Bronte Green Corporation - 1401 Bronte Road

Bronte Green Development is developing of a new residential community on the former Saw Whet Golf Course lands along Bronte Road. This subdivision will include approximately 1,181 residential units through a mix of single family homes, townhouses and low-rise apartments.

This transit-friendly community has space for an elementary school and provides land for parks and a trail system while preserving sensitive environmental lands that are critical habitat to endangered and other species of wildlife.

This development was approved in an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) settlement between the Town of Oakville and Bronte Green.

            
               Aerial view of Bronte Green site (former Saw Whet Golf Course)
                    

Aerial view of Bronte Green site (former Saw Whet Golf Course)

                
            

Status Update: Construction underway

Detailed engineering plans were submitted to support the start of limited and controlled works on the lands.

Wildlife Rescue and Relocation permits from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry were secured and executed to address the conditions imposed pertaining to the wildlife in the existing Golf Course Pond.

A site alteration application is under review to permit the following works to proceed in a controlled and monitored manner:

Stage 1 -  Tree fencing:

Installation of tree hoarding (silt fencing) – Permit Issued

The owner’s tree preservation plan requires them to protect some existing trees during construction. The site was inspected for compliance and deemed acceptable to allow for Stage 2.

Stage 2 – Tree removal:

Removal of select trees and stumps – Permit Issued

Update: On March 6, 2018 the remaining tree and stump removals from the developable area of the Bronte Green lands will begin and are scheduled to be completed within the week.

These tree removals are part of the approved tree preservation plan but were delayed pending the late 2017 expiration of the Temporary Use License on the former Regional Operations Yard lands and need to remove trees by hand within the Regional Sanitary Sewer Easement Area. See the Bronte Green Tree Removal Areas map for more details.

In November 2017, the owner completed the majority of the tree and stump removal as per the approved tree preservation plan.

Detailed assessment and engineering plans have been reviewed and accepted. These plans outline the area of the site that will be impacted by the grading, servicing and re-contouring necessary to support new residential development.

Tree Planting

The owner’s tree preservation plan requires them to protect some existing trees during construction as well as plant several new trees that will increase the overall canopy cover on these lands.

  • The site currently has an estimated 10 per cent canopy cover. The proposed planting plan will deliver a canopy cover of approximately 35 per cent.
  • 1,326 out of 1,752 trees will be removed from the site. 
  • Over 3,500 trees will be planted near the end of the construction/home build process.

Review the proposed Tree Planting Plan. This plan is currently under review and subject to change.

The following table sets out the canopy transition that will take place on these lands:

Tree Statistics

  • Total trees (current state) - 1749
  • Total trees to be removed - 1326*
  • Total trees to be retained - 423
  • Total trees to be planted - 3529
  • Total trees (future state) - 3952

* Comprised of 25% Ash Trees and 46% Non-Native Species.

Canopy coverage

  • Total area of Bronte Green site - 54.79 hectares     
    • Existing canopy coverage - 5.87 hectares (10.7%)
    • Planned canopy coverage - 19.31 hectares (35.2%)   
        

Stage 3 - Site grading

Topsoil stripping and major earthworks/site grading. This step allows for the lands to be shaped to support the new development — Permit Issued.

The earthworks/site alteration for this site are divided into four phases as outlined below. See the Bronte Green Earthworks/Site Alternation map (pdf) for more details.

All draft plan conditions required to be satisfied prior to Phase 1 earthworks and grading have been complied with.

Phase 1: The developable lands only (excludes any required works within and along the Natural Heritage lands – see Phases 2, 3 and 4 below).

  • Earthworks within Hydro One lands and the Region of Halton easement require separate agreements from Hydro One and the Region respectively. 
  • The developer has agreements in place with Hydro One and the Region of Halton to cross the corridors with vehicles.

Timing for the remaining phases below will be posted as work progresses on Phase 1.

Phase 2:  Required Minor earthworks and slope blending within and along the abutting Natural Heritage (NH) lands.

Update: November 19, 2018 — All relevant draft plan conditions have been complied with for the proposed wildlife pond. Earthworks for the pond have been approved and will commence shortly. These works are within the limits of the Phase 2; however, they will not affect any trees in the NH lands or the Conservation setbacks. The developer is hoping to collect the spring run-off to help fill the pond.

Phase 3:  Required Enhancement works within and along the abutting Natural Heritage lands.

Phase 4:  Construction of stormwater outfalls that extend in the abutting NH lands.

Stage 4 – Underground servicing:

The developer has received approval from the town and region to commence underground servicing of the lands. Servicing may commence as early as February 20, 2019.

It’s anticipated that this community will develop in phases over a period of years. Land grading and servicing will take about one to two years to complete. Housing construction may start as early as late 2018 and depending on approvals and market up-take, home construction may well continue into 2020. The higher density development parcels along Bronte Road are expected to be developed in later phases of the plan, likely beyond the year 2020.

