Intensification on brow lands doesn’t make sense

Several years ago the province of Ontario passed two pieces of legislation that defined a greenbelt boundary to be protected and legislated municipalities to absorb 40 per cent of the future population growth within the current urban boundaries.This provincial policy/legislation is known as Places to Grow and the Greenbelt Act.

The City of Hamilton embarked on a growth related integrated development strategy exercise, also known as GRIDS, which became the tool that was supported by Council. GRIDS defined where growth is going to occur. The option that council endorsed was the development of nodes and corridors to take advantage of transit. It’s also clear through this process where the areas of intensification should take place. I believe high-rises and high-density development is more appropriate around arterial roads and should avoid interior collector roads and respect the character of neighbourhoods.

This brings us to the developer’s application on the former infirmary site at Chedoke known as the brow lands. It’s a beautiful property that served our soldiers and the Inuit people who suffered from the White Plague, otherwise known as tuberculosis.

The landscaping and development of this property took advantage of the breezes and the tranquil environment to facilitate healing. Today the lands have been sold to a developer who would like to take advantage of the new provincial policies.

The proposal is for 600- 700 units on about eight hectares of developable land. The balance is needed for storm management and contains a wood lot. In this proposal, the wood lot would be preserved and a portion of Sanatorium Road would be closed around the perimeter of the property for private use only. The developer in turn would provide land and construct a pathway along the brow.

For over three-and-a-half months I worked with the community on a secondary plan. They concluded that the site be limited to 25 single houses. This is a dramatic difference from the number of units proposed by the developer.

The application was tabled at the last planning and economic development meeting where over 230 residents attended and voiced their concerns. I was successful in getting unanimous support from my colleagues to table the report until I have an opportunity to work with the community.

I plan to identify 10 volunteers from the Mountain brow community by next week to assist in developing the process. It may include an independent planner of the community’s choice.

I will host a meeting in late August with the balance of the community. It is my objective to work with the Mountain brow residents in developing a position that can be supported by the majority of my colleagues and can be defended at the Ontario Municipal Board.

Terry Whitehead is councillor of Ward 8 (west Mountain).