Electronic Development Services Committee Meeting
Revised Agenda
Revised Items are Italicized.

Meeting Number 10
-
Live streamed

Note: Due to COVID-19, our facilities are closed to the public. Access is not permitted to the Markham Civic Centre and Council Chamber.


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Members of the public may submit written deputations by email to clerkspublic@markham.ca.

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Members of the public who wish to make a live virtual deputation, please register prior to the start of the meeting by:
1. Completing an online Request to Speak Form , or,
2. E-mail clerkspublic@markham.ca providing full name, contact information and item they wish to speak, or,
3. If you do not have access to email, contact the Clerk's office at 905-479-7760 on the day of the meeting.
*If Committee has finished debate at the meeting on the item, you may email your written submission directly to Members of Council. The list of Members of Council is available online at this link.

​Alternate formats for this document are available upon request.

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Please bring this Development Services Committee Agenda to the Council meeting on May 26, 2021.


    1. That the minutes of the Development Services Committee meeting held April 19, 2021, be confirmed.
    1. That the minutes of the Development Services Committee meeting held April 21, 2021, be confirmed.

(WARD 4), FILE NO.: PLAN 20 136386 (10.3, 10.5)

Note: Please refer to Item #8.4 for staff report.

    1. That the communication submitted by Simon Chan providing comments on the above noted application be received for information purposes.

Note: Please refer to Item #9.1 for Motion.

  • That the following communications providing comments regarding the Motion on GTA West Corridor (413 Highway) be received for information purposes:

    1. Chris Madsen
    2. Jim Winstone
    3. Michael Robertson
    4. Surjit Sachdev
    5. Laura Tipton
    6. Thomas Poulis
    7. Louisa Santoro
    8. Angela Grella
    9. Sherry Draisey
    10. Peter Miasek

Note: Please refer to items #8.6 and #13.1.2.

  • That the following communications providing comments regarding 10-20 Fincham Avenue be received for information purposes:

    1. Sheila Coleman
    2. Lesley James
    3. Liza Lyon
    1. That the minutes of the Development Services Public Meeting held April 6, 2021 and April 13, 2021, be confirmed.
    1. That the minutes of the Cycling and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (CPAC) meeting held March 18, 2021, be received for information purposes.
    1. That the minutes of the Varley-McKay Art Foundation of Markham meeting held March 15, 2021, be received for information purposes.

L. Duoba, ext. 7925 & P. Wong, ext. 6922

Note: Sarah Mainguy, Senior Ecologist, North-South Environmental will be in attendance to provide a presentation on this matter.

Attachment A: Phase 1: Natural Heritage Inventory and Assessment Study attached.

    1. That the staff report and presentation entitled: “Phase 1 Report: Natural Heritage Inventory and Assessment Study” dated May 3, 2021, be received; and,
    2. And that the Phase 1: Natural Heritage Inventory and Assessment Study provide input into the upcoming Official Plan review process and that the study recommendations be considered for the Terms of Reference for Phase 2 of the Natural Heritage Management Plan Study; and,
    3. That staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

D. Pagratis, ext. 2960

    1. That the report titled “RECOMMENDATION REPORT, Southshore Investments Inc. (Ford/Lincoln), 4592 and 4600 Highway 7 East, Site Plan Approval Application to facilitate a new automobile dealership (Ward 3), File No. SPC 20 107969”, be received; and,
    2. That the Site Plan application (File No. SPC 20 107969) submitted by Southshore Investments Inc. (Ford/Lincoln) be endorsed in principle, subject to the conditions attached as Appendix “A” and that Site Plan Approval be delegated to the Director of Planning and Urban Design, or his designate; and,
    3. That Site Plan Endorsement shall lapse after a period of three (3) years from the date of endorsement in the event that the Site Plan Agreement is not executed within that period; and further,
    4. That Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

AT 134, 136, 140, 144, 152 MAIN STREET NORTH, 12 WILSON ST. (WARD 4) FILE NO.: PLAN 20 136386 (10.3, 10.5)

P. Wokral, ext. 7955

    1. That the report dated May 3, 2021 titled “PRELIMINARY REPORT, Applications by 2637996 Ontario Inc. c/o SmartCentres for Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments to permit a six storey retirement residence incorporating existing heritage buildings at 134, 136, 140, 144, 152 Main Street North, 12 Wilson St. (Ward 4), File No.: PLAN 20 136386”, be received.

