MINUTES - Public Planning - 20190626
Town of Aurora
Council Public Planning
Meeting Minutes
Council Chambers, Aurora Town Hall
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Attendance
Council Members Mayor Mrakas in the Chair; Councillors Gaertner (arrived 7:12
p.m.), Gilliland, Humfryes (arrived 7:03 p.m.), Kim, and Thompson
(departed 8:45 p.m.)
Members Absent Councillor Gallo
Other Attendees David Waters, Director of Planning and Development Services,
Sean Lapenna, Planner, Katherine Bibby, Planner, Samantha
Yew, Deputy Town Clerk, and Linda Bottos, Council/Committee
Coordinator
The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
Council consented to recess the meeting at 8:45 p.m. and reconvened the meeting at
9:01 p.m.
1. Appr oval of the Agenda
Moved by Councillor Gilliland
Seconded by Councillor Kim
That the agenda as circulated by Legislative Services be approved.
Carried
2. Declarations of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof
There were no declarations of pecuniary interest under the Municipal Conflict of
Interest Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.50.
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Wednesday, June 26, 2019 Page 2 of 8
3. Planning Applications
Mayor Mrakas outlined the procedures that would be followed in the conduct of the
public meeting. The Deputy Town Clerk confirmed that the appropriate notice was
given in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Planning Act.
1. PDS19-060 – Application for Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law
Amendment and Draft Plan of Subdivision
Shining Hill Estate Collections Inc., 306, 370, 434 and 488
St. John’s Sideroad West, File Number: OPA-2018-01, ZBA-
2018-02 and SUB-2018-02
Planning Staff
Mr. Sean Lapenna, Planner, presented an overview of the application and staff
report respecting the proposal: to amend the Official Plan designations of OPA
37 that apply to the subject properties from the Suburban Residential (SR),
Suburban Residential (SR-1), Core Area Open Space, and Supporting Area
Open Space designations to Suburban Residential (SR-2) and Core Area
Open Space; and to rezone the subject lands from Oak Ridges Moraine Rural
General (RU-ORM) to Detached Third Density Residential Exception Zone,
Oak Ridges Moraine Environmental Protection (EP-ORM) and Public Open
Space (O1); to accommodate a future residential development block
consisting of 92 single-family dwelling lots fronting a private condominium
road, two landscaped buffers, road widening, open space block, stormwater
management pond, and natural heritage system.
Consultant
Mr. Don Given, President of Malone Given Parsons Ltd., presented an
overview of the application including original and revised submission plans,
site attributes, land ownership, trail connections, and requested amendments.
Public Comments
Aurora residents, including Joseph Avolio, Amy Babak, Martin Bressel, Pierre
Geoffroy, Gordon Logan, Joe Lourelro, Marie Lourelro, Nella Mauceri, Bill
Reynolds, Jintao Shen, and Sydney Singroy, provided the following comments:
Council Public Planning Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, June 26, 2019 Page 3 of 8
• Opposition to proposed development
• Opposition to widening of St. John’s Sideroad
• Concerns regarding:
• Increased traffic and congestion on St. John’s Sideroad
• Area already overbuilt, loss of greenspace
• Noise levels
• Dust levels
• Impact on flora and fauna
• Impact on quality of life
• Potential higher property taxes and diminished property values
• Protection of river and pond
• Forest and greenspace coverage
• Proposed lot sizes not reflective of area
• Icy surfaces and snow on slope of eastbound St. John’s Sideroad and
potential increased risk of accidents
• Challenge and safety risk of left-hand turn onto St. John’s Sideroad
• Safety of school buses and children on St. John’s Sideroad
• Speeding vehicles and safety on St. John’s Sideroad
• No safe crossing to access services across St. John’s Sideroad
• Amount of ongoing construction, dirt, traffic, and noise on St. John’s
Sideroad
• Construction process
• Questions regarding:
• Impact on traffic of St. John’s Sideroad
• Intention for traffic light at site entrance
• Impact on wildlife
• Access to safe crossing of St. John’s Sideroad
• Road widening design, grading, and impact on existing trees
• Protection of mature maple trees on St. John’s Sideroad
• Timing and availability of regional traffic study
• Suggestions:
• Relocate site entrance from St. John’s Sideroad
• Reduce speed limit on St. John’s Sideroad
• Install crosswalk on St. John’s Sideroad
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Wednesday, June 26, 2019 Page 4 of 8
• Reduce number of units in proposal
• Increase buffer for existing residents
• Conserve natural setting, protect trees, keep country road character
• Install noise barrier on both north and south sides
• Perform additional traffic assessment of St. John’s Sideroad
Chair and Planning Staff
The Chair addressed the questions and concerns regarding the regional
matters of traffic lights, road widening, and crosswalks on St. John’s Sideroad.
Mr. David Waters addressed the questions and concerns regarding the traffic
impact study and natural heritage study.
