Vaughan hospital approved

NRU
Oct. 1, 2014

In a September 12 decision, board associate chair Shing Kan Wilson Lee and board member Mary-Anne Sills approved a settlement between the City of Vaughan and Mackenzie Health, and dismissed an appeal by Carry Liddy. Mackenzie Health had appealed concerning setbacks, and the permitted size of the building. The hospital is to be located on the northwest corner of Major Makenzie Drive and Jane Street.

The board dealt with Liddy’s appeal first. The city submitted that Liddy did not have standing to commence an appeal as she did not meet the statutory conditions of previously submitting an oral or written statement to council. The board agreed and denied Liddy legal standing to fi le her appeal.

Furthermore, the board dismissed Liddy’s appeal, as she did not disclose an apparent land use planning reason in her appeal, instead focusing on issues of municipal finance.

The board also denied party status for Vaughan Health Campus of Care, as its concerns were over a contractual dispute with the city, over which the board had no jurisdiction.

Liddy also requested party status, but the board denied her request, noting that she resided eight km. from the hospital site and there was no reason her proprietary interests would be affected.

Planner Lindsay Dale-Harris (Bousfields Inc.) gave evidence on behalf of Mackenzie Health in support of the settlement. She noted how the settlement addressed her client’s concerns and how the by-laws would satisfy provincial plans and the Provincial Policy Statement.

The board allowed the appeal by Mackenzie Health in part, and amended the zoning by-laws.

Solicitors involved in this case were Stephen Waque (Borden Ladner) and Heather Wilson representing the City of Vaughan, Steven O’Melia and student-at-law Emily Durst (Miller Thomson LLP) representing Mackenzie Health and Mark Joblin (Loopstra Nixon LLP) representing Vaughan Health Campus of Care. (See OMB Case No. PL140595.)