AGENDA - Public Planning - 20201208Town of Aurora
Council Public Planning Meeting Agenda
Date:Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Time:7 p.m.
Location:Video Conference
Pages
1.Procedural Notes
This meeting will be held electronically as per Section 19. i) of the Town's
Procedure By-law No. 6228-19, as amended, due to the COVID-19 situation.
2.Approval of the Agenda
3.Declarations of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof
4.Planning Applications
4.1.PDS20-077 - Official Plan Review 1
That Report No. PDS20-077 be received; and1.
That staff report back prior to releasing the Discussion Papers
for public consultation and to provide an update on the Official
Plan Review work plan.
2.
5.Confirming By-law
5.1.XXXX-20 Being a By-law to Confirm Actions by Council Resulting from a
Council Public Planning Meeting of December 8, 2020
32
6.Adjournment
100 John West Way
Aurora, Ontario
L4G 6J1
(905) 727-3123
aurora.ca
Town of Aurora
Public Planning Report
No. PDS 20-0 77
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Official Plan Review
Prepared by: Edward Terry, Senior Policy Planner
Department: Planning and Development Services
Date: December 8, 2020
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Recommendation
1. That Report No. PDS20-077 be received; and,
2. That Staff report back prior to releasing the Discussion Papers for public consultation
and to provide an update on the Official Plan Review work plan.
Executive Summary
The Town of Aurora’s Official Plan Review is a provincially legislated Municipal
Comprehensive Review, conformity exercise and major undertaking. Public consultation
is a key component of a successful Official Plan Review Process.
To date, public engagement for the OPR study has reached over 1,100 people
including pop-up events, online engagement and committee meetings.
There have been 841 visits to the public engagement website (July – Nov 19th
2020).
Public Engagement activities to date includes: Pop-Up events, Leadership Team
meeting #1, Community Steering Committee meeting #1, Public Vision
Workshop, Self-guided Walking tours and online engagement.
Early Consultation has focused on the following key themes: Growth &
Infrastructure, Complete Communities, Natural Heritage, Cultural Heritage &
Archaeology.
Aurora’s Official Plan must conform with the Regional Official Plan, Provincial
Policy Statement, Growth Plan, and Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan.
The study process is envisioned in five phases over a multi-year work program.
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December 8, 2020 2 of 10 Report No. PDS20-077
Background
Aurora’s Official Plan Review was first presented to Council in December 2019, through
Report No. PDS19-098 seeking direction to hold a public meeting prior to officially
launching the review in accordance with the requirements of the Planning Act.
On February 4, 2020, a Special Meeting of Council was held for the Official Plan Review.
Council expressed the concern about the lack of consultation that had taken place
leading up to the February 2020 public planning meeting. Council passed the following
motion:
“That another Public Planning meeting be held after the public engagement
consultant’s work is underway and staff report back with an Official Plan Review
work plan that incorporates the feedback received to date from public
consultation.”
The Town has retained two consultants to assist with undertaking the Official Plan
Review (OPR). In February 2020, the Town retained WSP as the Public Engagement
Consultant for the OPR. In Summer 2020, the Town retained SGL Planning & Design as
the Study Consultant Lead, to undertake the technical review of the Official Plan.
As part of the “pre-launch” leading up to the February 2020 public meeting, the Town
hosted seven (7) informal “Planner-Pop-Up” events in various locations in Aurora to
introduce the Official Plan Review to the public. Planner Pop-Up events are non-
statutory public engagement sessions that do not require public notification. Prior to the
Special Meeting, Staff had already engaged more than 300 people.
As a result of the pandemic, public consultation after the Special Meeting of Council
has primarily been conducted online via engageaurora.ca/OPR and virtual meetings.
There have been 841 visits to the public engagement website between July and
November 2020 (see Appendix 1 - Public Engagement Summary).
Analysis
To date, public engagement for the OPR study has reached over 1,100 people using pop-
up events, online engagement and committee meetings
Project Website - Self-Guided Walking Tour
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December 8, 2020 3 of 10 Report No. PDS20-077
The Self-Guided Walking Tour received a total of twenty-three (23) comments
highlighting locations that are important to residents or identified as needing
improvement (see Appendix 2).
The fourteen (14) pins highlighting areas and topics of importance include:
Various natural areas (Sheppard’s Bush Conservation Area, Town Park, Vandorf
Woodlot, Aurora Community Arboretum)
New development should be built to complement surrounding areas (i.e. Edward
Street and Yonge Street near Bloomington Road developments)
Hillary House
Library Square revitalization
The nine (9) pins identifying areas needing improvement include:
Various vacant properties fronting Yonge Street
Road design and revitalization at the intersection of Yonge and Wellington
Unsafe intersection at Leslie Street and Vandorf Sideroad
Impacts to businesses during the construction of the Wellington Street East
underpass as part of the expansion of the Barrie GO line.
