White Church urban boundary expansion area
Located far from the urban core of Hamilton, White Church lands are the true definition of suburban sprawl. Click image above to see maps.
Concerns with this UBE application
Staff and peer reviewing consultants have confirmed that urban expansion in the White Church lands would be financially detrimental to the City. “Watson and Associates’ Peer Review of the Fiscal Impact Analysis identified several gaps in the infrastructure cost modelling, noting that the proponent’s conclusion of a positive net 2051 operating position of $5.4M does not include annual lifecycle replacement costs of $31.84 M, effectively meaning that the proposed development would result in a net fiscal deficit. Based on the above, it is Staff’s opinion the applications do not provide for phased progression of urban development..” Staff report page 17/34: https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=457508
“The Financial Impact Assessment. does not include the full capital costs related to developing and servicing the area. Further, Urban Metrics’ analysis does not adequately consider costs related to lifecycle replacement, which often has a significant impact on the net financial analysis and is inconsistent with the Peer Reviewer, Watson’s, approach.” Peer Review of Fiscal Impact Assessment, page 3/17 https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=457518
On June 25, 2025, Staff recommended that Rural Hamilton Official Plan Amendment Application RHOPA-25-005 by Urban Solutions Planning & Land Development Consultants Inc., on behalf of the White Church Landowners Group Inc. to remove the White Church lands from the applicable mapping and policies of the Rural Hamilton Official Plan, BE DENIED for several reasons outlined in the Staff report. Council voted unanimously in favour of the Staff recommendation for denial. Staff report page 1/34
https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=457508
The expansion would result in the permanent loss of approximately 746 acres of Agricultural Land—87.4% of which is prime Class 1–3 soil. It would also fail to comply with the minimum distance separation formulae. In effect, the existence of a healthy, sustainable food system will be undermined. Page 1/16 of the Consultation Summary. https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=457514
The applications do not demonstrate that there is sufficient existing or planned capacity relative to infrastructure and public service facilities to service the subject lands. Staff report page 2/34 https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=457508
Through zoning changes that now allow many more types of housing beyond single family homes, staff have confirmed that Hamilton can meet its housing targets by adding much more densification within the current urban boundary, eliminating the need for more land. https://www.hamilton.ca/build-invest-grow/planning-development/zoning/residential-zones-project
The City of Hamilton exceeded its 80% Residential Intensification Target in 2023 with an intensification rate of 90%. Hamiltonians embrace a growth strategy of infill housing and densification within existing neighbourhoods, near transit, jobs and amenities. Page 6/9: https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=425614
Based on current data and approved levels of service, the City of Hamilton faces a 10- year Infrastructure Funding Gap of $5.2 billion. Adding more sprawl infrastructure on distant farm fields away from transit, jobs and amenities will only worsen that burden. Page 5/9: https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=455835
A mail-out survey was distributed to households in Hamilton in late June/early July 2021 to ask for opinions about how the City of Hamilton should grow to the year 2051. An absolutely unprecedented total of 18,387 survey responses were submitted to the City through mail and email up to the survey deadline of July 23, 2021. Option 2 “No Urban Boundary Expansion” was the clear choice of Hamiltonians with 16,636 or 90.4% or responses. https://www.hamilton.ca/build-invest-grow/planning-development/growth-planning-grids/grids-2mcr-urban-growth-survey
Urban expansion would destroy thousands of acres of class one farmland and be detrimental to our food security, climate change reduction and mitigation goals, urban forest strategy, wetland protection goals, affordable housing strategy, and jeopardize Light Rail Transit success by directing growth far away from the proposed LRT line.