This comprehensive piece of legislation, which amends 10 pieces of legislation including the Planning Act, the Municipal Act, the Conservation Authorities Act and Ontario Heritage Act, went from introduction to law in just 35 days. This despite wide and reasonable opposition from municipalities and others who see it not only as unnecessarily intrusive but also unlikely to achieve its goal of building more homes faster.
City of Hamilton staff prepared excellent reports that summarize some of the challenges the bill creates. Here is a partial list of what it will do:
- Limit the role of the Conservation Authorities in development approvals to natural hazards only while uploading natural heritage reviews to municipalities.
- Weaken the conservation of land and protection of significant environmental features, allowing development within areas worthy of protection.
- Limit tools for the conservation of cultural heritage resources and may result in possible loss of significant local cultural heritage resources.
- Remove mechanisms to promote good architectural design and require sustainability features through the site plan control process.
- Eliminate appeal rights for the public on Planning Act applications and reduces overall public engagement and involvement.
- Restrict the ability to secure appropriate parkland and recreational amenities to meet community needs.
- Limit the City’s ability to require replacement rental units, cash-in-lieu for replacement units, and other tenant supports when a conversion or demolition is proposed.
- May result in cost awards being made against the City where it is unsuccessful in an appeal at the Ontario Land Tribunal; and,
- Result in unilateral decision making to the Minister on matters of Provincial Interest and removes the ability of the City to engage with the minister to resolve issues.
- Cost the city tens of millions of dollars in lost development fees and other charges that pay for the sewer, water, roads and all the other infrastructure needed for new development, pushing those costs onto taxpayers and/or slowing the pace of infrastructure and thus slowing the growth the province says it wants.
Read the reports here https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=343091 and click to get the reports on items 11.3, 11.4 and 11.5 in this agenda https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=1702c09c-beab-4232-b733-b26735f4b48a&Agenda=Merged&lang=English