Project Website - Poll, Comments and Ideas Tools
Through the OP Review website’s Poll, Comments and Ideas tools, feedback received
included sixteen (16) responses to the Poll, ten (10) posts using the Comments tool,
and two (2) posts using the Ideas tool. Results from the Poll as of November 3, 2020
show that respondents consider the Natural Environment & Climate Change to be the
most important topics.
Results from the Comments and Ideas tools align with feedback received during other
public engagement activities, focusing on the following topics:
Balancing growth and the natural environment;
Preserving green spaces, woodlands, lakes and wetlands;
Providing affordable housing options;
Improving transit to help address traffic congestion and create walkable
communities;
Maintaining Aurora’s small-town charm;
Ensuring community services reflect the needs of the Town's growing and
diverse residents; and
Updating Secondary Plans to reflect present day issues and policies discussed
during the OPR process.
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December 8, 2020 4 of 10 Report No. PDS20-077
Community Steering Committee
The Project Team established a Community Steering Committee (“CSC”) based on a
hybrid approach of Town appointed members and an open call for participants. The
purpose of the CSC is to provide a sounding board to the Project Team and share
insights into key issues and draft policy during the OPR process.
During the first meeting discussion, Community Steering Committee members
identified their top priorities being Complete Communities and Growth Management &
Infrastructure.
In particular, the Community Steering Committee discussion focused on the following
concerns:
Growth pressures in the Town;
Existing infrastructure capacity and its ability to accommodate growth;
Maintaining the charm and general “vibe” of Aurora over the next 30 years;
Providing housing options, such as “missing middle” typologies, and affordable
housing for older adults and younger generations;
Exploring future employment opportunities and means to support existing
businesses;
Preserving natural heritage features and resources by balancing growth and
conservation (i.e. St. John’s Forest);
Prioritizing diversity and inclusion to create safe communities for everyone; and
Preservation of Town’s cultural heritage features.
Leadership Team Meeting
The Leadership Team is comprised of senior staff from the Town and three members of
Council. During the initial Leadership Team meeting, members discussed the topics of
height, density and housing. Highlights from this discussion include:
Preference to maintain a height of seven storeys or less;
Investigate the use of townhomes as higher density housing options;
Investigate bungalows as an option to allow aging-in-place; and
Revisit CIP enacting policies as they relate to heritage buildings/districts.
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December 8, 2020 5 of 10 Report No. PDS20-077
Consultation undertaken focused on Growth & Infrastructure, Complete Communities,
Natural Heritage, Cultural Heritage & Archaeology
The following themes were identified following the analysis of feedback received from
the Phase 1 engagement activities undertaken to date that were used to collect
additional feedback during the visioning workshop (see Appendix 3) that was held on
October 22, 2020:
Growth Management
Attainable Housing
Preserving Natural Areas
Sustainability and Climate Change
Diversity and Inclusion
Visioning Workshop
The Vision Workshop was advertised through Eventbrite and required an RSVP. Twenty
(20) participants registered for the event, and ten (10) attended the workshop. This
event was also promoted on the Town’s social media accounts, project website, mobile
signs and by Project participants.
The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the gaps and changes required to the
existing Official Plan vision and guiding principles. The workshop ended by informing
attendees about the Project’s next steps and how to stay involved in the process.
During Activity 1 of the Vision Workshop, feedback was collected from attendees to
identify terms from the Town’s existing Vision that are still applicable as well as those
terms that are missing. Existing terms such as sustainability, housing, healthy, public
transportation, accessibility and heritage were most prominently identified by
participants as terms that should remain in the updated Town vision.
When asked what was missing from the vision, participants identified terms such as
diversity and inclusion, affordability and choice.
Further discussion identified key considerations such as:
Sustainability should encompass multiple facets, such as protecting the
environment, encouraging a healthy community, creating a self-sufficient Town,
providing public transit and community programming.
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December 8, 2020 6 of 10 Report No. PDS20-077
Provide a mix of housing types and choices that can serve a range of income
levels with parks and amenities within close proximity.
During Activity 2, the Official Plan’s Fundamental Principles were divided into four
themes and discussed as a group.
Theme Feedback
Growth & Infrastructure Manage growth to lessen impacts to natural
areas; protect natural features
Allow for organic growth by becoming a
community of best practices (i.e. sustainable
practices, provide community amenities,
cultural events, economic opportunities, etc.)
