The proposed Minister’s…

The proposed Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs) for Midtown Oakville 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, loud 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 substitute for proper planning, yet the only clear rationale offered here is “zoning certainty,” which in reality serves to shift risk from the developer to the Oakville public, and freeze an outdated proposal while stripping the Town of its ability to adapt to real housing needs, infrastructure capacity, and changing conditions over time.

In addition, and importantly, proceeding as the Province plans would force extreme and unnecessary density on Midtown Oakville, more than double that of any comparable development in the GTA as I understand it, without the infrastructure to support it; creating chaos and overwhelming transportation and services that are already very stressed, including local roads, transit, the GO station, and the QEW. The Town’s OPA 70 already permits densities up to 6.0 FSI, which is very high by any North American standard, making the Province's proposed exceptionally high densities neither necessary nor acceptable.

I am a long-time resident of Oakville, and the Province's proposal will harm my hometown - and it is clearly unnecessary to do that. Please do not use the proposed MZO.