After eight years in the making, politicians approved the city’s urban official plan this week that will serve as a blueprint on how Hamilton will grow over the next 20 years.

“You will see a lot of consistency in this document,” said Tim McCabe, general manager of economic development and planning.

Hamilton’s urban official plan joins the city’s rural official plan that was approved by councillors last year to create the city’s first harmonized Official Plan since the six municipalities were amalgamated in 2001.

The urban official plan had to be approved by councillors by June 30.

The plan had been delayed a few years after the provincial government introduced its Greenbelt plan and Places to Grow document that encourages intensification in urban areas.

The plan incorporates the city’s Growth Related Integrated Development Strategy (GRIDS) that proposes encouraging development within nodes and corridors, such as in the Elfrida area, along with other essential planning documents that have been approved over the last few years. The plan includes land use designations, neighbourhood construction, employment areas, transportation master plan, natural heritage system, and commercial and mixed uses.

The official plan also incorporations transit master plan documents, the Stoney Creek Urban Expansion policies, and the downtown master plan recommendations. City planning staff held four days of public meetings in June prior to council’s approval.

It is expected the document will be appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board. Once the issues are resolved by the OMB, it is up to the province to approve the plan.

Ward 8 (west Mountain) councillor Terry Whitehead argued the plan could create “inequities” within neighbourhoods, allowing for higher buildings in one community, and forcing intensification in another neighbourhood.

“There is a need for continuity,” he said.

Ward 7 (central Mountain councillor) Scott Duvall said there has been a growing concern from homeowners about the insistence by the municipal and provincial governments to intensify neighbourhoods instead of expanding a municipality’s urban boundary which eats up precious green space. Under the province’s Places to Growth legislation, 40 per cent of Hamilton’s urban area has to be intensified to accommodate the expected growth in population over the next 20 years.

“I want to make sure we don’t stack 25-pound potatoes in a five-pound sack,” said Mr. Duvall. “We should intensify only in certain areas.”

Mr. McCabe assured councillors the plan establishes consistent planning principles across the city with proper mixed uses, while also attaining the required intensification that is needed.

“We are ensuring we have consistency,” he said.