What’s Happening With the Battle Over Glen Abbey in Oakville?
Published June 23, 2017 at 1:51 pm
ClubLink is winning the latest battle in the war over development at Oakville’s Glen Abbey Golf Club following the Ontario Municipal Board’s latest ruling.
ClubLink is winning the latest battle in the war over development at Oakville’s Glen Abbey Golf Club following the Ontario Municipal Board’s latest ruling.
One month after the OMB decided the town’s Interim Control By-law (ICBL) and its one-year extension – until Jan. 31, 2018 – were “appropriate and necessary” to understand the implications of ClubLink’s proposed development at Glen Abbey, the OMB has now decided on a separate motion: the Glen Abbey development application is complete.
Under the Planning Act, the town now has 120 days to consider and decide on the merits of the application for rezoning (Oct. 5), and 180 days to consider and decide on the merits of the application for an official plan amendment (Dec. 4) to permit the complete redevelopment of the golf course.
ClubLink can appeal its applications directly to the OMB if the town doesn’t make a decision within this timeframe.
The OMB’s decision was made on June 7.
Videos
Mayor Rob Burton said council is “very disappointed that less than one month after a decision that recognized that the town’s comprehensive planning studies underway were valid and necessary given the magnitude of the Glen Abbey proposal, another board decision says that we must accept development applications for processing.”
Residents are no doubt “confused by this decision, but the town will move forward to review the application within the timelines established under the Planning Act,” added Burton.
Proposed development includes 3,222 residential units, 121,000 square feet of commercial space and roughly 124 acres of permanent, publicly-accessible green space.
The application was submitted to the town by ClubLink last November.
Under the bylaw, development is temporarily blocked.
But the town is still moving forward on the next steps needed to implement the cultural heritage landscape assessments and urban structure review planning studies approved by council on May 15 and June 12, according to commissioner of community development Jane Clohecy.
“While the town is disappointed with this latest decision, it does not change the fact that the town’s ICBL remains in place, and no substantive changes to the land use at Glen Abbey property can take place before the town’s planning studies have been completed,” said Clohecy.
“We fully anticipate using the results of the planning studies underway to assess the merits of the proposed redevelopment of the lands.”
Glen Abbey is once again hosting the RBC Canadian Open next month. The event is expected to draw more than 100,000 people to Oakville during tournament week.
What are your thoughts on this battle over Glen Abbey?
Photo courtesy of Glen Abbey Golf Club
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising