As someone who has worked in…

As someone who has worked in the urban planning and development industry for many years, I would like to share my support for the MZO for 2155 Country Club Drive and 4274 Dundas Street in the City of Burlington.
The proposal to intensify housing within our existing communities achieves a central mandate of the Province. The benefits of intensification show up in every progressive guideline from the Growth Plan, Greenbelt Plan, as well as independent research / think tanks, and environmental organizations. It is commonly understood as a means to add more people close to existing services, make efficient use of infrastructure, reduce sprawl, and overall contribute to sustainability.
In my opinion, the proposed development strikes a fair balance between the need for some amount of intensification (with similar housing to what exists), and the creation of naturalized, publicly accessible open space.
Many neighbourhoods across the country are undergoing increases in density to varying degrees. It is a contribution we all need to make to our shared long term sustainability. The current Millcroft neighbourhood is largely a low density area situated around a public golf course (on private land). Current residents do not have legal access to the golf course to enjoy as open space. Compared to many other communities, the development proposal is requesting a very gentle increase in density.
Golf courses are intensively managed turfgrass monocultures that require irrigation, pesticides and fertilizer to function. I have no opposition to golf courses as a recreational use, but when compared with the alternative of appropriate housing intensification and real, naturalized open space, an urban golf course, in my opinion, is not providing the same kind of overall community benefit.
To me, the development proposal makes a positive contribution to our collective long term objectives for housing and sustainability.