Re: ERO number 019-6218 -…

Re: ERO number 019-6218 - Proposed redesignation of land under the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan

Dear Minister Clark and Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing,

This correspondence is in respect to the proposed redesignation of land under the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan ("ORMCP"). We represent 2621484 Ontario Ltd., owner of the property at 12041 Woodbine Avenue, Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville ("Subject Property"). The Subject Property is 19.67ha in size and located east of Woodbine Avenue and south of Stouffville Avenue, immediately south of the existing Gormley Industrial Area Secondary Plan. The Subject lands are within the southern end of the Oak Ridges Moraine and mainly identified as Countryside Area lands.

We are requesting that the Ministry consider removing the Subject Property from the ORMCP, adding the Subject Property to the settlement boundary expansion area and converting the lands to Employment lands as described below, as part of this exercise. We believe that the Subject Property has land use merit to support this request as described below and the attachment. Furthermore, in light of More Homes Built Faster plan it is prudent and necessary to support and afford the needed employment opportunities for the anticipated residential growth in the Region.

Our client participated throughout the lengthy Region's Municipal Comprehensive Review process, worked with Town and Regional staff and Council with respect to the Subject Property. We worked with Town Council to propose and present the request to expand the settlement area boundary to the south of the existing Gormley Industrial Area Secondary Plan, remove the lands out of the Oak Ridges Moraine and designate the lands Employment Areas. After many lengthy Council meetings and discussions, Regional Council agreed and approved this request and included the modification in their adopted Official Plan in June 2022, subject to Provincial approval. We also wrote to you (Minister Clark) on February 22 and June 15, 2022, supporting the Region of York's Council decision to approve the Town of Whitchurch Stouffville's request to revise the then draft Regional Official Plan to include a settlement area boundary expansion specifically, to include the proposed south Gormley Employment Expansion Area. This area encompasses the Subject Property. The reasons are set out in the attached letter dated June 15, 2022. In brief, the reasons are as follows:

1. This request will support and afford the needed employment opportunities for the residential growth in the Region as the More Homes Built Faster plan gets realized.
2. The Subject Site is not within the Natural Core Areas or Natural Linkage Areas of the ORMCP. The lands are within Countryside Area.
3. This settlement area boundary expansion represents the most logical and appropriate location as they are contiguous to the existing settlement areas and would make more efficient use of existing infrastructure and community services and facilities.
4. Servicing would be accessible to Hwy 404 and serviceable through the extension of municipal infrastructure from the abutting employment area in the City of Markham.
5. This expansion area is suited for future employment development and would support Provincial policies to designate and preserve lands adjacent to major transportation corridors for employment uses and promote economic development and competitiveness. This supports the policies of the Provincial Policy Statement and Growth Plan.
6. The Region's 2051 Forecast and Land Needs Assessment identifies a deficiency in the amount of designated employment lands for the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville.
7. The importance of protecting and promoting employment lands are evident in the policies of the Provincial Policy Statement and the Growth Plan. Insufficient serviced employment lands in the Town will have long term serious impacts to the economic viability of the community and Town. As such, in Oct 2019, Town Council recommended supporting additional employment growth along the Highway 404 corridor and the addition of lands to the urban settlement area including the proposed South Gormley Expansion Area.
8. Lastly, this area, being the southern boundary of the Oak Ridges Moraine, no longer provides normal farm practices and the rural character of the area has been evolving over time as urbanization has been occurring in the surrounding areas.

In the interim, if phasing of the proposed expansion area is deemed necessary, we respectfully request that the Subject Property, located immediately south of the Gormley Industrial Area Secondary Plan boundary, be part of the initial phase.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on this proposal as we believe employment opportunity is and has been limited in the Town for some time. The location of these lands to be converted to much needed employment lands is ideal based on its location and servicing opportunities. We look forward to the opportunity to meet and discuss our request further.

I have attached our latest submission to the Region of York (May 25, 2022) and the June 15, 2022, letter to the Ministry, for your reference.

Sincerely yours,
May Luong