[thistleclub]

Plan to grow Fruitland-Winona by 21,000 people postponed
(CBC Hamilton, Samantha Craggs, Nov 20 2013)

A plan that would see the Fruitland and Winona area grow by as much as 21,000 residents in the next 20 years has been postponed a little longer.

At a marathon meeting Tuesday that included emotional pleas from residents, the city’s planning committee voted to table the Fruitland-Winona Secondary plan — also known as Stoney Creek Urban Boundary Expansion (SCUBE) — until March.

In that time, Coun. Brenda Johnson of Ward 11 will work with residents to try to address some of the fears brought up by a crowd of about 200 at Tuesday’s meeting. Those fears includes population density, traffic and the location of parks and other amenities.

"This is an excellent opportunity for us,” Johnson said after the meeting. “We get another chance to try and resolve some issues that weren't working.”

The plan, which lays out where in the Winona area future development can occur, has been in the works for years. The city actually approved the SCUBE plan — complete with a public consultation process — in June. But shortly after that, the province approved the city’s new Urban Hamilton Official Plan, which cancelled out the Fruitland-Winona one. Now council must go through the process and approve it again.

The community still has several worries. Among them: the character of the neighbourhood, the influx of traffic, and what impact buildings as high as four stories would have on tender fruit growers....

Whatever the city decides, the ultimate SCUBE plan will likely be determined at the Ontario Municipal Board, said Coun. Chad Collins. About 16 residents and organizations appealed the plan in June.

“Whatever changes we make, this plan will still go to the OMB,” he said. “But if there’s an opportunity to meet people halfway, let’s do it.”

The city needs to make a decision though, he said. For Hamilton to keep growing, developers need land.

"We need to have so much in our inventory in terms of developable land to compete with the Oakvilles and the Miltons and the Grimsbies who are offering that kind of housing stock," he said.

"If we want to see the kind of development we've seen continue over the next number of years, we need something to be able to sell to get people to move to Hamilton."