I am writing in connection…

I am writing in connection with Bill 60, “Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025” and specifically the “Consultation on Simplifying and Standardizing Official Plans” posted on October 23, 2025.
The Town of Milton has shown a strong commitment to getting shovels in the ground faster and smarter through ‘Made in Milton’ solutions. Year over year, Milton has proven itself to be best in class in terms of housing delivery, regularly exceeding expectations.
While I cannot speak for other municipalities, it seems that the greatest impediment to effective Council decision making in other communities is vociferous public opposition to growth and development.
Here in Milton, through ‘Made in Milton’ solutions, the Town has been able to build trust and confidence in Council decision-making across broad sections of the community. As a result, Milton has been a front-runner in advancing provincial policy direction for growth and development. Unlocking the potential for 15,000 homes in its Downtown Milton MTSA. Facilitating hundreds of additional residential units on existing lots annually. Working closely with our development partners to bring forward new community areas for tens of thousands of new homes through area specific secondary plans. All of which has been done with little or no public opposition thanks to our ‘Made in Milton’ approach to plan making.
Furthermore, our ‘Made in Milton’ approach to our new Official Plan – “We Make Milton” has been carefully curated to build support and buy-in from broad sections of our community. Following completion of the first phase of our new Official Plan, we are finalizing a comprehensive draft of the entire new Official Plan. The principles of creating a more streamlined. concise, flexible and responsive Official Plan have been the touchstones to our plan preparation process. In fact, our draft plan format and structure do closely resemble the outline in the Minister’s consultation materials.
From Milton’s perspective, the preparation of Ministerial guidance on plan preparation would be helpful. The Town would be pleased to share its experience and approach as example of best practice. However, mandating a prescriptive one size fits all approach would undermine public confidence in local plan preparation, fueling opposition to growth and development, and undo the progress that the Town has made to get homes delivered faster and smarter.
Parent Official Plans may be streamlined to provide a higher-level strategic roadmap shaping municipal growth and development. At the same time, area specific secondary plans have proven key to Milton’s success. Through area specific planning Milton works collaboratively with its community building partners to identify and resolve area-based matters that could otherwise stymie development. This essential step provides clarity and certainty to ensure that critical enabling infrastructure and services are coordinated across subdivisions. As such, they codify the Town’s commitment to working together to facilitate timely, cost efficient and fiscally responsible communities. In this way, area specific plans provide a seamless path from the higher-level OP to getting shovels in the ground.
Thank you for continued support and consideration.

Jill Hogan
Commissioner, Development Services, Town of Milton