Let me summarize
The Aerotropolis lands are currently outside of the municipal boundary.
The fight right now is for the Province to allow Hamilton to expand its municipal boundary in order to envelop the Airotropolis lands (by the way, the amount of land included in the full AEGD plan is about the same size as the bay):
If approved, the city will be responsible for zoning the lands.
Now, the sales pitch form the city is that the lands will be zoned industrial. They claim that we need this industrial land in order to attract new businesses.
Problem is, we already have a bunch of land that is equally accessible (some moreso) and yet no one is clamouring to move there. In fact, council voted recently to allow conversion of super-premium industrial land by the QEW to commercial for a wal-mart. If we can afford to be converting land by the QEW FROM industrial, how can we argue we need more of it way the hell out by the airport? (you'll notice most of the AEGD doesn't even abut the highway 6 extension)
Next problem: servicing the land. The current water and sewer system up there is only sufficient for servicing the northernmost edge of the proposed urban boundary expansion. To develop the meat of it, the taxpayers are going to be on the hook for a new trunk sewer line, plus all of the water and sewer lines required within the AEGD. These costs will be up front. The trunk sewer alone is 175 million (quoted several years ago, probably more now). The minimum buy in for all of the servicing is conservatively estimated at 450-500 million. Up front.
Another interesting note... watch this video that shows the path that the new sewer line will take:
http://www.aerotropoliscosts.ca/cont...-map-and-cost/
Now - imagine we build this line and service aerotropolis. We are going to go into HUGE debt to do so. We may attract a few businesses up there. But what happens when we have to face the reality of paying this off?
Residential sprawl. The land up there will be slowly converted, bit by bit, into residential.
And now, conveniently, we blasted a trunk sewer through a bunch more farmland en route to the AEGD. Might as well start allowing sprawl houses there too! After all, it's the only option we have to pay this infrastructure debt off!
Why is there an OMB fight?
Some people live up there and don't want this new development.
There are a bunch of people fighting this because they own land up there and it's NOT included, but they want it to be included because they want to cash in on future development.
Others are fighting it because they argue that their land is more suited to residential development than industrial (read: sprawl homes) -- Take note: a bunch of land up there is already owned by residential sprawl developers. Anyone who has been convinced that this is about jobs has had the wool pulled over their eyes.
The fight being outlined in the spectator is organized by those who see the enormous costs of this, and the lack of return.
We are running an infrastructure deficit. We just spent $400,000 on consultants to try to engage citizens to figure out where we can cut in order to solve the problem. ANd you think that spending $400,000,000 is the answer?
If you really think this is "left-wing nut"ism, I don't know what to say other than I guess left wing nuts are just really good at math.