GTA In Brief

NRU
January 8, 2013

YORK

York transit ridership increase
November 2013’s YRT/Viva’s ridership statistics have been released and show an increase of 1.9 per cent or 38, 000 riders compared to November 2012. These changes can be attributed to a decrease in the national unemployment rate and an increase in gas prices. While there was a decrease in Mobility Plus ridership, that change has been attributed to colder monthly temperatures experienced in 2013.

 

Student rental affordability challenge
The York Region Human Services Planning Board is calling on post-secondary students for ideas on making rental housing affordable including monetary rewards up to $5,000 for the winning submission. The Make Rental Happen challenge is a response to the decline in available affordable housing and the range of types in the region. The challenge asks students (either solo or in teams of up to six people) to create new ways to help their community and inspire the private-market to make changes. Registration opens February and closes April 2014.

 

Cornell Secondary Plan deferral recommended
York Region committee of the whole will consider a report from regional and City of Markham staff at its meeting January 9, which recommends council grant a 12-month extension to prepare the development concept for the Cornell community. Staff wants the extension for the completion of the Cornell Precinct Plan Study, revisions to the Cornell Secondary Plan, and other development plans to provide better planning and design directions for the Cornell community, including increasing the intensification of mixed-use development and optimizing transportation capacity.

 

Support for provincial planning process changes
A York Region staff report, which recommends council endorse proposed comments on changes to the provincial planning processes, will be considered by the committee of the whole at its meeting January 9. Regional staff is supportive of improvements to the Land Use Planning and Appeal System including review of the OMB, extending decision timeframes, combining provincial planning legislation reviews and removing the ability to appeal whole plans. Staff is also supportive of changes to the Development Charges Act, 1997 including allowing recoverable costs for waste management, hospitals and municipal buildings, extending planning period beyond 10 years, and adding flexibility for rate calculation methodology.

 

Townhouses and single-detached housing proposed
King South Developments (13049 Inc., 65 Inc., 65A Inc., and 6 Inc.) has submitted applications for a zoning by-law amendment and draft plan of subdivisions to the Town of Richmond Hill. The applicants seeks permission to develop multiple townhouse units at 13049 Bathurst Street and 690 King Road and single-detached dwellings at 63, 65 and 65A Puccini Drive, 600 and 630 King Road and 6 and 8B Toscanini Road. The townhouse proposal requires the land to be rezoned from single-detached dwellings to multiple-residential dwellings and the single-detached proposals require rezoning from residential suburban to residential wide shallow. Public meetings have been scheduled for January 15 to receive comments on these proposals.