Housing, a hospital or both? Councillors in GTA township raise concerns about future of Greenbelt land | 24CA News
Elected officers in a Greater Toronto Area township fear a doable deal that might see a developer donate Greenbelt land for a brand new hospital may also result in undesirable residential improvement in the identical space.
As a part of its current proposal to open up sections of protected land for housing, the province is planning to carve out a parcel from the Greenbelt within the Township of King and redesignate an adjoining space of the Oak Ridges Moraine from agricultural to “settlement area.” Doing so would open up each areas, situated about 50 kilometres north of Toronto, for improvement.
King’s council unanimously opposed the zoning change and voted to push the province to make use of the Greenbelt space for a deliberate growth of Newmarket’s Southlake Regional Health Centre. That decision acknowledged that the landowner would offer the required land for the hospital website for a “nominal fee.”
But two of the seven councillors are involved they’ll find yourself with not only a hospital, but additionally a subdivision they do not need. Their unease exhibits how some native leaders really feel trampled by the Ford authorities’s current push to fulfill its purpose of constructing 1.5 million new houses by 2031.
“There is no need for housing at that location,” mentioned King councillor Avia Eek, who represents the ward that features the world.
“To have to make a deal to say, ‘Yeah, we’ll take the hospital and you can develop the land,’ I think that’s not very nice.”
From pledging to by no means construct on it in 2018 to saying it is a part of the answer to Ontario’s housing disaster in 2022, here is how the premier’s place on the controversial concern has modified.
Councillor Debbie Schaefer mentioned the farmland is prone to be misplaced to city sprawl.
“The property owner has recently bought this property for $80 million and so it’s not going to sit there and be farmland,” she mentioned. “I’ve read nothing to suggest that he would be that kind of philanthropist to say that we’re going to have the most expensive farmland in the world.”
Records present the landowner paid $80 million for 278 hectares of farmland within the Greenbelt a bit of greater than a month earlier than the housing minister introduced it will be opened for improvement.
‘Our want is nice’
Barb Steed, govt vice-president of scientific companies at Southlake Regional Health Centre, mentioned the hospital is increasing to a two-site mannequin as a result of its current website in Newmarket is overcrowded.
“Just to meet the needs that we’re serving right now, we should be 89 per cent bigger than we are. So our need is great,” she mentioned.
Southlake acquired a $5 million provincial grant to plan a brand new website earlier this 12 months. Steed mentioned the hospital would require as much as 40 hectares however hasn’t settled on a location but.
“We would ideally be as close to this site as possible for logistics and what’s best for patients.”
The land in King is situated on an unlimited expanse of farmland throughout from a Newmarket subdivision. It contains areas designated as “protected countryside” and “natural heritage system,” two of the best ranges of Greenbelt safety.
Under present provincial rules, constructing a hospital on such lands can be permitted and never require any rezoning.
Landowner bought property in September
As CBC Toronto first reported, property possession and company information present Green Lane Bathurst GP Inc. paid $80 million for 5 parcels of land there on Sept. 15 this 12 months. The firm, which was included in July, lists Michael Rice as its director.
Rice can also be president and CEO of Rice Group, a Markham-based retail, industrial and infrastructure developer. Rice Group is at present concerned in a number of tasks in York Region, together with a residential subdivision and Loblaw distribution centre in East Gwillimbury and a Costco warehouse in Newmarket.
An individual with the title Michael Rice has donated greater than $10,000 to the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario since 2018, in accordance with Elections Ontario information, together with a $946 donation made in 2020 to Housing Minister Steve Clark’s using affiliation.
The identical particular person has additionally donated a smaller quantity to the Ontario Liberal Party.
CBC-Radio Canada reached out to Rice Group to ask about its plans for the land, however the firm did not reply to an interview request and a listing of questions.
Eek, the councillor, mentioned King Township planners haven’t designated the world for development, which is supposed to be concentrated within the already built-up areas of King City, Nobleton and Schomberg, in accordance with the township’s official plan.
“We’ve spent two-and-a-half years with public consultation, workshops, public meetings, making sure that our community in King Township is developed and built the way our residents want it, not the way somebody in Queens Park thinks it should be,” mentioned Eek.
A coalition of 200 teams and people has penned a letter calling out the Ontario authorities for its plans to have tens of 1000’s of houses situated within the province’s Greenbelt, a swath of protected inexperienced area and farmland.
No circumstances on land donation: mayor
King Mayor Steve Pellegrini mentioned the placement is good for the hospital growth as a result of it borders Newmarket, and is due to this fact near each fast transit and municipal servicing similar to sewer and water infrastructure.
“It caught us a little off guard, but I’m gonna take the opportunity to … say here’s an opportunity to get a new Southlake second campus and let’s work hard to do that.”
Pellegrini would not present particulars about any discussions between city workers and the developer, however mentioned the supply to donate the land was made with out circumstances connected.
The mayor mentioned he is not conscious of any plans to construct houses simply but, however a brand new hospital might require different services similar to an X-ray clinic, physician’s places of work and a car parking zone.
“We haven’t seen a site plan application or anything,” mentioned Pellegrini.
In its Greenbelt proposal, the province mentioned it needs to see vital progress on approvals by subsequent 12 months, with building to start in 2025, or the areas will likely be returned to the Greenbelt.
Steed, the hospital vice-president, mentioned it will take a minimum of 10 years to construct the new hospital.
In a press release, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing mentioned it had acquired the King council’s request to construct the hospital, however reiterated that opening up sections of the Greenbelt would result in the development of fifty,000 houses.
