Jeff Healey of the Planning and Regulatory Services Department provided an overview of the Official Plan Amendment and revised Zoning By-law Amendment applications to permit the construction of a high-rise development comprising of 376 apartment dwelling units, 97 townhouse dwelling units and 1,412.8 square metres of commercial floor space on the subject lands. Mr. Healey advised that staff’s recommendation was that the staff report be received for information purposes only and that all comments be referred back to staff.
Lindsay Dale-Harris, Bousfields Inc., agent for the applicant, provided an overview of the subject lands and surrounding area, noting that the proposed development was well separated from the existing low density residential areas to the west. She advised that the property was 4.1 hectares with approximately 40 percent being valley and open space. Ms. Dale-Harris reviewed the development proposal, noting that there was 2.4 hectares of developable land, with 15,000 square feet of commercial floor space proposed to accommodate small neighbourhood facilities. In response to concerns in the staff report pertaining to townhouse units at grade, Ms. Dale-Harris shared her belief that it was important to provide units that were accessible to individuals with mobility issues, as well as to provide a variety of housing types, as the surrounding area did not offer apartment units.
Ms. Dale-Harris noted that traffic studies were conducted and submitted to the City for approval. She advised that the proposal was consistent with the Provincial policy statement that encouraged intensification and a range of unit types, and noted that it conformed to the Growth Plan and the Richmond Hill Official Plan. Ms. Dale-Harris also indicated that the area had great transit access and was close in proximity to the GO Station.
Drummond Hassan, IBI Group, on behalf of the applicant, provided images of the context plan to illustrate the proposed development and the adjacent land uses and provided details of the development’s three phases. Mr. Hassan presented renderings of the proposed apartment buildings and townhouse elevations, and advised that most of the development’s density was located at the corner of Elgin Mills Road and Bayview Avenue.
Kidambi Raj, member of the Richmond Hill Ganesha Temple, noted the importance of the location and architectural design of the Temple and highlighted the spiritual significance of the Temple Towers being visible from afar. He advised of concerns regarding high density, traffic congestion, public safety, obstruction of the towers, potential trespassing, zoning and security issues. Mr. Raj also highlighted the need for a traffic light on Bayview Avenue due to the increased traffic that may result.
Nax Nagalingam, a representative of the Hindu Temple congregation, shared his concern with the proposed high-rise apartment buildings obstructing the visibility of the Temple Towers. He advised that the Temple was architecturally designed in accordance with Hindu scripture, and noted the spiritual significance of the towers’ great height to the practicing of the Hindu faith. Mr. Nagalingam noted that permission for greater heights was originally sought in the development application for the Temple but was not approved by the City. He concluded by expressing support for the development, but not for the high-rise apartment buildings located near the Temple.
Russell Chang, President of the BayMills Ratepayers Association, advised that the ratepayer group does not support the development proposal in its current form. He shared concerns with the proposed height of the apartment buildings not adhering to the North Leslie Secondary Plan height standards and the lack of compatibility of the proposed development with the surrounding neighbourhood. He also noted that the proposed development should adhere to the zoning by-laws in place and to the guidelines set forth in the Official Plan, as further detailed in his submission distributed as Correspondence Item 3.4.4.
Natalie Ast, Overland LLP, on behalf of 2598508 Ontario Inc., the owner of lands located to the immediate east of the subject lands, shared her client’s interest in ensuring the proposed development was compatible with respect to built form and intensity of uses. She noted concerns with traffic and access, and the potential for cost sharing for municipal infrastructure and various easements, as further detailed in the submission distributed as Correspondence Item 3.4.5.
R.K. Moorthy, past president of the Hindu Temple Society of Richmond Hill, provided a brief history of the Temple, and shared concerns regarding the proposed height of the development eclipsing both the elegance of the towers and the majestic appearance of the Temple. He shared his belief that the proposed high density residential development could impact the Greenlands System and result in significant traffic that may endanger the safety of the public and the Temple’s devotees.
Signa Raj, past resident of the Ganesha Temple, shared his concerns with traffic and access to the Temple on weekends and holidays and noted that it may become worse due to the proposed increase in density. He also expressed disappointment with the possibility of the towers being obstructed due to the proposed building heights.
Taneya Janakan, a volunteer and devotee of the Ganesha Temple, noted the importance of maintaining peace around the Temple to ensure safety for attendees of the Temple. She shared her belief that the proposed high density development will hinder people travelling to the Temple as a peaceful place and may discourage attendance. Ms. Janakan advised that further residential development without additional commercial enterprises does not support the successful long-term development of the City and will not create employment opportunities for Richmond Hill residents, and expressed concerns regarding increased traffic congestion in the area.
Ganga Gnanalingam, past board member of the Richmond Hill Ganesha Temple, shared concerns with the high density development being proposed and the impact it will have on traffic. He advised of an increase in speeding and accidents due to the road widening of Bayview Avenue and expressed concern for pedestrian safety. Mr. Gnanalingam advised that the need for a traffic signal on Bayview Avenue, across from the Temple, needed to be escalated to the Region as a measure to protect Temple visitors and the neighbouring community.
Theiva Mohan, member of the Hindu Temple advised that she fully endorsed the concerns raised by the previous speakers. She highlighted the significance of the land in which the Temple resides, and advised that it was everyone’s duty to protect the Temple’s values and identity. She shared concerns regarding traffic congestion, safety and the proposed height of the development exceeding the current zoning standards.
Rajesh Mohan, member of the Hindu Temple, shared his belief that the Planning Act protects landowners, and in this circumstance, Temple devotees and visitors, to ensure their enjoyment of the land was not compromised by development. He expressed concern with the impact increased density could have on the Regional Greenlands System, due to body traffic, pollution, vandalism and trespassing. He also noted a concern with traffic congestion that may result from increased density.
N.S. Venkat, member and current Board member of the Temple, noted the importance of the Temple as a landmark and symbol of hope, and questioned why heritage structures were not protected from surrounding development as they were in Europe. He shared concerns with the impact increased density could have on the Rouge River Tributary, and traffic, and noted his displeasure with the proposed zoning not meeting regulatory requirements. He also shared concerns with the 30 metre setback not meeting the 120 metre set back recommended by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and asked that development that provided employment opportunities be considered. Mr. Venkat concluded by advising that a petition was submitted with over 500 signatures of individuals that share the above concerns, which was distributed as Correspondence Item 3.4.6.
John Li, President of the Yonge Bernard Resident Association, provided census data to illustrate that Richmond Hill was not far behind Markham and Vaughan in building private dwellings. He advised that the statement that Richmond Hill needed to increase residential dwelling construction and build higher to keep up with its neighbours was not accurate. Mr. Li presented data to illustrate that housing prices from 2011 to 2016 increased at a faster rate than population growth, and shared his opinion that they appeared to have no relationship to one another. Mr. Li also presented a Globe and Mail study that showed a 49 percent increase in condominium prices within the last two years, and noted his belief that profits were driving growth in condominium construction and not residential demand.