Contact: Mayor Dave Barrow, 905-771-2493, dave.barrow@richmondhill.ca

RICHMOND HILL – Last night marked a milestone for the Town of Richmond Hill with a presentation to Council on the accomplishments resulting from the five-year implementation of the Strategic Plan: A Plan for People, A Plan for Change. The report reflected how the Town is realizing the vision that the residents expressed just five years ago for Richmond Hill’s future.

That vision, Richmond Hill, where people come together to build our community and the four Strategic Plan goals of stronger connections, better choice, a more vibrant Richmond Hill and wise management of resources has guided the Town’s work since the Strategic Plan was approved in 2009. Some examples of how the goals were accomplished include:

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  • Stronger connections: Walk Friendly Ontario Bronze designation in 2014; development of the Parks Plan and the Recreation Plan; Excellence Canada Ontario Accessibility Award; development of Richmond Hill’s first Environment Strategy, Greening the Hill;

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  • Better choice: active transportation routes including 160 kilometres of signed bike routes, 128 kilometres of trails and 640 kilometres of sidewalks; Eyer Homestead Park & Eyer Wideman Youth Centre Innovation Award from Parks and Recreation Ontario; Richmond Hill declared a Top Place to Live by MoneySense magazine;

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  • More vibrant: development of the 10-year Cultural Plan; development of the Downtown Design & Land Use Strategy; 140th Anniversary events and celebration; creation of the annual Creativity Connected symposium;

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  • Wise management of resources: Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Gas Tax Award for Oak Ridges Community Centre; a solar and wind-powered electrical generation system for Richmond Green Sports Centre & Park; protection of the David Dunlap Observatory (DDO) Lands through an Official Plan Amendment.

“It’s amazing the kind of community we can build when it’s planned by the people,” said Mayor Dave Barrow. “We are evolving from a suburban to an urban community, a new kind of urban that respects the existing community and the unique character of our neighborhoods. Community participation is crucial in planning for the kind of Town we want to become.”

That transition from suburban to urban is guided by the five-year Strategic Plan and Richmond Hill’s Official Plan, both of which were developed using the feedback of more than 2000 residents. Developing a new kind of urban means accommodating growth in a vibrant and diverse community in a new way – where housing, parks, recreation facilities, shopping, transit and jobs are integrated and where there are better choices. The goal is to create a complete community, with opportunities for people to live, work, shop and play in well-designed, pedestrian-oriented places. Building a new kind of urban is about planning for people rather than efficient use of land.

Over the past five years Richmond Hill has also made significant capital investments in the community. Based on priorities set out from the Strategic Plan and the Official Plan, over $225 million of investments have been made including new and updated parks, open space, facilities and other infrastructure. When residents visit Oak Ridges Community Centre, Lake Wilcox Park, the Rumble Pond or Pioneer Park stormwater projects, Fire Station 8-6, Phyllis Rawlinson Park Off Leash Dog Area and more, they can see some of the individual results of these significant capital investments.

Achieving the Strategic Plan vision depends not only on developing and aligning plans and making important capital investments, but on providing exceptional public service to the community. To do this, the Town is focused on improving programs and services. This work includes improving the Town’s connection with the community through the internet and social media, continuing to implement the Accessibility Plan, expanding services including those to the business community and through Access Richmond Hill and adapting programs to meet the need where demand exists.

Of course, a critical underpinning of the Strategic Plan is how financial resources are managed while ensuring transparency and accountability. As stewards of the community’s resources, Richmond Hill has developed and adhered to strong financial principles for managing resources: short and long-term planning, prudent consideration of reserves, leveraging over $29 million obtained through Grant Funding and nearly $25 million from the Gas Tax Fund and maintaining a debt-free status. Sustainable and diverse funding sources such as the Building Permit Fee and the Stormwater Management Rate are in place to offset specific costs and keep the tax rate low.

Through the implementation of the Strategic Plan, Richmond Hill has begun planning for the new kind of urban community that residents desire. But the journey is just beginning. Richmond Hill will continue to grow and change and a new roadmap for the next five years will be required. In 2015, the community will once again be called upon to speak up and help shape the future.

The Strategic Plan Final Report is available at RichmondHill.ca/StrategicPlan.