Public art could get Newmarket developers two extra storeys, increased density
Should developers be able to circumvent rules with gift to town?

YorkRegion.com
Sept. 21, 2017
Teresa Latchford

Is awarding a few extra storeys or increased density to a development in exchange for a cultural facility really going to benefit the community and taxpayers?

It’s the question the Newmarket Taxpayers Advocacy Group is asking following council’s consideration of its first height and density bonusing guidelines intended to provide a framework for the increased amount of highrise development applications the town is now processing.

“The burden of proof is on the town to demonstrate that this will be good for residents and taxpayers,” said president Teena Bogner. “The major corridors are already choked with traffic. How does increasing density assist clogged corridors? Is this just a plan to increase revenue?”

Bogner points out that if this is a tactic to increase revenue, there are plenty of other ways of doing so without adding extra height and density to the already taxed corridors in town. NTAG has suggested developing vacant commercial and industrial lands and buildings and streamlining internal spending.

Once the town finalizes and approves the guidelines, developers along the Davis and Yonge corridors will be able to fill out a bonus request including an offer of a community benefit, said Newmarket senior planner Adrian Cammaert.

“This is a very common practice in urban areas,” he added. “Our secondary plan already has some guidelines included, but this is the next level of detail to those guidelines.”

The Planning Act allows the municipality to set such guidelines. The town’s current urban centres secondary plan says acceptable community benefits would include cultural facilities, special park or recreational facilities and improvements, pathways, trails and bridges, public art installations, structured parking, streetscape, gateway features, pedestrian mews and open space design enhancements, private roads for use by the public, upgrades to existing seniors and youth facilities and affordable, rental or social housing.

“The fact is we are dealing with a sign of the times in Newmarket,” Cammaert said, referring to the type of development applications the town is receiving. “This will help streamline the process.”

Mayor Tony Van Bynen points out that the sky isn’t the limit for the height and density requests as maximum height discretions are already listed in the town’s secondary plan. that means in some areas, an eight-storey development can only request a bonus height of two storeys.

“Developers are telling us we need to have a degree of certainty so they can provide us with a business plan,” he added. “With these bonusing guidelines, we will create a real economic value for the property owner while getting some value back to the community.”

It acts much like a marketing tool as well and will encourage developers to bring their projects to Newmarket, which will help make the town’s long-term vision for Davis and Yonge streets a reality more quickly.

Council has yet to make a final decision on the height and density bonusing guidelines as it has been sent back to staff for “tweaking” before the final vote. The guidelines are expected to return to chambers for discussion and a vote for final approval later this month.