard from residents around Brant Street. National Homes owns 11.1 ha (27.2 acres) at 2100 Brant, north of Tyandaga. Only 5.4 ha (13.3 acres) are developable, zoned R2.2 (detached homes on large lots). They want 233 townhouses, which, again, requires both an OPA and rezoning
As with the Dynes proposal, I found the context of the planning reports misleading. Both compared proposals to standard townhouse zones, instead of comparing them to requirements of their single-family zones. And both need deviations even from townhouse standards — major relief in the case of National Homes. Undoubtedly, intensification is behind the reports; but to me, it’s wrong — compare them to the house standards, and to other townhouse zones.
Delegations were superb — well organized individuals dealing with different aspects of the proposal (e.g. compatibility with the area, storm drainage, Brant Street traffic pressures, access to Brant, etc.). Two groups opposed the application, homeowners north of the site and south owners of Wellington Green townhouse condos, who noted that they are constantly re-waterproofing their underground parking garage at huge expense because of heavy water flow over that area’s dense clay.
The committee said these were the most effective delegations they’d heard. This was a statutory public hearing to collect input, with no recommendation.
Will staff recommend 233 units here? I doubt it.
• Halleluiah! A committee has finally approved a council code of conduct. Staff has had one for years. When these same council members were elected in 2010, they promised a code. It was discussed several times, ad nauseam — even with consultants — but councillors always found something they didn’t like, and in July 2015, referred it to city manager James Ridge to rewrite.
To his credit, committee succumbed. (Marianne Meed Ward and Mayor Rick Goldring supported it all along). The province recently made codes mandatory and said if councils don’t adopt one, one will be imposed.
Burlington’s is called a code of good governance, but it reads too bureaucratically. For example: “To set out in a manner that is aspirational and proactive, clear expectations of the governance behaviour of members.”
Most people would Google code of conduct, but Ridge explained that it should be more “aspirational” — positive — instead of full of ‘Thou shalt nots.”
He sought members’ opinions individually. Previous discussions were always public. Are any other issues canvassed privately?
At least they adopted a code, whatever it’s called. It, and the Dynes Road approval, go to council April 23.
• Late Flash! Meed Ward has just announced she will challenge Mayor Goldring in the Oct. 22 election.