Special Development Services Committee Minutes

Meeting Number 1

Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at 9:00 A.m. - 12:00 P.m.

Council Chamber

Roll Call

• Mayor Frank Scarpitti
• Deputy Mayor Don Hamilton
• Regional Councillor Joe Li
• Regional Councillor Jim Jones
• Councillor Keith Irish
• Councillor Reid McAlpine
• Councillor Karen Rea
• Councillor Andrew Keyes
• Councillor Amanda Collucci
• Councillor Khalid Usman
• Councillor Isa Lee

Regrets

• Regional Councillor Jack Heath
• Councillor Alan Ho

Staff

• Andy Taylor, Chief Administrative Officer
• Arvin Prasad, Commissioner, Development Services
• Trinela Cane, Commissioner, Corporate Services
• Brenda Librecz, Commissioner, Community & Fire Services
• Brian Lee, Director, Engineering
• Biju Karumanchery, Director, Planning & Urban Design
• Bryan Frois, Chief of Staff
• Loy Cheah, Senior Manager, Transportation
• Francesco Santaguida, Assistant City Solicitor
• Scott Chapman, Election & Council/Committee Coordinator

​Alternate formats for this document are available upon request

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1.

CALL TO ORDER

The Special Development Services Committee meeting convened at the hour of 9:22 AM in the Council Chamber with Deputy Mayor Don Hamilton presiding as Chair.

2.

DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST

None disclosed.

3.

TRANSPORTATION WORKSHOP - EDUCATION & TRAINING SESSION

3.1

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE OF WORKSHOP

Brian Lee, Director, Engineering, addressed the Committee and introduced the day's session as a follow-up to direction provided by Development Services Committee to staff at its October 29, 2019 meeting. Mr. Lee provided members of Committee with an overview of the session objectives and introduced the guest speakers and other Regional staff in attendance.

3.2

YORK REGION’S GROWTH STRATEGY AND PLANNING CONTEXT

Paul Freeman, Chief Planner, York Region, was in attendance and delivered a presentation on York Region's Growth Planning Strategy, including an overview of the regional population and employment growth forecasts to 2041, provincial land use policy context, key planning objectives and principles, and areas of future major development.

3.3

MARKHAM'S GROWTH STRATEGY AND PLANNING CONTEXT

Arvin Prasad, Commissioner, Development Services, delivered a presentation on the City of Markham's Growth Planning Strategy, including an overview of the key planning principles and objectives reflected in Markham's Official Plan, population and employment growth forecasts to 2031, and key areas of future development.  

3.4

AN EXPERT'S VIEW ON LAND USE & TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Ian Lockwood, Toole Design Group, was in attendance and delivered a presentation on the relationships between land-use planning and transportation, and the importance of minimizing long-distance trips through public transit use and street design. Case studies of initiatives undertaken in various North American cities were discussed.

The Committee discussed and inquired as to the following:

• Strategies for increasing public transit use in advance of major enhancements to transit infrastructure (marginal increase);
• Relieving traffic congestion through High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes compared to dedicated public transit lanes;
• Strategies for reducing car use and parking supply at major transit stations, such as paid parking;  
• Strategies for managing motorist behaviour and mitigating the negative impacts of traffic infiltration (traffic route transfers) on local residential streets, controlling speed rather than volume;
• Infrastructure requirements for implementing parallel network redundancies, including changes in street patterns and additions to the network over time to allow for more direct routing;
• Justification for additional lane for buses and HOVs on 16^th Avenue;
• Planning and designing streets through a community vision rather than future traffic demand forecasts alone;
• Strategies for restoring established arterial roads as vibrant multi-use streets; and,
• Strategies for designing streets that encourage active transportation in variable climate conditions.

3.5

YORK REGION TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Brian Titherington, Director of Transportation and Infrastructure Planning, York Region, was in attendance and delivered a presentation on York Region's Transportation Strategy. Mr. Titherington provided members of Committee with an overview of the regional transportation network, current travel patterns and challenges, key considerations in transportation investment, and the transportation planning objectives reflected in the York Region Transportation Master Plan. Key projects and initiatives in York Region's 10-Year Roads and Transit Capital Construction Program were identified.

3.6

MANAGING TRANSPORTATION DEMAND IN MARKHAM

Loy Cheah, Senior Manager, Transportation, delivered a presentation on the City of Markham's transportation vision as reflected in Markham's Official Plan, including an overview of travel patterns and challenges in Markham, key objectives in transportation planning, and key projects and initiatives.

3.7

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

There was discussion on the following matters relative to the presentations:

• Projects and programs being undertaken by York Region outside of the 10-Year Capital Construction Program;
• Potential future extension of the Donald Cousens Parkway from Major Mackenzie Drive to Highway 48;
• Feasibility and challenges of transportation design alternatives to the proposed widening of 16^th Avenue; and,
• Enhancing integration between regional transit systems.

3.8

WRAP UP & NEXT STEP

Brian Lee, Director, Engineering, advised that a staff recommendation report giving due consideration to the discussions from today's session will be presented at a future Development Services Committee meeting.

4.

ADJOURNMENT

• Moved by Mayor Frank Scarpitti
  Seconded by Regional Councillor Jim Jones

  That the Special Development Services Committee meeting adjourn at 12:44 PM.

  Carried