Neighbourhoods of the Future Provide more housing options such as
bungalows, triplexes, co-ops, purpose built
rental, etc. (i.e. John Westway offers stacked
townhomes, semidetached units and
retirement living options)
Consider innovative housing types (i.e.
assisted living with daycare services in same
building)
Provide safe parks, green spaces and meeting
places within neighbourhoods to create
vibrancy
Downtown and Community Vitality Community facilities, restaurants, parks,
green spaces and trails are important
Maintain small-town charm of downtown
main street
Green Community Adopt sustainable practices (i.e. solar panels)
Increase access points to existing green
spaces
Public consultation refined the Focus Area Themes that were presented at the February
2020 Public Planning Meeting
Early consultation examined the 12 fundamental principles of the current Official Plan
and has refined these principles into 4 focus area themes based on feedback from the
pop-up events, online polls on the project website and the work undertaken to date by
the project team.
The focus area themes are graphically presented below: Growth and Infrastructure,
Complete Communities, Natural Heritage, Cultural Heritage & Archaeology.
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December 8, 2020 7 of 10 Report No. PDS20-077
The Poll tool on the project website asked participants to identify what topic is most
important to them. The Comments tool asks participants, “What are the most important
issues facing Aurora in the next 25+ years, and how do you see the community
evolving”? The Ideas tool offers the opportunity for participants to share their vision for
the future of Aurora.
The OP Review study process consists of five phases over a multi-year work program
The OP review study will be undertaken in five phases over a multi-year work program
(see Appendix 4).
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December 8, 2020 8 of 10 Report No. PDS20-077
Over Fall and Winter 2020/2021, the Project Team will issue a Vision Survey to confirm
what was heard during Phase 1. As part of Phase 2 of the OPR, the following
engagement events and tactics are planned:
Four (4) CSC Meetings
Four (4) LT Meetings
Four (4) Public Open Houses in support of Discussion Papers
Four (4) Focus Group Discussions (Business Owners, Seniors, Cultural Groups,
Youth)
Ongoing social media posts, project website content, mobile signs and other
communications
These efforts will complement and inform the development of the four (4) Discussion
Papers to guide the Town’s updated Official Plan. Staff will present the discussion
papers to Council prior to their release for public consultation.
Advisory Committee Review
Not applicable.
Legal Considerations
The Town already held the requisite statutory special meeting of Council to discuss the
revisions that may be required to the Official Plan in February 2020. Further public
meetings have been held at the request of Council. Council is required to have regard to
any written submissions received as to what revisions may be required to the Official
Plan.
Financial Implications
To date Council has approved a capital budget of $300,000 in support of the Town’s
Official Plan Review. There is a potential requirement for further capital fund requests in
this regard in the future, dependent upon the final scope of this project and other timing
considerations to be determined as the project progresses.
Communications Considerations
The Town will engage the public broadly in the Official Plan Review. Staff, in partnership
with the project’s engagement consultants, will involve the public and work directly
within them throughout the process to ensure that public concerns are consistently
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December 8, 2020 9 of 10 Report No. PDS20-077
understood and considered. We will work to ensure community concerns are reflected
in recommendations and alternatives public feedback will be considered as part of the
decision-making processes. The Town will also make sure to close the feedback loop
with citizens to share feedback received, and action taken as a result of the feedback.
Notice was provided for this meeting emailing identified interested parties, posting an
ad in the local paper, advertising on local mobile signs and via social media.
Link to Strategic Plan
The Municipal Comprehensive Review and review of the Official Plan supports the
Strategic Plan goal of: Supporting an exceptional quality of life for all, via the objective
of Strengthening the fabric of our community, specifically through the action item:
Prepare and update the Town’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law in accordance with the
requirements of the Planning Act.
Alternative(s) to the Recommendation
1. That Council provide direction.
Conclusions
The review of the Town’s Official Plan, represents a major undertaking that will result in
a multi-year work program scheduled to conclude in 2022 with the approval of
amendments to the Official Plan.
The work program presented in this report, will continue to be refined as the project
progresses and presented to a future Council meeting. Following the public planning
meeting, the Town’s consultant will commence drafting discussion papers on the focus
area themes based on best management practices and the public input received to
date. Public consultation will be ongoing throughout the OPR.
Attachments
Appendix 1 – WSP Public Engagement Summary Report
Appendix 2 – Self-Guided Walking Tour Map
Appendix 3 – Visioning Workshop Notice
Appendix 4 – OPR Work Plan
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December 8, 2020 10 of 10 Report No. PDS20-077
Previous Reports
General Committee Report No. PDS19-198, dated December 3, 2019
General Committee Report No. PDS20-014, dated February 11, 2020
Pre-submission Review
Agenda Management Team review on November 17, 2020
Approvals
Approved by David Waters, Director, Planning and Development Services
Approved by Doug Nadorozny, Chief Administrative Officer
Page 10 of 32
Town of Aurora
OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW
Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report
November 2020
Attachment 1
Page 11 of 32
1
INTRODUCTION
The Town of Aurora (“the Town”) is undertaking the review of it’s
Official Plan. The Town’s current Official Plan was adopted by Town
Council in 2010, and approved by York Region in 2012. The Official
Plan is now in the process of being updated to help guide the Town’s
growth and development to the year 2051.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report is to
provide an overview and evaluation of the initiatives undertaken and
a summary of the input received from the public and key
stakeholders during Phase 1 of the Official Plan Review (“OPR”).
