By: Laura Steiner/Local Journalism Initiative
A group of concerned local residents are appealing a recent decision made by Milton Council to the Ontario Land Tribunal. (OLT) The decision approved a controversial development at the northwest corner of Bronte, and Main St.
The development, brought forward by Durante group will see two residential towers (one at 17 storeys, and one at 18 storeys) built on the space of the former TSC Store. Over twenty speakers addressed Council at their June 21, 2021 meeting, citing concerns over traffic, parking, and the building height. The development was approved in a recorded vote of 5-3.
The residents, known collectively as Our Milton would like the OLT to take a second look at the decision. “We decided to appeal the decision in the hopes that the Ontario Land Tribunal will bring some common sense to the table,” Caley French said via an email.
The development is directly across from the area known as a Heritage district, and traffic jams The report recommends fewer parking spots for the condo towers. Residents fear that additional parking will spill onto the surrounding roads, which could also be used by motorists to avoid traffic jams.
The group hasn’t heard from either the Town of Milton, or the developer itself. “It is a shame that the Town of Milton will now be defending the decision on behalf of the developer rather than the local citizens,” French said. Milton’s population is expected to increase to 238,000 by 2031. The Region of Halton is projected to have a population of over 1.1 million within the next 20 years.
The Town is in the middle of an Official Plan Review, which will see changes made to building rules affecting the community until 2051. Milton has been designated a Place to Grow. One of the ways to accomplish that is through intensification- a policy that sees growth up through the use of condo towers like these, instead of single family homes. Development in the downtown area is further hampered by the fact that land on the north side of Main St. between Martin and Bronte, has been designated as a flood plain.
French stresses the Our Milton group is in favour of development, as long as it’s strategic. He says. “We are doing what is right to try and ensure our heritage area and downtown core remain safe and accessible to all residents.” The group has a petition against the development that has gathered just under 2000 signatures.
To learn more about Our Milton- Miltonians for Sensible Development visit their Facebook page. They are starting to fundraise for legal costs associated with the appeal estimated to be between $10-30,000 depending on how long the appeal will take. Interested residents can donate via e-transfer sent to: ourmiltonfunding@gmail.com
Discover more from The Milton Reporter
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
