A2 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday June 28, 2000 0 fin a n c in g over 48 months O.A.C. See dealer for details HIGH FLIGHT: Tony Kve of the Oakville Model Flying Club (left) put his plane through its paces at a special demonstration on the weekend. That's Aimee Kanski, 4, and M a d i s o n Panchenko, 4, enjoying the show. Proceeds from the event went to the F a r e s h a r e Foodbank. Photos by Julie Fairrie North development decision delayed to Aug. 8 th By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF O FFER ENDS J u n e 3 0 th 2 0 0 0 ! In s to c k a t Unprecedented public input and an abundance of unresolved issues have postponed approval of Oakville's Strategic Land Use Options Study until later this summer. On Monday night Town Council and a packed chamber simply ran out of time before they could hammer out a variety of nagging questions regard ing the framework for future development north of Dundas Street (formerly Highway 5). "We've had more public input into this than I've ever seen before," said Hemson Consulting Ltd. spokesman Ray Simpson. `There were a huge number of revisions all through the process." With many delegations left unheard and plenty of points still to be clarified, however, it was decided that another meeting would be scheduled in order to air every aspect of concern. At press time, the meeting had been scheduled for Tues. Aug. 8th. The study was commissioned in response to the intensifying pressures to develop 7,400 acres of agricultural land north of Dundas that has been designated "urban" by the Region of Halton Official Plan. The purpose of the study is to deter mine the amount and location of residential and employment land as well as a phasing strategy for implementation. The study area is bounded by Dundas Street, the Bronte Creek Valley within Burlington, Hwy. 407 and Ninth Line. The land has been earmarked for both residential and employment uses. The study itself is a first step in a general review prior to the preparation of the general official plan amendment and other plans to set out strategies for implementing the ultimate land use. "We're just setting the table," said Planning Services Director Ted Salisbury. The plan assumes a future population in the area of 55,000 people and about 35,000 employ ees on 900 hectares of employment land in the Oakville portion. The boundary between these lands and future residential areas are a number of distinct environ mental features, including woodlots and links between woodlots. Front and centre throughout the process has been the local environmental group Oakville Green. On Monday night, members reiterated their position that they are not against develop ment but rather in favour of "responsible and sus tainable" development. In short, they want a "greenland system of parkland, open spaces and natural areas which preserves the integrity of the natural environment." Trouble is, they say, this kind of system rec ommended in last year's North Oakville Natural Heritage Inventory and Analysis prepared by LGL Ltd. simply does not appear in the latest study. They are also concerned about the designations of prized woodlots, some of which differ between the two studies. Oakville Green is similarly worried about the future of the Trafalgar Moraine which forms the headwaters of several watercourses, including the Fourteen Mile, McCraney, Munn's and Joshua Creeks. The group wants -any plans for the Neyagawa-Trafalgar area delayed until all envi ronmental issues regarding this valuable resource have been professionally researched. Others, such as some landowners and the Iroquois Ridge Residents Association, pressed Council to approve the latest study expeditiously but maintain a steady dialogue with all parties involved. Salisbury explained that he has already spoken to major stakeholders (those with more than a thousand acres) and said that they are interested in further negotiations in order to create a "saleable" community that of course contains greenspace. C iv ic S c e n e Monday, July 3rd: Town Hall closed. Tuesday, July 4th: The Health and Social Services Committee meets at 9:30 a.m. in the Halton Room at regional headquarters, 1151 Bronte Rd. Town Council meets at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Oakville Municipal Building. Wednesday, July 5th: The Planning and Public Works Committee meets at 9:30 a.m. in the Halton Room at regional headquarters. Let Robin Garvey and her associates at Oakville Kitchen Centre make your dreams a reality with exciting kitchen and bath designs. Want to Quit Smoking? Design your own program! he Canadian Cancer Society knows most people can't just say, "I'm going to quit smoking now," then quit for good. 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