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High-rise plan sparks study
Jan 5, 2007
By David Fleischer, Staff Writer
www.yorkregion.com/yr/yr4...5185c.html
A new plan to build a mega-condominium project near Yonge Street and Steeles Avenue has encouraged Markham to re-evaluate its plans for the area.
In November, Liberty Developments presented a plan to redevelop 7161 and 7171 Yonge St. The current site has a Canadian Tire gas station, Wendy's restaurant and a plaza anchored by Pharmacy One, Galleria and Fabricland.
Under the proposal, that would be replaced by two 39-storey towers, two 32-storey towers, a 10-storey office building and a three-storey office. The condo towers would have retail on their ground floors.
The four-hectare site would house about 3,100 residents and 2,410 parking spaces, mostly underground.
"It didn't surprise me because it's right on Yonge Street and we have the (Viva) transit,†Markham Councillor Valerie Burke said."But I didn't expect that sort of density."
Maxed-out sewer capacity was a prominent issue in the recent election and so it's hard to imagine adding even more development right now, Ms Burke said.
The town will also have to consider if community services such as schools can handle so many new residents, as well as traffic effects and other concerns. She also wants to make sure the housing is affordable and sustainable.
As a result, Markham has decided a comprehensive planning study is needed before any major changes take place.
The town is selecting a consultant for the $150,000 study, which is scheduled to wrap up before the end of the year.
Public meetings on the development proposal would not be held until after the study is complete and town staff have had their concerns addressed.
Even back in 1989, concerns were raised about the road and transportation infrastructure, traffic infiltrating adjacent residential neighbourhoods and overloading other community services.
The owners of nearby Centerpoint Mall expressed concerns that new development in the area would compromise the accessibility and viability of the shopping centre.
Since that time, numerous initiatives, including Ontario's Places to Grow plan and York Region’s centres and corridors plan, have been directing new growth to already developed regional nodes such as Yonge.
High-rise plans are also beginning to surface in Vaughan where applications near the proposed subway extension are coming in. One development, at Jane Street and Hwy. 7, would house nearly 4,000 people in six towers topping out at 34 storeys.
"The heights in this application are pretty unique in Markham," said Ron Blake, manager of development for Markham's west district.
The town was already planning to update its policies for the neighbourhood when the development came in.
"Yonge Street is an area in transition," he said.
The Yonge-Steeles corridor study will include extensive public consultation to develop an overall framework for the area.
Even if approved, servicing allocation would not be available for the development until at least 2011, so the towers aren't coming just yet. "This has to fit in with our community," Ms Burke said.
John O'Gorman, a member of the Grandview Ratepayers Association, was philosophical about the need to redevelop.
"I'm interested in seeing the details. The devil is in the details," he said. "Any development should have a human scale and have the qualities of smart growth."
Mr. O'Gorman acknowledged the need to intensify, even when that redevelopment is set to swallow up the garden he has nurtured and the home in which he has lived for more than 25 years.
While not happy about developers and land speculators taking advantage of the situation, "intensification is proper and inevitable and required", he said.
Jan 5, 2007
By David Fleischer, Staff Writer
www.yorkregion.com/yr/yr4...5185c.html
A new plan to build a mega-condominium project near Yonge Street and Steeles Avenue has encouraged Markham to re-evaluate its plans for the area.
In November, Liberty Developments presented a plan to redevelop 7161 and 7171 Yonge St. The current site has a Canadian Tire gas station, Wendy's restaurant and a plaza anchored by Pharmacy One, Galleria and Fabricland.
Under the proposal, that would be replaced by two 39-storey towers, two 32-storey towers, a 10-storey office building and a three-storey office. The condo towers would have retail on their ground floors.
The four-hectare site would house about 3,100 residents and 2,410 parking spaces, mostly underground.
"It didn't surprise me because it's right on Yonge Street and we have the (Viva) transit,†Markham Councillor Valerie Burke said."But I didn't expect that sort of density."
Maxed-out sewer capacity was a prominent issue in the recent election and so it's hard to imagine adding even more development right now, Ms Burke said.
The town will also have to consider if community services such as schools can handle so many new residents, as well as traffic effects and other concerns. She also wants to make sure the housing is affordable and sustainable.
As a result, Markham has decided a comprehensive planning study is needed before any major changes take place.
The town is selecting a consultant for the $150,000 study, which is scheduled to wrap up before the end of the year.
Public meetings on the development proposal would not be held until after the study is complete and town staff have had their concerns addressed.
Even back in 1989, concerns were raised about the road and transportation infrastructure, traffic infiltrating adjacent residential neighbourhoods and overloading other community services.
The owners of nearby Centerpoint Mall expressed concerns that new development in the area would compromise the accessibility and viability of the shopping centre.
Since that time, numerous initiatives, including Ontario's Places to Grow plan and York Region’s centres and corridors plan, have been directing new growth to already developed regional nodes such as Yonge.
High-rise plans are also beginning to surface in Vaughan where applications near the proposed subway extension are coming in. One development, at Jane Street and Hwy. 7, would house nearly 4,000 people in six towers topping out at 34 storeys.
"The heights in this application are pretty unique in Markham," said Ron Blake, manager of development for Markham's west district.
The town was already planning to update its policies for the neighbourhood when the development came in.
"Yonge Street is an area in transition," he said.
The Yonge-Steeles corridor study will include extensive public consultation to develop an overall framework for the area.
Even if approved, servicing allocation would not be available for the development until at least 2011, so the towers aren't coming just yet. "This has to fit in with our community," Ms Burke said.
John O'Gorman, a member of the Grandview Ratepayers Association, was philosophical about the need to redevelop.
"I'm interested in seeing the details. The devil is in the details," he said. "Any development should have a human scale and have the qualities of smart growth."
Mr. O'Gorman acknowledged the need to intensify, even when that redevelopment is set to swallow up the garden he has nurtured and the home in which he has lived for more than 25 years.
While not happy about developers and land speculators taking advantage of the situation, "intensification is proper and inevitable and required", he said.