Some King Twp. residents' fear about Greenbelt lands unfounded

YorkRegion.com
May 21, 2015
Tim Kelly

Some local residents who raised concerns about a King Township staff report discovered it’s important to read every word of that document.

A suggestion from Nancy Hopkinson and Bruce Craig that the township wants to remove protected land from the Greenbelt for employment land was harshly denied by planning director Stephen Kitchen.

Normally calm, cool and collected, Kitchen was visibly agitated by recent presentations from Hopkinson and Craig.

“There’s a whole sense of fear in here that goes well beyond what is in place,” Kitchen said, in response to suggestions King Township was pushing for removal of the land from the Greenbelt in the area of Hwy. 400 and King Road.

“The recommendation from staff does not recommend that we remove these lands from the Greenbelt plan. That’s not what the recommendation from staff says at all,” Kitchen said.

He added that King’s official plan review says it does not need more employment lands and the Region of York’s plan says it does not need more employment lands at the present time either.

The Greenbelt plan would not be reviewed again for at least another decade, Kitchen said, adding there is a justification for more strategic employment lands.

“First of all, we have to be able to demonstrate that there’s a need, and then the municipality and the region have to go and approach the minister,” he said.

Kitchen’s point was that if an applicant came forward with a strategic employment opportunity at the Hwy. 400 and King Road site and the Township and Region together agreed that it was worth consideration, they could both approach the Municipal Affairs Minister for consideration before the next review of the Greenbelt plan.

But he made it sound as though such an option was unlikely.

“King Township may never ask, King Township may never be in a situation where it needs to ask (removal of the land from the Greenbelt).  Staff  have always been strong proponents of trying to develop our employment lands within our communities first before we go outside, and we’re not suggesting anything different now,” said Kitchen.

With a few minor amendments, council approved Kitchen’s staff report supporting King’s comments to the province on the provincial land-use plans including the Greenbelt, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation and Greater Golden Horseshoe plans.