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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, February 12, 2015 | 4 OMB sets date in Bronte Green's Merton Lands appeal by Michael Gregory Oakville Beaver Staff A developer's applications to build a mixed-used residential subdivision within the Merton Lands will be decided at an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing now scheduled for October. Bronte Green Corporation had applied to the Town of Oakville nearly a year ago -- in March 2014 -- to develop a 55-hectare plot of land at 1401 Bronte Road, the majority of which encompasses Saw-Whet Golf Course. Last May, Bronte Green submitted an Official Plan Amendment for the purpose of implementing the Town's ongoing findings as part of the Merton Planning Study. Last week, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, the OMB held a pre-hearing conference at Town Hall for the applications after Bronte Green appealed to the board in late October 2014 citing the Town's failure to deliver a timely decision on the matter. Bronte Green lawyer Patricia Foran said because of the delays to her client's application it would be "highly prejudicial" for the OMB not to schedule a hearing date immediately. Last April, the Town held a public meeting on draft Official Plan Amendment for the Merton Lands, and council passed a resolution asking for more information, mostly environmental work, from the landowners. "There has been no further progress to this An OMB hearing on a development proposal within the Merton Lands is set for October. | courtesy Town of Oakville date with respect to that Official Plan Amendment," Foran said. Town lawyer Catherine Lyons said information requested by council was received in November, and a peer review team that's been part of the Merton study process is currently assess- ing it. "We don't have that last piece of analysis council asked for," said Lyons, stressing numerous issues remain uncertain, including hearing length and issues and witness lists. "Given the magnitude of the study, I think a rigorous process has been undertaken and I don't think it would be in the public interest... establishing a hearing date here today." OMB member Jan Seaborn heard the arguments, but decided a hearing date should be set because of the board's busy schedule. "I don't think that's fair to Ms. Foran to push her into 2016 because of the board's calendar, as opposed to a substantive reason," Seaborn said. A second pre-hearing was set for May 1, where details related to the fall hearing, such as the duration, can be adjusted. The Region of Halton, Conservation Halton and Halton's public and Catholic school boards all had lawyers in attendance. The Town started the Merton study in November 2012 to further define the Fourteen Mile Creek valley lands and adjust the affected land use designations. Since then, extensive technical studies, analysis and public consultation has been undertaken. The Province had expressed early interest in developing 60 townhouses on the eastern edge of the lands just off of Third Line. However, Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn announced last September that Infrastructure Ontario (IO) was withdrawing its proposal, leaving only Bronte Green's application outstanding. The Town has leased properties on the Merton Lands from IO until 2040. Deerfield Golf Club also has a lease from the Province that expires in 2022. G I V E U N F O R G E T TA B L E GIFT SET with a Pandora * Introducing the 2015 Valentine's Day Collection from PANDORA AVA I L A B L E S TA RT I N G JA N U A RY 1 5 Purchase the "Always in my Heart" Gift Set for $175.* Purchase the "From the Heart" Gift Set for $230.* *While supplies last. See store for details. Experience at: "From the Heart" Gift Set "Always in my Heart" Gift Set MAPLEVIEW CENTRE Burlington · Upper Level Centre Court 905.632.5400 Some jewelry displayed patented (US Pat. No. 7,007,507) · © Pandora · PANDORA.NET