Please find attached a…

Please find attached a letter, which mirror the comments below, prepared by RJ Forhan and Associates on behalf of Romandale Farms Limited pertaining to the proposed Provincially Significant Employment Zone. The figures referenced within the comments below can be found within the attached letter.

RJ Forhan and Associates (RJFA) are the land use planners for Romandale Farms Limited (Romandale). Romandale is a landowner and developer in the City of Markham. Romandale owns a property referred to as the Snider Farm (see Figure 1).

We support the Province’s proposed Framework for Provincially Significant Employment Zones (“PSEZ”) as it is currently shown in the Province’s Environmental Registry (ERO # 013-4506).

The Snider Farm has not been included in the proposed PSEZ mapping. This is appropriate, as these lands do not meet the criteria set out by the Province to be included as part of the PSEZ.
As expressed within the criteria on the Registry the Province is including only lands within the PSEZ that are currently designated employment. The Snider Farm is not designated employment.
- The Snider Farm is proposed to be designated "Future Employment Area" in the partially approved Markham Official Plan (2014); however, this designation is under appeal to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (“LPAT”) and has not yet been decided.
- The land uses proposed by Romandale for the Snider Farm will provide for job creation in the form of Mixed Use development, but are not the type of industrial, manufacturing and warehousing uses that are conceived by the Province for the PSEZ.

However, the Region of York Committee of the Whole recently considered a staff report dated February 21, 2019 that recommended that the Snider Farm be located within PSEZ mapping. Specifically, staff recommended that the Province add designated employment lands along 400 series highways in the Region to the PSEZ as shown in the attachments to the report, inclusive of the Snider Farm (see Figure 2). We object to this recommendation and request that the Province proceed with the originally proposed mapping as it pertains to the Snider Farm for the reasons that follow.

The Snider Farm is located within Markham’s Future Urban Area and, as noted above, is proposed to be designated "Future Employment Area" in Markham’s Official Plan 2014 (see Figure 3). However, as noted, this designation is under appeal by Romandale and has not yet been resolved.

The Snider Farm is currently designated Agriculture and is the subject of an application for Official Plan Amendment filed by Romandale, prior to the adoption of the 2014 Official Plan, seeking a mix of employment and residential land uses. The planning application was deferred to the Future Urban Area Secondary Planning process by Markham Council.

The Snider Farm is NOT Designated for Employment.

The land use for the Snider Farm is subject to the following land use planning policies:
- The Snider Farm is designated "Urban Area" and "Greenlands" within Map 1 - Regional Structure of the Region's Official Plan (2010).
- The Snider Farm is designated "Future Urban Area", "Future Employment Area" and "Greenway System" within Map 3 - Land Use of the partially approved Markham Official Plan (2014).
- Map 3 - Land Use of the Markham Official Plan (2014) is under appeal by Romandale and the issue of the “Future Employment Area” designation is a live issue in that appeal.
- Given the appeal, the land use designation within the 1987 Markham Official Plan would apply.
- The Snider Farm is designated "Agriculture 1" and "Hazard Lands" within Schedule 'A' - Land Use of the Markham Official Plan (1987).

Romandale requests the Province to reject the Region’s recommendation to include the Snider Farm in the PSEZ.

Given that the Snider Farm is not designated employment area due to the outstanding appeal before the LPAT, it would be inappropriate and prejudicial to Romandale to identify the lands within the PSEZ at this time.

Further, there is no need to identify the lands within the PSEZ now. The purpose of the PSEZ is to ensure that key employment areas are not converted in advance of a municipal comprehensive review. This intended purpose does not apply to the Snider Farm, given that they are not currently designated employment area and therefore not subject to the conversion policies of the Growth Plan, and further, the appropriate designation for the lands will be determined through the LPAT appeal.