Town of Newmarket council will decide Feb. 5 on whether or not to begin converting the downtown tennis courts into parking this spring and summer.
Council’s committee of the whole will wade into whether to direct staff to start on this process despite a planned new tennis facility not yet being complete.
The committee will also review zoning for a proposed townhouse development on Gorham Street and a new pedestrian crossover at Gorham Street and Muriel Street.
Here is what NewmarketToday will be following:
Downtown parking
The Town of Newmarket is planning to proceed with the creation of a new modular parking facility by demolishing the existing downtown tennis courts.
Staff are bringing forward a report recommending a request for a proposal for the design and build of a new parking facility there that could mean more than 200 new spots. The report suggests that the modular facility with pre-built parts could be constructed and started relatively quickly, regardless of weather conditions.
The town has planned for this conversion for some time. To make it up to tennis clubs, the town is constructing a new tennis facility in the southwest corner of town at the Shining Hill development site, using developer dollars. But while the town initially intended to have the new facility ready before shutting down the existing club, construction delays due to soil conditions have altered the timeline. Now, the new facility would not be ready for this upcoming tennis season.
The town faces some time pressure in the downtown core with the upcoming opening of the Postmark Hotel expected to increase the strain on parking, with many businesses demanding more parking in the downtown.
Tennis players are upset by the plan and have started a change.org petition with more than 630 signatures opposed. Tennis players have expressed that other courts in town would not necessarily work as an alternative.
Decisions made at the town's committee of the whole must get finalized at a subsequent council meeting before coming into effect.
You can have your say on our NewmarketToday poll.
Townhouse development
Developers plan to install 20 three-storey residential townhomes on Gorham Street.
Staff recommends zoning approval for the proposal from Gorham Development 849 Inc. The homes would be stretched across three areas on the property, all around a paved path leading in from Gorham Street.
“The location of the subject lands on a transportation corridor linking the downtown core to the east side of town provides a logical opportunity for a sensitive intensification of the neighbourhood while respecting the overall character of the area,” Larkin+ Land Use Planners said a pre-submitted presentation to council.
The property is adjacent to Blue Door’s Kevin Place, with the housing charity also planning to remove the shelter there to make way for a new 14-unit transitional housing facility.
Pedestrian Crossover
The municipality seeks to pilot a new pedestrian crossover on Gorham Street and Muriel Street.
Town staff plan to implement a crossover at the intersection that would include warning signs, pavement markings and beacons to warn drivers of people crossing. Staff also propose the inclusion of a flexible traffic bollard with a yield-to-pedestrian symbol.
In a report, staff said the road has a daily volume of 8,600 vehicles, with the site already being a school crossing guard location.
The crossover would cost $36,000, which staff propose to fund out of the transportation operations budget.
The town is streaming the meeting at 1 p.m. You can view the meeting at newmarket.ca/meetings or attend in person at 395 Mulock Dr. You can also arrange a deputation or send correspondence by emailing [email protected].