OF HIGHWAY 48 AND THE CITY OF MARKHAM/TOWN OF WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY (NORTH OF 19TH AVENUE) PART OF LOT 31, CONCESSION 7 (WARD 6) (FILE NO. PLN 20 134853) (10.7)

S. Muradali, ext. 2008

    1. That the report titled “PRELIMINARY REPORT, Flato Developments Inc., Application for Draft Plan of Subdivision to create blocks for a public park, public road and residential development comprised of two (2) 8-storey buildings and townhouses in the south-west quadrant of Highway 48 and the City of Markham/ Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville municipal boundary (north of 19th Avenue), Part of Lot 31, Concession 7 (Ward 6), (File No. PLN 20 134853)”, be received.

Note: Committee has the option to endorse, amend, refer to staff or receive for information the following recommendation from the April 20, 2021 Markham Sub-Committee (10-20 Fincham Avenue) meeting:

“That the Markham Sub-Committee recommends that the Development Services Committee not endorse the application; and,

That the applicant come back with a more suitable application.”

    1. That the minutes of the Markham Sub-Committee (10-20 Fincham Avenue) meeting held April 20, 2021, be received for information purposes.
    1. That this report be forwarded to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing as the City of Markham’s Comments with respect to ERO Number 019-3495; and,
    2. That this report be forwarded to the Provincial Standing Committee on General Government as the City of Markham’s Comments with respect to Bill 276, Supporting Recovery and Competitiveness Act, 2021; and,
    3. That Council for the City of Markham does not support the following changes to the Planning Act related to:
      1. the Proposed Minister’s Consent Order; and
      2. allowing purchasers of land to apply for a consent;
    4. That Council for the City of Markham supports the proposed one-year extension for an applicant to fulfill conditions of a consent, and that the Planning Act be amended to allow the extension to be delegated to staff; and,
    5. That Council for the City of Markham request an additional change to the Planning Act that allows for land to merge automatically where it is required by a condition of the consent; and further,
    6. That Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

Note: The notice of this motion was given to Development Services Committee at its meeting held on April 19, 2021.

