CAMBRIDGE -- The City of Cambridge is hoping to rein in the power of the Minister’s Zoning Order, which allows the province to fast-track development projects.
Council held a lengthy meeting Tuesday night to discuss how they can better handle MZOs.
“Myself, personally, I’ve seen developers lined up in this community today looking for MZOs,” said Coun. Mike Devine. “I am starting to question whether we even should touch them.
One to two MZOs are approved each year across the province, but according to the City of Cambridge, 33 were passed in 2020.
The calls for how the city handles the orders came after the approval of a one-million square foot warehouse in the Blair Neighbourhood this summer.
In May, council asked staff to draft a policy to lay out how future MZOs can require their stamp of approval before the province’s.
Delegates at the Tuesday night meeting overwhelmingly asked for a promise of environmental impact studies and for more public consultation, including that of First Nations.
“The policy does not specifically acknowledge Indigenous consultation or even promise circulation of development proposals to the affected First Nations,” said Blair resident Alan Van Norman.
Cambridge council passed the policy with the intent that MZOs will be used for the good of all, stating the urgency of affordable housing and the federal government’s rapid housing initiative as an example.
“From the time the money is given out, there’s only a year that projects has to be completely built, and there’s no time to do zoning changes,” said Cambridge Mayor Kathryn McGarry.
With the current set of rules on an MZO, the minister of municipal affairs and housing has the legislative power to override any project, no matter how much consultation.
“It is a Minister Zoning Order, not a municipality zoning order,” said McGarry.
