Planned Sprawl in the GTA

[Northern Light]

A different take on the problems with sprawl......residents of Oakville seeking to certify a class-action lawsuit against the City for approving the sprawl in North Oakville.

What an Oakville dispute tells us about flood risks for thousands of Canadian landowners

Amid climate change and rampant sprawl, downstream Oakville, Ont., residents discover they may be forced to soak up the risks of expanding floodplains

www.theglobeandmail.com

The lawsuit isn't over bad taste or the blocking of views, or anything to do with class politics.......

Rather.....its about flooding and flood plains.

The sprawl which has removed a great deal of permeable land that was previously farm, forest or rural in nature, has caused a lot more stormwater to run down Oakville's streams.

That in turn is causing flooding in some downstream properties, and also led to adjustments in floodplain maps.

Those map adjustments (where your property becomes party of the floodplain) may restrict your ability to make additions to your property or place a structure or pool in your backyard; they may even preclude reconstruction
of the same home, requiring a shift of; or reduction in footprint.

The result can be a relative loss of value of the home, potentially into six figures.

As such, those downstream residents, whose homes were not previously part of the floodplain, but became such, at least in part due to sprawl, are now seeking to sue.

****

Because municipalities enjoy crown immunity; which limits their liability in regards to public policy making, its not yet clear whether this litigation has legs.

But, if it does..........it could not only stifle sprawl; but impose enormous costs on those municiaplities that have sprawled in recent years.

 

[TRONto]

A different take on the problems with sprawl......residents of Oakville seeking to certify a class-action lawsuit against the City for approving the sprawl in North Oakville.

What an Oakville dispute tells us about flood risks for thousands of Canadian landowners

Amid climate change and rampant sprawl, downstream Oakville, Ont., residents discover they may be forced to soak up the risks of expanding floodplains

www.theglobeandmail.com

The lawsuit isn't over bad taste or the blocking of views, or anything to do with class politics.......

Rather.....its about flooding and flood plains.

The sprawl which has removed a great deal of permeable land that was previously farm, forest or rural in nature, has caused a lot more stormwater to run down Oakville's streams.

That in turn is causing flooding in some downstream properties, and also led to adjustments in floodplain maps.

Those map adjustments (where your property becomes party of the floodplain) may restrict your ability to make additions to your property or place a structure or pool in your backyard; they may even preclude reconstruction
of the same home, requiring a shift of; or reduction in footprint.

The result can be a relative loss of value of the home, potentially into six figures.

As such, those downstream residents, whose homes were not previously part of the floodplain, but became such, at least in part due to sprawl, are now seeking to sue.

****

Because municipalities enjoy crown immunity; which limits their liability in regards to public policy making, its not yet clear whether this litigation has legs.

But, if it does..........it could not only stifle sprawl; but impose enormous costs on those municiaplities that have sprawled in recent years.

Those residents seem to be in their right. You can't plan for what the city is going to do after you have purchased a home. If city policy (or sewer undercapacity?) puts your home in a flood plain, that's on the city.

 

[Northern Light]

An article on a new 16-storey building approved for Stouffville.

Some of the comments from pols are remarkably progressive.

'CN Tower of Stouffville': Council approves 16-storey condo on Main Street

Topfar Developments Ltd. got an official plan amendment for tower on 5531 Main St.

www.thestar.com

Excerpts below:

In response to some Nimbyism:

I didn't see an overall unit count in the article...........

But the only obvious knock on the proposal is the (reduced) 432 parking spaces.

Perhaps this one merits its own development thread.

 

[Undead]

An article on a new 16-storey building approved for Stouffville.

Some of the comments from pols are remarkably progressive.

'CN Tower of Stouffville': Council approves 16-storey condo on Main Street

Topfar Developments Ltd. got an official plan amendment for tower on 5531 Main St.

www.thestar.com

Excerpts below:

View attachment 321139

In response to some Nimbyism:

View attachment 321140

I didn't see an overall unit count in the article...........

But the only obvious knock on the proposal is the (reduced) 432 parking spaces.

Perhaps this one merits its own development thread.

309 units

 

[Undead]

From the article:

Residents in the Baker Hill neighbourhood voiced their displeasure with the proposal earlier this year.

“I’m not happy about it. I think it would ruin the look of the town,” local resident Elaine Upper said. “It would look so out of place.” Upper said she wouldn’t even want to see the tower at 10 storeys.

“I’m against it. I don’t agree with it,” Joe Kargeradov said. “We are not in downtown Toronto. We are out in the suburbs.”

As long as new developments and density are well planned, can we stop giving the time of day to people like this? If your property value has doubled-tripled in the last 10 years, you have nothing to complain about. Don't like it? Sell your overpriced chipboard box and move to the next street over.

 

[44 North]

16-stories for Stouff actually seems pretty darn big. Is big. In theory it's not, but in reality that is their CN Tower. Not exactly much above 2-storeys in York Region.