    1. Whereas Ontario farming and food processing together employ one million persons and generate over $35 billion economic benefits annually; and,
    2. Whereas the Greater Golden Horseshoe is the third largest agricultural producer in North America after California and Chicago; and,
    3. Whereas the Province of Ontario is proposing to develop the GTA West Corridor by razing 2,000 acres of pristine farmlands, some of which are Class A and Class B farmlands and many of which will immediately cease to be farmed and other lands, over time, which will be developed for non-agricultural uses; and,
    4. Whereas the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has not completed an Agricultural Impact Assessment for the GTA West Corridor; and,
    5. Whereas the proposed GTA Corridor will lead to greater demand for development with more than 33,000 acres of Whitebelt lands in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Caledon and Vaughan) leading to greater urban sprawl and development that is not supportive of transit investment; and,
    6. Whereas the proposed GTA West Corridor will cut across 85 waterways, and destroy protected Greenbelt lands including 7 entire woodlots, 220 important wetlands and valley land features, 10 different species-at- risk and hundreds of acres of vulnerable wildlife habitat; and,
    7. Whereas the Greenbelt Plan’s permission for new infrastructure which negatively impacts key natural heritage features, key hydrologic features or key hydrologic areas requires determination that there is “no reasonable alternative” and this has not been established through a planning process; and,
    8. Whereas the 59-kilometre proposed 413 highway is an old idea, dropped by the previous government after a highly esteemed panel found it would save commuters less than a minute while increasing carbon emissions; and,
    9. Whereas the current Provincial government revived the $6 billion to $15 billion GTA West Corridor proposal in 2018, saying it could relieve congestion issues in the fast-growing Toronto suburbs and boost Ontario’s economic recovery from COVID-19; and,
    10. Whereas several reasonable alternatives to the GTA West Corridor exist including congestion pricing on other highways, shifting truck traffic to the under-utilized 407 Highway including the reduction or elimination of tariffs, transportation system management on other highways (ramp metering, speed harmonization, compass etc (freight, rail improvements. underpasses) and developing the east-west 407 rail transitway including its potential for high-speed electric rail transitway; and,
    11. Whereas the final recommendation of the Stage 1 Provincial Environmental Assessment (2012) was to first put in place the transportation system management components, rapid transit, freight rail improvements and expansion of existing highways prior to constructing the new expressway; and,
    12. Whereas the City of Markham has taken reasonable measures to mitigate against climate change which reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs); and,
    13. Whereas responding to the climate emergency requires immediate re-evaluation of all transportation plans as greenhouse gas emissions (GHG’s) from transportation which is the highest single source of emissions; and,
    14. Whereas the proposed GTA 413 Highway Corridor involves destruction of woodlots which are important carbon absorbers and help clean the air; and,
    15. Whereas the Province must take immediate measures to decrease GHG through alternatives such as increasing public transit, including the necessary local public transit networks, to enable broad access to the higher order transit including high-speed electric trains; and,
    16. Whereas the City of Markham has consistently supported transit orientated community development including a high-speed rail transit corridor alongside the 407 Highway to address long term inter-regional transportation solutions and to enhance integration with the development of our communities and supported rail integrated communities along both the GO transit rail lines and the 407 rail transitway; and,
    17. Whereas the preferred route for the GTA West 413 highway will increase traffic in the western portion of York Region without appropriate transit solutions; and,
    18. Whereas the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority (TRCA), which is the regulatory authority for developments in flood plains, wetlands and valley lands, has also raised concerns about the potential impact of the proposed GTA West Corridor as well as the streamlined Environmental Assessment process; and,
    19. Whereas the Environmental Assessment undertaken by the previous provincial government was shelved because of strong objection to the GTA Corridor by an expert panel in the fields of rural development, renewable cities, agriculture, environment and efficient transportation who sounded alarms over predicted irreversible ecological harm caused by the uncontrolled, low density urban sprawl enabled by the Corridor; and,
    20. Whereas Transit Oriented Communities (TOCs) positively contribute toward a more environmentally friendly and economically sustainable communities. TOCs reduce the reliance on car-dependent trips for all members of the community, therefore reducing Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) and also reducing the high costs of auto ownership thus contributing to achieving affordable housing outcomes; and,
    21. Whereas TOC is based on development above or around an existing, planned or yet-to-be planned piece of transport infrastructure, the path chosen will affect the level of complexity involved. TOD around stations can act as a catalyst for market-led densification ultimately resulting in creative, transit supportive communities while providing significant land value uplift; and,
    22. Whereas Strategic land-use planning requires public policy that communicates TOC as integral to a community’s long-term vision with supportive official plan and zoning provisions that facilitate density and mixed land use. TOC can be applied based on a range of high densities. Some outlying city areas may focus on developments that offer access to transit connecting to employment venues and high-density downtowns, which boast a mixture of residential, employment, retail and entertainment options. Making TOC an integral consideration in city planning allows urban designers and land use/transportation planners to establish essential ingredients for future development and economic growth; and,
    23. Whereas the Regional Municipality of York passed a resolution on March 18, 2021 requesting a Federal Environmental Impact study for the proposed 413 Highway (GTA West Corridor); and,
    24. Whereas the 407 Highway was created in order to relieve congestion on 401 Highway, but the 407 was tolled, thereby limiting the amount of relief provided by the 407 Highway; and,
    25. Whereas the need for rapid transit in the GTA is long overdue and in greater need than the 413 Highway to accommodate growth requirements of the Provincial Government’s Growth Plan; and,
    26. Whereas concerned citizens of Markham and a significant number of reputable organizations have demanded cancellation of the GTA West Corridor project, including: Environmental Defense, the David Suzuki Foundation, the Federation of Urban Neighborhoods, Gravel Watch, Halton Environmental Network, National Farmers’ Union-Ontario, Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition, Sustainable Vaughan, Concerned Citizens of King Township (CCKT), Transport Action Ontario, Greenbelt Council, the Wilderness Committee and Sustainable Mississauga; as well as formal opposition of Councils from the municipalities of Halton Hills, Orangeville, Vaughan, Brampton, Mississauga, King and the City of Toronto; and,
    27. Whereas the Ontario NDP Party, Ontario Liberal Party and Ontario Green Party have all announced their opposition to the GTA West Corridor.

    Now therefore be it resolved:

    1. That the Council of the City of Markham strongly objects to the proposed GTA West Corridor and Transmission Corridor as it is currently defined; and
    2. That the Council of the City of Markham continues to support an integrated rail transit network which includes high speed rapid rail transit running along beside the 407 highway; and,
    3. That the Council of the City of Markham fully supports the Environmental Defense request for a Federal Environmental Impact Study pursuant to s.9(1) of the Impact Assessment Act (I.A.A.), prior to any advancement of this project; and,
    4. That the Council of the City of Markham supports the Province undertaking an economic evaluation and time travel analysis of Highway 407 versus the proposed 413 Highway including the potential for congestion and non-peak hour pricing; and,
    5. That if the GTA West Corridor does not proceed, that capital costs of funding the proposed GTA West Corridor should be redirected to provide for rapid transit for the Regions of York and Peel such as investment in the 407 rail transitway, improved GO service on the Kitchener and Milton lines, a new GO transit line to Bolton and LRT/BRT on Major Mackenzie; and,
    6. That the Council of the City of Markham recommends that the Province undertake a comprehensive economic benefits analysis of the potential for transit orientated communities along the 407 Highway and GO rail transit network and new LRT/BRT lines versus the cost of urban sprawl triggered by the proposed 413 Highway; and,
    7. That the Province undertake a review of the Provincial Government Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the GTA Regional Transportation Plan / Sustainable Communities Strategy to provide holistic comprehensive policies for achieving affordable housing near transit stations including policies to achieve the Province’s goal of 50 percent of all new housing over the next twenty-five years being within a half mile of fixed guideway rail transit or high frequency (15 minutes or less, peak hour) bus transit. The Province must also update its affordable housing program to recognize the relationship between housing affordability and transit including the positive role of housing near rail transit TOC stations to improve the operational efficiency of the province’s investment in mass transit; and,
    8. That the Province, in undertaking consultation on the proposed GTA West Corridor, ensure that holistic, comprehensive integrated land use planning for the whole of the northern GTA is considered including planning the northern communities for land use and transit prior to considering new roads including the GTA West Corridor; and further,
    9. That this Resolution be forwarded to the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Caroline Mulroney, MPP York-Simcoe, Hon Jeff Yurek, MPP, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Stephen Lecce, MPP King-Vaughan, Hon. Kinga Surma, Associate Minister of Transportation GTA, Hon. Steve Clarke, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Phil Verster, President and CEO, Metrolinx and all Municipalities of the Region of York and as well as the Region of Peel.

