Richmond Hill residents form non-profit group to fight 'overdevelopment' at Yonge, Bernard

YRA hosts yard sales in Yonge Street, Brookside Road area on June 22 to raise funds

Yorkregion.com
June 21, 2019
Shelia Wang

Sherry Zhang has a whole new mountain to climb to fight over-intensification in her neighbourhood.

The Richmond Hill resident is now seeking community support for the continuous uphill battle in the Yonge and Bernard Key Development Area (KDA).

Zhang and a few other area residents officially launched a non-profit organization -- Yonge Bernard Residents Association, or TheYRA.org -- on May 22 and all community members are welcome to join or help.

The association came into being a week after the residents celebrated a "partial" victory from Richmond Hill council that voted to reduce the maximum height of buildings from 37 storeys back to 15 in the KDA.

The Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT), formerly known as the Ontario Municipal Board, will have the final say on the proposed development, as the KDA plan is currently being appealed to the LPAT.

While the hearing for the KDA plan has been rescheduled for June 22, 2020, The YRA is now preparing for another hearing slated for Aug. 12 which deals with site-specific appeals for a vacant lot at the southwest corner of the Yonge Street and Brookside Road intersection, just behind Starbucks.

Back in 2016, Yonge MCD Inc. proposed to build towers up to 29 storeys in the lot south of Brookside, which was met with strong opposition from local residents, Zhang said.

The group is planning to hire a lawyer, city planer or traffic expert to assist the group at the hearings to come, but it will come at a heavy cost.

Having already taken thousands of dollars out of their own pockets for the legal battles, Zhang and her fellow group leader John Li are hoping to raise money to help cover the cost.

On June 22, they will start with their first fundraising event in the Yonge and Brookside area by hosting half-day yard sales at multiple locations.

Clothes, toys and household items -- used and new -- will be on sale for interested residents to purchase.

All proceeds are directed to The YRA to help with the battle at the LPAT.

Zhang hopes they will be able to raise $10,000 to $20,000 at the yard sale to get them started.

At least 17 families on Brookside, Rothbury Road and Leyburn Avenue had offered to participate in the community yard sale as of June 20. The sale is expected to run from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.