Development Services Committee Meeting
Revised Agenda
Revised items are identified by an asterisk (*)

Meeting Number: 8
-
Live streamed

Please bring this Development Services Committee Agenda to the Council meeting on June 24, 2025.

 


INDIGENOUS LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT


We begin today by acknowledging the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples and their commitment to stewardship of the land. We acknowledge the communities in circle. The North, West, South and Eastern directions, and Haudenosaunee, Huron- Wendat, Anishnabeg, Seneca, Chippewa, and the Mississaugas of the Credit peoples. We share the responsibility with the caretakers of this land to ensure the dish is never empty and to restore relationships that are based on peace, friendship, and trust. We are committed to reconciliation, partnership and enhanced understanding.

Note: Minutes have been attached.

    1. That the minutes of the Development Services Committee meeting held on April 8 and May 13, 2025, be confirmed.

The Development Services Committee recognizes the following members of staff:


Chief Administrative Office - Fire & Emergency Services


Wayne Hoover, Captain, Fire & Emergency Services, 25 years
Chad Kearns, Firefighter, Fire & Emergency Services, 25 years
Alex Pompilio, Battalion Chief, Fire & Emergency Services, 25 years
Shane Harrison, Firefighter, Fire & Emergency Services, 25 years
Colin Quinn, Battalion Chief, Fire & Emergency Services, 25 years
Brian Snooks, Battalion Chief, Fire & Emergency Services, 25 years
Chris Tamaya, Firefighter, Fire & Emergency Services, 25 years


Community Services Commission


Dean McDermid, Supervisor, Parks Operations, Operations, 20 years
Stephen Plese, Sweeper Operator, Operations, 15 years
James Taylor, Waterworks Operator II, Environmental Services, 10 years
Adam Fairclough, Sign Maintenance, Operations, 5 years
Leo Galang, Maintenance Assistant, Recreation Services. 25 years
Eric Ho, Co-ord  Business Systems & Budgeting, Recreation Services, 10 years



Development Services Commission


Gary Restoule, Maintenance Assistant, Culture, Economic Growth, Culture & Entrepreneurship, 20 years
Karl Sitta, Building Inspector II, Building Standards, 25 years


 

Note: Please refer to item 9.1 for staff report.

    1. That the written submissions from Qiang Fa Liang, Steven Langenhuizen, and Katie Pandey (Weston Consulting), Wilson Zhang, Dennis J. Condos, Haiwei Wu, Jim Levac (GSAI), Kate Cooper (Bousfields Inc.), Leigh McGrath (Urban Strategies Inc.), Lincoln Lo (MGP), Markville Community Association, Michelle Cai, Unionville Residents Association, Shunyan Cai, and John Hurlburt Holdings Limited, be received. 

(LITIGATION OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION, INCLUDING MATTERS BEFORE ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNALS, AFFECTING THE MUNICIPALITY OR LOCAL BOARD;) [MUNICIPAL ACT, 2001, SECTION 239 (2) (e)] (10.3, 10.5)


Note: Please refer to item 14.1.4.

    1. That the written submissions from Edith Kangas, John Lai, Kevin (Changzhu) Yang, Cynthia Liu, James Liu, Michael Ni, Bonnie, Man Yee Chan, Hao Fan, Sharron Luo, Chi and Stephanie Le, Fan Zhang, Cindy Hui Dong, Jack Yufeng Luan, Alireza Mokhtari, Saleh Jaleel, Yasmine Dossal & Neda Jaleel, Yan, Helena, Liling Xiang, Peter Yuan, Kathy Na, Isabel Shin, Ruth Liu, Alice Wang, Amen Seyedi, Catherine Gu, Cathy and Habib Haghighat, Chak Hong (Jason) Lei, David Kwechansky, Eileen Macfarlane, Iskander Boulos, Ivy Shao, Jack Windom, Joe and Mary Luk, Johnny Ren, Jordan Gould, Judith Amoils, Junjun Zhang, Leila Rahimi, Lenard Kotylo, Linda Theodoris, Ling Li, Marc Salsky, Max Kaufman, Meezan Kotylo, Michael Yip Lee,  Owen Symington, Pam Sabounji, Peng Li, Richard Chung, Ruth Bloom, Shari Kaufman, Shelli King, Sherry Pickett, Susie Zhang, Ted Wu, Trevor Paine, Vartan Kasbarian, Vaz Qazi, Vera Lu, Yi Feng, Yogesh Desai, Zhilan Xue, Sunny Zhang, and Jordan Gould be, be received. 

