Growing is sometimes painful. I can remember the growing pains in my legs as an adolescent. Growth in a municipality is similar. Provincial growth plans set targets for where we are required to plan growth in a 30-year window. York Region then works with our local planners to interpret the targets and plan where this growth will occur.
Regional planning staff have said that all the white belt lands in WS will be required to hit the minimum growth targets to 2051. As you can see, these lands are in the southern and central part of WS, bordering Markham between Woodbine and Hwy48. The 375 ha of land have been identified for 280 ha of community lands and 95 ha or employment lands. These lands are unserviced, geographically located away from any local amenities and will make residents who eventually move to this area fully car dependant.
I made a resolution at Regional Council on Oct 21 that addressed what our staff believe is a better way to plan our community. My resolution addressed 2 components- planning for employment and community lands in a way that WS council believe is a more a logical plan, one that can accommodate balanced growth for the development of complete communities, that are walkable, transit-oriented, not car dependant and much less expensive to service.
First, the proposed South Gormley Employment expansion area which is in the bottom left of the map in red hatch marks. These are lands that York Regional Council previously endorsed and requested the province identify as employment lands. On March 21 2019, Regional Council passed a resolution that stated : That Regional Council request the province to designate the lands on the east side of Highway 404 in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, as identified in the attached map, Provincially Significant Employment Zone through Amendment #1 to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2017).
Again on Oct 22 2020, York Regional Council passed the following resolution: Council reiterate its request to the Province to develop a process allowing municipalities to access site-specific strategically located employment lands for employment use only, if deemed necessary through a Municipal Comprehensive Review.
WS Council has been resolute this term in asking the Province and this Council to help us grow our employment lands along the 404 so we can attract the ICI required to balance our tax base for a sustainable future. The South Gormley lands would provide a contiguous extension of employment lands along the 404 north from Markham where servicing is available at the Markham border. The cost of servicing South Gormley pales in comparison to servicing the central Whitebelt employment lands as presented by staff. Requesting the Province to add these lands through the MCR is allowed, prudent and will reduce unnecessary sprawl in our municipality.
The Bethesda Lands which are on the right side of the map are 68 ha immediately adjacent to the Stouffville settlement area. The lands abut our Phase 3 lands, are within the NEW Old Elm Go Station MTSA, are adjacent to services, will promote walkable, transit-oriented communities and will again be less costly to the region and Stouffville to service. Our local planning staff believe that we can accommodate the 2051 growth numbers within the MZO lands between McCowan & Hwy 48, the HWY 48 Study area, our 2 MTSAs at Main St and Old Elm Go Stations, our phase 3 lands and with the addition of the Bethesda Lands.
Planning to develop 280 ha of community lands in the identified Whitebelt lands is unnecessary at this time.
I understand why regional staff have made the recommendations that they have. Staff believe the Whitebelt lands are the defined “playing field” for planning growth regardless of how illogical it may be, or how costly it may be to service and provide transit, or how it seems counter intuitive to the Provinces articulated desire to see transit oriented communities that are complete and walkable. Regional staffs recommendation should be a plan B. We need to advance Stouffville’s preferred plan A.
With the endorsement of WS council, we believe this is a better way to plan the future of Stouffville. While the identified lands are within the Oak Ridges Moraine, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan includes implementation language that, “…an upper-tier municipality may consider the need to change or refine the boundaries of Settlement Areas as part of a Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR).”
Regional Council supported my motion on October 21 to include our request in the MCR so the Province, as the final authority and decision maker, can do just that. Decide and advise if our plan is acceptable to them. The Province is the final authority on our request and If we don’t include it and ask through the MCR as we are allowed to, I believe the Province will remain silent and we will be left with a costly, illogical alternative for our growth.
Regional Council supported the below motion on Oct 21.
WHEREAS Highway 404 is one of the most significant pieces of infrastructure for people and major goods movement in York Region, and the lands along the Highway 404 corridor are strategic areas for future employment growth; and
WHEREAS Policy 1.3.2.6 of the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020, requires Planning authorities to protect employment areas in proximity to major goods movement facilities and corridors for employment uses that require those locations; and
WHEREAS Policies 1.1.2 and 1.3.2.7 of the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020, encourages Planning authorities to plan beyond 25 years for the long-term protection of employment areas provided lands are not designated beyond the planning horizon; and
WHEREAS the Town’s proposed South Gormley Employment Expansion Area, abutting the Highway 404 corridor and the City of Markham’s designated Future Employment Area, comprising 140ha, represents the most logical and viable location for future employment growth within the Town, on lands designated as Countryside Area in the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan; and
WHEREAS the lands bound by Bethesda Road, Ninth Line, and abutting the current settlement area of the Community of Stouffville (i.e., Bethesda Lands), comprising 62ha, represents the most logical expansion to the Town’s settlement area to accommodate future Community Area growth on lands designated as Countryside Area in the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, and provides easy access to existing municipal services and community infrastructure, including the new Lincolnville GO Station and planned Major Transit Station Area (MTSA), which will provide more efficient use of higher order transit and infrastructure, and provide opportunities for creating a complete community; and
WHEREAS the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (Implementation Section) permits the Region of York to consider the need to change or refine the boundaries of settlement areas as part of a Municipal Comprehensive Review undertaken in accordance with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, provided settlement area boundaries are not permitted to expand into Natural Core Areas or Natural Linkage Areas; and
WHEREAS Policy 2.2.8 j) of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2020, permits settlement area boundary expansions through the Region of York Municipal Comprehensive Review, provided the proposed expansion would meet any applicable requirements of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation (as per the Implementation Section of the ORMCP) and any applicable source protection plan; and
WHEREAS Regional Council on March 21, 2019, unanimously passed a motion requesting the province to designate certain lands on the east side of Highway 404 (including the South Gormley Employment Expansion Area) in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, as a Provincially Significant Employment Zone under the Growth Plan; and
WHEREAS Regional Council on October 22, 2020, adopted staff recommendations as outlined in the Report: Potential for Employment Lands Along 400 Series Highways, October 8, 2020, requesting the province to develop a process allowing municipalities to access site-specific strategically located employment lands for employment uses within the Protected Countryside Area of the Greenbelt Plan, through a Municipal Comprehensive Review;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Regional Council direct staff, through the on-going Municipal Comprehensive Review, to:
Include a settlement area boundary expansion to include the proposed South Gormley Employment Expansion Area; and
Include a settlement area boundary expansion to the Community of Stouffville to include the proposed Bethesda Lands.
That this be in lieu of the whitebelt lands identified in the September 16, 2021 report.
That as a condition for inclusion in the Municipal Comprehensive Review, staff be directed to seek an amendment from the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to O. Reg. 140/02: Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan under the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act to permit the proposed changes to the settlement area boundary.
A recorded vote on the amended motion, was as follows:
For: Bevilacqua, Chan, DiPaola, Emmerson, Ferri, Grossi, Hackson, Heath, Jackson, Jones, Li, Lovatt, Perrelli, Rosati, Scarpitti, Vegh (16)
Against: Hamilton, Mrakas, Pellegrini, Quirk, Taylor (5)
