STOP THE MIDTOWN TOC

STOP THE MIDTOWN TOC

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NOT FAIR, TRANSPARENT OR ACCOUNTABLE

It Isn’t Fair - The Province is overriding Oakville’s Official Plan, robbing Oakville citizens of their democratic rights and IMPOSING over-development in Midtown Oakville through the use of a Minister's Zoning Order. 

It’s Not Transparent - The TOC isn’t good planning - it’s a secret backroom deal dressed up in Provincial clothes. Choose a favoured developer friend, Put a gag order on Town Council, ignore factual public opposition and override it using strongarm tactics.

There’s No Accountability - There is no public record of the financial terms, risks, or benefits.

The Provincially-driven Midtown TOC plan is a scheme torn from the Greenbelt insider’s playbook.

NOT FAIR, TRANSPARENT OR ACCOUNTABLE

It Isn’t Fair - The Province is overriding Oakville’s Official Plan, robbing Oakville citizens of their democratic rights and IMPOSING over-development in Midtown Oakville through the use of a Minister's Zoning Order. 

It’s Not Transparent - The TOC isn’t good planning - it’s a secret backroom deal dressed up in Provincial clothes. Choose a favoured developer friend, Put a gag order on Town Council, ignore factual public opposition and override it using strongarm tactics.

There’s No Accountability - There is no public record of the financial terms, risks, or benefits.

The Provincially-driven Midtown TOC plan is a scheme torn from the Greenbelt insider’s playbook.

STOP THE MIDTOWN TOC

Ask the Auditor General of Ontario and the Ontario Ombudsman to put the Oakville Midtown TOC under the microscope.

This joint appeal from Oakville, Ontario signatories seeks your assistance and action regarding the Ford Government’s steps to impose a Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) project on Midtown Oakville. 

 The Midtown TOC has been advanced by the Province, Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing as being for the purpose of actively supporting the government’s target to build 1.5 million homes in 10 years in the context of the Transit-Oriented Communities Act. Its initial communication to the Town of Oakville stated the objectives of the TOC Program are to:

  • Increase transit ridership and reduce traffic congestion;
  • Increase housing supply (including affordable housing);
  • Create jobs and stimulate the economy through major projects;
  • Build complete communities, including bringing retail and amenities within a short walking distance of transit stations, and,
  • Offset the cost of new station infrastructure.

 Unfortunately the intended Midtown Oakville project does not conform. 

  •  The TOC’s own traffic reports demonstrate increased gridlock. 
  •  There is no financial investment whatsoever for new station infrastructure or transit programs such as BRT.
  •  With over 6,880 units, the TOC would devour more than 75% of Oakville’s projected 8,900 units for Midtown in 2051, thus creating significant market distortion and no room for smaller, more appropriate sized developments that have a better chance of success, would reflect a more suitable style and character of housing for the area and offer the kind of housing young families and first time buyers are seeking.
  •  With 83% of Midtown’s employment based on population-related factors, Midtown will fail to meet its employment goals and will not deliver local services and amenities needed to stimulate growth or create a complete community. 
  •  Experts in Growth Analysis and Market Viability tell us the building heights being planned in the TOC "defy logic", "no market evidence that would suggest near-term absorption success for projects at this scale” AND it will take 23 Years to fill the TOC - thereby providing nothing to the provincial housing target of 1.5 million homes in the next 10 years. 
  •  GO transit and local bus routes do not drive demand to the same extent as subway service or LRT service as part of a wider local transit network.
  • The TOC profoundly affects Midtown's future by concentrating risk, stressing public infrastructure and creating financial insecurity. Its dominance creates a higher-stakes scenario for Midtown, moving the risk from a diversified, incremental approach to one heavily dependent on a single entity.

 Additionally, the TOC represents unfair treatment, retraction of democratic rights, system-wide practices that favour secretly selected land developers, lack of transparency, lack of credibility and poor accountability.  

  • Through its intended use of Minister’s Zoning Orders, the province is overriding Oakville’s Official Plan and entirely removing the power of the municipality, its Council and the Oakville electorate to plan and implement Oakville’s future. Such a process is seriously flawed and dismissive of effective land-use planning.
  • Continued use of Mutual Confidentiality Agreements and Non-Disclosure Agreements by the province have stifled Council’s ability to share information with the general public.
  • Disproportionate favouritism to land developer through secret behind-the-scenes meetings and an unrevealed process. The result will allow this developer to profit significantly.
  • No Public Records - none of the financial terms, risk assessments, benefits or other pertinent details of the TOC have ever been released to the public.
  • Oakville is surpassing its housing target. in 2024, Oakville initiated construction on 3,679 new homes representing approximately 134 per cent of its 2024 goals.

 Democratic governments have a duty of care to protect and provide in a manner that enables citizens to create their own economic security. Their policies and programs must reflect a commitment to equal opportunity and work for a shared benefit. Attending to all citizens, rather than a select few, is the hallmark of governments attempting to work toward the common good.

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