THE MAIN STREET UNIONVILLE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND THE VICTORIA SQUARE BOULEVARD RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT (PHASE 1) (10.0)


R. Jabr, ext. 2371 /K. Saulnier, ext. 2316

    1. That the report entitled “039-T-24 and 022-R-19 - Agreements with Property Owners for Construction and Funding of Services Relating to the Main Street Unionville Reconstruction Project and the Victoria Square Boulevard Reconstruction Project (Phase 1)” be received; and,
    2. That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute agreements with property owners for the construction and funding of the Services approved by the Director of Engineering within the construction limits of Main Street Unionville Reconstruction Project and the Victoria Square Boulevard Reconstruction Project (Phase 1), provided the form of such agreements are satisfactory to the City Solicitor and the Commissioner of Development Services; and,
    3. That the construction of the Services described in such agreements be included in the City’s construction contracts for the Main Street Unionville Reconstruction Project and the Victoria Square Boulevard Reconstruction Project (Phase 1); and further,
    4. That staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

     

L. D'Souza, ext. 2180

    1. That the report and presentation dated June 10, 2025, and entitled “Markville Secondary Plan Study – Draft Final Study Report” be received; and,
    2. That the recommendations and policy directions in the “Markville Secondary Plan Study – Draft Final Study Report”, attached as Appendix “A”, inform the preparation of the draft Markville Secondary Plan policies by staff; and,
    3. That staff be directed to schedule a statutory public meeting targeting Q4 2025 to consider the draft Markville Secondary Plan policies; and further,
    4. That staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

A. Farias, ext. 6900

    1. That the report dated June 10, 2025 entitled “CMHC Housing Accelerator Fund Update” be received; and further,
    2. That Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

R. Cefaratti, ext. 3675

    1. That the interim report titled, “INTERIM REPORT, Bayview John Community Engagement Visioning Working Sessions, Thornhill (Ward 1)”, be received; and further,
    2. That Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

J. Pathak, ext. 2034/ V. Aubrey, ext. 2451

    1. That the June 10, 2025 report titled 'Recommendation Report, Capital Budget Request for Developer Build Strata Park at 1297 and 1307 Castlemore Avenue' be received; and,
    2. That a new 2025 Capital Budget for Developer Build Strata Park be established and funded from Development Charges (Parks Development Reserve) in the amount of $744,935 inclusive of HST impact @1.76% and internal charges; and further,
    3. That staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

D. Wedderburn, ext. 2109/ K. Ross, ext. 2126


Note: Report has been attached. 

  • 1. That the report dated June 10, 2025, titled " Comments on the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act (Bill 17)" be received; and,

    2. That this report be forwarded to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Minister of Infrastructure, and Minister of Transportation as the City of Markham’s comments on Bill 17; and,

    Amendment to the Building Transit Faster Act, 2020

    3. That the Province establish a formal process for consultation and coordination with municipalities in the development of provincial transit projects and the management of construction activities including traffic management plans; and,

    4. That the Province work collaboratively with the City to monitor local impacts, provide regular project updates, and ensure timely notification to affected stakeholders and the public; and,

    Amendments to the Planning Act

    5. That the Province require formal municipal consultation to demonstrate that local transportation policies and plans are considered and aligned before issuing MZOs or imposing conditions that may adversely impact transportation systems; and,

    6. That the Province clarify and provide further guidance on how MZO conditions will be cleared, to whose satisfaction, and provide a specific list of the items that can be conditioned; and, 

