Oakville council votes to save Glen Abbey golf course from destruction

An Ontario town council has voted unanimously to reject a plan to develop Glen Abbey golf course amid efforts to designate the property as a "significant cultural heritage landscape."

Jane Courtemanche, a spokeswoman for the Town of Oakville, says council on Wednesday refused a development application by Glen Abbey owner ClubLink to develop the lands.

The council voted in August in favour of proceeding with a notice of intention to designate the Glen Abbey property as significant cultural heritage landscape under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

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This notice, also filed in August, is the first of a number of steps the Town ofOakvilleneeds to take before the designation is finalized.

ClubLink's development plan proposed construction of 141 detached homes, 299 townhomes, 2,782 apartments, retail and office space, as well as parks, open space and natural heritage areas.

TheClubLinkproperty is home to the Glen Abbey golf course and buildings, including an estate leased by Golf Canada that houses the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame & Museum. The golf course has hosted the Canadian Open 28 times.

ClubLinkmay appeal the town's decision to the Ontario Municipal Board, Courtemanche added.

The rejection comes days afterClubLinksent a letter notifyingOakvilletown council of a separate application to demolish or remove the golf course.ClubLinksaid Monday it notified the Town ofOakvilleof an application to demolish or remove the golf course and some buildings to make way for a mix of homes, offices and stores. The RayDor Estate House, home to the golf museum would be among the buildings that would remain, it said.

Oakvillewill meet withClubLinkin the "near future" to begin the process of this separate application for demolition, Courtemanche said Thursday.

ClubLinkhas criticized the town's heritage efforts calling it "broad and overreaching."

"The Town simply cannot use the Heritage Act to mandate land use," Clublink said in a statement on Monday.

The council gave parties who disagreed with its intent to designate Glen Abbey a heritage site until Sept. 25 to file an objection.ClubLinkdid not file an objection, however, Courtemanche said Thursday that someone else has.

The town will review the objection and if it meets the criteria it will forward it to the Conservation Review Board, which will then issue recommendations to Oakville's town council as to whether it is warranted, Courtemanche said in an emailed statement.

She added that if after receiving the board's report Oakville's town council decides to proceed, the next step would be to pass a by-law to designate Glen Abbey as a significant heritage cultural landscape.