Gentle Density CIP Area Designation bylaw returns to Council

November 27, 2025 · 0 Comments

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Through the Federal Government’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), Caledon committed to increasing housing supply and enabling diverse housing options.

The Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is stated to allow the issuance of financial incentives to support the creation of gentle density housing, including additional residential units and multiplexes.

The Gentle Density CIP is stated to accelerate gentle intensification to expand the housing range and supply within Caledon.

At the September 23 Council meeting, a motion was brought forward and carried that Council enact the Gentle Density CIP Area Designation By-law.

Then, at the October 28 meeting, By-law 2025-088 was brought forward to enact the Town-Wide Gentle Density Community Improvement Plan, and this was defeated on a tie vote.

The Gentle Density CIP Area Designation By-law was added to the November 25 Council meeting agenda by Mayor Annette Groves under the authority of the Municipal Act section 284.10, or “Strong Mayor Powers”.

The Mayoral Decision, posted on November 21, 2025, states “to require Council to consider a particular matter that could potentially advance a prescribed provincial priority.”

In the decision, it reads that the Gentle Density CIP Area Designation By-law is required to be enacted to meet Federal Government Housing Accelerator Fund commitments previously made by the Town of Caledon.

It goes on to state that By-law 2025-088, to enact a Town-Wide Gentle Density Community Improvement Plan, was defeated by Council “without all its members present at the time of the vote, or a majority of its members voting in the negative, at the October 28, 2025 meeting, resulting in the will of Council to conflict with their prior decision to enact the Gentle Density CIP Area Designation By-law…”

The Mayoral Decision states that the Town of Caledon’s Procedure By-law provides that the majority of members have the right to decide, and also requires an affirmative two-thirds vote to reconsider a previous decision of Council at a subsequent meeting.

In the Mayoral Decision, Groves states that she “deeply values the democratic principles of majority rule and [is] of the opinion the Gentle Density CIP Area Designation By-law could potentially advance the prescribed provincial priority of building 1.5 million new residential units by December 31, 2031.”

Under the Mayoral Decision, Council was required to reconsider the Gentle Density CIP Area Designation By-law at the November 25 Council meeting.

At the meeting, the By-law was carried by a vote of five in favour and three opposed, enacting the Gentle Density CIP Area Designation By-law.