Expert Witness in Land Use Planning and Urban Design

 Michael Barton, the President and Founder of MB1, regularly acts as an expert witness in Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), Toronto Local Appeal Body (TLAB) and Ontario Court of Justice proceedings. Michael has been qualified as an expert witness in land use planning and urban design. Michael is a Registered Professional Planner (RPP) and full member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI).  The following is a sample of expert witness assignments completed for municipalities, builders/developers/landowners and members of the public.

• City of Vaughan:  10-24 Wigwoss Drive – Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments to facilitate development of 10-storey residential building 
• City of Vaughan:  5217 & 5225 Highway 7/26 & 32 Hawman Avenue - Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments to facilitate development of 12-storey residential condominium building 
• City of Vaughan:  4101 Rutherford Road – Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments to facilitate development of 6-storey mixed-use residential building  
• City of Vaughan:  7850 Dufferin Street – Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments to facilitate development of two 12-storey residential buildings and five stacked townhouse blocks 
• Township of Oro-Medonte:  3750 Line 10 North – Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments to permit development of a Home Industry (Contractors’ Yard) on lands designated and zoned for agriculture  
• Township of Oro-Medonte:  Part of Lot 28, Concession 5 – Zoning By-Law Amendment and Consent to sever 10 residential lots  
• Township of Ramara:  2298 Highway 12 – Minor variance application for 4-storey mixed use building 
• Township of Georgian Bay:  25940 Georgian Bay Shore – Minor variance application to facilitate reconstruction of waterfront dwelling and deck 
• Municipality of Trent Lakes:  16 Fire Route 94A – Zoning By-Law Amendment to facilitate construction of rental cottages, boathouse and accessory dwelling  

• Municipality of Leamington:  50 Victoria Avenue North - Zoning By-Law Amendment for existing industrial development to facilitate site modifications, to recognize the location and configuration of the existing primary industrial building, to facilitate the installation of new sound attenuation walls and to establish minimum separation distances to adjacent sensitive uses. 
• City of Niagara Falls:  6179 Lundy’s Lane – Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments to facilitate development of 10-storey residential building  
• Municipality of Clarington:  Mearns Avenue/Concession Road 3 - Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments to facilitate development of 12-storey mixed use building 
• City of Hamilton:  130 Wellington Street South - Zoning By-Law Amendment to permit conversion of single detached dwelling to 6-unit multiple dwelling  
• City of Burlington:  261 Lakeview Avenue – Minor variances to facilitate construction of new dwelling  
• Town of Gravenhurst:  1262 Silver Lake Road – Consent and minor variances to facilitate lot creation and new dwelling construction  
• City of Cambridge:  27-31 Cambridge Street – Zoning By-Law Amendment to facilitate development of a new 5-storey multi-family residential building 
• Township of Whitchurch-Stouffville: 12637 Tenth Line – Minor Variance to construction 6-storey retirement home 
• Township of Zorra:  963668 Road 96 - Minor Variances to permit the storage and parking of equipment, vehicles, sea containers, and materials associated with the existing industrial use  

• City of Vaughan:  80 Glen Shields Drive – Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments to facilitate redevelopment of a commercial plaza for a mid-rise (6-storey) mixed-use building including 111 residential rental units and 71 seniors housing units (182 residential units in total) in conjunction with at grade retail/commercial, medical/pharmacy and daycare uses 
• City of Kitchener:  22 Weber Street West – Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments to facilitate development of 19-storey residential building  
• City of Cambridge:  102 Fountain Street South – Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments to facilitate development of 3 mixed-use towers of 22, 24, and 26 storeys with commercial space on the ground floor  
• City of Stratford:  380-396 Ontario Street – Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments to facilitate development of two blocks of 3-storey townhouse units that includes a total of 30 units  
• Township of Middlesex Centre:  Timberwalk Subdivision – Minor variances to facilitate development of 50 two-storey townhouse units on private road  
• City of Thorold:  1970 Decew Road – Zoning By-Law Amendment to facilitate development of 3-storey apartment building 
• City of Toronto:  Multiple Hearings – Minor variance application for proposed dwelling, including the following: 20 Buckingham Avenue; 25 William Street; 34 Rumsey Road; 36 Heather Street; 48 Rochester Avenue; 64 Mildenhall Road; 85 Albertus Avenue; and 108 Albertus Avenue