With a week to go before the vote, locals say they’re worried local authorities aren’t listening to their concerns about potential problems the development at Winston Churchill Avenue and Lakeshore Road could bring — such as excessive noise and truck emissions. “This is going to be one of the largest multi-tenant warehouses in Canada right behind people’s homes,” said Randy Rutherford, who has lived in the area west of Toronto for 22 years. “I would have thought we would have had more advice to find a way that would work for everyone.” According to plans conditionally approved by Oakville City Council last summer, the complex will include five warehouses on about 30 hectares of land split into two separate lots. Critics say that with 120,000 square meters of floor space and 226 loading docks, the development will be among the largest in Canada. An aerial view shows part of the 30 hectares of land where the five warehouses are to be built. (Yan Theoret/CBC) Mayoral candidate Julia Hanna says she’s been hearing concerns, particularly from those who live in a residential neighborhood next to the site. He says residents aren’t against the development itself, but want more say in the conditions the city imposes on the developer — such as how much noise will be allowed at the construction site, permitted emission levels and hours when trucks will be allowed to roll in and out. from the band. “This will determine whether they have faith in their leaders to make sure they don’t give up their way of life in exchange for jobs,” Hanna told CBC Toronto. An aerial shot of the site in question shows the two parcels to be developed and their proximity to a residential neighborhood. (City of Oakville) But Rob Burton, the incumbent who is running for another term as mayor, says builders won’t get building permits until they can prove they meet the city’s requirements, including noise levels. And he dismisses concerns that trucks could use the complex 24/7. “I’ve never seen a warehouse that could work this way,” he said. “It’s a physical weakness.” He says the land was zoned for warehouses in the 1960s and “the people who bought the houses always knew they were sitting on 75 acres of land for warehouses. The warehouses were approved generations ago.” But Des Browne says his backyard is less than 150m from the site and claims it’s too close. “You would hope that something of this scale and intensity would be at least a kilometer, maybe two kilometers away from people’s homes,” he said. “And with so many trucks potentially in the area, absolutely, [I’m] he is concerned about safety, not just for pedestrians or children, but for families who come and go in their vehicles.” Des Browne, who lives next to the site, says he doesn’t think the city has adequately addressed the safety concerns associated with the new development. (Grant Linton/CBC) The Town of Oakville said in a statement to CBC Toronto that it is taking residents’ concerns seriously. “The city is committed to ensuring that the new warehouses address the concerns expressed by local residents,” the statement said. “Final approval will not be granted until the traffic and noise reports resolve outstanding concerns and any necessary mitigation measures are satisfactory to the city and its peer reviewer.”