Bronte Green’s property consists of 54.79 hectares of land. Of that land:

  • 37.33 ha (68.1%) will be developed for residential units, commercial uses and roads.
  • 10.09 ha (18.4%) will be added to the Natural Heritage System and dedicated to the Town. This includes the natural area originally proposed by Bronte Green and “Enhancement Areas” achieved through the settlement process.
  • 5.53 ha (10.1%) Will be dedicated to the town as Parks (2.5 ha), Open Space (.72 ha), Walkways (.20), and additional open space encumbered by existing pipeline (.14) or as a stormwater management pond (which in addition to the pond, serves an open space function).
  • 1.84 ha (3.3%) Is reserved for a school block for a period of seven years

At the end of the day, 17.46 ha (31.8%) (exclusive of roads) will come into public ownership, the majority of which consists of natural heritage areas that have been saved from development.

Bronte Green, did extensive work to complete the required technical studies and made substantive changes to meet the town’s requirements.  As a result, Bronte Green is:

  • Dedicating a significant parcel of land to enhance the woodlands
  • Increasing the size of the buffer around the natural features from 10 metres to 30 metres in order to better protect the natural heritage system from the impacts of development and to reduce flood and erosion impacts.
  • Creating a 2 hectare (over 5 acre) habitat area for local wildlife including turtles. They have secured and executed the necessary Wildlife Rescue and Relocation permits from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to address the conditions imposed pertaining to the wildlife in the existing Golf Course Pond.
  • Constructing stormwater management systems to ensure quantity and quality controls.
  • Securing a permanent natural heritage linkage to Bronte Creek Provincial Park.

Reserving an elementary school site adjacent to a centrally located neighbourhood park

In Oakville, private healthy tree removals, for trees 15 cm DBH (diameter at breast height) or greater, can only proceed with the approval of the town.  Approvals are provided in one of two ways:

  1. Issuance of a Private Tree Permit (Private Tree Bylaw), OR
  2. Granting of Development Approvals (Planning Act approvals)

The town is allowed to impose conditions with each approval.

In the case of this Bronte Green development, the conditions set out in the Planning Approval required the owner to develop a tree preservation and planting plan for this site.

Land re-development works typically require significant land alteration (requiring tree removal) to ensure proper community design and function, and the tree preservation plan took into account these necessary alterations.

While the plan requires the removal of some 1,300 trees early in the process, the owner is required to plant over 3,500 new trees within and around this new community area.  The site currently has an estimated 10 per cent canopy cover. The new plantings will deliver a canopy cover of approximately 35 per cent.

Beacon Environmental has been retained to provide professional oversight on the specific matter of active and ongoing environmental site monitoring. They will ensure that approved/required site controls are in place, monitored and maintained.

Town of Oakville, Conservation Halton and Region of Halton will also actively monitor the progress of work on this site to ensure proper steps and actions are being taken with respect to environmental protection and reporting requirements, access/egress controls, work hour limitations, dust mitigation protocols and, construction/building compliance.

The following sets out the canopy transition that will take place on these lands:

Canopy coverage 

  • Total area of Bronte Green site - 54.79 hectares          
    • Existing canopy coverage - 5.87 hectares (10.7%)  
    • Planned canopy coverage - 19.31 hectares (35.2%)
        

Tree Statistics

  • Total trees (current state) - 1749
  • Total trees to be removed - 1326 (Comprised of 25% Ash Trees and 46% Non-Native Species)
  • Total trees to be retained - 423
  • Total trees to be planted - 3529
  • Total trees (future state) - 3952

Background

Visit the Bronte Green Settlement FAQ page for questions and answers about the November 2016 settlement that was reached at the OMB with Bronte Green.

  • June 21, 2017 - the OMB issued its decision approving the development.     
  • November 28, 2016 - Mayor's statement on Bronte Green settlement proposal
  • January 7, 2015 - Bronte Green Corporation filed an appeal with the OMB with respect to its official plan amendment application.
  • Oct 28, 2014 - Bronte Green Corporation filed an appeal with the OMB respecting its zoning by-law amendment, draft plan of condominium and draft plan of subdivision applications seeking a decision on its development application.
  • May 12, 2014 - Bronte Green Corporation filed an Official Plan Amendment development application to permit redevelopment of the Saw Whet Golf Course.
  • Mar 7, 2014 - Bronte Green Corporation filed Zoning By-law Amendment, Plan of Subdivision and Plan of Condominium development applications to permit redevelopment of the Saw Whet Golf Course
  • Mar 14, 2013 - The town initiated a comprehensive study of all the lands in the area, known as the Merton Planning Study. This comprehensive study was required by the town's Livable Oakville Plan and was necessary to properly evaluate any redevelopment of the lands.

The following documents relate to the conservation lands owned by the Town of Oakville that border the development.

Contact

Paul Barrette, MCIP, RPP
Senior Planner, Planning Services
905-845-6601, ext. 3041
paul.barrette@oakville.ca

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