• The Town of Caledon…

• The Town of Caledon acknowledges the Province’s authority to issue a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) but does not support the requested MZO for 12469 and 12861 Dixie Road.
• The Town is committed to meeting its provincial pledge of 125,000 new jobs by 2051.
• The lands are subject to active planning applications (Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, and Site Plans), currently under detailed municipal and agency review.
• Significant technical issues remain unresolved, including transportation, servicing, environmental impacts, land use compatibility and infrastructure planning.
• While the Town recognizes that these lands are important to achieving the employment targets, the development of these lands must be carried out in a manner that serves a function in supporting the overall transportation network, provides for essential public infrastructure to support the development of the lands, protects and enhances the natural features, is efficient for the use of the lands and compatible with the surrounding land uses/development.
• The proposal undermines comprehensive planning and risks uncoordinated development.
• Secondary Planning is required and the request for the MZO leaves uncertainty with the coordinated framework approach to guide development in the area.
• The lands are not presently serviced or development ready. The municipal process can meet development timelines without an MZO.
• The proposed MZO excludes the Town’s planned east-west road identified as a major collector with a 26 metre right-of-way in the Town’s Official Plan and Multi-Modal Transportation Plan, despite prior commitments from the landowner to work with staff to incorporate this connection.
• The Town demonstrated ongoing commitment to work with the applicant to develop and refine a road alignment that preserves the orderly development of these lands while not compromising their economic viability and still meeting the Town’s transportation objectives.
• The proposed removal of Site Plan Control is strongly opposed.
• The proposed zoning standards are not fully assessed and must be comprehensively reviewed.
• Natural heritage features, watercourses and hazards are not fully evaluated and must be considered in the evaluation of the proposed zoning standards.
• Stormwater management and servicing strategies remain incomplete. There is a risk to watershed function, floodplains and ecological system.
• Two designated heritage properties require clear protection and appropriate adaptive reuse, not fully addressed in the requested MZO.
• The municipal planning process should continue to ensure coordinated, sustainable, and well-planned development.