For residents who were not able to make it to the Community Consultation Meeting on March 27, 2019 hosted by Keith Irish, you can access the presentation slides below:
Community Consultation Meeting – March 27 – Presentation Slides
A big thank you to Councillor Irish and his staff for organizing the information meeting.
An important community meeting is being held tomorrow night – an information session regarding the proposed development of Ladies’ Golf Course lands.
Please read our letter for more details: RORA Letter to Residents – March 2019
Meeting Details
We hope to see you there!
Thank you,
RORA Executive
RORA’s Executive is aware of the proposed multi-residential development to be built by Tridel, on Ladies’ Golf Club lands, facing Bayview Avenue. RORA’s Executive is concerned about changes to our neighbourhood that could have a significant negative impact on RORA residents and the community in which we live, including development that adversely affects the flow of traffic, diminishes our greenspace and parklands, or has a detrimental impact on wildlife and the environment. Our association will continue to monitor developments and engage with the City to advocate for matters of interest to our community. We will work to minimize the negative impacts of development activities in our community.
RORA’s Executive supports the proposal submitted to the City of Markham in the Fall of 2018 by a neighbourhood resident requesting that the City work with the Developer (Tridel), to create a link between the north and south sections of the existing trail network (Royal Orchard Park running south from Royal Orchard and east behind the houses abutting the golf course, and Pomona Mills Park). Currently the east boundaries of these trails are “blocked” by the Ladies Golf Club lands. Concurrent with the sale of this eastern parcel of land, RORA’s Executive considers this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the City of Markham to create a legacy trail system that will benefit residents both within and beyond our boundaries, for generations to come. Connecting the existing trail systems will allow unhindered recreational public access to City parkland for approximately a 5 km span. This initiative will enhance Markham’s valuable greenspace, and satisfy Section 37 requirements.
If you are a resident of the Royal Orchard neighbourhood and have concerns about the new development feel free to connect with us (royalorchardra@gmail.com) or communicate your concerns to Councillor Irish (kirish@markham.ca), or the City of Markham Planning Department (clerks@markham.ca).
RORA’s Executive is comprised of volunteers who care about the community, and commit time to advocating on behalf of concerned residents. Join RORA today, because Community Matters!
A public meeting will be held to discuss the development application to amend the Zoning By-law. Details for the meeting are below:
Date: January 22, 2019
Time: 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Place: Council Chambers
Anthony Roman Centre
101 Town Centre Boulevard
Markham, Ontario L3R 9W3
Here is the link to the meeting’s agenda and more details about the specific development application – Public Meeting Agenda – January 22, 2019. As you will see that the Ladies’ Golf Club property is the second item on the agenda.
What to expect at the meeting:
If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, you can still present your concerns by:
Good evening,
Green spaces provide a multitude of benefits for Markham and its residents. It is also a vital habitat for wildlife. Tonight’s question focuses on strategies to balance future development with green space preservation. All responses were limited to 250 words.
Peter Wong:
While we all agree that our green spaces must be protected, we should not ignore the fact that change is the only constant in life. What we need for Thornhill is a balanced and sustainable developmental change which could be achieved by adopting an experienced common sense approach. Thornhill needs a representative who has the real knowledge, expertise or direct experience to actually make sound judgments.
Howard Shore:
Sustainability is about leaving our planet better than we found it for our children and our children’s children. Markham’s GreenPrint Plan for Sustainability is based on a triple bottom line, comprised of social (people), economic (financial), and environment (planet).
I was very proud to be a member of Markham’s GreenPrint Steering Committee. For Markham to really thrive, all three pillars need to be strong. The sustainable Markham I envision integrates all three elements and becomes the lens through which all decisions at the municipality – from budget items to new development applications, are viewed.
If returned as Councillor I would advocate for the elevating the status of ‘sustainability’ in Markham by re-designating the planning Commission into the Development and Sustainability Commission. This would not merely be a matter of optics, rather, create a fundamental shift of priorities in how we examine and judge future development and growth within our City.
Hilary Neubauer:
Where there is a will, there is a way. The green spaces of Thornhill are a major reason for our high quality of life. The financial value of our properties is tied to the environment in which they exist. Development is coming. I will be working very hard to encourage relationships between new developments and green industries. I will oppose any bylaw amendment that reduces protection of our green spaces and trees. There are opportunities in green industries and innovations that need to be explored. Markham can be the tech capital of Canada, and protective of our natural environment as well. It takes will and determination. I have both.
Barry Nelson:
We need to measure developments against what we claim to protect within the Markham Strategic Plan – we link these vital assets to the fabric of our society, and therefore development must be adapted to the natural environment vs. the other way around. I’ll use logical arguments toward asset protection that link to Markham’s strategic plan. The existing one works and we need to follow through on our commitments.
Ricardo Mashregi:
I already have a track record in working to protect our natural heritage. In 2014 I founded “TRUE”, Trees and Residents for Urban Environments. TRUE is made up of a cross-Markham group of residents, representing 7 different ratepayer associations. One of our initiatives was to fight for the preservation and compensation of 3,900 trees that are endangered by the redevelopment of the York Downs golf course. TRUE works to enhance understanding at Council, and with developers, of the economic, environmental and social benefits of a healthy and robust tree canopy and eco-system. The preservation of green space and wildlife must become more of a priority in Markham. Once they are gone there is no getting them back.
Keith Irish:
There’s no question this is a difficult balance. Intensification – the development of a property, site or area at a higher density than currently exists – and gridlock are related.
While I contend that intensification causes gridlock, I do not believe all intensification is bad. Building up versus out has allowed us to protect the Greenbelt from construction. Higher densities encourage business and cultural investment that grows the city’s tax base and enriches our lives. A lot of what we take for granted would not be possible if fewer people lived here. It’s also a positive reflection on Thornhill that so many want to call it home.
However, we also like our neighbourhoods the way they are. That’s why we chose to live in Ward 1. I especially enjoy walking my two Labrador Retrievers in Pomona Mills Park. I am grateful, as I am sure all residents are, for the work previous community builders did to preserve, protect and improve the park.
However, there’s bound to be trouble when high-density development outpaces the ability of our local infrastructure – roads, schools, public transit, water, stormwater and sewer capacity – to cope and encroaches upon our green spaces.
I believe this is the predicament we now find ourselves in. If I am fortunate enough to be elected, I will be a strong defender of our natural environment, mature trees and natural habitat not just here in Ward 1 but across our city.
Caryn Bergmann:
As I stated previously, environmental protection is an integral part of my values. I believe that it is crucial we do the most we can to perserve our ecosystem. We cannot create more of our green spaces once they have been paved over.
As councillor, I intend to make decisions with a Green lens, ensuring we are always placing environmental considerations at the top of our priorities.
If I’m elected, you can be sure that for any proposal that comes to council there will be a strong voice for conservation, sustainability, and environmental protection. I intend to accomplish this by asking the right questions, ensuring checks and balances are in the review process, being thorough and not dismissive, and making decisions based on fact not assumption.
I pledge to always prioritize existing natural resources, over “just replacing them” somewhere else. If trees need to be replaced, I will work to ensure that the replacements will benefit the same ecosystem as the one effected, and not be placed somewhere else.
Stay tuned for our final post of our series where our Ward 1 candidates provide their answers to our final question.
An article appeared in the Thornhill Post (October 2018 publication) this week discussing green space concerns. Mia Poscente appeared in the article.
ROYAL ORCHARD RATEPAYERS' ASSOCIATION 