Oakville council officially calls on Ontario Premier Doug Ford government to protect Glen Abbey golf course
Oakville council voted unanimously during a special meeting on Tuesday, July 6 to officially call upon the province to protect Glen Abbey Golf Club.
In its resolution council requested that Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark issue a Minister's Zoning Order (MZO) and use three other provincial tools to block a developer's plans for the golf course.
The MZO is a tool the minister of Municipal Affairs has at his disposal to determine how land is used.
The resolution also calls on the minister to:
enact special legislation to ensure the conservation of the Glen Abbey Golf Course cultural heritage landscape
issue an order establishing the Glen Abbey Golf Course lands as a development planning area, under the Ontario Planning and Development Act, to ensure the conservation of the golf course
advise the Ontario Land Tribunal under section 22 (11.1) and section 17 (51) of the Planning Act that a matter of provincial interest is, or is likely to be, adversely affected by the proposed development of the Glen Abbey Golf Club.
The resolution was brought forward by Oakville Mayor Rob Burton after Oakville MPP Stephen Crawford suggested requesting an MZO.
The motion was moved and seconded by Ward 2 Councillors Cathy Duddeck and Ray Chisholm.
Glen Abbey Golf Club owner ClubLink has applied for a zoning change that will allow it to build 3,222 residential units at the 1333 Dorval Dr., site, including nine apartment buildings between nine and 12 storeys.
The company also wants to build 121,000 square feet of new office and retail space at the site.
ClubLink has pointed out that the valley lands, about 124 acres of the Glen Abbey property, would become permanent, publicly-accessible green space through this plan.
Town staff have argued that that amount of development is not permitted, or appropriate, for the site and would amount to an unplanned growth area.
Oakville council voted unanimously to reject ClubLink's development application for Glen Abbey Golf Course on Sept. 27, 2018 and its demolition application on Feb. 12, 2018.
ClubLink has appealed these decisions to the Ontario Land Tribunal, formally known as the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.
A virtual hearing on this matter is scheduled to begin Aug. 9 and last for approximately 19 weeks.