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Sep 18 2019
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How does the Province view Development in Vaughan – Must Read Letter

By MIchael Tibollo, MPP

Ministry of
Municipal Affairs
and Housing

Office of the Minister

777 Bay Street, 17th Floor
Toronto ON M5G 2E5
Tel.: 416 585-7000

Ministère des
Affaires municipales
et du Logement

Bureau du ministre

777, rue Bay, 17e étage
Toronto ON M5G 2E5
Tél. : 416 585-7000

September 17, 2019

The Honourable Michael Tibollo, MPP
Vaughan – Woodbridge
michael.tibollo@pc.ola.org

Dear MPP Tibollo:

Thank you for your letter regarding the authority of local councils in making planning decisions. I am pleased to provide you with information regarding the work our government has done with respect to supporting local land-use planning decisions.

As you are aware, our government is committed to building more housing and bringing down costs for the people of Ontario. To help fulfill this commitment, we have developed a broad-based action plan to address the barriers getting in the way of new ownership and rental housing. More Homes, More Choice: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan outlines our plan to tackle Ontario’s housing crisis, while encouraging our partners to do their part.

I would like to share some details regarding initiatives led by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing which include amendments to the Planning Act in the More Homes, More Choice Act, 2019; proposed changes to the Provincial Policy Statement; and a new provincial plan for the region, A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The More Homes, More Choice Act, 2019, which received Royal Assent on June 6, 2019, is central to the Housing Supply Action Plan and is intended to eliminate unnecessary steps, duplication and barriers to creating the housing Ontarians need.

As a part of this work, we’ve made changes to the Planning Act, most of which took effect on September 3, 2019, that would:

  • Streamline development approvals processes and facilitate faster decisions,
  • Increase the certainty and predictability of the planning system,
  • Support a range and mix of housing options, and boost housing supply,
  • Make charges for community benefits more predictable, and
  • Make other complementary amendments to implement the proposed reforms.

On July 22, the Ministry launched a 90-day consultation on proposed policy changes to the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), as part of the Housing Supply Action Plan. The PPS sets out the province-wide direction on land use planning matters of provincial interest and municipalities are key implementers.

The proposed policy changes to the PPS focus on five key themes:

  • Increasing housing supply and mix;
  • Protecting the environment (including the Greenbelt) and public safety;
  • Reducing barriers and costs;
  • Supporting rural, northern and Indigenous communities; and,
  • Supporting certainty and economic growth.

The ministry is holding meetings with key stakeholders, as well as regional technical sessions with municipal staff, and we look forward to receiving their input on the proposed policies. Vaughan has been invited to participate in this process. Additionally, the ministry is undertaking ongoing engagement on the PPS with Indigenous communities.

As you know, A Place to Grow supports the government’s commitment to growth and prosperity. Through our priorities of increasing housing supply, creating more jobs, generating economic opportunities, attracting new investments, and better aligning infrastructure investments, we will ensure that people can live and work locally, all while maintaining protections for our environmentally sensitive areas, notably the Greenbelt, cultural heritage assets, employment areas and agricultural lands. A Place to Grow not only allows for greater autonomy for local decision-making that is responsive to local needs and opportunities, but also recognizes that one size does not fit all and as such provides for greater flexibility at the local level.

A Place to Grow, which came into effect in May 2019, introduces new policies that:

  • Make it faster and easier for local governments to make modest changes to settlement area boundaries when they need them, helping them to be more responsive to market demands for new housing or economic development opportunities;
  • Streamlines development near major transit station areas, like subway and GO stations, so that municipalities can begin their planning sooner;
  • Promotes economic development and job creation by ensuring that provincially significant employment zones are identified;
  • Cuts red tape, where it makes sense, to foster mixed-use development and increase housing supply, while ensuring that jobs are maintained; and
  • Protects important environmental and agricultural assets.

We heard loud and clear from our planning partners that local decision-makers know their communities best and as such they would like greater flexibility to address the unique circumstances that they face.

It is the Vaughan Official Plan of 2010, not the Province, that provides direction for new development under the Housing Supply Action Plan. The Vaughan Official Plan maintains that in Community Areas with established development, new development must “be designed to respect and reinforce the existing physical character and uses of the surrounding area.”

Our planning changes in the Housing Supply Action Plan reflect our trust in the ability of local governments to make decisions about how their communities grow, while achieving the government’s commitment and priority to create the housing that Ontarians need. We remain committed to supporting our municipal partners in meeting this commitment as they are the frontline in responding to local needs and priorities.