OBJECTIVES
The engagement objectives for Phase 1 were:
• To educate the public about the purpose of the Project and
the importance of the Official Plan;
• To develop a recognizable project brand and use it
consistently;
• To collect feedback during activities / events through visual
and tactile engagement techniques and leveraging the
digital platform and its online tools; and
• To refine the OP vision, which will be used as the basis for
understanding issues and developing policy.
TIMELINE OVERVIEW
THE PRE-LAUNCH
In Summer and Fall 2019, the Town conducted a Pre-Launch for its
OPR to introduce the Project and build public awareness. A series
of Planner Pop-Ups were held across the community, prior to the
release of the issuance of a draft Public Engagement and
Communications Strategy (“PECS”) on November 6, 2019. The
purpose of the PECS was to serve as a framework to guide
members of Council, key stakeholders and residents of the Town
and ensure they are kept informed during all phases of the OPR. On
December 3, 2019, a Staff Report to General Committee was
presented which recommended that public notice be given for a
Special Meeting of Council in accordance with Section 26 of the
Planning Act. On February 11, 2020, Town staff held a Special
Meeting of Council to formally initiate the OPR process and invite
the public to identify matters of interest relating to the process.
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PROJECT TEAM
In February 2020, the Town retained WSP as the Public
Engagement Consultant for the OPR. As a first measure, WSP
developed a Public Engagement Plan (“PEP”) consistent with the
Town’s proposed project timeline and PECS. In Summer 2020, the
Town retained SGL as the Study Consultant Lead, to undertake the
technical review of the Official Plan. 2
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2
THE LAUNCH OF PHASE 1
In Fall 2020, Phase 1 of the Project was officially launched publicly
through various communications, including a media release, social
media and mobile signs. The launch promoted the Town’s new web
platform, Engage Aurora, including the OPR project website
(engageaurora.ca/opr). The project website (see Figure 1) included
a video and leveraged a number of interactive tools (such as a live
poll) to solicit feedback from the public. The project website also
contained important information about the project, such as a
timeline, relevant documents, and a FAQ.
Figure 1: Project website
PHASE 1 ENGAGEMENT
Following the launch, the Project Team established a Community
Steering Committee (“CSC”) based on a hybrid approach of Town
appointed members and an open call for participants. The purpose
of the CSC is to provide a sounding board to the Project Team and
share insights into key issues and draft policy during the OPR
process. A Leadership Team (“LT”) was established which included
select members of Council and senior-level Town staff. The purpose
of the LT is to provide high level project oversight and to identify
issues of significance to be addressed through strategic policy
directions. Introductory meetings were held in Fall 2020 with both
the CSC and LT.
In October 2020, two key project initiatives were launched including
a Vision Workshop and a Self-Guided Walking Tour.
The following sections provide detailed information on the approach
and methodology used, the analysis of feedback received and
lessons learned by the Project Team during Phase 1 of the Project.
COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT
TACTICS
MEDIA & SOCIAL MEDIA
To inform the public about the Project and engagement
opportunities, communications were published in the manner
described in Table 1. Figures 2 and 3 provide examples of Project
communications.
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3
Table 1: Communications during Phase 1 of the OPR
Format Date (2020) Purpose
Project Website June 15 Call for CSC
members
Project Website August 13 Announce CSC and
LT
Social Media* October 5, 14 &
17
Promote Vision
Workshop
Social Media* October 8 & 16 Promote Walking
Tour
Project Website October 7 Promote Vision
Workshop & Walking
Tour
Mobile Signs Early October Promote Vision
Workshop
Note: * includes Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Figure 2: Mobile sign post to promote Vision Workshop
Figure 3: Social media post (Twitter) promoting the Walking Tour
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4
PROJECT WEBSITE
The project website offers a central location to learn about the OPR
process and project milestones, upcoming engagement events, as
well as the opportunity to participate in ongoing activities. As of
October 27th, 2020, there were 744 total visitors to the project
website, with 29 visitors who participated in one of the website’s
online tools.
During Phase 1 of the Project, the Tour (Places), Poll, Comments
and Ideas tools were used to solicit public feedback. The Newsfeed
tool was also used to provide ongoing announcements and updates
on engagement initiatives.
