OMB not protecting public’s interest

Re Teed off, March 28 The spokesman for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing says “the government continues to see a need for an independent appeal body that can hear planning matters that are often complex, in order to protect long-term public interests.”

Since when does “protecting long-term public interests” mean paving over remaining green spaces? When does an independent (and unelected) appeal body, namely the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), protect the public interest by ruling in favour of a 730-house development on Newmarket’s Glenway golf course that was not in the town’s official plan and had significant council and resident opposition to it?

Protecting the long-term public interest means thinking about the future and figuring out a plan to protect the quality of our air, water and land for generations to come. It means a lot of things, but it does not mean ignoring the official plans of our cities and “putting masses of people where they aren’t planned for.”

I disagree that there is a need for an independent appeal body, particularly an unelected one, but if the government sees such a need, maybe they need to find another body. The OMB is not doing the job of protecting long-term public interests. Renee Sandelowsky, Oakville

Katie Trusler calls the plan to build 184 houses on 41hectares of land in Aurora insane. I live in Oakville’s Ward 4 where both Sawwhet and Glen Abbey golf courses are located. If development plans here get approved, more than 4,000 housing units plus some commercial development will replace these two cherished green spaces. Insane is the word that comes to my mind, too.

I applaud Aurora Councillor Tom Mrakas for stepping up and taking aim at the province and its unelected and unaccountable OMB. It’s high time for the province to give democratically elected municipal politicians the final say in planning decisions. It’s also time to give municipalities more tools to ensure the preservation of our remaining green spaces before they are all gone. Iris McGee, Oakville

We should scrap the OMB or city planning departments. We don’t need both.

Ontario is the only province with a body like the OMB. Are city planners not capable of making decisions that are in the best interests of their citizens? If not, why have them? The OMB is on the side of developers 99 per cent of the time.

We have gone through something similar in my area and the threat of the OMB was ever present if the citizens didn’t go along with the proposed development. Changes need to be made. Marian Hogan, Mississauga