Councillors say local Hamilton taxpayers stand to lose through revamp of growth plan

City councillors are taking the province to task over planning policy they argue could place a greater burden on Hamilton taxpayers to cover the cost of sprawling development.

Their concerns revolve around the Ontario government's effort to update its growth plan with population and employment forecasts 30 years into the future.

Cities rely on development charges to help pay for the public infrastructure to service expansion, including roads, sewers and fire halls. Rates are set in advance based on expected growth. But if forecasts fall short, local residents are left holding the bag.

That's a risk to us financially," Coun. John-Paul Danko said, because it's city taxpayers that end up picking up this cost in subsidizing development.'

On Tuesday, councillors heard staff's concerns about pinning local plans on the latest provincial forecasts, which in one scenario predicts Hamilton's population will hit 850,000 in 2051, up from 780,000 in 2041.

It's difficult to anticipate how social, economic and market changes might influence growth 30 years from now, planner Heather Travis said.

If the real population and employment numbers don't keep pace with forecasts, the city has to find another way to pay for infrastructure, she noted. We'll be looking at debt-financing future growth."

In addition to the revised forecasts to 2051, staff outlined concerns about identifying land to accommodate the projected growth, which could result in larger-than-needed expansions of the urban boundaries.

That's irks Danko, who said in an interview that the city has fought to curb urban sprawl for years. Premier Doug Ford's government throws all that out the window, really," he said.

During the meeting, Coun. Maureen Wilson was critical of the province's focus on market demands, a Walmart" and drive-thru" approach that ignores all the evidence of what makes for healthy, sustainable development."

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing said the province is reviewing the municipal feedback it received last month.

No final decisions have been made," Conrad Spezowka wrote in an email.

But extending forecasts to 2051 would align more closely" with provincial policy to make sufficient land available to accommodate an appropriate range of mix of uses to meet projected needs for up to 25 years," he said.

Revised forecasts would provide updated numbers for municipalities to plan and manage their growth, including determining land and infrastructure needs. This supports our government's priority of increasing housing supply and promoting economic recovery ..."

Also Tuesday, Lynda Lukasik, executive director of Environment Hamilton, blasted the province for potentially opening up land with sensitive habitats to the aggregate industry.

The Ford government is actively dismantling the planning policies that we urgently need right now to support an intensification-first approach to growth management in the Greater Golden Horseshoe."

A local development consortium pushing for an urban-boundary expansion in Glanbrook under a new provincial mechanism applauds recent provincial changes.

Government must be nimble" in responding to a shortage of housing stock, John Corbett, a planning consultant representing the developers, said at the Twenty Road West field.

Right now, the city's in dire need of housing. It needs jobs. It's in need of revenue. This application's a gaping opportunity."

If you want to plan for growth, we're ready to go," added Mario Roque of Liv Communities. Services are here. We can be finished here before they start somewhere else."

Teviah Moro is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: tmoro@thespec.com