No matter what the objective…

Comment

No matter what the objective is of this proposal we must keep in mind that transportation hubs connect people to work places. Currently our roads are severly congested and planning that allows for walk ability access to rapid transit should trump zoning that has minor industrial consequence.
In particular the proposed zoning around the Go Station in Aldershot Burlington.
Already 800 townhouse are being constructed in the proposed employment zone, which was a barren field and the few small industrial buildings that are there (Watertown Road and Cooke Blvd between Masonry and Plains Rd) are either empty or at low capacity, including a closed strip joint.
Allowing for residential buildings near the GO Station which has been approved by the the City of Burlington makes sense. There still are several industrial zones and parks in the area, most of which are under utilized.
I would suggest that residential zoning as prescribed after much deliberation and community vetting by our city be not ad hoc over turned to achieve another objective without considering transportation hub objectives as well. Industrial proximity to a Go Station has little benefit compared to the access gained by walkability of commuters.
In Aldershot in particular, the GO station parking lot is at over capacity during the day. It is quite unsettling if you are a commuter.