East Gwillimbury council ponders zoning review of Queensville Plan

Yorkregion.com
April 16, 2015
By Simon Martin

Although Feb. 2 is well in the rearview mirror, there was a whiff of Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day at East Gwillimbury council recently.

It all started when Countrywide Homes representative Sam Balsamo told council there needs to be a slight adjustment in home setbacks for the Queensville Plan that council approved at its last meeting.

He apologized for not catching the problem earlier.

With the Queensville sales centre set to open this weekend, council voiced its frustration with the planning glitch.

“It is embarrassing for you and it is embarrassing for us,” Mayor Virginia Hackson said.

“I resent the fact that we are being asked to make a very important decision when the sales office is opening this weekend,” Councillor Tara Roy-DiClemente added. “Where have people been the last 20 years? I’m really struggling with this.”

While the minor variance application goes through the committee of adjustment, Hackson said it’s time to have another look at the Queensville Plan itself.

Council complaints regarding the Queensville Plan are nothing new.

In September 2012, Roy-DiClemente raised doubts about a plan that was more than a decade old.

“Has anything changed as far as best practices in the last 20 years? I certainly hope there has been progress,” she said at the time.

The Queensville Plan would feature homes for 32,400 people, seven elementary schools, two high schools, 70 acres of green space and 500 acres of environmental lands, according to Queensville Properties. It is also Ontario Municipal Board-approved, so any changes would be complicated and the developer would have to be on board.
In November 2013, council asked staff to investigate starting a working group to review the Queensville Plan, which had drawn criticism because it was passed a decade ago. An official plan of development was first adopted in 1998, but went through a review and was adjusted, then adopted in 2004.

It only took Metrus Developments a few weeks to let council know it had no desire to participate in a review of the Queensvillle Plan because it is still current.

“It’s very good to hear members of council are interested in a comprehensive review,” Councillor Marlene Johnston said Tuesday.

While densities and the general layout of the Queensville Plan won’t be altered, Roy-DiClemente said undertaking a zoning bylaw review (to accommodate new setbacks) will give council a chance to look at the fabric of the plan once again and see if there are certain things that can be done to improve the look and feel.

General manager of development services Carolyn Kellington told council it is staff’s opinion the Queensville Plan meets all today’s planning standards. The zoning bylaw review would simply look at setback and placement of homes.