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Regional Official Plan Amendment 48

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Regional Official Plan Amendment 48 (ROPA 48) implements components of the Regional Urban Structure to establish a hierarchy of strategic growth areas in the Regional Official Plan. It is the first amendment to be adopted by Regional Council as part of the Regional Official Plan Review.
 
To learn more about consultation on Draft ROPA 48, review the summary page below. 
 

Regional Official Plan Amendment No. 48 Approved

 

On November 10, 2021, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing approved Regional Official Plan Amendment No. 48 (ROPA 48) with a limited number of changes. The amendment is the first change to the Regional Official Plan that has been approved as part of the Municipal Comprehensive Review. These amendments are made under Section 26 of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990.

The Minister’s decision maintains Regional Council’s vision for Halton’s Urban Structure. The decision also provides direction for the Integrated Growth Management Strategy, which will help the Region plan for future population and job growth as mandated by the Places to Grow Act, 2005.

 

Learn more about how Halton Region consulted with the community on draft ROPA 48 below.

About Draft Regional Official Plan Amendment 48

The draft Regional Official Plan Amendment 48 would update the current Regional Structure. It will identify a hierarchy of strategic growth areas in the Regional Official Plan to help accommodate population and job growth to 2051, as required by the Provincial Growth Plan.

What is an urban structure?

An urban structure is how the land use of a city or town is determined. It helps further the growth within our community by providing a way to guide the development of buildings, spaces or municipal infrastructure. An urban structure can consist of growth areas, employment areas, stable residential areas and the transportation and growth corridors that connect these areas.

What are strategic growth areas?

Strategic growth areas are nodes like Urban Growth Centers and Major Transit Station Areas, and corridors intended to be the focus of concentrating population and job growth.

To ensure conformity with the Growth Plan, 2019 (external link), the Region needs to identify strategic growth areas in the Regional Official Plan.

Map 1h (PDF file) shows the location of different types of strategic growth areas within Halton Region. A simplified version is shown here as the "Regional Urban Structure".

         Regional Urban Structure

Click on the map to enlarge. Modified version of Map 1H for informational purposes. Please see full amendment for proposed Map 1H – Regional Urban Structure (PDF file) .

Proposed updates

If approved, Regional Official Plan Amendment 48 would amend the current Regional Official Plan by putting in place the following elements:

1. Planning targets

Table 1 would be updated to include the 2051 population and employment forecasts for Halton Region contained within the Growth Plan, 2019 (external link). The distribution of growth and jobs to the Local Municipalities would be determined through the Preferred Growth Concept.

Table 2b would be added to include minimum density targets of jobs and residents for certain strategic growth areas. Table 2b would also include minimum job targets for certain strategic growth areas in proportion to the number of residents that the areas are planned to accommodate.

 

2. Urban Growth Centres

Urban Growth Centres are existing or emerging downtown areas, which will accommodate a large share of population and employment growth. The Growth Plan, 2019 (external link) provides strong policy guidance for the vibrant, transit-supportive, mixed-use development of Halton Region’s three Urban Growth Centres.

What is changing?

  • Adjustments to Urban Growth Centre boundaries.
  • Minor policy changes to achieve conformity with the Provincial Growth Plan.

What are the proposed Urban Growth Centre boundaries?

Click the images below to enlarge:

Map 6b - Burlington GO MTSA/UGC

Map 6e - Midtown Oakville GO MTSA/UGC

Map 6f - Milton GO MTSA/UGC

 

3. Major Transit Station Areas

These are the areas within a 500 to 800-metre radius of a major transit station, representing a 10-minute walk. They are primarily located along existing or planned transit corridors.

Major Transit Station Areas are intended to be developed as higher density, mixed-use communities that enable people to rely on transit to access local amenities, housing, and work.

What is changing?

  • Boundary delineation and density targets for all Major Transit Station Areas.
  • Policy changes to ensure conformity with the Growth Plan, 2019 (external link) and provide direction for Local Municipalities to implement area specific plans for Major Transit Station Areas.
  • Removal of the Downtown Burlington Major Transit Station Area designation from the Regional Official Plan.
  • Recommended interim policies for proposed Major Transit Station Areas (including the proposed Trafalgar GO Major Transit Station Area in Milton).

What are the proposed Major Transit Station Area boundaries?

Click the images below to enlarge:

Map 6a - Aldershot GO MTSA

Map 6b - Burlington GO MTSA/UGC

Map 6c - Appleby GO MTSA

 

Map 6d - Bronte GO MTSA

Map 6e - Midtown Oakville GO MTSA/UGC

Map 6f - Milton GO MTSA/UGC

 

Map 6g - Georgetown GO MTSA

Map 6h - Acton GO MTSA

 
 

4. Regional Nodes

Regional Nodes are another component of the Regional Urban Structure. These strategic growth areas have a role in accommodating mixed-use intensification and supporting the regional transit network.

What is changing?

  • Updating Regional Official Plan to recognize additional Regional Nodes, or regionally-significant strategic growth areas, that align with Local Municipal Plans or Council-endorsed staff reports.

Where are new Regional Nodes identified?

The following areas indicated on the Regional Urban Structure map have been identified for accommodation of growth, concentration of public services and high-density uses at a scale appropriate for their context. They also support the regional transit network:

Primary Nodes:

  • Uptown Core, Oakville
  • Hospital District, Oakville
  • Milton Education Village, Milton
  • Palermo Village, Oakville
  • Uptown Urban Centre, Burlington

The following historic downtown areas or villages or areas have been identified for growth through mixed-use intensification at a scale appropriate for their context:

Secondary Nodes:

  • Neyagawa Urban Core, Oakville
  • Kerr Village, Oakville
  • Bronte Village, Oakville
  • Downtown Oakville
  • Downtown Urban Centre, Burlington
  • Downtown Georgetown, Halton Hills
  • Guelph Street Corridor, Halton Hills

Employment Area conversions

Employment Areas are areas designated in an official plan for clusters of business and economic activities including, but not limited to, manufacturing, warehousing, offices, and associated retail and additional facilities. An Employment Area conversion means re-designating lands in an Employment Area to permit non-employment uses, such as residential, major retail or mixed uses.

What is changing?

A limited amount of Employment Area conversions that meet the criteria identified by the Region in conformity with the Growth Plan. The proposed conversions have been identified by the Local Municipalities as having strategic importance in advancing elements of the local urban structure and support the Regional Urban Structure and strategic planning objectives. These include lands in the area of:

  • Aldershot GO MTSA
  • Downtown Burlington/Burlington GO MTSA
  • Acton GO MTSA
  • Bronte GO MTSA
  • Oakville Hospital District 
  • Palermo Village 
  • Milton Education Village
  • Meritor and Bronte/Main Lands
  • Agerton Lands (south of rail corridor)
  • Other redevelopment sites 

All of these areas have been indicated on the ROPA 48 Employment Conversion map.

      ROPA 48 Employment Conversions

Proposed policy updates document

Draft Regional Official Plan Amendment 48 was brought forward to Regional Council on February 17, 2021 as Attachment #1 to LPS17-21 (PDF file): Proposed Regional Official Plan Amendment 48 - An Amendment to Define a Regional Urban Structure.

Get involved and have your say

The Regional Official Plan shapes how and where Halton grows—and your input is valuable as we make these decisions for our community.

Virtual Public Open House and virtual Statutory Public Meeting (completed)

The Public Open House (virtual) included a brief presentation and provided the public an opportunity to review the proposed Amendment and ask questions of staff. The Statutory Public Meeting (virtual) also included a brief presentation and provided the public with the opportunity to provide comments to Council on the proposed Amendment and for Council to consider the feedback prior to adopting the Amendment.

Note: Pursuant to Section 17(36.5) of the Planning Act, the Minister’s decision on ROPA 48 will be final and not subject to appeal. For more information, contact Planning Services by email at ropr@halton.ca or call 905-825-6000, ext. 7772.

To provide questions or feedback to the project team, email ropr@halton.ca or call 311. You can also sign up to receive email notifications related to the Regional Official Plan Review.

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