York Region council members were at odds over what to do regarding an upcoming Ontario Land Tribunal hearing that could decide the fate of a proposal for 3,000 homes in the Oak Ridges Moraine.
The proposal in Vaughan dates back to 1989 but was more recently updated as the developer seeks to expand development permissions and build residential in moraine land at 11641 Dufferin St. and 11490 Bathurst St. Regional council voted for a motion from Vaughan on the upcoming hearing but decided against a motion that would ask the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to participate in a future hearing.
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor voted against the initial resolution from Vaughan. He said he was concerned by its wording and clauses indicating the developer’s belief that it is a positive development and conforms to provincial growth plans.
“There’s a lot of language in here that’s meant, in my opinion, to put a finger on the scale to say, ‘This is all good. This should happen,’” Taylor said. “These recitals are beyond anything I can imagine.”
The case under OLT-23-000254 is still getting processed and occurred in 2023 due to the City of Vaughan not progressing the application.
Vaughan Councillor Linda Jackson, who resolved, said it was crafted carefully by Vaughan’s legal and planning staff. The resolution lays out the history of the file and that the land tribunal is the place to address it.
It also details the developer’s thoughts on the concept.
“The applications would permit a development on the property, which represents good land-use planning that is in the public interest,” the resolution said in part about the applicant’s reasoning.
But activists from Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM) have objected and expressed concern about the proposal. STORM believes the proposal goes against the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act and the group wants to see the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing be a party in the hearing to uphold the act.
In a recorded vote, council supported the resolution on the matter going to the land tribunal 19-4, with only Taylor and councillors Naomi Davison, Jim Jones and Mario Rocco opposed.
Rocco expressed some misgivings about the development and the letter from STORM.
“This is a 35-year-old application. The application, when I used to be in council years ago, was considered dead,” he said.
Rocco introduced a motion to the region, like STORM, to request the ministry participate in the hearing. That motion failed on a narrower 13-7 vote. Taylor along with councillors Racco, Frank Scarpitti, Godwin Chan, Michael Chan, Alan Ho and Jones voted in favour. Opposed were Newmarket Deputy Mayor Tom Vegh, Davison, Gino Rosati, Steven Del Duca, Linda Jackson, Joe DiPaola, Wayne Emmerson, Mario Ferri, Virginia Hackson, Joe Li, Ian Lovatt, Steve Pellegrini and Margaret Quirk. Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas was absent from this vote.
A date for a hearing on the land tribunal case has not yet been set.
