Should residents have more say in Burlington developments?

Published October 9, 2019 at 2:20 pm

Burlington ward 4 councillor Shawna Stolte introduced a motion at Tuesday’s Planning and Development Committee meeting that could give residents more say in infill development.

Burlington ward 4 councillor Shawna Stolte introduced a motion at Tuesday’s Planning and Development Committee meeting that could give residents more say in infill development.

“Residential infill developments are becoming increasingly more common in many neighbourhoods of the city,” reads the motion proposed by Stolte. “Appropriate infill development that conforms to the character of the neighbourhood is a necessary and welcome component of the growth of our community.”

“As Burlington continues to evolve, it has become evident that the existing Planning Process and subsequent construction management process are not addressing the needs of residents and neighbourhoods, not just in the Character Study Areas but across the city.”

Public pressure in 2013 resulted in the creation of Character Area Studies in neighbourhoods such as Indian Point, Shoreacres, and Roseland. The City of Burlington says they began to engage residents through meetings, interviews, and walking tours–with the purpose of exploring issues such as the protection of trees, the demolition and permitting process, incompatible redevelopment, as well as the impacts of infill development on existing neighbourhoods.

Under Stolte’s motion, the Director of City Building would be directed to “include broad stakeholder perspectives in the 2019 Planning Process Review, including residents who reside in proximity to infill development applications and to consider recommending the implementation of effective Construction Management Strategies in order to protect adjacent properties throughout the infill development process.”

Infill development is the process of developing vacant or under-used parcels within existing urban areas that are already largely developed.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising