Too many condos for site

[attach]1448[/attach]Willowdale officials and residents are pressing for significant changes to a developer’s plan to build more than 1,700 new residential units at the site of the current Shops on Steeles mall.

“We’re losing our community plaza,” said Pat Hough, a Toronto resident who sits on the joint Toronto-Markham working group established in 2008 to represent residents’ interests vis-à-vis the redevelopment project.

In 2007, Bayview Summit Development first applied to the Town of Markham for an amendment to the official plan that would allow them to construct a $350 million mixed use retail, office and residential community. The plan called for renovating and partially redeveloping the current shopping plaza at the intersection of Don Mills Road and Steeles Avenue. The plan included condo towers rising as high as 32 storeys next to Highway 404.

The part of the project that most concerns residents is an effort to amend the Town of Markham’s official plan so as to allow a population density of two and a half times the current limit.

Although the developer tabled a revised proposal in December, slashing roughly 300 units from the original request for 2,057 units on the site, residents say the density increase would still be far too great for the area to handle.

“The blocks had just been moved around — there was really no difference,” said Hough of the developer’s latest proposal.

“It’s not appropriate for the corner of Don Mills and Steeles,” said Willowdale councillor David Shiner. “There’s way too many residential units combined with way too much commercial space and that equals way too many cars — and that area already has
horrific traffic problems.”

Although Shiner said he doesn’t expect the developer’s current proposal to pass at Markham Town Council, he would ask North York
Community Council to fight the project at the Ontario Municipal Board — the final arbiter in such matters — if the developer took it that far. And he’s not alone.

“You can’t just let them walk into your community and change it,” said David Slotnick, who started the Willowdale N.E. Neighbourhood Association in order to fight the project.

“You have to stand up.”

Slotnick has been collecting dues from members of his association and has been looking for corporate sponsors in order to hire legal
representation in case the project eventually does go to the OMB.

“I’m hoping it won’t go that far,” said Slotnick, who expressed concern over the possible length of construction and the accessibility of grocery shopping for the large number of handicapped residents who frequent the centre.

In March, a detailed report by Markham planning staff advised the proposed density for the project was still too great and recommended that further public consultation be sought. A public meeting on the project is set to take place on May 4 at the Markham Civic Centre.

Although the proposed development is technically in Markham, an old agreement between the Town of Markham and Metro Toronto gives the current city of Toronto the right to be consulted on development projects close to its Steeles border.

“I will be talking directly with the mayor and expressing the serious concerns that Toronto residents have on this side of Steeles which I believe are similar to what Markham residents have,” said Shiner. “My hopes are that the developer will understand that this is inappropriate and will work with the working group to bring in something more appropriate.”

A call to Bayview Summit Development was not returned at press time.