Latest news with #landuse
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘Litmus test': Council majority backs massive high-rise development on Pack Road despite objections
'This is probably the most significant land use application that this term of council will see,' Coun. Sam Trosow told colleagues on Tuesday. Council considered a controversial planning application by Southside Construction to rezone 6309 Pack Rd. to permit a cluster of high-rise buildings with a maximum height of 16 storeys closest to the roadway, plus 206 single detached lots and 36 townhouses in a subdivision on the southern half of the property. It will add a total of 4,000 units over a 15 to 20 year build-out period. However, the Southwest Area Secondary Plan that guides development in the area prescribes a mix of low and medium density buildings no higher than nine storeys on the property. While neighbours called on council to adhere to the expectations contained in the long-term planning document, several councillors said the current demand for housing has outpaced the secondary plan's intensification targets. Coun. Steve Lehman, who also chairs the Planning and Environment Committee, reminded council of London's commitment to meet its provincial housing target. 'We've been given the target of 47,000 units by 2031. That's the size of Woodstock,' Lehman said. But others councillors suggested achieving the target shouldn't come at the expense of building complete communities that include things like public transit, parks, and public amenities. 'I cannot be beholden to the province on this idea that we are going to live up to this commitment on the numbers of units if it's not what's best for the community,' asserted Coun. Corrine Rahman. Rahman said the fast-growing area is similar to her ward in northwest London where despite significant residential development, municipal services and transit have been slow to keep pace with population growth. She added, 'I do feel like this is a bit of a litmus test.' Municipalities must review and update their Official Plans every five years. Currently, city staff are reviewing some of the building heights prescribed in The London Plan and its associated Secondary Plans. 'Four-thousand units is a lot of units going into this development, along with all the other development applications that are happening [in the area.] We want livable neighborhoods -it's not a numbers game,' explained Coun. Anna Hopkins who represents the area in southwest London. Council voted 10-5 in favour of approving the rezoning application which includes a long list of conditions that the developer has to meet before each of the high rise buildings can receive a building permit.
National Post
a day ago
- Politics
- National Post
Caroline Elliott: The end of Canada is coming and B.C.'s NDP is leading the charge
Article content Even so, the government maintains its implausible position that this is 'not about a veto' but rather reflects the (democratically and legally-flawed) DRIPA principle that 'both governments have authority to decide whether a particular authorization should be issued.' Article content From a democratic standpoint, shíshálh Nation's constitution is clear: only members can vote in shíshálh elections, and membership is based strictly on ancestry. This means that tens of thousands of citizens living in the large region covered by the agreement will have no democratic voice in consequential land-use decisions that directly affect their interests, a fact that has already led to an important constitutional challenge by one community group on the Sunshine Coast. Article content And this is just one of many similar arrangements being implemented across B.C. Article content Last month, the Province announced a joint land use planning process with five Indigenous groups covering an area larger than England in B.C.'s mineral-rich Northwest. Consent-based agreements are again touted as part of the process. Article content This means Indigenous groups representing a combined population of less than 15,000 will be able to exercise decision-making power over a massive, economically crucial region impacting over five million British Columbians with whom they have no democratic relationship. Article content Another recent agreement 'requires the consent of the Tŝilhqot'in Nation for any mine in the Teẑtan Area that is a reviewable project under the Environmental Assessment Act to proceed.' Most, if not all, of the 740,000 acres covered by the new agreement is outside of the Tŝilhqot'in Aboriginal title area recognized by the Supreme Court of Canada, and remains public land. Article content Once again, the B.C. government has agreed to an effective veto over an area of public land for a governing body that non-Indigenous British Columbians cannot vote for. And once again, they've failed to preserve their own basic responsibility to make decisions in the broader public interest. Article content Over the years, Canadian courts have consistently called for a balancing of the public interest with the unique interests of individual Indigenous groups. Finding that balance is supposed to be the difficult but critically important task of the governments we elect. Article content Instead, under DRIPA, the B.C. government is increasingly abdicating its responsibility to protect the public interest, and eroding the foundational principles underpinning our democracy. Time will tell whether the federal government follows suit.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia Forestry Association Leverages Acres.com Data in Latest Land Use Report
