Markham development called 'out of whack' with downtown neighbourhood
'Residents really up in arms,' says local citizen about 11-house proposal

YorkRegion.com
Nov. 29, 2017
Tim Kelly

A Markham Village development proposal on Town Crier Lane that would add 11 huge homes into relatively smallish lots has local residents crying foul.

The development, which has come before the city in various forms – first as townhouses before its current iteration as separate properties of 5,000-square-foot homes along the lane — is being proposed by City Park Homes, which bought the three-acre parcel of land several years ago.

But local residents and the councillor who represents the area, Karen Rea, aren’t thrilled with the idea.

And they made their feelings clear at a development services meeting last week.

“The residents are really up in arms,” said local homeowner Harvey Armstrong, who said he’s not impressed with the plan. He feels the heritage aspect of the area is not being respected by the development.

Jacquie Gardiner, who launched a 111-name petition to oppose the development, said her opposition is simple.

She wants council, “to just keep what you’re doing within the bylaws.”

Gardiner believes councillors had already made up their minds before the Nov. 21 development services meeting, when a majority supported the development, opting to demolish a heritage building on the site.

Rea calls the development, “out of whack,” with existing housing in the area, arguing that homes of 5,000 square feet on lots of 6,700 square feet shouldn’t be allowed.

“Our infill bylaw would basically allow a 3,000-square-foot home on a lot of the same size (6,700 square feet). There are houses on Elm Street that vary between 4,000 and 4,900 square feet, but they are on 12,000-square-foot lots,” said Rea.

Gardiner backed up Rea’s point saying the usual lot coverage limit in Markham is 45 per cent, but with 5,000-square-foot homes on 6,700-square-foot lots (some of the lots are larger) the range is from 54 per cent lot coverage to 84 per cent.

Markham Village resident Stephen Burgess’ issues with the development centre around council’s disregard for the recommendations provided by the Markham heritage committee.

Burgess said the committee had concerns with the proposal around the demolition of the dairy building on the site, the size of the homes, the architectural style of the houses, the height of the proposed buildings and other issues.

Coun. Alan Ho, who is in support of the development, said, “I think the developer has listened to our planning staff’s suggestion by decreasing the number of units from 32 to 27 and to 11 finally.”

He added that he didn’t believe there was any heritage value to building in question on the site.

“We have heard from many people that the dairy house has almost no heritage value, but there are safety issues with it, so most of the council members voted to demolish it,” Ho said.

Also in support of the development, Coun. Amanda Collucci said, it is an acceptable plan because the proposed plan conforms with the neighborhood.

City council will deal with the development in a council meeting at Markham Civic Centre Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.