Plans for Milton’s next chapter of growth and development are taking a clearer shape.
The Britannia Secondary Plan envisions a fully integrated community where residents can live, work, shop, and enjoy recreational activities — with a focus on creating walkable neighborhoods that offer a diverse mix of uses, including various housing options and easy access to amenities and services.
The process has been underway since 2020.
“We're now at a place where we believe we're very close to having the final right option of what should happen both in terms of the land use structure, as well as the policies,” said Matthew Cory, the Town’s consultant from Malone Given Parsons, at a recent virtual public meeting.
Having considered several options and public feedback, the preferred land use concept — integrated blocks and squares — was shared at the meeting.
Britannia spans approximately 904 gross hectares of development lands. The minimum target for the area is to accommodate 57,000 residents, aiming for a combined density of 70 people and jobs per gross hectare.
“This area was originally planned at 60. But with the recognition that we could provide some additional higher density housing, especially in key spots to promote transit oriented development, we went from 46,000 to about 57,000 people,” Cory said.
Five neighbourhoods have been designated, with the central neighbourhood planned as the highest-density area.
Each will feature a mix of retail, commercial spaces, schools, parks and a place of worship.
Central to the Britannia Secondary Plan is the urban village centre — situated at James Snow Parkway and Britannia Road, two major arterial roads that the region will deliver and operate — which will accommodate schools, a park and the largest place for retail, commercial and community uses.
“It's very much meant to meet people's weekly and monthly shopping needs,” Cory said.
Beyond the major urban village centre, smaller neighbourhood nodes will offer similar functions but on a lower scale.
To promote higher density housing and transit-oriented development, most areas will allow residential buildings up to 20 storeys, with options for mixed-use developments as well.
Cory described the secondary plan area as having “a fairly simple land-use designation.”
“It's meant to be very flexible and to respond to market conditions, but also provide the guidance required for the next stages of planning,” he said.
The next phase involves tertiary plans prepared by development proponents.
“The tertiary plans take all the guidance and policies from the secondary plan and the targets, as well as the urban design guidelines and demonstrate how comprehensive planned growth will occur,” Cory said.
Updated versions of the draft secondary plan and related studies will be available for review and comment in late August.