Groups frustrated by the Ford government’s “sledgehammer” approach limiting development appeals say they’re now powerless to prevent urban sprawl, loss of farmland, and squandered green space in the province.
Among other changes, Ontario’s Bill 185, known as the “Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act” limits third-party challenges to municipal plans and zoning heard by the Ontario Land Tribunal and dismissed appeals scheduled after April 10. The new rules were introduced by the provincial government to expedite construction of 1.5 million homes by 2031.
When the bill was proposed, the Ontario government said it was needed to speed development approvals to get badly needed housing built.
“These measures recognize the struggles that our municipal partners have faced in building homes and are targeted at removing those obstacles,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing in the statement.
That didn’t sit well with some community groups, including Ottawa’s Glebe Community Association (GCA) which had hoped to appeal a major new city development.
Continue reading: In Ontario, it’s harder than ever to appeal local developments, Canada’s National Observer, June 24, 2024
Photo: SimonP, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
