Town of Milton adopts seven-step policy to address needs of local faith groups

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Published July 18, 2022 at 1:59 pm

The Town of Milton has adopted a seven-step policy aimed at addressing the needs of diverse faith groups.

Using a “places of worship” survey in late 2020 to help staff understand the land use needs and concerns of our faith groups staff researched potential policy options to facilitate and support the establishment of new places of worship through Milton’s new Official Plan project, called We Make Milton.

Here are the policy directions recommended by staff and agreed to by council:

  1. Encourage and support the establishment of new places of worship as part of our planning for complete communities
  2. Ensure that faith groups are engaged early in the planning process (i.e., for area/secondary plans and strategic growth areas)
  3. Provide more direction for the use of site reservation policies for places of worship in new secondary plans/area studies
  4. Clearly define size and location criteria to distinguish between major versus minor places of worship
  5. Provide a clearer set of definitions for place of worship, accessory uses, auxiliary uses, community infrastructure, and other related terms
  6. Encourage and support places of worship as shared/ co-located uses
  7. Provide enhanced direction for parking and other site requirements for places of worship, to be implemented through zoning

There are currently three applications in front of the Town for new places of worship:

  • St. George & St. Abanoub Coptic Orthodox Church, 555 Steeles Ave. E
  • Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, 1456 Bronte St. S.
  • Islamic Community Centre of Milton, 8069 Esquesing Line

For more information about the policy, visit the Town website.

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