East Gwillimbury residents upset with proposed environmental zoning change
Staff directed to remove additional protection zones

Yorkregion.com
May 7, 2018
Simon Martin

Paul Douglas has lived at his Bathurst Street property in Holland Landing for 35 years. His land had always been zoned rural. So he was surprised when his neighbour swung by his place a couple days before the East Gwillimbury council meeting May 1 to tell him the town was proposing to change a portion of his property’s zoning to environmental protection. “I had no idea,” he said.

This was a coming refrain from landowners in the town who were shocked at the lack of notification for proposed zoning changes to their properties that could have large effect on land value and land uses.

Take Pete Milmine. He has lived in River Drive Park for 37 years. He only found out about the changes from a neighbour who told him five days before the council meeting.  He owns 10 acres of land at the back of his property that was going to be designated environmental protection.  Years ago there was a plan to put a road fronting the property and Milmine hopes eventually that still might be able to happen.  Environmental protection would end that dream. “It’s better to let sleeping dogs lie,” he told council.

Speaker after speaker came forward to lodge their complaints against the environmental protection zoning on their land. Jay Robson said if council passed the new zoning bylaw it would not be in good faith and that residents should be compensated for the loss of property value.

Jason  Sorrento said the changes would reduce the control residents have of their property that would negatively impact their quality of life. Those were just the complaints that came in person.

Mayor Virginia Hackson said council received 31 letters about the proposed changes and has lost track of the number of phone calls she received. “Perhaps we haven’t done it the right way,” she said.

Council wasn’t about to force the proposed zoning changes through. In fact, they backtracked and passed a motion to for staff to present changes with no increase in environmental protection areas.  Coun. James Young said it's pretty clear that residents aren’t in favour of an environmental protection zoning change. “I haven’t heard anybody come in here the last number of years and say (we want this.),” he said. “It is not an advantage to our residents.”

Staff will come back to council at the evening meeting May 15 with revised changes to the bylaw. Council has directed planning staff for no new environmental protection zones which should alleviate many of the residents’ concerns.

The town’s comprehensive zoning bylaw was last updated in 1997. Staff said it is need of an update to be in line with provincial, regional and municipal plans.

According to a staff report at the May 1 meeting, town staff followed up with concerned landowners about the environmental protection designation.

Planning staff made some additional revisions where appropriate and were of the opinion that the proposed boundaries conformed to provincial plans and the town’s official plan.