Vaughan councillors, citizens want city’s municipal power back as they get behind resolution to dissolve OLT

'In order to succeed and move our beautiful city forward, we must all have a voice,' says Elvira Caria, head of a ratepayer group

Thestar.com
Feb. 14, 2022
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Vaughan councillors and some of its citizens are fighting to preserve municipal clout on planning amid increased provincial encroachment.

A resolution brought forward by councillors Marilyn Iafrate and Alan Shefman seeks to support municipalities as the final authority on development planning as opposed to the Ontario Land Tribunal during a Feb. 8 meeting.

The resolution called for a dissolution of the OLT, which Iafrate and Shefman called “one of the most significant sources of delay for the development” of more affordable housing in Ontario.

Vaughan has seen a number of developers take their development applications to the OLT to resolve their disputes with residents, overriding municipal decision-makers. The OLT was established in June 2021.

“Generally, everyone supported (the resolution) but some members wanted to take an opportunity to add more to it,” Iafrate. “They wanted to send a more comprehensive message to the province. So much so that it will come back to a working session as soon as possible.”

One major point brought by Regional Coun. Linda Jackson is what’s called the Provincial Policy Statement, which hinders municipalities from following the already approved official plan as a benchmark when dealing with new development.

“This provincial government keeps spitting out these documents,” said Iafrate. “They're forever revising everything. So even if you have an official plan, if they put out this document, now you have to adhere to that.”

In addition, Ontario’s Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk explained in her December report on a land needs assessment that the Provincial Policy Statement is a problem that’s costing York Region millions of dollars.

Joining in support of Iafrate and Shefman’s resolution is the Vellore Woods Ratepayer’s Association, which has up to 5,000 members.

“In order to succeed and move our beautiful city forward, we must all have a voice,” said Elvira Caria, chair of the Vellore Woods Ratepayers Association.

“And the voice that is never heard at the OLT is that of its citizens,” Caria said. “Since council is our immediate and direct voice, we are in fact asking you to stand by us, listen to your residents and move this resolution forward.”

Robert Kenedy, president of the MacKenzie Ridge Ratepayers Association, also described OLT as an “unaccountable body that makes a mockery” of the public process on development during his Feb. 8 deputation.

For Kenedy, who is keen to reserve environmentally sensitive areas and farms in Vaughan, planning matters are the “decisions of municipalities and not the jurisdiction of non-elected members of the OLT, who rarely (if ever) know the community, and have no stake or accountability as politically appointed adjudicators.”

On the same day, Ontario released a housing task force’s report calling to make changes to the “planning policies and zoning to allow for greater density and increase the variety of housing.”

It also urged to “reduce and streamline urban design rules to lower costs of development” and “depoliticize the approvals process to address NIMBYism and cut red tape to speed up housing.”

NIMBYism is a euphemism for “Not in My Backyard” as more residents are rejecting further intensification of their neighbourhoods.

The provincial report also called on Ontario to “prevent abuse of the appeal process and address the backlog at the Ontario Land Tribunal by prioritizing cases that increase housing.”

However, Caria dubbed the report as a “slap in the face” as it sends a clear message that residents’ voices don’t matter.

Caria has a committee of the whole meeting scheduled on April 5 after her ratepayer group convinced a developer to abide by the city’s official plan and cut their buildings as well as densities in half on the northeast corner of Weston Road and Major Mackenzie Drive West.

“Is it perfect? No,” Caria, said of the compromise. “But it is a prime example why you cannot eliminate the voices of the people.”

Like many other Vaughan residents, Caria explained that she isn’t against growth per se but in support of appropriate planning.

Once complete, the resolution will be sent to Premier Doug Ford, housing minister, MPPs and ratepayer groups among others.