Community group needs more money to fight Burlington golf course development

A community group says it needs more money to continue the fight against plans to redevelop a Burlington golf course.

MAD (Millcroft Against Bad Development) says fundraising needs to be boosted to $70,000 to proceed with the hearing set to begin before the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) next month. The hearing will determine the future of Millcroft Golf Club.

The group is against the plan that calls for the partial redevelopment of the golf course which would reduce its size to add about 100 homes to the land.

Many residents who live near the golf course are opposed to the housing plans over fears that local wildlife will be lost and that changes in the landscape will adversely affect flood management. Some are also concerned about the potential for increased traffic and the elimination of a natural area in the heart of the city.

Those behind what is called the Millcroft Greens subdivision have argued the development will bring much-needed housing to Burlington which is a priority for Premier Doug Ford’s government. The developers have asked the OLT to intervene because the City of Burlington has failed to process their rezoning application to proceed with the project. The OLT hearings are expected to begin next month

In a letter sent to supporters, MAD says the fundraising goal has risen from $40,000 to $70,000 to meet the costs associated with presenting its case to the OLT including witness testimony and examining submissions made by the other parties involved including the City of Burlington.

For its part, the City has been mostly supportive of the residents and has asked the Ontario government to halt the OLT proceedings and protect the land from development. Queen’s Park has not signalled if it will get involved in the process.

The OLT is the agency that gets involved in land disputes and has the authority to grant zoning changes that would allow the homebuilding at Millcroft to take place.