The Poll, Comments and Ideas tools remain active / open and offer
opportunities for participants to identify their top priorities or
concerns for Aurora. The Poll tool asks participants to identify what
topic is most important to them, as shown in Figure 4. The
Comments tool asks participants, “W hat are the most important
issues facing Aurora in the next 25+ years, and how do you see the
community evolving”? The Ideas tool offers the opportunity for
participants to share their vision for the future of Aurora.
Figure 4: Project website poll
The Tour (Places) tool was used to gather feedback through a Self-
Guided Walking Tour during the period of October 5th to October
28th (see Figure 5). This tool provided the opportunity for participants
to share their ideas on features or characteristics in the Town that
are the most meaningful to them, should be protected, or need
improvement.
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5
Figure 5: Self-Guided Walking Tour on project website
COMMUNITY STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING #1
The first CSC meeting was held virtually on the evening of
September 24th, 2020. The purpose of this meeting was to introduce
CSC members and the Project Team, review the OPR process,
define the role of the CSC, and discuss key issues within the Town.
LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING #1
The first LT meeting was held virtually on October 13th, 2020. The
purpose of this meeting was to introduce LT members and the
Project Team, review the OPR process, discuss key issues and
review the next steps of the Project.
VISION WORKSHOP
On October 22nd, 2020, a Vision Workshop was held virtually with
the public (see Figure 6). The event was advertised through
EventBrite and required an RSVP. Twenty (20) participants
registered for the event, and ten (10) attended the workshop.
Notably, Mayor Mrakas attended the workshop and provided
introductory remarks.
The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the gaps and changes
required to the existing Official Plan vision and guiding principles.
The workshop ended by informing attendees about the Project’s
next steps and how to stay involved in the process.
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6
Figure 6: Presentation slide from vision workshop
In order to generate discussion, the online live polling tool
MentiMeter was used to ask questions during the workshop,
followed by group discussion questions.
WHAT WE HEARD
Feedback received during Phase 1 Engagement ranged in topics,
however, key themes emerged and will be incorporated into the
Vision and Guiding Principles for the OPR. For a detailed summary
of feedback heard during each of the Phase 1 engagement
activities, please refer to Appendix A. The following subsections
provide a summary of the key emergent themes.
VISION
The Town of Aurora offers the charm and appeal of a small town,
with access to natural and cultural amenities that are valued by the
community. However, Aurora is also experiencing significant
growth, an increasing lack of housing affordability, and ongoing
vacancies among storefronts in the downtown core. Thus, it is
important to manage the Town’s growth in a way that preserves its
existing natural features, while encouraging economic development
and sustainable practices to provide employment opportunities. To
ensure households of all abilities and life stages can afford to rent
or own a place to call home, a range of housing typologies are
required to provide a more robust housing stock and options for
residents. As the Town is growing in population and demographics,
it is imperative that it evolves to build communities where all
residents feel safe, valued and accepted.
When considering the future vision for the Town, Figure 7 provides
key terms that resonated with Vision Workshop participants. This
includes terms from the current Official Plan Vision such as
sustainability, housing, healthy, public transportation, accessibility
and heritage, which are depicted in coloured text. The black text
provides new terms the participants believe should be added to the
Vision, including diversity and inclusion, housing choice and
affordability, job availability, dynamic and safe.
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7
Figure 7: Word cloud of key terms to be considered for the Town vision
during vision workshop
KEY THEMES
The following themes were identified following analysis of feedback
received from the Phase 1 engagement activities:
• Growth Management
• Attainable Housing
• Preserving Natural Areas
• Sustainability and Climate Change
• Diversity and Inclusion
GROWTH MANAGEMENT
With ongoing development and growth pressures within the Town,
it is essential that natural and cultural features are identified and
preserved. With future growth, it is also important to manage the
increased pressure to the Town’s existing infrastructure and ensure
there is capacity to accommodate future development. This includes
traffic controls to mitigate congestion, as well as encouraging active
transportation options through increased transit service and
pedestrian-oriented design.
ATTAINABLE HOUSING
Providing a range of housing options is critical to addressing the
increasing housing affordability concerns within Aurora. To
complement the existing neighbourhood character, gentle density
should be considered, such as semi-detached houses, townhouses,
duplexes, triplexes, court apartments and secondary units. A variety
of rental and home ownership tenures should be made available to
meet the needs of diverse individuals of different income levels,
ages and abilities. This would allow housing choice for residents,
while also contributing to creating a vibrant and active community.
During the CSC meeting, its members identified Complete
Communities as being their top priority, as shown in Figure 8. Many
members raised the concern of housing affordability and providing
a mix of housing typologies as a top priority.
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8
Figure 8: Top priorities in Aurora among CSC members
PRESERVING NATURAL AREAS
The Town of Aurora is located within close proximity to a variety of
natural areas including the Oak Ridges Moraine, the Greenbelt,
conservation areas, parks, trails, woodlots and wetlands. As such,
it is important to preserve these areas as well as provide greater
access to these amenities within the Town.
