By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca
A proposal to transform 101 acres of agricultural land into an industrial zone has sparked opposition from Eighth Line residents.
At a public meeting on Dec. 8, residents voiced strong opposition to the Maple Mist Development Corporation’s application.
The developer is asking the Town of Halton Hills to add two properties, totalling 101 acres, to its Premier Gateway Employment Area.
The properties, located on Eighth Line south of 5 Sideroad, are currently included in the town’s prime agricultural area and border on the north end of the urban boundary and Premier Gateway land.
In November, the town approved a new set of guidelines to review landowner proposals seeking their properties to be included inside the municipal urban boundary.
Nick Wood, representing Maple Mist, said the project is a “logical extension” of the Premier Gateway Employment Area.
He stated the development could:
Create up to 861 new jobs.
Utilize infrastructure already planned for the area.
Conform to provincial and regional official plans.
Neighbours argued the proposal contradicts the town’s official plan, specifically noting that the urban boundary was already adjusted in 2024 to accommodate growth through 2051.
Marguerite Newhook, who has lived next to the property for 25 years, emphasized that the official plan promises stable residential areas and appropriate transitions, not heavy industry next to homes.
“This project, as proposed, does not meet those expectations,” Newhook said.
Resident Catherine Dimech echoed the sentiment and said “converting rural land to industrial use, it undermines the town’s official plan.”
Beyond policy, Newhook described Eighth Line as already “unbearable” and unsafe for pedestrians, fearing that adding industrial trucks will exacerbate the danger.
Resident Mike Dias found it odd to consider allowing large industrial buildings when residents in the area have been denied building permits.
He recalled that “if you wanted to build a barn or workshop or shed on your property, it would have to fall within 100 square feet and you would have to apply for a permit.”
He added that his “neighbours were denied because the shop would be a little too high or too close to the fence.
“And now we’re going to have a factory or warehouse built across the road and we don’t know how big it’s going to be,” Dias said.
Compounding the frustration, several residents claimed they never received official notice of the public meeting, despite living within the notification zone.
Town staff will review the feedback and prepare a recommendation report for council to determine the fate of the application at a later date.
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