Quote:
Originally Posted by lachlanholmes
I agree, actually! Among other planning/development/housing policy issues, it's important to me to vote for a party that will stand in favour of a body that puts planning disputes to land use experts, allows proposals to be fairly assessed, that recognizes the dire need to build new housing, and that ensures urban growth can happen despite the frequency and volume of NIMBY pandering to local officials.
...which also happens to be known as the OLT.
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Burlington has taken up the anti-downtown-growth flag quite furiously. Plus, the way council and city voices attack these proposals sets up a poor relationship with the developers from the get-go. That helps nothing.
There are limitations and there's a point too much density will be inappropriate for the city, but I think that point is still far away. However, I do agree having the land tribunal ultimately calling the shots the way they have been is not right.
What sticks in my craw is the columnists who trot out the same old reasons why a development is a wrong fit. This particular one was a city and regional councillor -- Burlington is a product of the leadership of her day! Her commentaries tend to be about traffic impacts, parking, building height, etc., and don't reflect the present realities and challenges the city is facing; they also seem to pander to the NIMBY crowd. And these opinions play out for developments all across town, not just the city centre. Stagnation is not an option, and nor is maintaining the car-focused urban fabric that was promoted by councils of decades past... yet we don't see progressive ideas, just conclusions like "The OLT should be this year’s provincial ballot question"... well, it won't be. And while that decision-making process hardened under the PCs, it's going to take time to switch to a more inclusive method of approving developments, and that may not even be a priority for a new Liberal or NDP government should they win the upcoming election.