Numerous issues aired regarding lands on Bolton's north hill
By Bill Rea

Councillor Richard Whitehead was accompanied by Councillor Annette Groves and Jason Payne as he addressed last Thursday's meeting.

There's a lot happening on the north hill of Bolton that has many residents concerned.

A couple of hundred of them were out last Thursday night for a session hosted by the Bolton North Hill Residents' Association. There was little in the way of concrete answers offered at the session, although there was plenty of opportunity for people to voice concerns.

The discussions included reviews of rezoning of lands on the north hill, the status of the Montessori property, water supply questions and the litigation over land on the east side of Humberlea Road.

Brenda Heenan, membership secretary of the Association, told the audience Sorrento Development conveyed about 1.83 acres to the Town in 1979, but in 2001, the developer started a legal process to get the land back, arguing it had been conveyed in error. The trial took place, according to information provided by the Association, in September 2003, and the court ruled the land had been transferred because of mutual errors on the part of the Town and Sorrento, and the Town was told to give it back.

The Town appealed in February 2005, but the ruling was upheld. Another issue, that the courts are going to have to rule on, is if the Town is obligated to allow residential development on this land.

Heenan said the Town is expected to seek a summary judgement later this year for that case to be dismissed.

She added the property is currently zoned open space, but there are efforts under way to get an environmental protection area classification applied.

Some people wondered if the Town could purchase the property, and Association Chair Richard Hunt said that could be suggested.

Mary Hall, director of planning and development for the Town, said the property has been rezoned so that development can't take place, but she added any landowner can go through the process to to have it changed. She also said a municipal decision can be appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), taking the matter out of the Town's control.

Councillor Annette Groves said the Association could make a deputation to council, asking the Town to look at buying the site.

Hunt also commented the Town could be looking at the possibility of losing other parcels of land through litigation, and Groves pointed out that limits how forthcoming Town officials could be on these issues.

One woman observed the Town really has nothing to say on these issues. "It's really the OMB that makes the decision," she charged.

Others demanded to know what the Town is doing about this.

"I can assure you the Town is fighting," Groves replied. "We are there and we are going to continue to fight."