Note: The notice of this motion was given to Development Services Committee at its meeting held on April 19, 2021.

  • Whereas the Province is undertaking the planning studies for the Yonge North Subway Extension (YNSE); and,

    Whereas on March 18, 2021 Metrolinx released the Initial Business Case that affects the City of Markham and recommends advancing design of the YNSE; and,

    Whereas the Initial Business Case proposes up to four stations along the 8-kilometre subway extension and a new easterly route realignment at Royal Orchard that proposes the subway travel under an established residential neighbourhood in order to connect to the GO/CN Corridor: and,

    Whereas intensification and redevelopment needs to occur along major rapid rail transit corridors like Yonge Street to support Provincial growth direction and to build sustainable communities, including the realization of transit-oriented communities; and,

    Whereas the City undertook a study in 2020 entitled “Yonge North Subway Intensification Analysis” to identify development potential and population and employment forecasts and densities within the Steeles Avenue, Clark Avenue, Royal Orchard Boulevard, Langstaff Gateway and Richmond Hill Centre Station Areas that was provided to Metrolinx as input into the Initial Business Case for the YNSE; and further,

    Whereas it is necessary for the City to undertake additional technical work to confirm the Transit Oriented Community potential surrounding Steeles, Clark and Royal Orchard Station areas as preliminary work toward a Secondary Plan exercise for the Yonge Street Corridor and to inform the YNSE process.

    Now therefore be it resolved:

    1. That the City of Markham immediately initiate the secondary plan for the Yonge Street Corridor approved as part of the 2020 Capital budget including more detailed analysis of growth potential along the corridor through a Preliminary Design Business Case which will include land use/built form study as preliminary work towards development of the Yonge Street Corridor Secondary Plan to confirm development potential and a preliminary land use concept, including 3D modelling and financial analysis, for three distinct areas along the Yonge Corridor, generally located within the Region’s “2020 Proposed Major Transit Station Areas, September 2020”, including:
      a. Steeles Subway Station (MTSA 7) and lands within its 800-metre catchment area to the north,
      (eastern boundary is Dudley Avenue, northern boundary is the CN tracks, western boundary is Yonge Street and southern boundary is Steeles Avenue)
      b. Clark Subway Station (MTSA 6) and lands within its 800-metre catchment area; and (eastern boundary is Dudley Avenue, north boundary is Elgin Street, Yonge Street is the western boundary, and the CN tracks are the southern boundary)
      c. Royal Orchard Subway Station (MTSA 70) and lands within its 800-metre catchment area; and (Royal Orchard is the southern boundary, Yonge Street is the western boundary, southern boundary of Holy Cross Cemetery is the northern boundary and eastern boundary to be determined); and
    2. That staff initiate the RFP process for the Preliminary Design Business Case and report back on remaining stages of the secondary plan exercise including a project schedule and resourcing of the secondary plan process; and,
    3. That the interview committee be comprised of the Thornhill Subcommittee, the CAO, the Commissioner of Development Services, the Director of Planning and Urban Design and a representative of the Purchasing Division; and,
    4. That Markham staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution and report back to Development Services Committee at completion of the study.
  • 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".

13.1
DEVELOPMENT AND POLICY ISSUES
 

13.1.1
UNIONVILLE SUB-COMMITTEE CONFIDENTIAL MINUTES – MARCH 2, 2021 (10.0) [Section 239 (2) (c)]
 

13.1.2
ADVICE THAT IS SUBJECT TO SOLICITOR-CLIENT PRIVILEGE, INCLUDING COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARY FOR THAT PURPOSE; (10-20 FINCHAM AVENUE) (8.0) [Section 239 (2) (f)]
 

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