 

[W. K. Lis]

16-stories for Stouff actually seems pretty darn big. Is big. In theory it's not, but in reality that is their CN Tower. Not exactly much above 2-storeys in York Region.

The highest point in York Region is The Pinnacles, located at 43.965419 N -79.465866 W, with an elevation of 330 m. From link. Located on the Oak Ridges Moraine, between Richmond Hill and Aurora.

The highest point in the City of Toronto is at 4995 Keele Street, 211.5m in elevation. The SkyPod on the CN Tower is at 447 m in elevation.

 

[Johnny Au]

The highest point in York Region is The Pinnacles, located at 43.965419 N -79.465866 W, with an elevation of 330 m. From link. Located on the Oak Ridges Moraine, between Richmond Hill and Aurora.

The highest point in the City of Toronto is at 4995 Keele Street, 211.5m in elevation. The SkyPod on the CN Tower is at 447 m in elevation.

To clarify, 4995 Keele Street is 211.5m above sea level, while the SkyPod on the CN Tower is 447m from the base of the tower, which means that the SkyPod is over half a kilometre above sea level. The surface of Lake Ontario is normally 74 m above sea level. Parts of Toronto Island are 73 m above sea level, which means that it's below the lake's normal level and often subject to flooding.

 

[W. K. Lis]

To clarify, 4995 Keele Street is 211.5m above sea level, while the SkyPod on the CN Tower is 447m from the base of the tower, which means that the SkyPod is over half a kilometre above sea level. The surface of Lake Ontario is normally 74 m above sea level. Parts of Toronto Island are 73 m above sea level, which means that it's below the lake's normal level and often subject to flooding.

Consider my wrist slapped. I'll go to my room now.

From link.

 

[44 North]

The highest point in York Region is The Pinnacles, located at 43.965419 N -79.465866 W, with an elevation of 330 m. From link. Located on the Oak Ridges Moraine, between Richmond Hill and Aurora.

The highest point in the City of Toronto is at 4995 Keele Street, 211.5m in elevation. The SkyPod on the CN Tower is at 447 m in elevation.

To clarify, 4995 Keele Street is 211.5m above sea level, while the SkyPod on the CN Tower is 447m from the base of the tower, which means that the SkyPod is over half a kilometre above sea level. The surface of Lake Ontario is normally 74 m above sea level. Parts of Toronto Island are 73 m above sea level, which means that it's below the lake's normal level and often subject to flooding.

A few years back I started playing around with a starburst style map centred around the CN Tower showing how far you'd have to go on the globe to surpass its height. Adirondacks, Alleghenies/Appalachians, Baffin Island...stretches pretty far. Perhaps I'll finish it one day.

But back to this building. Hate to say it, but if I was a WS resident I'd probably be opposed. Not to the added residents, just height. Lower it and spread it within the property.

 

[DirectionNorth]

A few years back I started playing around with a starburst style map centred around the CN Tower showing how far you'd have to go on the globe to surpass its height. Adirondacks, Alleghenies/Appalachians, Baffin Island...stretches pretty far. Perhaps I'll finish it one day.

But back to this building. Hate to say it, but if I was a WS resident I'd probably be opposed. Not to the added residents, just height. Lower it and spread it within the property.

Interesting. The CN Tower is quite tall.

I looked at the satellite imagery of the area, and I doubt it can get much larger, land area-wise. At most, I can see them getting the area circled in red:

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

I see no reason why Main Street in Stouffville can't intensify. Density there doesn't affect the "lifestyle" of Stouffville inhabitants elsewhere in town.

It just means that the town will have the density to self-sustain retail and commercial activity and have a greater tax base to support municipal servicing within the same built-up boundary. It's a win.

 

[Undead]

There's over 100 acres of underused land on Stouffville's main drag. That can comfortably fit thousands of units in a tasteful midrise format and plenty of park space. There's a lot of potential if done right. Like Wisla mentioned, it would create significant economic benefits for the muni. And of course, more housing.

 

[Fritter]

This Stouffville development has got me thinking where the next place to grow up, not out will be.
Barrie is starting to develop a skyline, but I wonder if other non GTA locations will start to see skyline defining height.
Will it be a Kingston, Peterborough, Collingwood, Parry Sound or even a Sudbury?
Just soliciting thoughts on the idea.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

I imagine that London, ON will have a few "skyline defining" proposals in the coming years, though maybe that doesn't count since it already has a skyline of high-rises. Similar story with Cambridge.

Milton is another candidate, as while Milton has been very development-friendly, it is only recently there have been a lot more high-rise proposals there, though Milton is part of the GTA.

It wouldn't surprise me if demand shifts to a place like St Catharines, always thought that there were a lot of attractive development parcels there, but the market hadn't caught up yet. Maybe that changes in a few short years.