Consultant
Mr. Given addressed the questions and concerns regarding buffers, tree
protection, road widening and sidewalk, signal crossing, natural heritage
system, wildlife, and lot sizes.
Main motion
Moved by Councillor Gaertner
Seconded by Councillor Humfryes
1. That Report No. PDS19-060 be received; and
2. That comments presented at the Public Planning meeting be addressed by
Planning and Development Services in a report to a future Public Planning
meeting.
Amendment
Moved by Councillor Humfryes
Seconded by Councillor Kim
That the main motion be amended by replacing the words “Public
Planning” in the second clause with the words “General Committee”.
Carried
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Wednesday, June 26, 2019 Page 5 of 8
Main motion as amended
Moved by Councillor Gaertner
Seconded by Councillor Humfryes
1. That Report No. PDS19-060 be received; and
2. That comments presented at the Public Planning meeting be addressed by
Planning and Development Services in a report to a future General
Committee meeting.
Carried as amended
2. PDS19-062 – Application for Zoning By-law Amendment
L&B Aurora Inc., Northeast Quadrant of Wellington Street
East and John West Way, Part Lot 81, Concession 1, File
Number: ZBA-2019-01
Planning Staff
Ms. Katherine Bibby, Planner, presented an overview of the application and
staff report respecting the proposal: to rezone the subject lands from
Community Commercial Exception 427 (C4(427)) to Second Density
Apartment Residential (RA2) Exception Zone; and to revise the boundary of
the Environmental Protection (EP) zone; to permit a six-storey apartment
building with 134 units, the removal of soils on the east side of the valley to
balance the fill being added on the west side, a reduced parking rate, greater
than 50% of outdoor amenity area, and reduced setback requirements.
Consultant
Ms. Joanna Fast, Associate Planner of Evans Planning Inc., presented an
overview of the proposal including site features, context plan, land use
designation, zoning, site plan, Aurora Promenade design guidelines,
conceptual landscape plan, earth cut area, tree preservation plan, and
stormwater management.
Public Comments
Aurora residents, including Keith Ingoe, Vadim Kotliarenko, Ron Maislin,
Shayna Maislin, Yevheniya Pokhvalina, Cora Teixeira-Bode, Artur Vassilyev,
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Wednesday, June 26, 2019 Page 6 of 8
Tatyana Vassilyeva, Mark Wyeth, and Andrei Zibarev, provided the following
comments:
• Support for proposed development (needed units for seniors)
• Opposition to proposed development (subject lands too small; area density
already too high)
• Opposition to proposed use of subject lands (impacts on mature trees,
environment, and wildlife; should be developed as recreational area; keep
commercial zoning)
• Concerns regarding:
• Increased traffic congestion of already busy intersection
• Location of site access on John West Way
• Feasibility of proposed development size on subject lands
• Traffic and safety issues
• Light pollution
• Challenge of left-hand turn from Amberhill Way onto John West Way
• Challenge of left-hand turn from proposed development
• Safety of students and school traffic
• Safety of seniors in area
• Traffic noise levels (speeding vehicles on John West Way, trains and
traffic from GO rail station on Wellington Street East)
• Impact on environment and wildlife
• Impact of proposed cut and fill process on adjacent backyards
• Impact on quality of life
• Parking requirements
• Questions regarding:
• Environmental impact of proposed cut and fill, protection of river
• On-site waste management facilities and sewage
• Water run-off and possible leakage into watershed (stormwater
management)
Planning Staff
Mr. David Waters addressed the questions and concerns regarding the cut and
fill area, site entrance location, traffic at Amberhill Way and John West Way,
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Wednesday, June 26, 2019 Page 7 of 8
and future planning of the lands surrounding the Aurora GO station referred to
as a Major Transit Station Area.
Consultant
Ms. Amber Palmer, Senior Associate, Water Resources, Stantec Consulting
Ltd., addressed the questions and concerns regarding the proposed cut and fill
process.
Ms. Fast addressed the questions and concerns regarding on-site waste
management facilities, water drainage, environmental impacts, compensation
planting, site access, technical feasibility of site, light pollution, and parking.
Moved by Councillor Humfryes
Seconded by Councillor Kim
1. That Report No. PDS19-062 be received; and
2. That comments presented at the Public Planning meeting be addressed by
Planning and Development Services in a report to a future General
Committee meeting.
Carried
4. Confirming By-law
Moved by Councillor Humfryes
Seconded by Councillor Kim
That the following confirming by-law be enacted:
6193-19 Being a By-law to Confirm Actions by Council Resulting from a Council
Public Planning Meeting on June 26, 2019.
Carried
Council Public Planning Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, June 26, 2019 Page 8 of 8
5. Adjournment
Moved by Councillor Gilliland
Seconded by Councillor Kim
That the meeting be adjourned at 10:22 p.m.
Carried
_________________________________ _________________________________
Tom Mrakas, Mayor Samantha Yew, Deputy Town Clerk