Once again, thank you for your letter and for all the work you do on behalf of your constituents in your riding of Vaughan – Woodbridge. Please accept my best wishes.

Sincerely,

Steve Clark
Minister

MIN19-4059-Tibollo-Signed-LetterDownload
Sep 18 2019
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Thank you Woodbridge for coming out and supporting Weston Downs!

By City of Vaughan, Event, Public Hearing

Thank you to all the residents of Weston Downs and adjacent neighbourhoods for coming out and supporting us!  Wow… What a turnout!  The council chambers were packed and the overflow area had to be used to accommodate all of our supporters.

They put us last on the Agenda.  They didn’t give us enough chairs.  They didn’t even have speakers so that we could hear properly.  And they put us behind Doo Doo the Clown (no disrespect intended towards Doo Doo…) . But they kept an anxious group of Residents waiting.   But we persevered.  Voiced our opinion.  Sometimes Loudly.  But definitely we were articulate and passionate.

Thank you!  All of you were awesome!

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Sep 17 2019
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Agenda – September 17, 2019 Public Hearing

By City of Vaughan, Event, Public Hearing

 

CITY OF VAUGHAN

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE (PUBLIC HEARING)

AGENDA
Council Chamber
2nd Floor, Vaughan City Hall
2141 Major Mackenzie Drive
Vaughan, Ontario
  1. DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST
  2. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
  3. COMMUNICATIONS – See attached.
  4. CONSIDERATION OF PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS
    1. BLOCK 18 PROPERTIES INC. DRAFT PLAN OF SUBDIVISION FILE 19T-19V003 VICINITY OF GRAND TRUCK AVENUE AND MURET CRESCENT
      Report of the Deputy City Manager, Planning and Growth Management with respect to the above.
    2. DUFCEN CONSTRUCTION INC./MARYDEL HOMES OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT FILE OP.17.013 ZONING BY-LAW AMENDMENT FILE Z.17.040 VICINITY OF DUFFERIN STREET AND CENTRE STREET
      Report of the Deputy City Manager, Planning and Growth Management with respect to the above.
    3. NATIONAL CAPITAL FINANCIAL INC. ZONING BY-LAW AMENDMENT FILE Z.19.005 VICINITY OF KIPLING AVENUE AND WOODBRIDGE AVENUE
      Report of the Deputy City Manager, Planning and Growth Management with respect to the above.
    4. SHORT-TERM RENTAL ACCOMMODATIONS, AMENDMENTS TO ZONING BY-LAW 1-88
      Report of the Deputy City Manager, Planning and Growth Management with respect to the above.
    5. VELMAR CENTRE PROPERTY LIMITED OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT FILE OP.19.003 ZONING BY-ZONING BY-LAW AMENDMENT FILE Z.19.008 VICINITY SOUTHWEST CORNER OF RUTHERFORD ROAD AND VELMAR DRIVE
      Report of the Deputy City Manager, Planning and Growth Management with respect to the above.
  5. ADJOURNMENT

ALL APPENDICES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MEETING WILL BE AUDIO RECORDED
AND VIDEO BROADCAST
www.vaughan.ca (Agendas, Minutes and Live Council Broadcast)

 

Sep 17 2019
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Ratepayers Association – Public Hearing Position Letter

By City of Vaughan, Event, Public Hearing, Uncategorized
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WESTON DOWNS RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION
81 Blackburn Blvd., Woodbridge, Ontario, L4L 7JS
(905) 850-1767
www.westondownra.ca

Mayor and Members of Council
2141 Major Mackenzie Drive
Vaughan, Ontario
L6A 1T1

RE:  PUBLIC HEARING
Official Plan Amendment File OP.19.003
Zoning By-law Amendment File Z.19.008
Velmar Centre Property Limited Applications
4101Rutherford Road

Dear Mayor and Members of Council,

We hereby oppose the approval of the Official Plan Amendment OP.19.003 and Zoning By-Law Amendment  Z.19.08 submitted by Velmar Centre Property Limited to permit the development of a 7-storey mixed-use residential apartment building that includes 139 residential units and 615 m2 of commercial space, at 4101 Rutherford Road.

