With a Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) hearing on the horizon, Halton is urging the provincial government to act now and protect the Glen Abbey Golf Course lands in Oakville.
A motion with this message was unanimously passed by regional councillors during their June 16 session.
The resolution, put forth by Regional Chair Gary Carr and seconded by Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, asks the province to “use all resources and tools at its disposal to protect the Glen Abbey cultural heritage landscape, in recognition of the importance of these lands to the town, region and its residents.”
At issue is golf course owner ClubLink’s plans for 3,222 residential units and more than 127,000 square feet of office and retail space on the Glen Abbey lands.
Oakville council rejected the company’s development application in 2018, with town staff contending that amount of development is not permitted or appropriate for the site and would amount to an unplanned growth area.
ClubLink has pointed out that the valley lands, about 124 acres of the Glen Abbey property, would become permanent, publicly accessible green space through this plan.
The matter is now set to go before the LPAT for a lengthy virtual hearing, starting in August.
For Carr, provincial intervention to protect the Glen Abbey lands is “long overdue.”
He said there are a number of options the Ford government could pursue to preserve the lands, pointing to the Oak Ridges Moraine Act as an example of protections put in place at the provincial level.
Burton noted local MPPs and their Progressive Conservative party have all previously pledged to save Glen Abbey.
“This resolution reminds the MPPs, Premier Ford, his government and his party that they are running out of time to reveal how they will keep their word,” he said.
The mayor thanked regional council on behalf of the Town of Oakville for its support in the face of adversity.
