Slessor Square

Last evening Newmarket Council had a public meeting to hear resident comments on the proposed Slessor Square Development on Yonge St. just North of Davis Dr. Approximately 150 residents showed up to voice their comments regarding this project.

To view the applicants website and see more about the proposal visit www.slessorsquare.com

In a nutshell the proposal includes 4 phases. The first phase is along George St. and includes an application for a 7-storey retirement residence. Phase 2 is a proposed 26 storey residential tower with 184 units along Yonge St. Phase 3 is a 23 storey residential tower with 155 apartments and the final phase is a 7 storey retirement residence with 212 units.

There is no doubt about it that such a proposal is large. Currently our Official Plan limits the height to 8 storeys. As many who are aware of planning in Newmarket know, we have designated the Yonge/Davis Corridor to accomodate much of our communities growth targets imposed by the Province's Places to Grow Act. Newmarket is slated to grow by approximately 13,000 people between now and 2026.

I would love to hear from residents on what they feel about this proposal. Do you like it? What do you think an appropriate height would be? I always bennefit from hearing directly from residents on their opinions....my job is to be your voice on Newmarket Council. So please email me at mailto:cemanuel@newmarket.ca and share your perspective on this plan.

The Need for Greater Rental Housing in our Communities

As a member of the Board of Directors for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities I was pleased to see our organization release an important report today. The Housing Market and Canada’s Economic Recovery is a detailed report that highlights the fact that there is a growing shortage of rental housing stock in our Cities and Towns throughout Canada.

Often when we talk about diversity in our communities it is referencing racial diversity. We know that embracing and encouraging such diversity is key to a progressive society. However, another form of diversity is economic diversity. It is crucial that we have a range of options for housing accommodations. We often see the cycle of demographic changes in our neighbourhoods. Young families grow-up in a neighbourhood, as the children get older and move away to school or pursue their occupations those neighbourhoods transform into areas with ‘empty-nesters’ who eventually shift to smaller homes in retirement. The cycle repeats.

In communities like Newmarket and many others in York Region, it is becoming increasingly expensive to buy your first home in Newmarket. I know that many who I went to High School and University with have found it difficult to buy in Newmarket because of the high housing costs. Also, if you’re a single person the cost of carrying a mortgage in a community with larger homes can be cost-prohibitive. We know that in challenging times we need an adequate number of housing units to be available for rent. In the past there may have been a stigma with renters vs. ownership, but today you have well regarded scholars like Dr. Richard Florida arguing that we need greater rental options in our cities. (http://bigthink.com/ideas/20243). 

I invite you to read this report. I welcome any comments you may have. It is definitely food for thought and I would suggest government at all levels have a responsibility in addressing this shortage of rental housing.

For the Report click here:  The Housing Market and Canada’s Economic Recovery

Road Hockey in Newmarket

There has been some discussion as of late about whether Road Hockey is allowed in the Town of Newmarket. Technically, there is a bylaw that restricts the playing of sports and activities on our streets. In my mind, it has always been a non-issue, nobody has ever been charged with breaking the bylaw in Newmarket’s history. Heck, I played road hockey on Newmarket streets as a kid myself. It’s a rite of passage for all youth. Its what we do in Canada.

Recently there was a complaint about some youth playing ball Hockey and the Ward 6 Councillor, Maddie DiMuccio brought this matter to Councils attention. One of Councillor DiMuccio’s solutions was to have staff examine implementing a permit system and restricting road hockey to cul-de-sacs or certain streets.

I think sometimes we can complicate issues with red tape. I don’t support limiting it to just certain streets and making people call in for a permit. Let’s find a way to let kids play hockey on all our streets. For the most part kids are pretty responsible…they’re not going to play on a busy street because they don’t want to stop the game every 30 seconds yelling ‘CAR!!’.

Let us let children play ball hockey on our streets and not overly complicate a process. This is Canada – it’s in our blood!

Glenway Community Update - October 19, 2011

Hello, I wanted to provide a brief update on 2 items related to the Glenway Community. At Council this past Monday we approved the terms of reference for the planning consultant that we have approved to help usher the application through upon submission.