We oppose the approval to the Official Plan and Zoning By-Law for the following reasons:

  • The proposed built form of this 7-storey building is not compatible with the built form of the surrounding community of single-family
  • This apartment is out of character with the neighbourhood. In fact this community was built as a cohesive community with minimum 60 foot lots and unique urban design guidelines. This apartment building will destroy the character of the community that we have loved and lived in for over three decades.
  • The density of this proposal is too high. Though the current Official Plan permits a density of no greater than 5 FSI, this applicant is proposing a density of 3.14 FSI.
  • This proposal will compound the current traffic issues that the Weston Downs community is experiencing with traffic Many residents who live to the north and west of Weston Downs cut through our residential streets in order to circumvent the gridlock on Weston Road during the morning and evening rush hours.
  • Weston Road and Rutherford Road already experience traffic issues. The current residents of Weston Downs have difficulty turning onto Rutherford Road in the morning not to mention adding an additional 200 or more cars to the problem of turning right or left onto Rutherford.
  • This tall and large apartment building will overshadow the tennis court and park which abut the proposed apartment building.
  • The tall and large apartment building will cast shadows on the houses that are across the street from this development.
  • There are only 3 parking spaces at grade with the remaining 257 parking spaces located in the 3 underground parking It is clear from this parking situation that this will no longer serve as a local convenience plaza for our neighbourhood. The residents of Weston Downs do not want to run in and out of our local stores by parking underground. The local plaza stores essentially will be unusable for our Weston Downs Community.
  • The access in and out of the apartment building complex will not work properly. It is currently difficult to go in and out of the plaza during the morning and afternoon rush since there is a line of cars along Velmar which infiltrate Weston Downs in order to bypass the gridlock on Weston Road and Rutherford Road. It is currently difficult for our current residents to leave their properties as they try to enter the gridlock on Velmar caused by infiltration during these times. How do you expect an additional 200 cars to do this in the morning and afternoon rush?
  • This proposal has directed the commercial space towards the Rutherford Road frontage indicating that they want to encourage a pedestrian friendly environment. This will accomplish the opposite. Without the commercial space on Velmar, our community of approximately 5000 residents will no longer have convenient access to our local plaza establishments.
  • It is too soon after the last VOP 2010 review to make such changes to the official plan. The City invested a significant amount of time and money into the VOP review and it is not appropriate for a developer to try to change what has just been approved just to increase their profits

In conclusion, we ask that Council turn down this application as presented based on the excessive density, traffic issues, ingress and egress issues as well as unsuitable built form. This proposal is not compatible with the character of the vibrant Weston Downs community. It will cause shadows and traffic issues that will serve to reduce the current resident’s enjoyment of their homes and community. This proposal will take away the convenience of visiting our local stores both because of parking issues, traffic and the relocation of the stores. Please do the right thing and support our residents by turning down this proposal.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours truly,

Nadia  Magarelli
Co-president, Weston Downs Ratepayers Association

Sep 08 2019
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Notice of Public Meeting!

By City of Vaughan, Event, Public Hearing

What:

Public Meeting regarding an application to permit a 7-storey mixed-use residential apartment building at Velmar Plaza in Weston Downs

When:

Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at 7 pm

Where:

Vaughan City Hall, Council Chamber
2141 Major Mackenzie Drive, Vaughan, Ontario L6A 1T1

Why:

The owner of Velmar Plaza at Rutherford and Velmar has submitted an application to build a mixed-use residential apartment building.

  • 7−storey
  • 139 residential units
  •  615 ?2 ground floor commercial space
  • only 3 parking spaces at grade
  • 257 underground parking spaces in the 3 underground levels
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Please come out and say:

  • NO to the proposed 7-storey apartment building.
  • NO to the redevelopment of our 3 local plazas into mixed-use apartment buildings.
  • NO to higher density … traffic infiltration is already a problem in Weston Downs.
  • NO to additional cars … Weston Road and Rutherford are already congested.

Your presence will speak louder than words

Sign the Petition

The Weston Downs Ratepayers Association will be hosting a Meet and Greet to sign petitions, talk to neighbours and provide updates regarding this 7-storey apartment building proposal.

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Date:  Saturday, September 14th, 2019
Time:  2 pm to 5 pm
Location:  Velmar Park (Velmar and Rutherford)

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Weston Downs Ratepayers Street Representatives will be visiting your street with petitions.

If you have not signed the petition, then be sure to attend the Meet and Greet and bring your neighbours too!

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Please come out and support your community.

We must work together.

Sep 07 2019
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City of Vaughan Committee of Adjustments

By Uncategorized

The City of Vaughan provides public access to the Committee of Adjustments meetings. The meetings cover changes to the communities that make up the City of Vaughan. It’s important that you understand the changes that are being requested, reviewed and approved. Although changes may have to do with areas outside of Weston Downs they may inadvertently affect Weston Downs it self.

