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In early 2019, Burlington City Council directed City staff to re-examine the downtown policies in Burlington’s adopted Official Plan.
By the fall of 2020, Burlington City Council will vote to endorse changes to the policies in Burlington’s adopted Official Plan that guide development in the downtown until 2031, including the height and density of buildings.
To assist Council in making their decision, the City is committed to leading an open and transparent public engagement process to ensure the voices of people from every corner of the city are heard and valued.
Please register with Get Involved Burlington and subscribe to this project page for details about opportunities to provide your meaningful input.
The downtown belongs to all of us. Let’s work together to make the core of our city the best it can be.
In early 2019, Burlington City Council directed City staff to re-examine the downtown policies in Burlington’s adopted Official Plan.
By the fall of 2020, Burlington City Council will vote to endorse changes to the policies in Burlington’s adopted Official Plan that guide development in the downtown until 2031, including the height and density of buildings.
To assist Council in making their decision, the City is committed to leading an open and transparent public engagement process to ensure the voices of people from every corner of the city are heard and valued.
Please register with Get Involved Burlington and subscribe to this project page for details about opportunities to provide your meaningful input.
The downtown belongs to all of us. Let’s work together to make the core of our city the best it can be.
Upcoming Council Discussion
Discussion about the re-examination of the downtown policies in the adopted Official Plan will continue at a Burlington City Council Planning and Development Committee meeting on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall in Council Chambers at 426 Brant St.
City Council will consider a staff report
At the meeting, City staff will:
Register to speak at the meeting:
The meeting will also provide an opportunity for input from the public and City Council. To register as a delegate to speak to Council at the meeting, please visit burlington.ca/delegate. Opportunities to delegate in the evening at 6:30 p.m. are also available. Register to speak to Council by Weds. Dec 4 at 12:00 noon.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend an Action Lab over the last few weeks to review and share your thoughts on the two future concepts of downtown Burlington. Revising the downtown policies in Burlington’s adopted Official Plan is complicated and we appreciate your continued commitment to participating in the discussion and the process. The feedback shared at the Action Labs and through the online survey will help City staff identify which aspects of the two concepts you like and dislike so that they can develop a third concept which will be presented to City Council in January 2020.
If you did not have a chance to attend an Action Lab but would still like an opportunity to meet with a City planner to review the two proposed concepts, please drop by a pop-up event on the following days:
Friday, Nov. 8 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at City Hall, room 305
Tuesday, Nov. 12 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at City Hall, room 305
Friday, Nov. 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at City Hall, room 307
These informal drop-in sessions will provide participants with an opportunity to:
This
report presents an updated vision for Downtown Burlington and a Land Use map
with revised precincts, and introduces two different concepts for how the
downtown vision can be achieved with different development approaches in each
precinct.
The report also explains how the vision, precincts, and concepts were created based on public feedback received in August-September, as well as technical studies and consideration for the need to conform with regional and provincial policy.
Survey is live and open until end of day on November 19th.
An objective set out in the public engagement plan was to create an ongoing record of what is said during engagements and to make it available to the public throughout the process. This is so the public can track the progress of the project, including reports back to the community to highlight how feedback was or was not incorporated in the final recommendations to Council.
The purpose of this report is to provide that record. The
Feedback Report summarizes what we heard through the August engagement period
and includes feedback received up to and including the September 14th
Food for Feedback event.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the first round of public engagement in August to share what matters most to them about the downtown.
Some things heard most often include:
This report is provided on behalf of the City of Burlington by SGL Planning and Design Inc. It is the first step in the re-examination of the Official Plan, and it is intended to provide you with a guide to the background to the City’s Official Plan (OP) Policies for the Downtown and the process the City is currently undertaking to re-examine the Downtown OP Policies
The first public engagement opportunity will take place in August both online and in person. Look for the following events to participate:
1. Citizen Action Labs: Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown
To help identify what matters most about downtown Burlington, the City will host two Citizen Action Labs on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019. No registration is required.
