Here’s the Latest on What’s Happening with the Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville

Halton | Oakville | Ontario | Latest News |

Published June 18, 2019 at 12:52 pm

Now that it’s starting to get warmer (and golfing weather is here) many people may be wondering what’s been happening with the Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville.

Now that it’s starting to get warmer (and golfing weather is here) many people may be wondering what’s been happening with the Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville.

As many may remember, back in September of last year, inhalton.com reported that ClubLink was filing an application to remove and demolish the golf course, and all buildings on the land – aside from the ones covered under the redevelopment proposal.

ClubLink has proposed a mixed complex that includes 3,222 residential units, 121,000 square feet of commercial space and roughly 124 acres of permanent, publicly-accessible green space.

However, in efforts to save the golf course, town council designated Glen Abbey as a property of cultural heritage value or interest on Dec. 20, 2017.

That said, a decision issued back in December of 2018 by Justice Morgan of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has quashed the town’s Cultural Heritage Landscape Conservation Plan and the associated by-laws for Glen Abbey.

In order to determine the next steps, a special meeting of council was held on Jan. 7, 2019. During this meeting, council instructed staff to appeal this decision.

Also, back in December of 2018, the town was served with an application from ClubLink to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to quash the Heritage Designation By-law 2017-138.

The town also planned to oppose this application. 

So, what’s the latest on the status of Glen Abbey?

Well, the town is still working to preserve the beloved golf course.

According to a recent (June 10, 2019) planning and development council meeting report, it was recommended that the town solicitor be directed to oppose ClubLink’s application to quash. In addition, it was also recommended that the town prepare to take legal action if necessary.

This, as noted in the report, could have a significant cost attached. 

“Should council authorize opposition to the application, there will be [a] significant cost for the retention of any external legal counsel and there will be considerable planning and legal staff time necessary to assist with opposition to the application,” reads the report. “If the town should lose in its opposition to the application, then the town may be assessed part of the legal costs of ClubLink. On the other hand, if the town is successful in its opposition to the application, then the town may receive some of its legal costs for opposing the application.”

The motion regarding this above recommendation was carried at the June 10 meeting.

There were no votes against the recommendation.

In addition to the recently carried recommendation, a hearing regarding the official plan and zoning amendments appeals was scheduled for eight days in 2019. 

This hearing kicked off on June 17, 2019.

Also, according to the Town of Oakville’s website, a further pre-hearing conference on the development applications will take place on Nov. 15, 2019

The town’s website notes, “The Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) has scheduled the hearing regarding the Glen Abbey development applications for July 6 to Nov. 20, 2020.”

We will provide more updates on this topic as they become available.

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