Springfarm Ratepayers AGM presents packed agenda
Sept. 21 meeting in Thornhill open to residents
YorkRegion.com
Sept. 13, 2016
By Simone Joseph
Ratepayer president Pam Taraday-Levy was surprised when she saw a website promoting SpringFarm condos.
"It has not been approved by the city [of Vaughan]. It seems like false advertising." she said Tuesday.
The website is www.springfarmvip.ca
The condo project will be discussed this Wednesday, Sept. 21 at the SpringFarm Ratepayers Annual General Meeting.
The website refers to "a new 20-storey condominium development by RioCan currently in pre-construction at Clark Avenue West, Thornhill. The redevelopment plan of this site involves the demolition of the existing plaza and raising new 20-storey building with total of 233 units".
Taraday-Levy said RioCan told the ratepayers association Tuesday it has no affiliation with anyone on the website, nor does the company endorse it. RioCan has said it is still willing to work with the residents association, which does not approve of the condo project.
Since RioCan held its first public info meeting back in November 2015, the plaza's redevelopment has been a controversial topic.
RioCan presented its plan to develop the Sobeys plaza, formally known as SpringFarm Marketplace, at a packed meeting at Garnet A. Williams Community Centre in Thornhill. At that point, the plan included building an 18-storey condo with retail and a stacked townhouse block.
RioCan said it wanted to create an upgraded, walkable shopping community.
Since then, two storeys have been added to the plan. Back in May 2016, Councillor Alan Shefman told The Liberal
residents had been contacting him daily, asking what is happening with the project and saying they are not in favour of it, he said. The ratepayers association circulated a petition opposed to the plan.
Taraday-Levy, president of the SpringFarm Ratepayers Association, said one of the association's members received the link to the condo website. The association researched by googling "condos at Spring Farm" and they found there were several advertisements about the supposed sale of condos at the Sobeys plaza, she said.
The association has invited RioCan to speak at its annual general meeting but does not know whether a representative from the company will attend and speak.
To contact the association, e-mail springfarmra@gmail.com
SIDEBAR
Good to Know
What: The SpringFarm Ratepayers Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Where: Garnet A. Williams Community Centre, 500 Clark Avenue West, Thornhill
When: Wednesday, Sept. 21
Time: 7:30 p.m.