Citizen Action Labs: Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown
When: Thursday, Aug. 22
Times: 1 to 3 p.m. or 7 to 9 p.m.
Where: Art Gallery of Burlington, 1333 Lakeshore Rd
What to Expect
At these in-person, public sessions, participants will work in small groups to discuss and identify what is most important to them about downtown Burlington. The feedback gathered will be used to inform the creation of two concepts of what the downtown could look like in the future. These concepts will be shared with the public in October for further review and input.
Please note:
2. Participate Online
For those who are unable to attend one of the Citizen Action Labs, an online survey will be available beginning the week of Aug. 12 until Aug. 30 on Get Involved Burlington.
3. Drop by a Pop-up Event
Throughout the month of August, City staff will be visiting a variety of locations and events throughout the community to talk with residents and identify what is most important to them about downtown Burlington. Stay tuned to Get Involved Burlington for a full list of locations and times.
Over the next few months, the City of Burlington will be looking for your feedback and ideas to help refine and improve the downtown policies.
In early August, the City will share with the public:
Phone | 905-335-7600 ext 7787 |
alison.enns@burlington.ca |
Phone | 905-335-7600 ext 7811 |
thomas.douglas@burlington.ca |
Phone | 905-335-7600 ext 7508 |
kate.hill-montague@burlington.ca |
Before we start engaging with the community, learn about the scope of the project.
Oct. 23 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. or 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Lions Club Burlington, 471 Pearl Street
Nov. 2 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at Mountainside Recreation Centre, 2205 Mount Forest Drive
The survey is open until Nov. 19, 2019 at 5 p.m.
City Hall Room 305, 426 Brant St
An opportunity to meet with a City planner to review the two proposed concepts.
At the meeting held in Council Chambers at City Hall, City staff will:
City council to endorse a concept for the re-examination for the downtown. You must register to speak. Register by noon on January 27.
Submit any written comments to staff by Feb. 14 in order to inform staff’s work developing policies.
The City will release the recommended policy changes for Downtown Burlington, the associated staff report, consultant report and technical studies. These documents will be posted on the project webpage on Get Involved Burlington for public review.
The City will release Draft Downtown Burlington Placemaking and Design Guidelines for public review, as well as a Financial Impact Analysis concerning the recommended Downtown policy modifications.
Planning staff are hosting a virtual meeting to help you understand and comment on their recommendations to modify the policies in the adopted Official Plan that guide development in our downtown. There will be a presentation followed by a question and answer period.
Location: Click the meeting link here prior to 7 p.m. on Aug. 18 to join
Anyone with comments on these documents should submit their comments to the project team by Aug. 28 so the project team has time to consider the feedback in advance of the Sept. 30 Committee meeting.
Planning staff are hosting a virtual open house that will provide the public with the chance to learn more and ask questions about the recommended policy modifications with City staff. There will be a short presentation followed by a question-and-answer period.
City Council will review the recommendations and reports that were released in May and July 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, and opportunities for the public to delegate.
Council will consider the Sept. 30 recommendations at a Special Council meeting on Oct. 7.
As the approval authority, Halton Region is reviewing the City’s adopted Official Plan (2018).
On Thursday, Nov. 26, at the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee, and at a Special Council Meeting immediately following, City Council will decide if they will endorse the modifications found within the Region’s draft Notice of Decision related to the adopted Burlington Official Plan (2018).
City staff have collaborated extensively with Regional staff to:
City staff have also requested that the Region consider the proposed modifications endorsed by City Council through the Scoped Re-examination of the adopted Official Plan in its decision.
Here is the staff report and draft Notice of Decision that is posted to the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility agenda.
Delegations are by advance registration only. If you would like to delegate, visit burlington.ca/delegate or email clerks@burlington.ca
Staff will share what changes Burlington City Council endorsed and what Halton Region’s final decision is.