Hello Everyone,

It's the time of year when we're all busy having fun on March Break but we hope you'll take some time to sit down with a cup of coffee and read this very important news.

We want you to share it with your neighbours, friends and families who live in Oakville and, we want you to take action.

This is a wake-up call to all of Oakville. It could have a direct impact on your Property Tax bills for decades into the future.

As many of you know, our Midtown Oakville area is currently under review to determine its redevelopment as one of Oakville's growth centres. Midtown has two classifications in terms of Provincial planning:

1. It is identified as an Urban Growth Centre (UGC)
2. It is identified as a Major Transit Station Area (MTSA)

As a municipality it is Oakville's mandate to plan to achieve a density target of 200 people and jobs per hectare in Midtown by 2031. As the approximate overall size of Midtown is 103 hectares and in keeping with the target above, that translates to approximately 20,600 people and jobs, or stated another way, about 13,390 people and 7,210 jobs.

Although the overall area of Midtown is about 103 hectares, things such as the presence of the railway line, hydro corridor, 16-Mile Creek and other restrictions mean that the total area that can actually be developed is much smaller - about 50%. Thus, whatever number of people we house in the area, they will have to be accommodated in an area that is half the size of the overall. That means increased density.

Finally, the boundaries of Midtown are as follows:

In the West: 16 Mile Creek

In the South: Cornwall Road

In the North: QEW

In the East: Chartwell Road

For the past several months, Town staff and its consultants have been promoting a tall-tower concept for the redevelopment of Midtown Oakville. It envisions multiple tall buildings across the Midtown area. The intersection of Trafalgar Road and Cross Avenue would represent the confluence of two 6-lane roads. Newly created streets would service emerging high-rise, high density residential developments. The illustrations below represent development applications already on hand that seek permissions to build to 50, 55 and 58 storey heights with FSI reaching over 13.

Think About This: The three proposed developments shown below would, alone, create a population of over 6,500 people. In 2015, the total population of Old Oakville was about 7,000. Try to imagine a population of that size living their daily lives in an area where, today, there are no schools, no medical facilities, no library or community meeting place, no parks, no emergency services, no developed shopping area, etc. Keep that in mind when you read the next section on Vaughan's Growth Area.

Trafalgar Road/Cross Ave. Intersection

Near the present Home Depot location at 44, 49 and 58 storeys; 1,748 units

Proposed Development Davis Road, east of Trafalgar Rd., 388 Units in a 58-storey building.

Proposed Development 590 Argus Road (present Holiday Inn location), 50, 58 and 50 storeys and 1,730 units

Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC) is the City of Vaughan's Urban Growth Centre. It was created in an area characterized by big box store locations, light industrial, etc. Just like Midtown Oakville, it had no schools, no social amenities, no emergency services.

Here are just a few of the problems:

• Residential development activity has dramatically surpassed population targets and residential uses continue to dominate over office/commercial causing a lack of balance.
• Development intensification is trending at a rate that averages 1.6 times greater than the maximum permissions afforded. (that means buildings are being built that continue to be greater than the maximum height or FSI planned.)
• Developers who previously applied for mid-rise buildings revised their applications and sought new, higher buildings.
• Residential growth continued to outpace office, retail, and other non-residential uses, meaning that the provision of parkland, schools, community services and facilities, have not kept pace with the residential.
• City of Vaughan staff advised City Council that forecasts clearly revealed that substantial public investment (taxes) would be required to balance service demands.
• If Vaughan continues on the current trajectory, the VMC will now have a build-out population of over 115,000 people! It will be the densest area in all of Canada and perhaps all of North America.

* Oakville's Tall-Tower Concept for Midtown Risks

the Same Outcome as Vaughan.

* ALL of Oakville's Tax Payers Would Be On the Hook For the Costs to Create Parkland, Roads, Stormwater & Water Infrastructure, Community Amenities and More.

* The Tax Burden Would Continue for Decades.

1. Please share this important news with friends, neighbours and families in Oakville. Encourage them to join you in sending an email to Mayor Burton. He is the only individual member of Council who is able to change the direction of the current plan. Please feel free to cut and paste the points below and add to them with your personal comments.

Citizens across town must speak up. Tell Our Leadership:

(Sample Email:)

Dear Mayor Burton,

I have reviewed the information emanating from the City of Vaughan's Metropolitan Centre growth area which based its plan on incorporating tall towers.

Reports from staff state that actual growth is far exceeding population targets and development proposal FSI represents an approximate average rate of 1.6 times the as-of-right permissions. If this trend continues, the population at full build-out could reach 117,000 to 138,000 people. This is a far cry from the planned 50,000 people!

One of the most troubling facts is that City of Vaughan staff advised City Council that community service amenities, parkland and other vital needs to service the population have not kept pace with population increases. As a result, forecasts clearly reveal that substantial public investment (taxes) will be required to balance service demands.

I have serious concerns with Oakville's current approach to Midtown's redevelopment:

• Oakville wants a made-in-Oakville plan for Midtown - one that will provide gradual growth based on human scale, mixed built form, reflecting lower densities and housing types that will serve families and provide time and resources to create the required elements of liveability that ALL residents deserve.

• It would be irresponsible of us to ignore the experiences and mistakes being encountered in Vaughan and not act on them.

• We cannot support leadership that would expose us to the same risks, nor could we cast a vote for them in future.

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

Last but not least, we offer you additional information, details and resources on Midtown.

We set up a page at the CPRA website.

MidtownOakville.ca is a great spot for information.

The Town of Oakville's Midtown Growth Area Review Page

Coronation Park Residents Association | pknight@cogeco.ca

www.coronationparkresidents.com