Newmarket town hall not included in future vision for Mulock and Bayview area

Mulock GO station area secondary plan envisions mixed use of residential, commercial, office to support coming GO train station

Yorkregion.com
April 17, 2019
Teresa Latchford

A new secondary plan could transform Newmarket’s Mulock Drive and Bayview Avenue area into a transit-friendly hub.

It has been a year this month since Metrolinx hosted an open house session for Newmarket residents to get their first glimpse of the proposed two-platform GO station to be located on the south side of Mulock Drive on the east side of the existing tracks. Display boards showed 700 parking spaces, two buildings, passenger drop-off area and bike racks.

The following month, the Town of Newmarket announced it would take on the creation of the Mulock GO Station Area Secondary Plan, a framework to be put in place to help guide land uses and such in the area that would support a GO station.

At a recent workshop, members of town council were presented with a draft plan created with input from town staff, consultants and the public.

“In this plan we are establishing the uses and densities around the station that would best support the station,” Newmarket senior planner Adrian Cammaert said. “The uses and densities that exist today wouldn’t necessarily support it and that was the catalyst for this project.”

The renderings of the 79-hectare study area presented by SvN associate Alex Heath showed a much different vision than what is there today.

“Am I to understand that the three buildings on the (rendering) where town hall is currently located doesn’t include this building?” asked Ward 2 Coun. Victor Woodhouse.

Heath confirmed it didn’t, but rather a number of residential buildings from four to 12 storeys in height. The draft secondary plan also shows residential along the northern stretch of Kent Drive, along the southern side of Mulock Drive to Yonge Street and just north of McBean Avenue, a few dedicated office use lands along Steven Court and at the Mulock-Bayview intersection and the remaining either stable lands not subject to change or mixed use residential and commercial with varying densities.

It shows a new road extending Cane Parkway south and then heading east to Yonge Street and two access points to the future station through Steven Court to Bayview, parks and green space, cycling routes and sidewalks.
The final plans are expected to be presented to the public in September.