‘Last hope’ effort made to stop development at Burlington golf course

Burlington is trying again to stop a housing development at a local golf course.

City Hall has prepared a motion asking the provincial government to step in and halt plans to build homes on the grounds of Millcroft Golf Club.

The motion will be put before city council for endorsement at its next meeting on July 16.

The motion asks Premier Doug Ford and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to issue a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) to preserve the current greenspace.

An MZO, according to Queens Park, is meant for situations of extraordinary urgency to override planning decisions.

Burlington asked for an MZO a year ago but the request was ignored.

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said the move is necessary in the wake of the recent decision by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) to approve the golf course development despite strong local opposition. The OLT is the body that rules on land disputes in Ontario.

The mayor said the request is “our last hope” to save the greenspace at Millcroft before construction crews move in and start building the 90 homes and small apartment building.

Last month the OLT ruled the project could proceed even though residents, the City of Burlington and Halton Region are against the plan.

Those opposed argued that development on the site would take away local public control over land that may be considered environmentally sensitive. They said replacing greenspace with homes will affect flood management, kill off wildlife and create traffic problems in surrounding neighbourhoods.

The OLT disagreed stating the development was appropriate for the area.

Argo Development Corporation, the Burlington-based builder behind the housing project, has stated the golf course would remain but be reduced in size and that the additional housing was needed to meet current local demand.