Town of Oakville wants to move faster to build more homes

In an effort to live up to the provincial government’s pledge to build more housing, the Town of Oakville wants to expedite the process.

Oakville councillors are expected to ask Halton Region to accelerate the servicing of lands north of Dundas St., between Tremaine Rd. and Regional Road 25 at their upcoming council meeting.

According to a staff report, as part of the Town’s housing pledge of 33,000 units to be achieved by 2031 the Town committed to work in co-operation with the Province of Ontario and Halton Region to deliver infrastructure such as water and wastewater services.

While the housing pledge applies to the whole of Oakville, the allocation program only applies to greenfield areas (typically north of Dundas Street) and does not apply to the “built-up area” being south of Dundas Street.

The current allocation program is unique from past programs because it considers the servicing of the whole of the region, not only the extension of trunk and road infrastructure to new greenfield areas.

In past programs, the town considered the distribution of single-detached equivalent units and now is considering total housing units, in line with the town’s housing pledge.

Service area master plans, including fire, transportation, parks, recreation and library, are currently underway, which will identify the infrastructure required to support the accelerated growth needed to meet the Town’s housing pledge.

The town will utilize the growth funding tools of development charges, parkland dedication, and community benefits charges to the greatest extent allowable under legislation to finance new infrastructure.

“Moving forward with the allocation program ensures the Town continues to grow in a logical, measured fashion, and according to the in-effect planning framework which reinforces and implements the Town’s urban structure,” says the report.

“Residential development has been planned for north Oakville since 2008 and the allocation program allows for the realization of that plan.”