Mini-city could rise up around future Innisfil GO station

Simcoe.com
Oct. 25, 2016
Rick Vanderlinde

A mini-city of 12,000 could pop up around Innisfil’s future GO station if the province invokes higher density targets surrounding rapid transit hubs.

A town planning report paints a picture of neighbourhoods more akin to those in the GTA in municipalities such as Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan than in Innisfil’s urban areas.

In a report to council, senior policy planner Paul Pentikainen says a proposed provincial policy calls 500 persons/and or jobs within 500-metres of the station on Line 6 near east of Sideroad 20.

“This would amount to nearly 12,000 people/and or jobs, which is almost the current population of Alcona,” Pentikainen said. “A concentration of development of this magnitude would be at a higher density than in downtown Alcona.”

The GO train station is on track for completion within three to five years, according to latest estimates from the planning department.

The population targets within the Ontario Golden Horseshoe are now at 50 persons/jobs per hectare, but the Ministry of Municipal Affairs is proposing to increase the target to 80 persons/jobs per hectare.

As a rural/urban mix municipality Innisfil negotiated a lower target of 32, which is averaged across town so individual developments may have higher of lower targets.

Cookstown residents opposing new subdivisions in the village have already complained that targets as high as 46 for one development will change the entire character of the heritage area.

Mayor Gord Wauchope agrees the growth targets are too high for smaller towns and is calling on the province not to take a one-size fits all approach to development.

“We think we should stay at the 32 per hectare target,” he said.

Rapid transit stations fall under even higher density targets to support ridership needs.

But the town is asking the province to consider lower targets for neighbourhoods surrounding its GO station because it is in the outer ring of the Golden Horseshoe.

“This would help ensure densities are appropriate to the local context and established character of communities,” Pentikainen said.