[thistleclub]

New housing near Aerotropolis won’t fly: councillors
(Hamilton Spectator, Matthew Van Dongen, Dec 19 2013)

Landowners seeking once again to carve out a chunk of airport employment lands for residential development say they're looking beyond the controversial aerotropolis battle.

So far, city officials aren't impressed with the vision.

A group of six landowners near the airport have pitched a "concept plan" to the city that includes setting aside about 70 hectares of land with frontage along Twenty Road for future residential development.

The Ontario Municipal Board recently approved the bitterly contested urban boundary expansion to add 555 hectares of new employment lands near the airport but also specifically shot down the idea of new housing.

"We're looking towards a future urban boundary expansion," said Ward Cameron, a member of the landowners group and president of Starward Homes. "We're not asking for residential approval out of this board hearing. We know that's not possible."

Cameron pointed out the city needs to shrink its original 662-hectare vision for aerotropolis, so setting aside 70 hectares as a "special policy area" should be possible. He added that existing residential along Twenty Road makes the area less suitable for employments lands.

He acknowledged a separate urban boundary expansion would be required to make new housing a reality in the currently rural-classified area.

The city would have to do another comprehensive review to prove a need for another urban boundary expansion for residential purposes, said airport development director Guy Paparella.

"I guess you can argue any position you want … but I don't think we're going to be revisiting history," said Paparella, who will deliver a report on possible boundaries for the employment lands in January. Council's position will go to the OMB late in the year.

Citizens at City Hall (CATCH) has posted maps of the concept plan and raised concerns about the potential servicing implications in the area.

The unsolicited pitch isn't popular with two ward councillors near the airport, either.

"I wasn't a fan of this (aerotropolis) decision in the first place," said Binbrook Councillor Brenda Johnson, who is a first-term councillor. "But regardless, taxpayers have now paid a lot of money ensuring this entire expansion is devoted to employment lands."

Ancaster Councillor Lloyd Ferguson, an aerotropolis fan, said he doesn't want to "waste time" on the idea. "The whole purpose of this exercise is to create jobs and businesses to ease the burden on the residential property taxpayer," he said. "I'm not moving off that strategy."