First, I note that the…

First, I note that the auditor general has provided recommendations for MZOs and it appears these recommendations are not being considered in the proposed Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs) for Midtown Oakville. Burdening Oakville with a badly planned MZO that does not improve on what the city of Oakville has planned is not sensible. It burdens the city far into the future, increasing the problem for our children rather than providing housing for immediate needs and improving life for citizens.
In more detail, the proposed Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs) for Midtown Oakville blatantly fail to meet the Ontario government’s own post criteria for issuing MZOs. There is no municipal support, Town Council has not endorsed the project and community opposition is clear and documented; no justification for overriding established provincial, regional, and municipal planning policies, including OPA 70; and no credible urgency, given the proponent’s own timeline shows construction effectively starting after 2030 with build-out stretching two decades beyond. MZOs are meant to be exceptional tools, not a self serving substitute for proper planning, yet the only rationale offered here is “zoning certainty,” which in reality serves a single purpose: to lock in speculative land value, shift risk from the developer to the public, and freeze an outdated proposal while stripping the Town of its ability to adapt to real housing needs, infrastructure capacity, and changing conditions over time.
The Ford government has many good initiatives, but again it is falling down on land management. It is time for the Ford government to consider the people who it works for, and follow its own criteria and the recommendations of the auditor general.
Respectfully,
Concerned citizen