Summary

Oakville's Planning and Development Council approved a new parks patrol program and infrastructure assumption for the Hospital Gate development, while advancing the heritage designation of Appleby College's campus. The meeting focused heavily on expanding the town's seasonal commercial patio program beyond the current three Business Improvement Areas to allow patios on private property throughout Oakville, with new regulations targeting implementation for the 2026 patio season.

Topics Discussed

Appleby College Heritage Designation

Council approved moving forward with designating Appleby College as a cultural heritage landscape under Ontario Regulation 906. The property, which has operated as a school since 1911, meets seven of nine provincial heritage criteria. Heritage planner Kristen McLachlan presented findings identifying seven significant heritage buildings for protection, including Collie House (1911), the Principal's House (1913), and the McCrainy Barn (1914), which was described as "a rare still standing example of early agricultural architecture in Oakville." The designation also covers natural features including McCrainy Creek, Lake Ontario shoreline, and mature tree cover. Legislative changes under the More Homes Built Faster Act (2022) and Homeowner Protection Act (2024) created a January 2027 deadline for designation or the property would be automatically delisted with a five-year restriction on relisting. Councilor Dunick praised the "collaborative nature" of the process, calling it a "win-win situation." A conservation plan detailing when heritage permits are required will be developed by year-end.

Seasonal Commercial Patio Program Expansion

Staff presented proposed zoning bylaw amendments to expand the seasonal patio program town-wide to include patios on private property. The initiative stems from business owner demand following COVID-19 temporary measures that waived zoning provisions for private property patios. Staff noted "We still get the phone calls. We were still getting inquiries...this was such a great program" from business proprietors. The proposed regulations would allow seasonal patios for a maximum of 26 weeks per year (May 1st to November 1st) and permit patios to occupy up to four required parking spaces per lot, though accessible parking spaces cannot be used. Property owners and landlords would have final authority to decide which tenants receive parking space allocations. A recommendation report is targeted for the April 7th council meeting, with new regulations intended for the 2026 patio season.

Parking Space Allocation Concerns

Council members raised concerns about the impact of converting parking spaces to patio use. Councilor Null cited a plaza on Onquashore Road where finding parking already takes "20 minutes." Staff explained there would be no municipal adjudication process for determining if removing spaces causes problems, with that responsibility falling to property owners and managers. Staff determined no additional parking was needed for summer patios because patrons would eat inside during inclement weather anyway. A critical finding revealed that plazas with surplus parking beyond zoning requirements could potentially use more than four spaces for patios. The four-space maximum applies only to "required" parking spaces under zoning bylaws.

Additional Residential Units Ownership Issue

Resident Martin Ratikov raised concerns about zoning bylaws preventing separate ownership of additional residential units on single properties. While current zoning allows residents to build up to three units on their properties, it does not allow these units to be separated into individual real estate units with separate ownership. Ratikov stated his child had to move to Calgary due to "unattainable ownership in the GTA markets" and expressed frustration that "our town policies are preventing me from" providing housing for immediate family and in-laws. He criticized the town, saying "it looks to me as a person of interest that the town is eager to provide for big business wishing to build 60, 70, 100 unit condominiums north of Dundas and everywhere but does not care about the small people like me who want to provide for my family." The matter is scheduled to come before council in April.

Patio Safety and Accessibility Standards

Staff outlined safety and accessibility requirements for the expanded patio program. A minimum 1.8 meters of clear walkway space must be maintained in addition to patio spaces on existing walkways. Full technical analysis will be conducted for each application, examining conflict points between vehicles and pedestrians, turning areas, vehicle speeds, and overall pedestrian movement safety. Mayor Burton advocated for more flexibility in regulations, asking staff to "be a little more generous with our flexibility" and stating the guiding principle should be to "try to identify the realistically expectable harm or ill that the regulation is going to cure and absent such a thing be prepared to be a little more flexible." However, a councilor provided a cautionary example where previous flexibility with parking space allocations "negatively affected a 20-minute drop off" zone, creating friction for surrounding businesses.

Motions

• 2026 Parks Patrol Program - Approved unanimously
• Infrastructure Assumption - Hospital Gate Development - Approved
• Appleby College Cultural Heritage Landscape Designation - Motion to proceed with Phase 3 (conservation plan and designation bylaw) carried with no objections
• Seasonal Commercial Patio Regulations - Received by council with no objections (information-only presentation, recommendation report to return for April 7th meeting)

Attendees

• Mayor Burton
• Councilor Dunick
• Councilor Adams
• Councilor Null
• Deputy Mayor (name not specified in transcript)

Absent: - Councillor Omira - Councillor Shei