Markham wants the province to let residents see and comment on proposals for transit-oriented communities in the city earlier in the process.
On March 3, the city's development services committee received a staff report on Infrastructure Ontario's Transit-Oriented Communities program and voted to send it to the Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure and to Infrastructure Ontario, the provincial agency that runs the program. The program pairs development with new transit stations.
What Markham is asking for
The committee's motion makes two requests of Infrastructure Ontario. It asks the agency to let the City of Markham make Transit-Oriented Community proposals public once a pre-application consultation meeting has taken place. It also asks the agency to let the city hold its own public consultation on those proposals.
Giulio Cescato, Markham's director of planning and urban design, told councillors that the province currently uses two approaches. In one, it partners directly with developers in exchange for benefits to the community and the province. In the other, the province acquires and zones land itself before selling it. Cescato said city staff now work on proposals with the province before they are made public. He said staff support more transparency and public engagement once that closed pre-application stage ends.
Asked why staff wanted to write to the province now, Cescato said staff are seeing renewed provincial interest in moving these projects forward and want a set process for handling new requests. Asked whether the province is using the program to push up density, he said that, in his view, the province sees chances to partner with developers on city-building projects that benefit both the province and municipalities.
Thornhill residents raise concerns
Evelin Ellison spoke to the committee on behalf of Ward One South Thornhill Residents Inc. She raised concerns about a proposed Transit-Oriented Community on the Yonge Street corridor. She urged the city to make sure planning with the province is open and includes proper public consultation, and she spoke in favour of protecting the Thornhill community. The committee formally received her deputation and written submission.
Councillors said they supported making the process public. Councillor Keith Irish moved the motion and Councillor Isa Lee seconded it. It carried.
What happens next
The recommendation goes to Markham council for final approval before the city's requests are sent to the province. Any change to how proposals are shared would be up to Infrastructure Ontario and the province.