As shown in Figure 9, the project website’s polling results identified
Natural Environment & Climate Change as the topic most important
to participants.
Figure 9: Poll tool results from the project website
SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
To foster sustainability, the Town’s Official Plan will need to consider
multiple factors that:
• Protect the natural environment;
• Encourage healthy activities;
5.9%
17.7%
35.3%
41.2%
0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%
Cultural Heritage & Archaeology
Natural Heritage
Growth Management & Infrastructure
Complete Communities
Top Priority Among CSC Members
Results
Page 19 of 32
9
• Build self-sufficiency and resilience;
• Encourage climate resilient growth;
• Support alternative transportation options; and
• Balance growth and preservation of greenspace.
The Official Plan should also support climate change mitigation
strategies, and should consider the development of targets to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adoption of sustainable
practices.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
The Town of Aurora has changed since its last Official Plan, and the
updated Plan should respond to the Town’s growing and diversifying
population. This includes building a community where all residents
feel safe, valued and accepted, which can be achieved by providing
services, amenities and housing options that are suitable to different
needs of residents.
PHASE 1 EVALUATION
To ensure that the community engagement approach continues to
be meaningful and effective moving forward, the Project Team has
committed to evaluating each phase of engagement to identify
strengths and opportunities for improvement and to articulate the
lessons learned.
STRENGTHS
Project Branding & Collaboration: Working with the Town’s
Communications and Graphics teams, there has been a
coordinated effort regarding messaging and media posts for the
project. Materials shared on the project website, social media
platforms and mobile signs share the same messaging and project
branding. Further, a set of icons were developed to represent each
key focus area (Growth and Infrastructure, Complete Communities,
Natural Heritage, Cultural Heritage & Archaeology), which will be
used throughout the project.
Figure 10: Project key focus area icons
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
Vision Workshop Attendance: Prior to the Vision Workshop,
twenty (20) people registered to participate, however only ten (10)
attended the workshop. This event was promoted on the Town’s
social media accounts, project website, mobile signs and by Project
participants. However, it would be beneficial to leverage other
means to promote the Project and its engagement events in Phase
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10
2. The project team will discuss opportunities and strategies to
further promote upcoming initiatives with Town Staff.
LESSONS LEARNED
Project Champions: In addition to promoting engagement activities
through channels used during Phase 1, the Project Team
recommends selecting strategic champions for the Project as a way
to gain more interest within the community.
NEXT STEPS
Over Fall and Winter 2020/2021, the Project Team will issue a
Vision Survey to confirm what was heard during Phase 1.
As part of Phase 2 of the OPR, the following engagement events
and tactics are planned:
• Four (4) CSC Meetings
• Four (4) LT Meetings
• Four (4) Public Open Houses in support of Discussion
Papers
• Four (4) Focus Group Discussions (Business Owners,
Seniors, Cultural Groups, Youth)
• Ongoing social media posts, project website content, mobile
signs and other communications
These efforts will complement and inform the development of the
four (4) Discussion Papers to guide the Town’s updated Official
Plan.
Page 21 of 32
APPENDIX
A Engagement
Activities
Summary
Page 22 of 32
PROJECT WEBSITE – TOUR TOOL
The Self-Guided Walking Tour received a total of twenty-three (23)
comments highlighting locations that are important to residents or
identified as needing improvement.
The fourteen (14) pins highlighting areas and topics of importance
include:
• Various natural areas (Sheppard’s Bush Conservation Area,
Town Park, Vandorf Woodlot, Aurora Community Arboretum)
• New development should be built to complement surrounding
areas (i.e. Edward Street and Yonge Street near Bloomington
Road developments)
• Hillary House
• Library Square revitalization
The nine (9) pins identifying areas needing improvement include:
• Various vacant properties along Yonge Street
• Road design and revitalization at the intersection of Yonge
Street and Wellington Street
• Unsafe intersection at Leslie Street and Vandorf Sideroad
• Impacts to businesses due to Wellington Street East Metrolinx
underpass work
Figure 1: Self-Guided Walking Tour on project website
Page 23 of 32
PROJECT WEBSITE - POLL, COMMENTS & IDEAS TOOLS
Through the project website’s Poll, Comments and Ideas tools,
feedback received included sixteen (16) responses to the Poll, ten (10)
posts using the Comments tool, and two (2) posts using the Ideas tool.
Results from the Poll as of November 3rd, 2020 show that respondents
find the Natural Environment & Climate Change to be the most
important topic, as shown on Figure 2.
