NOTES FROM THE SECOND MEETING OF THE

MAIN STREET MARKHAM COMMITTEE

 

TOWN OF MARKHAM

York Room, Markham Civic Centre

FEBRUARY 18, 2004 - 6:30 P.M. – WITHOUT QUORUM

 

NOTES

 

ATTENDANCE

 

Members Present:                                                     Absent:

 

Dave Adams                                                                David Black

Frankie Rose                                                                Mark Champion

Peter Ross                                                                    Marie Jones

Keith Thirgood                                                 Morley Lem

Helen Walter                                                                Judi McIntyre

Councillor John Webster                                               Jonathan Mingay

                                                                                    Dianne More

                                                                                    Iggy Natoli

                                                                                    Elizabeth Plashkes

                                                                                    Corina Sallaberger

                                                                                    Councillor George McKelvey

 

Staff:

 

Candy Davidovits, Committee Clerk

Stan Lau, General Manager, Technical Services

Scott Heaslip, Project Coordinator, East District, Planning Division, Development Services Commission

 

Also Present:

 

Regional Councillor Jack Heath

Ms. Niki Burns, Manager, Markham BIA

 

The Main Street Markham Committee meeting convened WITHOUT QUORUM at the hour of 6:40 p.m. with Councillor John Webster in the chair.

 

 

1.         ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE

MAIN STREET MARKHAM COMMITTEE – JANUARY 21, 2004

 

Due to lack of quorum the adoption of the Minutes of the First Meeting of the Main Street Markham Committee was deferred to the next meeting scheduled for March 17, 2004.

 

 


2.         UPDATES:

 

Planning Application - 9401 Highway 48 – Subaru Dealership

 

Mr. S. Heaslip, Project Coordinator, East District, Planning Division, Development Services Commission, appeared before the Committee and provided an update respecting the site plan application received from Subaru for the property at 9401 Highway 48 to permit a car dealership.  Mr. Heaslip advised that the zoning was already in place to permit this development.  The rear of the property will be top soiled and seeded and will remain vacant for storm drainage purposes.

 

Mr. Heaslip also advised that no new applications have been received for the area from 16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie Drive and that information will be forwarded to the Committee through the Clerk’s Office when, and if, new applications are received.

 

Public Space Recycling Containers On Main Street Markham

 

This matter was deferred to the next meeting of the Main Street Markham Committee for an update from Councillor McKelvey.

 

Main Street Markham Traffic Management & Streetscape Study (bump-outs)

 

Regional Councillor Heath advised that the information he provided at the last meeting regarding the width of the roadway on Highway 48 from 16th Avenue to the roundabout was not correct.  Regional Councillor Heath also advised that staff is examining the transportation issues from 16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie; that public meetings will be held; and that input from this Committee will be sought.  Dave Adams mentioned that he has noticed an increase in truck traffic on 16th Avenue since the Highway 404 interchange opened at 16th Avenue.

 

Mr. S. Lau, General Manager, Technical Services, made a presentation to the Committee on proposed improvements to the intersection of 16th Avenue and Highway 48 advising that right turn lanes will be installed on the northeast side of 16th Avenue and on the northwest side of Highway 48 and that the plans provide that Highway 48 from 16th Avenue to the roundabout will remain a two-lane roadway with right and left turning lanes.  Mr. Lau further advised that staff is in the process of selecting consultants to undertake a detailed design for Stage I of Phase 1 of the Main Street Markham Traffic Management and Streetscape Plan and that, once the consultants are selected, the detailed design will be completed in approximately two months, with construction planned to start in the summer of 2004 if approval from the Ministry of Transportation and the Region of York is obtained on time.

