Caledon has voted to march forward with the secondary planning process for the “Option 3” lands chosen during the Bolton Residential Expansion Study (BRES) despite a pending review by the Region of Peel that stemmed from provincial facilitation.
Here in Caledon, a lengthy public process identified the land, sitting on the north side of King Street west between Humber Station Road and the Gore Road, as the best option to host Bolton’s next round of growth.
Among the contributing factors for the choice was the location of the future Commuter Go Rail Service for Bolton planned for the area; the rationale for transit-oriented communities being supported on levels of heath, the environment, and even at a Provincial Policy Statement level.
It was to those very points….public process and transit-focused locale….that Caledon ward 4 Councillor Jennifer Innis spoke in her Motion tabled at yesterday’s Council meeting.
The Councillor’s Motion acknowledges that staff have been working on the secondary plan since submitting its application to the Region for the Official Plan amendment and directs them to continue doing so, reporting back to Council in the new year.
Innis says “This is no different than any other local planning application conducted by the Town of Caledon.” And that “Moving forward with a Secondary Plan for BRES is sound, good planning.”
Following the meeting the Town of Caledon issued the Press Release below:
Planning for Bolton Residential Expansion Area moving ahead in the Town of Caledon
Local planning matters in the Town of Caledon are moving ahead with the Bolton Residential Expansion Area (BRES).
Council today requested that staff report back in 2016 on the progress of the planning for this area, including the plan for developing a road network. Council also requested staff to initiate and integrate a municipal class environmental assessment as recommended by the Bolton Transportation Master Plan (BTMP). The BTMP was jointly undertaken by the Town of Caledon and the Region of Peel, and addresses transportation concerns and planning goals of the area adjacent to Bolton (which includes this new community). The study includes network analysis, goods movement, transit and more. The completion of the environmental assessment considers potential environmental effects before a project begins.
“The residents of Caledon have clearly told us again and again that planning for Caledon should be decided in Caledon, and we continue with our due diligence,” said Mayor Allan Thompson. “We remain committed to working through the local planning process and I am confident in our process. As we heard from Council today, proactive planning for the 2031 population growth needs to happen now, recognizing that a 15-year timeframe is not a long time in planning terms.”
“Council’s determination of the lands for residential expansion followed provincial legislation that included a fair, open and a very lengthy public process,” said Regional Councillor Jennifer Innis.
“Moving forward with a Secondary Plan for BRES is sound, good planning. This is no different than any other local planning application conducted by the Town of Caledon. In fact, we did this most recently with Mayfield West.”
“I have been contacted by residents regarding recent decisions and the planning process. This motion confirms to our residents our confidence in our planning both at the local level and at the Region,” said Regional Councillor Innis.
Naming of the community
Town of Caledon Council also agreed today to move forward in identifying a name for the new community to be built as part of the Bolton Residential Expansion Study (BRES) Area. This name would be reflective of the area’s history, as all of Caledon’s villages and hamlets have been named in the past. Staff will report back in 2016.
About Caledon’s new Community
– Planning for the Bolton Residential Expansion Area has been underway since 2012, following all regular professional and legislated planning processes and community engagement opportunities.
– The planning process, once approved at the local level, then requires an Official Plan Amendment (OPA) approval from the Region of Peel, to amend the local land-use rules for the identified area.
– The Caledon Official Plan promotes a “tri-nodal” growth strategy where growth in Caledon is to be concentrated in the centres of Mayfield West, Bolton, and Caledon East.
– Council endorsed Official Plan Amendment 226 (being the Town’s Provincial policy conformity amendment to the Official Plan on June 8, 2010) that projects a total population of 39,178 for Bolton by 2031, an increase of 12,983 people.
More information:
www.caledon.ca/bres
www.caledon.ca/btmp