Figure 2: Poll tool results from the project website
Results from the Comments and Ideas tools align with feedback
received during other engagement activities, focusing on the following
topics:
• Balance growth and the natural environment;
• Preserve green spaces, woodlands, lakes and wetlands;
• Provide affordable housing options;
• Improve transit to help address traffic congestion and create
walkable communities;
• Maintain Aurora’s small-town charm;
• Ensure community services reflect the needs of the Town's
growing and diverse residents; and
• Consider updating Secondary Plans to reflect present day
issues and policies discussed during the OPR process.
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COMMUNITY STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING #1
During the meeting discussion, CSC members identified their top
priorities being Complete Communities and Growth Management &
Infrastructure, as shown in Figure 3 below.
Figure 3: Top priorities in Aurora among CSC members
In particular, the CSC discussion focused on the following concerns:
• Growth pressures in the Town;
• Existing infrastructure capacity and its ability to accommodate
growth;
• Maintaining the charm and general “vibe” of Aurora over the
next 30 years;
• Providing housing options, such as “missing middle”
typologies, and affordable housing for older adults and
younger generations;
• Exploring future employment opportunities and means to
support existing businesses;
• Preserving natural heritage features and resources by
balancing growth and conservation (i.e. St. John’s Forest);
• Prioritizing diversity and inclusion to create safe communities
for everyone; and
• Preservation of Town’s cultural heritage features.
5.9%
17.7%
35.3%
41.2%
0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%
Cultural Heritage & Archaeology
Natural Heritage
Growth Management & Infrastructure
Complete Communities
Top Priority Among CSC Members
Results
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LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING #1
During the initial LT meeting, members discussed the topics of height,
density and housing. Highlights from this discussion include:
• Preference to maintain a height of seven storeys or less;
• Investigate the use of townhomes as higher density housing
options;
• Investigate bungalows as an option to allow aging-in-place;
and
• Revisit CIP enacting policies as they relate to heritage
buildings/districts.
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VISION WORKSHOP
During Activity 1 of the Vision Workshop, feedback was collected from
attendees to identify terms from the Town’s existing Vision that are still
applicable as well as those terms that are missing. Existing terms
such as sustainability, housing, healthy, public transportation,
accessibility and heritage were most prominently identified by
participants as terms that should remain in the updated Town vision,
as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Word cloud MentiMeter results from Vision Workshop
When asked what was missing from the vision, participants identified
terms such as diversity and inclusion, affordability and choice.
Figure 5: Missing terms identified during Vision Workshop
Further discussion identified key considerations such as:
• Sustainability should encompass multiple facets, such as
protecting the environment, encouraging a healthy
community, creating a self-sufficient Town, providing public
transit and community programming.
• Provide a mix of housing types and choices that can serve a
range of income levels with parks and amenities within close
proximity.
During Activity 2, the Official Plan’s Fundamental Principles were
divided into four themes and discussed as a group. This feedback has
been summarized in Table 1.
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Table 1: Activity 2 feedback during Vision Workshop
Theme Feedback
Growth &
Infrastructure
- Manage growth to lessen impacts to
natural areas; protect natural features
- Allow for organic growth by becoming
a community of best practices (i.e.
sustainable practices, provide
community amenities, cultural events,
economic opportunities, etc.)
Neighbourhoods
of the Future
- Provide more housing options such as
bungalows, triplexes, co-ops, purpose-
built rental, etc. (i.e. John Westway
offers stacked townhomes, semi-
detached units and retirement living
options)
- Consider innovative housing types
(i.e. assisted living with daycare
services in same building)
- Provide safe parks, green spaces and
meeting places within neighbourhoods
to create vibrancy
Downtown and
Community
Vitality
- Community facilities, restaurants,
parks, green spaces and trails are
important
- Maintain small-town charm of
downtown main street
Green
Community
- Adopt sustainable practices (i.e. solar
panels)
- Increase access points to existing
green spaces
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PLACES RESIDENTS IDENTIFIED AS IMPORTANT TO THEM
PLACES RESIDENTS IDENTIFIED AS NEEDING IMPROVEMENT
Attachment 2
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Attachment 3
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PROJECT SCHEDULE 2020 2021 2022
JUL.AUG.SEPT.OCT.NOV.DEC.JAN.FEB.MAR.APR.MAY JUN.JUL.AUG.SEPT.OCT.NOV.DEC.JAN.FEB.MAR.APR.MAY JUN.JUL.AUG.SEPT.OCT.NOV.DEC.
