City of Oshawa staff have…

   City of Oshawa staff have reviewed EBR Registry #013-0426 with respect to the proposed modifications to O. Reg. 311/06 (Transitional Matters – Growth Plans) and have the following comments:

  On June 3, 2009 the Durham Regional Official Plan Amendment (ROPA) 128 (Growth Plan Conformity Exercise) was adopted by Durham Regional Council.  Due to numerous appeals, ROPA 128 did not come into full force and effect for lands in Oshawa until January 9, 2013.  This excluded an area of land in the north end of Oshawa (Columbus), which is subject to Durham Region Official Plan (DROP) policy 14.13.7, and remains before the Ontario Municipal Board.

 City of Oshawa staff spent a considerable amount of time preparing a City of Oshawa Official Plan Amendment (OPA 179) to implement ROPA 128 including the area of land in Columbus subject to DROP policy 14.13.7.  As the approval authority, Durham Region approved OPA 179 on December 15, 2016. Consistent with Policy 14.13.7in the DROP, and given that it remains before the Ontario Municipal Board, Durham Region deferred the expansion in Columbus in the Oshawa Official Plan (Deferral 3 – see attached map sent directly to Cindy Tan).

  Through the City of Oshawa conformity exercise (OPA 179) City staff prepared a land budget analysis that indicated that all of the land in north Oshawa (Columbus), including those lands subject to DROP Policy 14.13.7 are needed to meet the City’s land needs to 2031.

 City staff will be initiating a Part II Planning exercise for the Columbus Part II Planning area in the near future. It is staff’s opinion that if approved by the Ontario Municipal Board, the deferred area in Columbus should be subject to the same land use policies (i.e. density targets) as the remaining land in the Columbus Part II Planning area.

  According to EBR Registry #013-0426, the proposed modifications to O. Reg. 311/06 would provide clarity and facilitate a policy-based approach to transition for the Growth Plan, 2017 by:

  Updating references to the title of the Growth Plan (i.e. Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2017); and

  Including a new transition provision that would allow upper- and single-tier Official Plans and Official Plan Amendments specific to a settlement area boundary expansion to accommodate forecasted growth to 2031 and have been adopted as of May 18, 2017, but not yet approved due to appeal, to be approved as though the Growth Plan, 2017 had not come into effect.

  City of Oshawa staff strongly support the proposed modifications to O. Reg. 311/06 as indicated above.

  If you require further information or clarification, please contact myself at the address shown or by telephone at (905) 436-3311, extension 2410 or by email to wmunro@oshawa.ca.

[Original Comment ID: 209718]