    7. That the Province ensure school sites are not located in areas that are not appropriate for sensitive land uses; and,

    Proposed Regulations – Complete Applications 


    8. That Council not support regulations that would limit the scope, type or number of studies that may be required as part of a complete application and instead provide guidance to municipalities to facilitate consistency across the Province; and,

    9. That if the Province proceeds, at a minimum sun/shadow and wind impact studies should be required as a part of Zoning Bylaw Amendment and Site Plan Control Applications; and,

    10. That the Province partner with Ontario municipalities and practitioners on common practices and criteria for urban design studies to ensure consistency across all jurisdictions; and,

    11. That the Province provide more details on the process and requirements for certifying professionals for which municipalities would be required to accept studies; and,

    Proposed Regulation As-of-right Variations from Setback Requirements


    12. That Council not support changes to the Planning Act to enable the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to permit variations from the zoning by-law within a prescribed percentage; and,

    13. That the Province limit the applicability of the proposed legislation to existing development with reduced zoning setbacks and legal non-conforming uses; and,

    Amendments to Transit Oriented Communities Act


    14. That Council is generally supportive of the proposed changes where the implementation of Transit Oriented Communities aligns with the local municipal visions or plans are developed in consultation with the municipality to ensure local priorities are protected; and,

    Building Code - Eliminate Secondary Approvals for Innovative Construction Materials


    15. That Council support all proposed changes to streamline Ministers’ rulings process for construction products; and,

    16. That Council not support Building Code research efforts geared towards single unit four storey townhouses as these units are not affordable and only generate one dwelling unit. The Province should dedicate Building Code research resources to more affordable housing solutions; and,

    Amendments to Ministry of Infrastructure Act and Metrolinx Act


    17. That Council support all opportunities for municipal data tracking across the Province, where data collection is automated through open data; and,

     Proposed Changes to the Development Charges Act


    18. That Council not support the proposed change to exempt long term care homes; if the Province proceeds to institute this change, the City will be amenable if the exemption applies only to non-profit developments; and,

    19. That Council not support the payment of development charges at occupancy; if the Province proceeds to institute this change, the City would be amenable if interest is levied to the date of occupancy and  security can be obtained for the outstanding amounts; and,

    20. That Council support the changes to the application of the development charge rate freeze, where collection is based on the lower of the frozen development charge amount plus interest or, the amount calculated using the prevailing rate; and,

    21. That Council support the streamlined process for selected development charge by-law amendments, which eliminates the requirement to prepare a Development Charges Background Study if the amendment is to reduce the development charge rates; and,

    Proposed Development Charge changes through Regulation


    22. That Council request the City be invited to participate in the discussions on the proposed regulatory changes, inclusive of those related to the determination of eligible capital costs which may focus on the inclusion/exclusion of land, and the methodology for determining benefit to existing; and,

    23. That Council support the need for more development and streamlined processes, but not support any changes to the development charge regime that will move growth related costs away from developers and onto existing residents and businesses in any significant way; and,

    Other Proposed Cost Recovery Changes


    24. That Council request the City be invited to participate in discussions on the utilization of a proposed utility model to construct water and wastewater services; and further, 

    25. That staff be authorized and directed to do all the things necessary to give effect to this resolution. 

P. Wokral, ext. 7955 

  • 1. That the June 10, 2025, Staff report, titled “Commercial Façade Improvement Grant Program - 2025”, be received; and,

    2. That Council supports financial assistance representing $15,000.00 in grant assistance for: 

    1.  Paint Removal from the bricks of 4592 Hwy. 7 E. in Unionville and the re-conditioning of the original wooden window frames subject to the owner obtaining a Minor Heritage Permit for the proposed work;

    3. That the eligibility requirements of the Commercial Façade Improvement Grant Program be revised to require Façade Easement Agreements for grants of more than $7,500 instead of $5,000; and,

    4. That the Commercial Façade Improvement Grant Program be revised to make designated historic places of worship eligible for grant funding instead of requiring them to apply to the City’s Designated Heritage Property Grant Program and that the program be renamed the Commercial Façade and Historic Places of Worship Grant Program; and,

    5. That the 2025 grants be funded through the Commercial Façade Improvement Grant Program Fund, Account 620-101-5699-25011; and further,