Review previous meeting minutes. Review upcoming meeting agendas, Attend the meetings if you can. Let your voice be heard.

City of Vaughan Committee of Adjustments

 

Sep 05 2019
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Take our quick Survey!

By questions, survey

Weston Downs Residence Survey

  • 3. An application has been made to convert the neighborhood commercial plaza Rutherford and Velmar to a 7 storey plus rooftop, with underground parking, to a "mixed use" apartment/commercial building contrary to the Weston Downs Master Plan.

    Do you :

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Aug 24 2019
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NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING

By City of Vaughan, Event, Public Hearing

Original Notice from the City of Vaughan:

NOTICE-OF-A-PUBLIC-HEARING62058Download

A public hearing to receive input on the following planning applications will be held on:

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE (PUBLIC HEARING)
September 17, 2019 at 7:00 pm
at
VAUGHAN CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBER
2141 MAJOR MACKENZIE DRIVE, VAUGHAN, ONTARIO, L6A 1T1

PROPERTY:

4101 Rutherford Road, (southwest corner of Rutherford Road and Velmar Drive) (Attachment 1 – Ward 3).

APPLICATIONS:

The following applications have been submitted to permit the development of the Subject Lands with a ?-storey mixed-use residential apartment building that includes 139 residential units, 615 m2 of ground floor commercial space at grade, 3 parking spaces at grade, 257 parking spaces within 3 levels of underground parking, with a total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 13,035 m2, and a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 3.15 times the lot area as shown on Attachments 2 to 6:

  1. Official Plan Amendment File OP.19.003 to amend Vaughan Official Plan (“VOP 201 O”), specifically the “Low-Rise Mixed-Use” designation on the Subject Lands to increase the maximum permitted building height and FSI from 4-storeys and 1.5 times the area of the lot to ?-storeys and 3.15 times the area of the lot respectively.
  2. Zoning By-law Amendment File Z.19.008 to amend Zoning By-law 1-88, to rezone the Subject Lands from “C3 Local Commercial Zone”, subject to site-specific Exception 9(814) to “RA2 Apartment Residential Zone”, together with the necessary site-specific zoning to implement the proposed development shown on Attachments 2 to 6.

APPLICANT:

Velmar Centre Property Limited

FILE NUMBER(S):

OP.19.003 and Z.19.008

CONTACT:

Additional information may be obtained from Clement Messere, Senior Planner, of the Development Planning Department at 905-832-8585, Extension 8409. Comments may also be mailed to the Development Planning Department at the same address, or faxed to (905) 832-6080, or e-mailed to DevelopmentPlanninq@vauqhan.ca prior to the meeting (please quote file name and numbers).

The Planning Act, R. S. 0. 1990, c.P. 13 authorizes the City of Vaughan to collect any personal information in your communication or presentation to City Council or its Committees. The City collects this information to enable it to make informed decisions on the relevant issue(s). If you are submitting letters, facsimiles, e-mails, presentations or other communications to the City, you should be aware that your name and the fact that you communicated with the City will become part of the public record and will appear on the City’s website. The City will also make your communication and any personal information in it such as your address and postal code or e-mail address available to the public unless you expressly request the City to remove it. The City audio records Council and Committee meetings. If you make a presentation to a Council or Committee, the City will be audio recording you and City staff may make these recordings available to the public.

Please direct any questions about this collection to the Senior Planner listed above.


JASON SCHMIDT-SHOUKRI, Deputy City Manager, Planning and Growth Management
TODD COLES, City Clerk

Official Plan /0. Reg. 543/06)
If a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the City of Vaughan and/or the Regional Municipality of York, to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the City of Vaughan before the proposed Official Plan Amendment is adopted, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision.

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the City of Vaughan before the proposed Official Plan Amendment is adopted, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.

If you wish to be notified of the adoption of the proposed Official Plan Amendment, or of the refusal of a request to amend the official plan, you must make a written request to the City of Vaughan, City Clerk’s Office, 2141 Major Mackenzie Drive, Vaughan, Ontario L6A 1T1.

Zoning By-law (0. Reg. 545/06)

If a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the City of Vaughan to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the City of Vaughan before the by-law is passed, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision.

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting, or make written submissions to the City of Vaughan before the by-law is passed, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to do so.

If you wish to be notified of the passing of a Zoning By-law, you must make a written request to the City of Vaughan, City Clerk’s Office, 2141 Major Mackenzie Drive, Vaughan, Ontario L6A 1T1.

DATED at the City of Vaughan this 23rd day of August, 2019.

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