June 8, 2020 - Release of Reports and Recommended Modifications to the Adopted Official Plan

The “Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown” (Scoped Re-examination of the Adopted Official Plan) project team has released recommended modifications to the downtown policies in the Adopted Official Plan. These policies will guide development in downtown Burlington to the year 2031. The recommended modifications and associated reports are linked below.

The recommended modifications are discussed in staff report PL-16-20 and in Appendix 1 of PL-16-20, SGL Planning & Design Final Report.

• Staff report PL-16-20 – Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown: Recommended Modifications to the Adopted Official Plan
• PL-16-20 Appendix 1: SGL Planning & Design Final Report, June 2020

The Official Plan recommended modifications themselves are contained in Appendices 2, 3, and 4 of report PL-16-20.

• PL-16-20 Appendix 2: SGL Planning & Design Recommended Policy Modifications to the adopted Official Plan, June 2020
• PL-16-20 Appendix 3: Recommended modified Schedules to the adopted Official Plan
• PL-16-20 Appendix 4: Recommended modifications to policies in other parts of the adopted Official Plan

Appendices 5-14 of report PL-16-20 contain technical studies that have been completed in support of the Re-examination of the Adopted Official Plan.

• PL-16-20 Appendix 5: Stage 1 Archaeological Assessment: Revised Report (Prepared by ASI, Feb 19, 2019)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 6: Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment: Built Heritage Resources and Cultural Heritage Landscapes Downtown Mobility Hub Study Area (Prepared by ASI, May 2019, revised September 2019)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 7: Downtown Burlington Mobility Hub Market Analysis (prepared by N. Barry Lyons and Associates, August 2017)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 8: Downtown Burlington Mobility Hub – Illustrative Economic Analysis (prepared by N. Barry Lyons and Associates, July 2019)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 9: Scoped Environmental Impact Study Downtown Mobility Hub (Prepared by Dillon Consulting, October 2019)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 10(A-1): Flood Hazard and Scoped Stormwater Management Assessment (Prepared by Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions Wood, June 1, 2020)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 10(A-2): Flood Hazard and Scoped Stormwater Management Assessment – Drawings (Prepared by Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions Wood, June 1, 2020)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 10(B-1): Hager-Rambo Flood Control Facilities Study Report: Downtown and Burlington GO Mobility Hub (Prepared by Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions, May 29, 2020)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 10(B-2): Appendices to Hager-Rambo Flood Control Facilities Study Report: Appendices (Prepared by Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions, May 29, 2020)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 10(B-3): Hager-Rambo Flood Control Facilities Study Report: Drawings (Prepared by Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions, May 29, 2020)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 11: Downtown Burlington Traffic Overview (Prepared by CIMA+, October 2019)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 12: Downtown Burlington Micro-Level Traffic Operations: Review of the preferred Land Use Scenario (Prepared by CIMA+, May 1, 2020)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 13: Updated Area Servicing Plan (ASP) for Stormwater, Water and Wastewater: Downtown Burlington (Prepared by Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions, May 28, 2020)
• PL-16-20 Appendix 14: Fiscal Impact Analysis (To be prepared by Watson & Associates Economists Ltd and shared in July 2020)

Appendix 15 of report PL-16-20 contains draft Downtown Burlington Placemaking and Urban Design Guidelines, to be prepared by SGL Planning & Design and released in July 2020.

Appendices 16-19 contain information about public engagement that informed the recommended modifications to the adopted Official Plan. This includes responses to feedback received.

• PL-16-20 Appendix 16: Responses to Submissions Received in 2017-2018
• PL-16-20 Appendix 17: Responses to Submissions Received December 6, 2019 to March 19, 2020
• PL-16-20 Appendix 18: Engagement Summary
• PL-16-20 Appendix 19: Communications and Social Media Data

Appendix 20 contains updates on other City projects, as of May 2020. This appendix may be further updated in September 2020.

• PL-16-20 Appendix 20: Updates on Other Initiatives and General Timeframes (May 2020)

Appendix 21 of report PL-16-20 will contain a project update that will be prepared and released in September 2020, in advance of the public meeting. This appendix will address all feedback received up until August 28, 2020.

The recommended policy modifications come from a re-examination of the downtown policies in the new Official Plan that Council adopted in 2018. In accordance with the August 2019 Public Engagement Plan for the project, these recommended policy modifications have been informed by extensive public engagement, technical studies, analysis of the existing context of the downtown, and the need for City policies to conform to regional and provincial policies and plans.

Next Steps

July 2020: The City will share two more documents:

• Financial Impact Analysis concerning the recommended policy modifications, and
• Draft Downtown Burlington Placemaking and Urban Design Guidelines for public review.

Aug. 28, 2020: Deadline to submit comments on the recommended modifications to the adopted Official Plan so the project team has time to consider the feedback in advance of the Sept. 30 Committee meeting.

Sept. 2020: The project team will release an additional appendix to the staff report PL-16-20 that was published in June. This appendix will provide project updates and a response to all feedback that was received prior to Aug. 28.

Sept. 30, 2020: City Council will consider all reports at a public meeting of the Community Planning, Regulation, and Mobility Committee on Sept. 30. This meeting will include a presentation from City staff and the project consultants. The public will have a chance to delegate.

Oct. 7, 2020: Council will consider the Sept. 30 recommendations at a Special Council meeting on Oct. 7. Council will decide whether to endorse the recommended policy modifications and submit them to Halton Region for inclusion in the Region’s approval of the new Official Plan that Council adopted in Apr. 2018.

Public Engagement

Anyone with comments on the recommended policy modifications should submit their comments by Aug. 28 so the project team has time to consider the feedback in advance of the Sept. 30 Committee meeting.

Questions and comments can be directed to the Project Team at

• newop@burlington.ca
• 905-335-7600, ext. 7787 - Leave a message and staff will call you back during business hours. Staff are monitoring voicemail and will respond as soon as possible.
• City of Burlington
  c/o Alison Enns
  Community Planning Department
  426 Brant St.
  P.O. Box 5013
  Burlington, ON L7R 3Z6

There will also be an opportunity for interested persons to delegate at the public meeting on September 30. As the meeting approaches, it will be possible to register as a delegation in advance (advance registration is optional).