The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, April 10, 2015 | 8 Town wants to keep publicly-owned property in Merton Lands green by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff Oakville council voted unanimously Wednesday at a special planning council meeting to take steps toward incorporating any publicly-owned property in the Merton Lands into Oakville's Natural Heritage System (NHS). Mayor Rob Burton called on staff to schedule a public meeting as soon as possible. A date has yet to be set. Council will consider an Official Plan Amendment, to designate publicly-owned property in the Town's Merton Lands Study area with its natural heritage status. The lands in question are among those located south of Upper Middle Road, north of the QEW and between Bronte Road and Third Line. Burton said changing the area's status could help get more protection for the lands. He noted Ontario's 10-year review of the Greenbelt is currently underway and the Province is looking to expand the Greenbelt. Making publicly-owned property in the Merton Lands part of the Natural Heritage System would make it easier to incorporate it into the Greenbelt, said Burton. Established in 2005 to protect 1.8 millionacres of environmentally-sensitive areas and farmlands, the Greenbelt surrounds the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Last April, council had similar discussion during which it was noted designating lands Greenbelt takes time -- involving lengthy consultation, the gathering of scientific evidence and an application made by municipal and regional governments to the Province. This week's council resolution comes as developer Bronte Green Corporation prepares to take a development application for the privately-owned Saw-Whet Golf Course, located in the Merton Lands, to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). The developer aims to build 780 houses and two multi-storey buildings on the 55-hectare plot of land at 1401 Bronte Rd. Ward 4 councillors Allan Elgar and Roger Lapworth, who will host a meeting for the public Tuesday (April 14), say the plan has proven unpopular with residents. As the Saw-Whet Golf Course is private property, it would not be included if council's Greenbelt plan goes forward. Burton indicated the Town is pursuing the Greenbelt option to protect the remaining public land. "Had things worked out differently, the Town would have brought forward an Official Plan amendment reflecting the comprehensive study undertaken on the Merton Lands and in that, I believe we would have been designating the Natural Heritage lands as Natural area," said Burton. "This would have happened if Bronte Green had not cut short the study process by jumping the queue and fleeing the process that we have set up in our Official Plan and appealing prematurely." Representatives of Bronte Green have previously stated the matter was appealed to the OMB because the Town failed to deliver a timely decision on its development application. Council also voted unanimously Wednesday to attend the upcoming OMB hearing to oppose Bronte Green Corporation's plan. The developer was not surprised. "We always expected they would (oppose us at the OMB). Our preference would be that if we have to go to the OMB, and there is going to be a hearing, it be a hearing on the merits of whether these lands are appropriate for development. All our consultants are telling us it's appropriate for some development. The (Town) staff opinion in 2014 was that it was appropriate for some form of development," said Patrick Harrington, Bronte Green representative. "So if they've got something that says your development is deficient in these ways that's one thing. To say we should be kicked off to some future date for the conclusion of some study Oakville seems to think will say the land should all be Natural Heritage, doesn't seem to us to be a proper reflection of the process we started with." The April 14 meeting will held at 7 p.m. at the Halton Regional Centre, 1151 Bronte Rd. legal matters Business Law what should i do before starting a business with my friends? Starting your own business can be extremely fulfilling and exciting, this is often only increased when you choose to go into business with one or more friends. Q a Chris Rogers Chris is an associate at Ross & McBride LLP, practising in the Business Law Group. He joined the firm after working with a national law firm in its Toronto office and a major Canadian bank. Chris has gained extensive experience in all aspects of business matters, including direct involvement in transactional work such as secured and unsecured financing, restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and asset and share purchase transactions. An often overlooked issue for a group of entrepreneurs starting out is the need to have a clear plan for how they will all work together during the inevitable ups and downs of their new business. It can seem unnecessary for a group of friends to write down how they will make decisions and their respective expectations, but a basic shareholders' or partnership agreement can prove invaluable when an unforeseen challenge creates tension or disagreements. By determining how problems will be solved before they emerge, you are better able to overcome them quickly and maintain focus on your business as well as avoid the potential costs, both financially and to your friendship, of arguing over each one as it arises. An experienced business lawyer can be a great resource in helping you draft an agreement that will meet the specific needs of your new business and partners. Cruise Holidays of oakville 221 Lakeshore Road East · 905-337-2228 info@cruiseholidaysoakville.com www.cruiseholidaysoakville.com TICO# 4537114 ON REG# 970855995 1 King Street West, 10th Floor Hamilton, Ontario, L8P 1a4 Phone: 905-526-9800 Email: crogers@rossmcbride.com The advice offered in this advertorial column is intended for informational purposes only. Use of this column is not intended to replace or substitute any professional, financial,medical, legal, or other professional advice.