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EAST GWILLIMBURY CITIZENS IN THE KNOW
East Gwillimbury
Apr 10, 2008 12:11 AM
Residents jam council chambers to help map growth
By: David Fleischer
This town is your town and this plan is your plan.
That was the message from East Gwillimbury Mayor Jamie Young to a packed special council meeting on Monday night, where the town’s new official plan took centre stage.
Dan Stone, manager of planning policy, outlined the history of the plan and its goals. So far, planning in East Gwillimbury has been governed by five separate plans for communities such as Queensville and Sharon. That has caused problems in considering future growth.
“Right now, we have a mishmash of plans out there that were all dealt with at different times and with different sets of priorities. We want an even playing field across this municipality so these communities can connect with one another, work with one another,” Mr. Young said. “And so, when we do grow, we grow in a reasonable and constructive manner.”
The review process began in November and the town has made public participation a priority, hosting two public meetings already.
Another public open house takes place later this spring. A draft plan should go before council by the summer with adaptation by the end of 2008.
The council chambers’ 100 seats were filled before the start of the evening meeting and latecomers found standing spots in the upper gallery.
Several residents raised questions about the impact of the 404 extension, as well as the proposed Bradford Bypass.
“The bottom line is (they) will do nothing but create sprawl or pressures for sprawl. These highways, simply put, do not serve this community. They serve commuters,” said Queensville resident Bill Foster.
“This community is on the edge of huge development, the others have already been built out. We have a chance to do it right. We also have a big risk of doing it wrong,” said Mr. Foster, praising council’s efforts so far.
August Konje spoke of the need to protect the Holland River and was wary of plans to build two bridges over it as the road system expands.
“To spoil this cultural, archeological and ecological asset would simply be negligent,” he said, submitting two petitions to council.
Mr. Young responded that growth in Simcoe Country compounds the growth taking place in town and added our road and transit systems need to keep pace.
One resident said she wanted to make sure the designation of her Queensville property was not changing since developers are calling regularly, offering to buy it.
Representatives of several planned developments were on hand, eager to here what fate awaits their land holdings.
Lawyer Mark Pathkovic praised council’s open process and pointed out the need to balance residential and industrial-commercial growth.
“The town must ensure employment progresses at the same pace, if not faster than the residential component, to ensure that the new residents in the town have jobs ready for them,” he said.
After more than a dozen delegations, addressing both specific and general concerns, Mr. Young reiterated that the town is getting ahead of the game rather than responding to the needs of the development community.
“At the end of the day, the hope is that our children, grandchildren and their grandchildren will look back and see we did it right,” he said.
“It’s your plan, and we want to make that point very clear.”
You still have a chance to offer your views and ask questions about the future of East Gwillimbury. For more information, and to sign up for the town’s online comment system, you can visit eastgwillimbury.ca
Did you know?
-The town’s population is expected to swell from its current 22,000 to 90,000 by 2031.
-The number of jobs is expected to grow from 7,500 to 75,000 over the same period.
-75% of East Gwillimbury is protected under the Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine Acts.
-The instillation of the first phase of a new sewer system is underway. Residents can choose to pay to hook up to it. A second phase now being planned provides for the planned population explosion.
-A private university was once planned for Queensville. That site is still designated for a future post-secondary institution.
-The Bradford Bypass is a planned highway, connecting Highways 400 and 404. The town has taken issue with the planned routing and are still dealing with how to plan for it.