NOTICE OF THE ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT NO. 31 TO THE

RICHMOND HILL OFFICIAL PLAN

PURSUANT TO THE PLANNING ACT

TAKE NOTICE THAT the Council of The Corporation of the City of Richmond Hill adopted Amendment No. 31 to the Richmond Hill Official Plan on the 23rd day of February, 2022 through the enactment of By-law 17-22 and in accordance with Sections 17 and 21 of the Planning Act, as amended.

AND TAKE NOTICE that an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal in respect of this Amendment may be made by filing a written notice of appeal with the City Clerk of The Corporation of the City of Richmond Hill, no later than 4:30 p.m. on March 22, 2022. A Notice of Appeal will set out the reasons for the appeal and the specific part of the proposed official plan or plan amendment to which the appeal applies. A Notice of Appeal will be accompanied by a certified cheque or money order in the amount of $1,100.00, payable to the Minister of Finance and be accompanied by the processing fee prescribed under the Tarriff of Fees By-law in the amount of $320.00 payable to the City of Richmond Hill. Certified cheques are not required when the cheque is from a law firm.

Council in making its decision on these matters took into consideration all written and oral comments received on the applications.

An explanation of the purpose and effect of the Amendment describing the lands to which the Amendment to the Richmond Hill Official Plan applies is attached.  A complete copy of Amendment No. 31 to the Richmond Hill Official Plan, including all background materials, is available by contacting Jeff Healey, Senior Planner, phone number 905-747-6452 or by e-mail at jeff.healey@richmondhill.ca.

The proposed Official Plan Amendment No. 31 is exempt from approval by The Regional Municipality of York. The decision of the Council of The Corporation of the City of Richmond Hill is final if a Notice of Appeal is not received on or before the last day for filing a Notice of Appeal.

Dated at the City of Richmond Hill this 2nd day of March, 2022

Stephen M.A. Huycke, City Clerk

The Corporation of the City of Richmond Hill

225 East Beaver Creek Road

Richmond Hill ON  L4B 3P4

Phone: 905-771-8800

Fax: 905-771-2502

E-mail:  clerks@richmondhill.ca

Who Can File an Appeal:   Only individuals, corporations and public bodies may appeal a decision of the municipality to the Ontario Land Tribunal. A notice of appeal may not be filed by an unincorporated association or group.  However, a notice of appeal may be filed in the name of an individual who is a member of the association or the group on its behalf.

No person or public body shall be added as a party to the hearing of the appeal unless, before the plan was passed, the person or public body made oral submissions at a public meeting or written submissions to the council or, in the opinion of the Ontario Land Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.

Part One – The Preamble

1.1    Purpose

The purpose of this Amendment to the Richmond Hill Official Plan is to amend the provisions of the Official Plan of the City of Richmond Hill respecting Chapter 9 - North Leslie Secondary Plan to permit a high density, mixed-use development at the northeast corner of Bayview Avenue and Elgin Mills Road East. This amendment will permit the development of approximately 344 apartment dwelling units and 56 townhouse dwelling units on the subject lands.

1.2    Location

The lands affected by this Amendment are located at the northeast corner of Bayview Avenue and Elgin Mills Road East, municipally known as 0 Elgin Mills Road East and legally described Part of Lot 26, Concession 2, E.Y.S (the “subject lands”). The subject lands have a total area of approximately 4.07 hectares (10.05 acres) and are shown on Schedule 1 attached hereto.

1.3     Basis

The proposed amendment is considered by Council to be appropriate for the following reasons:

1. The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) sets out the overall direction on matters of Provincial interest related to land use planning and development, and includes policies that encourage new growth within urban areas. The PPS requires that natural heritage features be protected for the long term and the diversity and connectivity of natural heritage features shall be maintained, restored or where possible improved recognizing linkages between and among natural heritage features and areas.

 The proposed development is consistent with the PPS with respect to the efficient use of land and infrastructure, and the preservation of natural heritage features.

1. The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (“Growth Plan”) was updated in 2020 and is intended to guide decisions on a wide range of matters, including economic development, land use planning, urban form and housing. The Growth Plan promotes increased intensification of existing built-up areas and building more compact greenfield communities.

The Growth Plan provides direction to plan for a range of housing options that can accommodate a mix of household sizes in locations with access to transit and other amenities. The Growth Plan also provides for the identification and protection of a Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan outside of the Greenbelt Area and Settlement Areas, and applies protections similar to those in the Greenbelt Plan to provide consistent and long-term protection throughout the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The proposed development conforms to the Growth Plan with respect to accommodating urban growth and development, providing a range and mix of housing options, meeting the growth target for designated greenfield areas of 80 residents and jobs per hectare, and protecting Key Natural Heritage Features and Key Hydrologic Features and their functions.

1.  The York Region Official Plan (YROP)Map 1 - Regional Structure, designates the subject lands Urban Area and Regional Greenlands System. The new community area of North Leslie has been planned in a comprehensive and coordinated manner consistent with the policies of York Region through the City of Richmond Hill’s Secondary Plan for the area. The proposed development demonstrates the environmental objectives of the York Region Official Plan and conforms with the Regional Greenlands, Natural Features and area specific policies to the North Leslie Secondary Plan contained within the York Region Official Plan.
2. The subject lands are located within Chapter 9 - North Leslie Secondary Plan, of the City of Richmond Hill’s Official Plan. The existing “Neighbourhood Commercial” designation on the majority of the subject lands permits “Medium/High Density Residential” uses with a maximum building height of 10 storeys. The proposed increase in building height to 14 storeys is appropriate given the location of the subject lands at the intersection of two major arterial streets, the design of the proposed development which conforms with the City’s Official Plan policies related to angular view planes, minimum tower separation distances and maximum floor plate sizes, the inclusion of non-residential uses at grade level, and the provision of an appropriate transition to adjacent existing and future uses.

The remainder of the subject lands are designated “Natural Heritage System”, which requires the protection of environmental features, surface and groundwater resources, and environmental functions and processes, forming the basis from which all other land use policies are derived. The proposed development achieves these objectives, as outlined in the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) and addendum completed by Beacon Environmental. The proposed development provides for compensation to address the wetland buffer reduction, as it provides for a minimum 27 metre buffer to a wetland. The proposed development maintains the general intent and purpose of the goals, objectives and policies of the North Leslie Secondary Plan in being an Environment First Plan. The proposed development preserves the major tributaries and associated wetlands of the Rouge River by demonstrating that the development provides sufficient environmental buffers to Key Natural Heritage Features and Key Hydrologic Features and their functions.