Burlington Mayor & Ward 2 Councillor Joint Statement on City Wins First-Step Victory in Waterfront Hotel Development Application

Burlington, Ont. — Jan. 5/6, 2023

On Jan. 3, 2023, the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) released an update related to the appeal of a development application for the site of the Waterfront Hotel.

The OLT concluded the application was “made” on the day a complete application was accepted by the City of Burlington. That date was after the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing shifted the Urban Growth Centre (UGC) and Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) designations from the downtown towards the Burlington GO station area.

This means the applicant can no longer rely on the UGC or MTSA designations to justify their proposal that Burlington City Council unanimously rejected last year with strong planning rationale as overdevelopment.

The OLT’s determination is a significant victory in our city’s priority to control overdevelopment in our downtown, particularly along our waterfront.

We worked hard with staff, our Council colleagues, and the Province of Ontario to shift the UGC and MTSA designations to better direct major developments to where they are more suited, namely around our Burlington GO station. This gives us better tools to combat overdevelopment and this finding by the OLT reflects Council’s efforts.

There is still a long way to go on this file, and ultimately a decision will be made by the OLT.

The City is committed to ensuring that development of this unique property is in line with the best planning outcome and the community’s needs primarily in mind. We will continue to work with our City staff to advocate for the best interests of our residents for a more appropriate project on this key piece of land in our downtown.

Members of the public can stay up-to-date and receive email alerts on this file when new information is available by subscribing to the dedicated project page on the City of Burlington’s website at burlington.ca/2020Lakeshore

Read the decision document here: Copy of OLT Update: OLT-22-003866-JAN-03-2023

Waterfront Hotel Rendering