    6. That staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution. 

     

P. Wokral, ext. 7955

  • 1. That the June 10, 2025, report titled, “Designated Heritage Property Grant Applications 2025”, be received; and,

    2. That Designated Heritage Property Grants for 2025 be approved in the amounts noted for the following properties, totaling $54,020.00, provided that the applicants comply with eligibility requirements of the program: 

    a.    357 Main St. N., Markham Village: up to $5,000.00, for the painting of the house in historic original colours and installation of historically authentic wooden front entrance door; 
    b.    7707 Yonge St., Thornhill: up to $5,000.00 for the installation of historically authentic 2nd storey windows facing Yonge St.; 
    c.    218 Main St., Unionville: up to $2,000.00 for the painting of the steeple and bellcote louvres in historic original colours;  
    d.    6 Alexander Hunter Place, Markham Heritage Estates: up to $7,500.00 for the installation of a cedar shingle roof; 
    e.    3 David Gohn Circle, Markham Heritage Estates: up to $7,500.00 for the installation of a cedar shingle roof; 
    f.    1 Heritage Corners Lane, Markham Heritage Estates: up to $5,000.00 for the production and installation of historically authentic louvred shutters; 
    g.    12 Wismer Place, Markham Heritage Estates: up to $7,500.00 for the installation of a cedar shingle roof; 
    h.    1 Kalvinster Drive, Cornell: up to $4,520.00 for the reconstruction of brick gable-end chimneys; 
    i.    99 Thoroughbred Way, Markham: up to $5,000.00 for the repair and restoration of the historic wooden clapboard siding; 
    j.    10720 Victoria Square Blvd., Victoria Square: up to $5,000.00 for the repair of historic brickwork; and,

    3. That the grant request for 49 Church Street not be funded due to the proposed work and application not meeting the eligibility requirements of the program; and,

    4. That the grants be funded through the Designated Heritage Property Grant Project Fund, Account 620-101-5699-25010 ($60,000.00 available for 2025) and further,

    5. That Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.


     

10.

 
  • As per Section 2 of the Council Procedural By-Law, "New/Other Business would generally apply to an item that is to be added to the Agenda due to an urgent statutory time requirement, or an emergency, or time sensitivity".

  • That, in accordance with Section 239 (2) of the Municipal Act, Development Services Committee resolve into a confidential session to discuss the following matters:

14.1
DEVELOPMENT AND POLICY MATTERS

 

14.1.1
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES - APRIL 8 AND MAY 13, 2025  (10.0) [MUNICIPAL ACT, 2001, Section 239 (2) (e)] 

 

14.1.2
REQUEST FOR DIRECTION - ONTARIO LAND TRIBUNAL APPEAL FOR MINOR VARIANCE AT 59 LEE AVENUE (WARD 8) (8.0)

 

(LITIGATION OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION, INCLUDING MATTERS BEFORE ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNALS, AFFECTING THE MUNICIPALITY OR LOCAL BOARD;) [MUNICIPAL ACT, 2001, SECTION 239 (2) (e)]

14.1.3
UPDATE REQUEST FOR DIRECTION - ONTARIO LAND TRIBUNAL APPEALS RE: NEW COMPREHENSIVE ZONING BY-LAW (8.0)

 

(LITIGATION OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION, INCLUDING MATTERS BEFORE ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNALS, AFFECTING THE MUNICIPALITY OR LOCAL BOARD;) [MUNICIPAL ACT, 2001, SECTION 239 (2) (e)]

14.1.4
OLT APPEAL BY PRIMONT HOMES (LESLIE/JOHN) INC., OF THE OFFICIAL PLAN AND ZONING BY-LAW AMENDMENT APPLICATIONS AT 2300 JOHN STREET (WARD 1)

 

(LITIGATION OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION, INCLUDING MATTERS BEFORE ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNALS, AFFECTING THE MUNICIPALITY OR LOCAL BOARD;) [MUNICIPAL ACT, 2001, SECTION 239 (2) (e)] (10.3, 10.5)

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