Vaughan councillors OK affordable housing building on Woodbridge Avenue

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 6, 2016
By Adam Martin-Robbins

York Region’s plan to build an affordable housing apartment building in the historic Woodbridge Village core is moving ahead amid continued opposition from some area residents citing concerns about traffic congestion, the negative impact on property values and “safety related issues due to an inappropriate community mix.”

“Unfortunately, even in a region as rich as ours, you’re beginning to witness the polarization of classes,” Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua said. “While it is important to address traffic issues, while it is important to address density issues and intensification issues, what is also important to address is the human deficit in a city to make sure people are given their rightful opportunity to access housing.”

His comments came at a committee of the whole meeting Tuesday, Dec. 6 where Vaughan councillors supported granting the necessary approvals for York Region’s housing branch to redevelop two properties on Woodbridge Ave. and one on Abell Avenue with a six storey apartment building containing 162 units.

The properties are currently occupied by a detached home, a 32-unit seniors’ home and 14 stacked townhouse units providing affordable housing to families.

The new building would provide housing to a mix of low-income residents - single people, couples, families and seniors - at varying rent levels.

“There’s a great need for affordable housing across the region and in particular in the city of Vaughan,” Joshua Scholten, York’s director of housing development, said. “We have a wait list that is approaching 14,000 people and 6,500 of those people have chosen Vaughan as the place they would like to live.”

Representatives from the Vaughan Community Health Centre and the United Way of Toronto & York Region spoke in favour of the project.

The Village of Woodbridge Ratepayers Association also expressed support, though it continues to have concerns about the impact further intensification in the area will have on traffic congestion along Woodbridge Avenue.

But some area residents cite other concerns beyond traffic chaos such as the size, look and density of the building, its potential negative impact on property values and “safety related issues due to an inappropriate community mix of seniors and others.”

“Constituents have voiced these concerns many times and we feel that just time and time again it has fallen on deaf ears,” said longtime resident Frank Massara, who presented council with a petition bearing 220 signatures.

“It’s very institutional looking. The changes they have made since the beginning have been very minor like changing the brick colour or adding few trees here and there. … Also we’ve been told on various different occasions a different percentage make up of seniors (in the building.)”

Massara said many residents feel 90 per cent of the units should be for seniors and 10 per cent for people with disabilities.

It’s expected about 50 per cent of the units will be occupied by seniors, according to Scholten.

City council still has to ratify the committee’s decision.

If the project is stalled, that could jeopardize $10 million in federal funding, which will only be handed over if the project is underway by March 2017.