M4 CORNELL ROUGE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, VARLESE BROTHERS ET AL, AND M7 NORFINCH CONSTRUCTION LTD
Whereas York Region is undertaking an Official Plan Review through a municipal comprehensive review (MCR) process for a 2051 planning horizon; and,
Whereas the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2019, requires upper-tier municipalities, in consultation with lower-tier municipalities, to designate all employment areas in official plans and protect them for appropriate employment uses over the long term; and,
Whereas City of Markham Council passed a resolution on February 11, 2020, to endorse the Cornell Rouge National Urban Park Gateway Study Final Report as a framework for the creation of a pedestrian-focused Gateway connecting Cornell Centre and the Rouge National Urban Park; and directed City staff to work with landowners and agencies in a block planning and land use exercise to determine the appropriate land uses, built form and streetscape design to achieve the Gateway vision; and,
Whereas the lands subject to the employment conversion requests by Cornell Rouge Development Corporation, Varlese Brothers et al (17.9 hectares), and Norfinch Construction (0.75 hectares) located north and south of Highway 7 within the Gateway study area, offer a unique opportunity for uses other than strictly employment uses that complement the Rouge National Urban Park and contribute to the development of the Gateway; and,
Whereas City of Markham Council passed a resolution on February 25, 2020 to postpone consideration of the Cornell Rouge Development Corporation, Varlese Brothers et al, and Norfinch Construction requests for conversion of employment lands to non-employment land uses to allow further evaluation through secondary plan [land use] studies; and,
Whereas a Regional Committee of the Whole meeting is scheduled for October 15, 2020, to consider a Regional staff report seeking decisions on employment conversion requests and endorsement of employment area mapping to be included in the Regional Official Plan; and,
Whereas two of the recommendations in the October 15, 2020 Regional staff report ‘Proposed Employment Area Mapping and Employment Conversions’, are for Regional Council to not approve the employment conversion requests submitted by Cornell Rouge Development Corporation, Varlese Brothers et al, and Norfinch Construction Ltd., and to map the lands as employment areas in the Regional Official Plan;
Therefore now be it resolved:
- That Regional Council be requested to defer consideration of the employment conversion requests M4 Cornell Rouge Development Corporation, Varlese Brothers et al, and M7 Norfinch Construction Ltd until April 2021 to allow the City of Markham to continue to work with the landowners to confirm appropriate uses for the lands through a land use/built form study for the Cornell Rouge National Urban Park Gateway; and,
- That Markham staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.