I did want to highlight the key competencies that our staff will be looking for:

-related experience

-process and analyzing major infill redevelopment applications

-public consultation

-dispute resolution

-facilitation

-participation in Ontario Municipal Board Hearings

-planning legislation including Provincial Policy Statement, The Provincial Growth Plan (Places to Grow), the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, and Regional and Town Planning documents

-understanding the growth opportunities and challenges specific to York Region and Newmarket

One item that was crucial for me to ensure would be emphasized is the understanding and vision Newmarket has outlined in its Official Plan. It is important to note how many residents contributed to setting that vision. I think we all recognize growth in our community is inevitable. But, we have a right to say where and how it should take place. The very purpose of our Official Plan is to protect and preserve our neighbourhoods while at the same time direct growth to areas that can and will be supported by high order transit. It’s a responsible and prudent plan. We need to defend that vision.

Secondly, I have been asked to advertise an upcoming meeting of the Glenway Preservation Association (GPA) a new group that has formed to help represent residents. I know many of you are aware of their activity as they’ve been in the neighbourhood with a petition.

The Glenway Preservation Association ( www.preserveglenway.ca ) is holding their first official information and membership recruitment meeting on:

DATE: Monday, October 24, 2011

WHERE: Newmarket Theatre (505 Pickering Cres)

TIME: 7:00-7:30pm Registration 7:30pm-9pm Presentation

I will be attending myself and look forward to seeing many of you there.

Glenway Community Update - Sept 28, 2011

I wanted to provide an update on some of the progress that has been made on the Glenway file at council last evening.

First, and most importantly, I was happy that my colleagues ratified the proposal from staff to hire an outside consultant to help augment the staff resources on this file. In my mind, this was a crucial first decision made by Council. They made a clear statement that they would ensure the Town would commit the needed resources to handle the application from the outset so that we’re not looking back in a few months wondering if there is more we could have done.

Second, I put forward a notice of motion that I would be consulting the neighbourhood on their thoughts and ideas on how best to implement a task force, committee or working group made up of Glenway residents that will help provide guidance on this file. I always believe it is crucial to help let the community guide the process. I will work with you, the residents of Glenway, to establish a process to enhance public consultation. It is a process I have been working on for some time and I will continue to roll out this process so that when we receive an application we can rely on some of the incredible talent we have in our community. We have business leaders, engineers, lawyers and so many others that can help guide this process.

Finally, I want to address a question that has arisen regarding transparency. Last week Councillor DiMuccio proposed a resolution that in my mind was fraught with issues and I did not support it. When first presented it engaged Councillors and residents in an RFP process which I and other Councillors indicated was contrary Judge Bellamy’s recommendations that came out of the MFP Scandal in the City of Toronto.  I will also be careful to never expose our town, and your tax dollars, to litigation. I also indicated at that meeting and last evening, that I as the Ward 7 Councillor who was elected by Glenway residents, would be bringing forward a proposal for further community engagement as I have concerns that task force the Councillor proposed had potential issues related to how this case may eventually be heard at the OMB. The public engagement that I would like to see is also much broader in scope, it would seek input from residents on items such as maintenance of the country club lands once it closes, exploring all legal avenues and any other areas of concern – not just a task force overseeing the consultant. Community engagement must be robust.  I was also disappointed that Councillor DiMuccio did not support the recommendation to hire a consultant to help the Glenway Community fight the proposed development.

It is imperative that decisions and strategies are not made in haste. We cannot afford to find ourselves in a position where decisions and strategies can put at jeopardy our position at the OMB should we end up there.

In the coming weeks I will issue a survey on my website seeking your feedback on how we can have greater public participation/guidance. This needs to evolve with resident input. It is also crucial we get all of this in place prior to an application being submitted, so we must be nimble and work together.

I trust this update has been helpful in addressing some of the issues. I am very happy about the progress we have made. It was another step in the process in defending our towns official plan. Appreciate the support of the Mayor, Regional Councillor and Ward Councillors for their support of this file.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.