Thornhill neighbourhood cool to new 25-storey condo

Ratepayer group, councillor cite planning concerns

Yorkregion.com
May 5, 2016
By Simone Joseph

The word vanguard means a position at the forefront of new developments. It can also mean cutting edge, avant-garde, trailblazer, trendsetter - but whatever the term calls to mind, The Vanguard building is coming to Thornhill.

The 25-storey condo building will be in a prime location at the corner of Yonge Street and Grandview Avenue in Markham, just north of Steeles Avenue.

The builder says the condo at 7089 Yonge St. will be home to a theatre room, library and multi-purpose rooms with access to an outdoor terrace, as well as a host of other features.

People have reacted favourably to the future high-density home with its larger than average, family-sized units, said Pouyan Safapour, Devron Developments’ chief operations officer.

“The community response to The Vanguard has been very positive and they’ve been supportive of some key aspects of this development and how it fits into the neighbourhood,” said Safapour, a Thornhill resident.

While the development may sound ideal, the chairperson of a local residents’ association is not so positive and is worried about the condo’s impact.

Ricardo Mashregi is concerned that in the race between development companies’ desire to build and Markham’s quest to plan its land use, residents will end up on the losing end.

“The private sector is forging ahead. They are not waiting. We need a plan,” said Mashregi, chair of the Grandview Area Residents Association.

Among Mashregi’s fears: “piecemeal development” and the prospect of the development bringing increased traffic and noise.

“We’re getting pieces of development here and there,” Mashregi said.

He complains of Markham’s “poor urban planning”, saying the condo plan is developer-driven.

“Residents will pour into (these condo) units via cars,” he said, “meaning more pollution, poor planning, the onslaught of traffic. No one wants to live in this kind of mess,” he said.

Ward 1 Thornhill Councillor Valerie Burke has similar concerns.

She worries about potential cumulative traffic in the area.

Burke, along with Markham councillors, voted against the condo development in 2012, back when Frangian Holdings Limited owned the development. (A holding company often refers to a company that does not produce goods or services itself, but owns shares of other companies to form a corporate group).

Burke voted against the development because there was and is no subway for all the potential condo dwellers to use.

“The province mandates the municipalities to accommodate increased population, but has not provided necessary transportation infrastructure,” she said via email.

“I am concerned about the congestion, lack of subway extension, lack of parkland. I am also concerned that the businesses being established at grade [level] will not be ... conducive to making the street interesting and pedestrian friendly,” Burke said.

But, Markham does have a plan - its 2014 official plan, Burke said. It is just not being used right now to control development because the 2014 plan has been appealed at the Ontario Municipal Board level.

Instead, provisions from an older plan from 1987 are being applied now.

The 2014 plan is meant to protect residential areas and plan new communities that support taking transit or walking.

Building and home development in Markham must follow the city’s approved official plan, which sets out guidelines for future land development and growth.

Burke also pointed out that Markham has the Yonge-Steeles Corridor Study that outlines rules for growth and the development of the Yonge/Steeles area.

We can’t keep building the way we have in the past, Burke said.

“We don’t want to see every residence with two cars,” she said.

She suggested the developer could encourage transit use by giving free transit passes when residents move in.

Burke has a definite vision for what she would like to see in the area.

“I would like to see more pedestrian-friendly retail to enhance Yonge Street,” she said. Burke believes we need more landscaping to beautify the area and soften the look of all the glass, concrete and hard surfaces. “Landscaping would help cool the area and provide oxygen.”

She also believes the area needs more signs at the pedestrian-level rather than at the driver level.

“Electronic signs are popping up along Yonge Street and creating additional light pollution and eyesores. This is certainly not the vision for Yonge Street that I have heard residents (want).”

Mashregi says his ratepayer group is waiting to see the final recommendations from a committee made up of city staff, consultants and local residents considering the Yonge Steeles Corridor Transportation Study. Work has been ongoing for two years, with the last meeting slated for this month.

“We hope to find out how to manage intensification and mitigate traffic infiltration,” said Mashregi, noting that lengthy discussions were required due to overlapping jurisdictions of the Region of York, City of Toronto and cities of Markham and Vaughan.