I am writing as a resident of Oakville to express my deep concern with the proposal by ClubLink. The people involved in ClubLink are seeking the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal's ("Tribunal") permission to destroy an invaluable cultural heritage resource in the Town by replacing the Glen Abbey Golf Course with a massive high-rise redevelopment. The people behind this proposal are pushing the Tribunal to approve a proposal which is contrary to the public interest, the welfare of the people of Oakville, the Halton Region and the Province of Ontario. Why? In part because Provincial planning policy, and the Region of Halton and Oakville Official Plans do not allow this type of intensification in a mature residential neighbourhood, far removed from planned transit. Please consider: * Town Council unanimously rejected the development proposal multiple times; * Glen Abbey Golf Course is an historic and internationally-renowned golf course designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus, which has hosted 30 Canadian Open championship - more than any other course; * Glen Abbey is a landmark in the Town of Oakville, and is designated a Cultural Heritage Landscape under the Ontario Heritage Act; * Glen Abbey’s unique cultural heritage value distinguishes it from other golf course redevelopment applications across the province; * The Livable Oakville Official Plan guides the development and growth of our community and conforms to the Province of Ontario’s Growth Plan; * Glen Abbey is not designated as one of the Town’s growth areas planned to accommodate major intensification and new urban development – but is located in a mature residential neighbourhood; * Glen Abbey is located nowhere near the planned transportation corridors on which governments are making significant financial investment – unlike the Town’s planned growth areas such as Midtown Oakville and Uptown Core; * This type of high-density, car-dependent development – which is entirely contrary to provincial land use planning policy – is especially concerning as we witness the urgent climate and biodiversity crises; * The province’s current housing crisis cannot be solved by approving high-density development in the wrong location; * Oakville does not want to destroy this property to gain publicly accessible parkland; and * A private property owner should not be able to overturn a community’s carefully- crafted plan for growth that was developed with provincial input and in accordance with provincial policy. For the foregoing reasons the Tribunal must reject the appeals by Club Link to allow for the proposed development of 3,200 homes and 11,270 square metres for retail and office space which are not appropriate for the 229-acre site. In addition to the reasons listed above, let me reiterate and emphasize that the Glen Abbey Golf Course is a national treasure. It is critical for Oakville’s heritage, the environment, and providing green space, which is not only beneficial to the residents of Oakville, but also the Halton Region and the Province of Ontario. In that regard: Glen Abbey’s Heritage Significance * Even though I am not a golfer, and not much of a fan of the game, I recognize and appreciate that professional golfers make history on the course. The golf course has hosted the Canadian Open a record thirty times. Golfers, such as Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson, have claimed the championship title on this course. Due to the importance of hosting the Canadian Open, it is home to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and has enhanced the town’s presence both nationally and internationally. This course unites golfers, fans, and Canadians. * The heritage features extend to the purposefully built design that is spectator-focused. The course was designed by Jack Nicklaus, a legend in the golfing community, in 1976. Both the functional and aesthetic features lend to its value as the desired course for players and spectators. * Even the buildings on the land contribute to its historical importance. The RayDor Estate house boasts a rare French building style and one of the first estate homes in Oakville. Moreover, the outbuildings also demonstrate remarkably rare craftsmanship from the era. * More information on Glen Abbey’s Heritage can be found here: https:// www.oakville.ca/townhall/pn-17aug24_01.html Glen Abbey's Environmental Concerns As to the environmental issues: * Preserving the Glen Abbey Golf Course is crucial for the environment, which is beneficial to all of us and to certain species of animals. Throughout the course, there are semi-mature and mature trees. Some trees were planted between 40-50 years ago and are now at risk of being removed because of this proposed development. * Furthermore, the land is used as a nesting area for birds and other animals. The Jefferson Salamander, an endangered species that lives throughout the Halton Region, can also be found on the course. The Livable Oakville Plan, which was passed in 2018 by the town council, designates the land as “open space” and not “residential”. Other growth hubs and corridors have been identified in the official plan that does not include the Glen Abbey Golf Course. For all of the reasons stated above, I ask the Tribunal to uphold provincial planning policy, the Livable Oakville Plan and the will of Ontarians who do not want our precious cultural heritage resources bulldozed to accommodate bad development at the whim of a private property owner who has expressed little or no concern about the public good. The outcome of this case will have broad implications for Oakville and other communities in Ontario for years to come. I urge the Tribunal in the strongest terms to rule in favor of Oakville on all issues, reject the appeals of Club Link and protect the Glen Abbey property. Thank you P.S. I understand the Tribunal ordered filings electronically, but also by hard copy, if the recipient party requests a hard copy. Unfortunately, I do not have a printer. In the circumstances, and as a resident of Oakville, I hereby appoint Nadia Chandra, Assistant Town Solicitor as my agent to accept service on my behalf and authorize her to make any necessary hard copies of this electronic submission and submit it on my behalf to the parties if required to do so. Her address for service and contact information is as follows: 1225 Trafalgar Road Oakville, Ontario L6H 0H3 Email: [email protected] Tel: 905-845-6601 ext. 3912 PSS. I further hereby authorize the LPAT case coordinator, Jason.C.Kwan if necessary to print off a copy of this electronic submission, sign it on my behalf and file it with the Tribunal to satisfy any requirement to file a hard copy with the Tribunal. My coordinates are: Oakville, Ontario .