OMB rules in favour of Aerotropolis plan
CBC News Posted: Jul 8, 2013 12:57 PM ET Last Updated: Jul 8, 2013 1:55 PM ET
The largest urban boundary expansion in Hamilton's history is going ahead, as the Ontario Municipal Board has ruled in the city's favour on the size of the airport employment lands.
In its ruling, the board dismissed appeals from both Environment Hamilton and Hamiltonians for Progressive Development and accepted the city's argument that a net of 55 hectares of employment lands are needed.
The expansion is necessary for employment opportunities, said OMB Vice-Chair J.V. Zuidema in the decision.
“The board orders that the appeals of EH and HPD on Phase 2 are dismissed and that 555 net ha is required to meet the forecasted demand for employment land to the year 2031,” she wrote.
The ruling was dated July 3. It was the latest step in a 10-year process to open up about 720 hectares around the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport to long-term development.
Opponents to the plan say the expansion is unnecessary, and could have a negative impact on the environment and use up good farmland.
The city says it will attract jobs, economic development and as much as $70 million per year in taxes by 2031.
Ward 2 Coun. Jason Farr wouldn't say if he was pleased with the decision yet because he hasn't had a chance to look at it in-depth. But he did say this:
"It comes down to opportunities. I am not on for any kind of residential development up there. I never will be. I’ve had assurances from all over this hall that that’s never going to be the case," Farr told CBC Hamilton. "This is industrial-commercial. This is jobs, jobs, jobs. That’s what we need and we need it all over the city."
"When the folks from economic development are saying we need more of that space available to compete, and that’s what that industry out there is desiring, then we need to try to make that work. But certainly not from a residential standpoint."
This phase of the hearing dealt primarily with whether the city needs that much land and whether it followed an appropriate process.
http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/stor...-decision.html
There is also a poll and a copy of the actual ruling with this story.
Did the OMB make the right decision allowing the city an urban expansion around the airport for employment lands?