Company withdraws MZO application for housing development in Wilmot Township

A Vaughan, Ont., development company has withdrawn its application for a ministerial zoning order (MZO) in Wilmot Township, the municipality said in a news release Friday.  

Cachet Developments Inc. had been seeking approval for an MZO that would have cleared the way for a 1,200-unit housing development between Baden and New Hamburg.

The news release didn't cite a reason for the MZO withdrawal, but said "all feedback received from the community was shared with the developer."

A council meeting set for Feb. 14 to discuss the MZO has now been cancelled.

"At this stage, Cachet will pursue future development plans with input from the community, township and the Region of Waterloo through the Municipal Comprehensive Review process," the release said.

Cachet Developments couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

MZOs are described on a provincial website as a "critical tool that can be used to support and expedite the delivery of government priorities, including transit-oriented communities, affordable housing, long-term care homes and strategic economic recovery projects by removing potential barriers and delays."

However, MZOs cannot be appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal and some have been critical of their use:

• Last year, local MPPs criticized the City of Cambridge for endorsing an MZO without consulting Six Nations of the Grand River.
• In Stratford, the city approved, then asked the province to rescind, an MZO for a proposed glass company to build a factory in the city.
• There was also concern about an Amazon warehouse, proposed to be built on a wetland, in Pickering that has since been cancelled.