Georgina infill: townhouses raise concern

NRU
Dec. 14, 2016
By Andrew Cohrs

Proposed townhouses and a commercial strip in Georgina are raising concerns about the scale of intensification and pedestrian safety.

“It seems like it is almost too much [development] on too small [of a site]...We are not adverse to considering [the proposal], there is certainly the potential for introducing an intensified use on the site, but the details as to how to come about that in the most efficient manner [need work],” Georgina planning manager Velvet Ross told NRU.

Sunshine Acquisitions’ proposal for the 2.5-ha site includes construction of 70, three-storey townhouses, 1,848 m2 of commercial space broken up into four one-storey buildings with four to six businesses in each structure and a combined 269 parking spaces. The development also includes a 0.24-ha park. The site is adjacent to an elementary school, an existing neighbourhood of detached dwellings and a commercial plaza that is currently under construction.

The property is designated as commercial/employment, and while Sunshine Acquisitions is seeking to redesignate it mixed use, it would not be considered an employment land conversion as York Region does not identify the parcel as strategic employment lands. Nevertheless, Ross said that Sunshine Acquisitions still needs to provide a rational for the change of designation.

“[Sunset Acquisition is] asking to change the land use designation from commercial/employment, but [it hasn’t] demonstrated to us... [that] there [is] a need for more residential [land]. We have got a lot of residential land that is still is available so why would we need to change this?”

In addition, staff has noted several concerns with the proposal, particularly the impacts of additional traffic and the lack of pedestrian infrastructure. Ross said that staff are concerned with how cars and people will move to and from the site.

“We are concerned about the interior traffic flow, we are concerned about pedestrian safety... [as] there are no sidewalks [proposed].”

Several neighbouring residents have also submitted statements echoing similar concerns related to vehicular access from Fairwood Drive, a local street. Ross agrees, saying that neither the town nor the region support that access point.

“You’ve got a quiet residential neighbourhood where you have the school in there so certainly a lot of children walking and parents walking... Do you want a main access to a small commercial plaza coming through interior streets? It doesn’t make sense from a design standpoint.”

The report will be considered by Georgina council tonight and a public meeting will follow at a later.