 

Members of the Committee enquired whether approvals have been received to start work on the intersection of Highways 7 and 48 (Phase 5). Concern was expressed regarding the safety of this intersection particularly for anyone accessing the Library from the north of Highway 7 and the difficulty faced by pedestrians when crossing at that intersection due to the width of the roadway, the volume of car and bus traffic and the limited time permitted by the traffic lights.  Mr. Lau advised that he would have to find out if design approval has been received for Phase 5 improvements and if funding is in place.

 

Mr. Lau advised that as far as the Main Street Markham Traffic Management & Streetscape Study project is concerned, the Town of Markham has agreement in principle for funding contributions from the Region of York and the Province of Ontario for the 16th Avenue/Highway 48 intersections improvement work but there is no firm commitment yet in the way of an Memorandum of Understanding.

 

Members also raised the issue of the by-pass and the need to have Highway 48 diverted from Main Street so that improvements to Main Street can be undertaken.  Regional Councillor Heath informed the Committee that a letter was received a few weeks ago from the Province of Ontario which indicated a desire to assist with funding and mentioned the future of the roadway but it did not talk about the by-pass issue.  Mr. Heaslip mentioned that the Region of York is working on an Environmental Assessment for the section of the by-pass to the south but that the Town does not have anything firm from the Province.

 

The Main Street Markham Committee thanked Mr. Heaslip and Mr. Lau for their presentations and requested that staff:

 

(1)        provide an update at the next meeting respecting the work proposed to be done at Highway 7 and 48 (Phase 5 outlined in the Study); and

 

(2)        place a copy of the communication from the Province of Ontario mentioned by Regional Councillor Heath on the agenda for the next meeting of the Committee.

 

Master Plan Environmental Sub-Committee

 

Keith Thirgood advised that he had resent the documents previously supplied to the Committee by the Master Plan Environmental Sub-Committee directly to Karen Boniface, including a map showing the location of the benches and trees proposed for Main Street Markham.

 

The Committee requested that staff provide a formal update to the next meeting of the Committee on the status of the trees and whether planting will occur this year.

 

Regional Councillor Heath advised that he will follow up this issue with the appropriate staff.

 

Master Plan Sub-Committee

 

The Committee had before it the following material distributed by Regional Councillor Heath:

 

(1)        document entitled “Markham Main Street:  Master Plan Subcommittee – Things to do from the Vision” outlining various projects to be undertaken as part of the Main Street Markham Committee Strategic Plan; and

 

(2)        a listing of the Markham Main Street Capital Projects for 2001-2003.

 

The Committee requested that the Clerk’s Office obtain an e-version of the foregoing report (Item 1 above) from Regional Councillor Heath and send it to all members of the Committee with the request that they comment back to him as soon as possible on which short term items listed in the document they would like to have done this year.

 

Mural - 107 Main Street

 

No update provided.

 

Tannery Pond

 

No update provided.

 

Official Plan and Zoning Review Subcommittee

 

No update provided.

 

Farmers’ Market

 

No update provided.

 

Expansion of the Markham Community Library and

Development of Lands to the South of the Library

 

Regional Councillor Heath advised that he will be making a budget submission requesting additional capital expenditures in the amount of $3M for parks and recreation improvements in both the Library and the community centre.

 

Trees

 

Regional Councillor Heath will provide an update from discussions with staff regarding planting trees on Main Street.

 

Property on Main Street Markham North – 9404 Highway 48

 

No update provided.

 

Heritage Signs

 

No update provided.

 

Morgan Park

 

No update provided.

 

Markham GO Train Station Parking Lot Improvement Project
Main Street North

 

No update provided.

 

Markham Museum Reception Centre

 

No update provided.

 

Signage on Main Street from the 407 to James Scott Road/Princess Street

 

No update provided.

 

 

4.         NEW BUSINESS

 

There were no items of new business.

 

 

5.         NEXT MEETING

 

The next meeting of the Main Street Markham Committee is scheduled for March 17, 2004

 

 

6.         ADJOURNMENT

 

            The informal meeting of the Main Street Markham Committee adjourned at 8:17 p.m.