Deputations

2023

• Feb 27th 2023 Deputation re Watford Group redevelopment proposal for East side Main Street Unionville.
  

2022

• Deputation re BMW site at 8111 Kennedy Rd Sept 6th 2022. Issues re height density, lack of schools and other amenities, OP conformity.
• Deputation re “No Frills Plaza” Warden & 7th March 28th 2022. Issues re height, density, parking, OP conformity, retail, shadowing & wind.
• DSC March 22 2022. Downtown part of the updated Markham Secondary Plan concept. Heights, density and road network issues.
  
• Deputation to DSC re Markham Centre Secondary Plan Update Feb 22nd 2022.  Cautious support but with many questions.
  

2021

• Dec. 7th 2021 General Committee. In support of the staff recommendation to work on a Lobbyists Registry.
• Nov 29 2021 Deputation to GC in favour of staff working on a vacant homes tax.
• DSC Nov 30th 2021 re height and density issues with Scardred7 redevelopment plans for White Rose/Canada Computers site on Highway 7.
• York Region Council October 21st 2021 re 60% intensification for land needs assessment planning.
• DSC October 18th 2021. Supplementary DSC re land needs assessment and intensification scenarios.
• DSC October 12 2021. Land Needs Assessment, intensification targets, loss of white belt, possible Pickering airport like scenario for Markham agricultural white belt.
• URA deputation to DSC September 27th 2021 re 233 Main Street Unionville Heritage Application Rear Yard Sports Pad. Retroactive approval sought for hockey rink construction.
  
• DSC September 27th 2021 Scardred.  Application for 4038 and 4052 Highway #7.
  

• York Region Council on “Alternative 2051 Forecast and Land Needs Assessment Scenarios” Special Meeting, September 16, 2021. Intensification options need more work.

• DSC Sept 14th Enterprise Blvd Inc (Metropia) application, North Side of Enterprise Blvd, East of GO Rail Corridor.

• DSC re Hilton Suites Development May 11th 2021. Six towers including four at 55 storeys. Exceeds official plans. Inadequate parkland & parking. 
• URA DSC Deputation April 27 2021 Kingdom Sheridan  Concerns re height & density of Phases I and II, and non conformance with secondary plan.
• Land Needs Assessment April 19th 2021. Concerns re 100% of Markham whitebelt to be developed by 2051.
• Digram Developments Inc. April 13, 2021. Concerns about a proposed development at 55-83 Helen Ave. 
• Lifetime Developments Deputation April 6, 2021. Concerns about an application at 8200 Warden Avenue with 4 towers up to 37 stories. 
• Kingdom Sheridan Deputation March 31st 2021. Phase 1 ok, but later phases are concerning due to density and conformity to new Markham Centre Secondary Plan.

• Markham Centre Secondary Plan DSC March 23rd. Outlining concerns with the preferred option of the Markham Centre Secondary Plan.

• Ministerial Zoning Order Request by Flato Developments. February 8, 2021. URA urged that the request not be supported until Regional planning was completed.

2020

• Kingdom Developments (Sheridan). May 24, 2020. Deputation to DSC expressing concern over height, density , parkland and timing of the application.
• One Piece Developments. 28 Main St. Unionville. May 11, 2020. URA deputed to DSC expressing concerns with building height and above grade parking, and suggested an alternative.
• Community Benefit Charges and Parkland. April 28, 2020. Concerns about Province’s Community Benefits Charge plans under Bill 108. The particular concern relates to parkland acquisition from new developments, especially in high density areas.

2019

• Unionville Presbyterian Church seniors housing. July 3, 2019. Unionville Presbyterian Church has proposed that affordable seniors housing be constructed on part of their property at 600 Village Pkwy. URA supports a feasibility study.
• Regional Government Review. May 6, 2019. URA made a deputation to the Provincial panel reviewing regional government. We expressed concern about the lack of evidence that amalgamation produces cost savings, concerns on downloading and access to local democracy.

2018

• York Downs, Sept 9, 2018. URA deputed to DSC raising questions about public access to information and reports.
• York Downs development. June 25, 2018. We listed our our major concerns of traffic, the mixed use block, the high rise block and TRCA signoff. We also urged Council to make public immediately any decisions that are made
• Times Group Block 3. May 14, 2018. Our concern was to not approve until Secondary Plan completed. Key questions were traffic, density, office space and parkland
• URA deputed on the Future Urban Area. January 23, 2018. We were generally supportive of the land use plan and the population target. Our concerns related to City data showing that growth in Markham is well above provincial targets. This raises concerns on growth management to maintain liveability and quality of life.
• Is Markham growing too quickly? January 19, 2018. URA presented a report to Markham Council indicating, using the City’s own numbers, that Markham’s population growth was well above provincial targets. This raises the concern of maintaining or improving quality of life, or “liveability”

2017

• York Downs. Dec 11, 2017. Deputation regarding our concerns with this major redevelopment, focusing on unit count and traffic.
• York Downs development. March 20, 2017. URA made a deputation on this large proposed development immediately adjacent to our boundary. We listed 9 unanswered questions and concerns.. Our concerns were: Traffic on 16th Avenue and Kennedy Rd, Internal Collector Road Network, Transit Support, Trail System, Affordable Housing, Storm Water Management, Tree Preservation, Area Specific Development Charges.

2016 and 2015

• Skating on Toogood Pond. November 23, 2015. A joint deputation by URA, UVA, UBIA and the Historical Society was made on this topic.
• GO Train Anti-whistling in Markham. September 23, 2015. We reminded Council that anti-whistling had been approved by Markham in 2008 and urged Council to implement now.
• Response to Staff Report on monitoring Markham’s population. March 24, 2015
• Implementation of Unionville Main Street Vision. March 24, 2015. We supported formation of an Advisory Committee, establishing a Property Development Coordinator and meetings with property owners.
• February 19, 2015. Markham Sports, Entertainment and Cultural Complex (“Arena”). Release of Information, Independent Review.

2014 and earlier

• Markham Centre Development Corp. May 6, 2014. Our deputation opposed this application due to the lack of an updated secondary plan and the fact that growth was exceeding infrastructure.
• Population Projections for Markham Centre and Ward 3. May 6, 2014. In a Powerpoint Presentation, URA gave results showing that existing and proposed residential population was well ahead of plan. Transportation infrastructure was behind pace. Recommendations included immediately updating the Markham Centre Secondary Plan and reviewing the city-wide pace of development.
• Unionville Main Street Land use Policy Changes. Feb 4, 2014. URA supported changes to the core Secondary Plan and the Zoning Bylaw to allow restaurant and retail expansion.
• The Arena December 2, 2013. Markham Sports, Entertainment and Cultural Centre (“Arena”).Our deputation indicated that our members were strongly opposed to any involvement by the City in the ownership, development and financing of the MSECC. We were open to negotiations continuing on this basis.
• The Arena January 15, 2013. Markham Sports, Entertainment and Cultural Complex (“Arena”). Issues with Financial Framework.
• The Arena November 22, 2012. Markham Sports, Entertainment and Cultural Complex (“Arena”). Concerns with Ownership, Development, Financing and Site Plan.
• The Arena October, 2012. Member survey about the arena. Markham Sports, Entertainment and Cultural Complex (“Arena”).