The Town of Oakville is excited to reopen our doors as soon as we can safely do so. All public health guidelines remain in effect.
As part of the town’s Official Plan Review, the town is conducting a study of the Bronte GO Station and surrounding area, known as a “major transit station area” or MTSA. The study will develop an Area Specific Plan to create a complete, transit-supportive community which accommodates future population and employment growth and development. The study is called the Bronte GO Major Transit Station Area Study.
The Area Specific Plan for the Bronte GO Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) is now available.
An online discussion meeting about the Area Specific Plan will be held at Planning and Development Council on March 8, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be available on our Live Stream page.
The meeting will provide an opportunity to learn about the plan and hear public input from registered delegates. It will also help identify additional planning matters that may need to be considered.
This is not a Statutory Public Meeting under the Planning Act, and no Official Plan Amendment is being presented at the March 8, 2021 meeting.
Individuals wishing to make an oral submission at the meeting must contact the Clerk’s Department ahead of time to register as a delegate and to obtain instructions on how to participate in the meeting. Requests must be made no later than noon on Monday, March 8, 2021 by email to: townclerk@oakville.ca or call 905-815-6015. Requests to delegate will not be processed during the meeting. You may also submit written comments to the Town Clerk by email.
Planning and Development Council Agenda and Staff Report for March 8, 2021, (Item 8)
Area Specific Plan for the Bronte GO Major Transit Station Area (pdf)
The Province’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2019), and official plan amendments brought forward as part of the town’s Urban Structure Review, have identified the Bronte GO Station as a major transit station area which needs to be studied. The study is to provide updated and new policies to delineate the boundary of the major transit station area, the mix of land uses (e.g. employment, commercial, residential) and the intensity and scale of future development.
A major transit station area is a key location which integrates the town-wide transportation system, facilitates easy access to transit and transit connections, and provides a focus for transit-supportive development and intensification. The Province’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2019) provides policies that local official plans must conform to when planning for MTSAs. These policies include planning for a minimum density target of residents and jobs, and the creation of complete, transit-supportive communities where people can live, work and play in one area, unless Provincial policy provides direction otherwise.
The study evaluated the lands around the Bronte GO Station to determine what lands should form part of the Major Transit Station Area (MTSA). The provincial Growth Plan states that a MTSA is generally defined as the area within an approximate 500 to 800 metre radius of a transit station, representing about a 10-minute walk. The provincial Growth Plan also states that the boundary of the MTSA must be delineated in a transit-supportive manner which maximizes the size of the area and the number of potential transit users that are within walking distance of the station.
An MTSA boundary was delineated in coordination with Halton Region as part of the study process. Halton Region is responsible for delineating the final boundary.
The study will result in an Area Specific Plan to guide how the Bronte GO Station and surrounding area will grow and change in the future. The Area Specific Plan will be supported by a number of technical studies, and will provide policy direction to inform a future official plan amendment to the Livable Oakville Plan, including:
A final report with a recommended Official Plan Amendment is anticipated to be presented to Council for approval by the end of 2021. Should Town Council adopt the Official Plan Amendment, it is then forwarded to Halton Region for final approval
An online survey was available for three weeks following the November 2019 Public Workshop. The survey contained a modified set of questions asked at the public workshop, providing an opportunity for members of the public to provide comments if they did not attend the workshop. The survey sought comments on two draft land use scenarios based on four theme areas: land use, urban design, connectivity, and phasing/implementation. The survey closed December 6, 2019.
The town hosted a public workshop on November 20, 2019 at the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre. The workshop was to review the study results to date and to evaluate draft land use scenarios for the Bronte GO Major Transit Station Area. The workshop included an open house with information display boards and an overview presentation about the study and draft land use scenarios. The workshop also included an interactive and facilitated session where participants worked through a series of focus questions to evaluate draft land use scenarios. The materials presented at the workshop are provided below:
The Bronte GO Major Transit Area Study was updated at the Livable Oakville Council Subcommittee. A staff report and presentation were received by the subcommittee:
An online survey was available for two weeks following the Public Engagement Workshop #1. The survey provided members of the public an opportunity to comment on the opportunities and challenges within the study area and provide ideas for how to improve the area when planning for the future of the Bronte GO MTSA. The survey closed April 9, 2019.
The Town held a public engagement workshop on March 21, 2019 at the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre. The session included an open house with information display boards and an overview presentation about the study and initial findings. The session concluded with an interactive workshop where participants worked together to identify opportunities and challenges within the study area and share their ideas for how to improve the area when planning for the area. The materials presented at the workshop are provided below:
Agenda (pdf)
Display Boards (pdf)
Presentation Slides (pdf)
Workshop Maps (pdf)
Comment Form (pdf)
Town staff and the consulting team held a project kick-off meeting. The project team went on a guided walking tour, led by town staff, of the Bronte Go Station and surrounding area.
The Town of Oakville retained consulting firm Sajecki Planning Inc., in association with DTAH, Wood, LURA, R.E. Millward and Associates, and N. Barry Lyon Consultants, to undertake the Bronte GO Major Transit Station Area Study and associated technical supporting studies.
The Bronte GO Major Transit Area Study was initiated at the Livable Oakville Council Subcommittee. A staff report and presentation were received by the subcommittee:
A town-initiated Official Plan Amendment will be presented at a future Statutory Public Meeting of Planning and Development Council, in accordance with the Planning Act. This meeting will provide another opportunity to comment on the draft proposed policies. This meeting is currently anticipated in spring 2021.
A final recommendation to Council is anticipated by the end of 2021. If Council adopts the Official Plan Amendment, it will then be forwarded to Halton Region for final approval.
Sign up to receive email updates and future engagement opportunities for the town’s Official Plan Review and the Bronte GO Major Transit Station Area Study, directly to your inbox.
Brad Sunderland, Planner
905-845-6601, ext. 3043
brad.sunderland@oakville.ca
Geoff Abma, Senior Planner
905-845-6601, ext. 3034
geoff.abma@oakville.ca