Summer 2025 Feature Released Under Powered by Acres Initiative Georgia Forestry Magazine Powered by Acres Fayetteville, Ark., July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Georgia Forestry Association's latest report, Shifting Ground, draws on land transaction insights from to examine how forest ownership and land use are evolving across the state. Featured in the Summer 2025 issue of Georgia Forestry magazine, the report carries the 'Powered by Acres' designation, a mark that signals credible, data-backed research built on the Acres platform. The analysis examines key trends influencing Georgia's forestland market, including generational turnover, external investment, and the emergence of diversified income streams, including hunting leases, carbon credits, and solar development. Acres' data shows forestland sales in Georgia have remained strong at $3.5 to $4 billion annually since 2020, with average price per acre holding firm despite broader economic fluctuations. 'Access to transparent, reliable data is essential to understanding how Georgia's forest landscape is changing,' said Tim Lowrimore, President and CEO of the Georgia Forestry Association. 'By leveraging insights from Acres, we're better equipped to support Georgia landowners and advocate for the long-term health of our working forests.' Acres' Vice President of Product and Data Science, Dr. Aaron Shew, added: 'Georgia's land market is shifting, not just in who owns the land, but in how it's valued and managed. We're proud to support analysis that helps bring clarity to those changes.' The Powered by Acres badge appears on reports and research outputs built using the Acres platform. It represents a shared commitment to transparency, accuracy, and high-quality interpretation of land data, whether for market insights, academic study, or public resource. To learn more: To read the entire article in Georgia Forestry magazine, click here. About is a land data and mapping platform built to bring transparency to America's biggest asset–land. With data for over 150 million parcels of land, Acres brings together the information you need to understand and value land with confidence. Access more accurate and comprehensive land intelligence, comparable sales, and easy-to-use mapping tools for fast, informed decision making. Visit to learn more About Georgia Forestry Association Founded in 1906, the Georgia Forestry Association represents forest landowners, forest product manufacturers, and related businesses. GFA works to ensure a thriving, sustainable future for Georgia's 22 million acres of working forests through advocacy, education, and industry engagement. Learn more at Attachment Georgia Forestry Magazine Powered by Acres CONTACT: Mary Mickel Acres 479.202.6167 while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong withdraws tenders for 2 sites to speed up Northern Metropolis development
Hong Kong authorities have withdrawn tenders for two sites in the New Territories initially earmarked for multi-storey buildings for modern industries to speed up development in the Northern Metropolis , with the government taking a bigger role. The Development Bureau said on Monday that a three-hectare site in Yuen Long would be passed to the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) to build a microelectronics ecosystem to promote high-value-added new industrialisation. The corporation runs an innovation park next to the site. An eight-hectare plot in Hung Shui Kiu will be included in a bureau policy study, under which the government aims to establish a company to run an industrial estate in the area. The two sites are among 30,000 hectares of land under the Northern Metropolis megaproject, a blueprint to turn the northern New Territories near the border with mainland China into an economic powerhouse and a housing hub. The bureau said it had halted the tenders to facilitate efficient implementation of more pragmatic arrangements, which could allow them to play a bigger role in promoting industrial development. 'In order to lead and effectively promote the development of industries in the Northern Metropolis, the government has to allow flexibility in the use of [land] and adopt a 'dynamic planning' approach in formulating strategies in accordance with the actual circumstances, thereby accelerating enterprise anchoring and fostering development of the area,' a bureau spokesman said.
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Wheatley's development continues with demolition process
Wheatley's revitalization efforts continue with a demolition process beginning on July 21. The work will take place at 24 Erie Street North and is expected to be completed in two weeks. Erie Street North remains open while the construction is completed and traffic disruptions aren't expected. The construction is part of the South Wheatley Secondary Plan, an effort to develop a neighbourhood land use plan.