PHASE 1 - Background Review
Task 1.1 Team Meeting #1: Project Kick-off and Town Tour
Task 1.2 Background Review
Task 1.3 Update & Consolidation of 2010 Official Plan
NEW LT Meeting #1: Project Kick-off
NEW CSC Meeting #1
Task 1.4 Team Meeting #2: Discussion of Findings from Background Review and Visioning of Phase 2
Task 1.5 Public Engagement #1 - Visioning
Task 1.7 Bi-Weekly Project Management Meetings with Key Staff
PHASE 2 - Background Studies and Discussion Papers
Task 2.1 Growth Management & Municipal Comprehensive Review Study
Task 2.2 Infrastructure Discssion Paper
NEW CSC Meeting #2 - Growth Management and Infrastructure
Task 2.3 Natural Heritage Study & Discussion Paper
NEW CSC Meeting #3 - Natural Heritage
Task 2.4 Complete Communities Discussion Paper
NEW CSC Meeting #4 - Complete Communities
Task 2.5 Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Discussion Paper
NEW CSC Meeting #5 - Cultural Heritage and Archaeology
Task 2.6 Policy Gap Analysis
Task 2.7 Coordination of Discussion Papers
Task 2.8 Team Meeting #3: Findings from Discussion Papers
Task 2.9 LT Meeting #2: Presentation of Discussion Paper Findings
Task 2.10 TSC Meeting #1: Presentation of Discussion Paper Findings
Task 2.12 Public Engagement #2 - Growth Management and Infrastructure
NEW Public Engagement #3 - Natural Heritage
NEW Public Engagement #4 - Complete Communities
NEW Public Engagement #5 - Cultural Heritage and Archaeology
Task 2.13 Finalize Discussion Papers
Task 2.14 Council Meeting (General Committee): Presentation of Final Discussion Papers
Task 2.15 Bi-Weekly Project Management Meetings with Key Staff
PHASE 3 - Policy Development
NEW CSC Meeting #6 - Presentation of Final Discussion Papers
Task 3.1 Draft Policy Directions Report(s)
Task 3.2 Team Meeting #4: Review Draft Policy Directions Report(s)
NEW CSC Meeting #7 - Policy Directions
Task 3.3 Revise Draft Policy Directions Report(s)
Task 3.4 LT Meeting #3: Presentation of Draft Policy Directions Report(s)
Task 3.5 TSC Meeting #2: Presentation of Draft Policy Directions Report(s)
Task 3.7 Public Engagement #6 - Open House
Task 3.8 Finalize Policy Directions Report(s)
Task 3.9 Council Meeting (General Committee): Presentation of Final Policy Driections Report(s)
Task 3.10 Bi-Weekly Project Management Meetings with Key Staff
PHASE 4 - Official Plan Amendments
Task 4.1 Draft Official Plan and Secondary Plan Amendments
Task 4.2 Team Meeting #5: Discussion of Draft Official Plan and Secondary Plan Amendments
Task 4.3 Circulation of Draft Official Plan and Secondary Plan Amendments
Task 4.4 LT Meeting #4: Review of Draft Official Plan and Secondary Plan Amendments
Task 4.5 TSC Meeting #3: Review of Draft Official Plan and Secondary Plan Amendments
Task 4.6 CSC Meeting #8: Review of Draft Official Plan and Secondary Plan Amendments
Task 4.7 Public Engagement #7 - Open House
Task 4.8 Team Meeting #6: Revise Draft Official Plan and Secondary Plan Amendments
Task 4.9 Statutory Public Meeting
Task 4.10 Finalize Official Plan and Secondary Plan Amendments
Task 4.11 Team Meeting #7: Final Official Plan and Secondary Plan Amendments
Task 4.12 Council Adoption of Official Plan and Secondary Plan Amendments
Task 4.13 Bi-Weekly Project Management Meetings with Key Staff
PHASE 5 - Regional Approval
Task 5.1 Coordination with Regional Staff and Circulation
Task 5.2 Report to Town Council on Regional Draft Modifications
Task 5.3 Regional Council Approval with Modifications
Task 5.4 Bi-Weekly Project Management Meetings with Key Staff
Team Meeting (x7)
Leadership Team (LT) Meetings (x4)
Technical Steering Committee (TSC) (x3) - same amount of meetings
Community Steering Committee (CSC) (x8) - increased by 5 meetings
Council Meeting
Public Engagement (x7) - increased by 2 events
Attachment 4 Page 31 of 32
The Corporation of The Town of Aurora
By-law Number XXXX-20
Being a By-law to confirm actions by Council
resulting from a Council Public Planning meeting
on December 8, 2020.
The Council of the Corporation of The Town of Aurora hereby enacts as follows:
1. That the actions by Council at its Council Public Planning meeting held on
December 8, 2020, in respect of each motion, resolution and other action passed
and taken by the Council at the said meeting is hereby adopted, ratified and
confirmed.
2. That the Mayor and the proper officers of the Town are hereby authorized and
directed to do all things necessary to give effect to the said action or to obtain
approvals where required and to execute all documents as may be necessary in
that behalf and the Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to affix the corporate
seal to all such documents.
Enacted by Town of Aurora Council this 8th day of December, 2020.
Tom Mrakas, Mayor
Michael de Rond, Town Clerk
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