Gordon Prentice at Large - Politics in Newmarket
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- Written by: Gordon Prentice
Why did the Provincial Government insert a new category of “special provisions” into the York Regional Plan to allow a high-density development in Aurora (at Leslie and Wellington Street East) that the Town had previously rejected? 
A fascinating article in Politics Today quotes Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas:
“This was absolutely unexpected. There was no consultation with the town, no consultation with the region. I hate to say it, but it reeks of a favour for a friend.”
It turns out the landowner hired lobbyist Patrick Lavelle-Tuns in early October to influence Municipal Affairs Minister Steven Clark. Lavelle-Tuns was deputy Manager of Doug Ford’s 2018 PC leadership campaign.
The Aurora "special provision" was one of five changing policy on specified lands.
80 changes
The York Regional Official Plan was approved by the Province on 4 November 2022 and makes no less than 80 modifications, without giving reasons beyond what we can deduce from the text itself. York Region staff were not consulted on the changes and the implications are still unclear.
The memorandum presented to the Regional Council on Thursday (10 November) by the region’s chief planner, Paul Freeman, and explaining the changes is here. The most significant relate to lands delineated for future urban expansion and the consequent threat to agricultural lands.
The decision on the York Regional Plan came on the same day as the announcement on the release of Greenbelt lands for development.
Up-in-the-air
A number of issues important to Newmarket are left up in the air.
The Province deletes the proposed Mulock GO Rail Station from Appendix 2 on the grounds that it (along with Gormley and Kirby):
“require further planning and consultation to finalise their location and delineation.”
But Freeman says:
“the adopted Regional Official Plan (that was presented to the Province for approval) included greater protection for these lands by identifying preliminary boundaries and making them subject to policies that would ensure transit-supportive development.”
He says that while the Province has taken a different approach “the intent remains relatively equal”.
If so, why do it?
York Region left in the dark
Freeman sums it up this way:
"The approved Regional Official Plan 2022 includes growth beyond assumptions made through the Municipal Comprehensive Review process, examples being additional urban expansion, higher densities and conversions of employment areas to community areas. The implications of these changes will need to be assessed from a servicing perspective."
And from a political perspective too.
Gordon Prentice 12 November 2022
Update on 23 November 2022: from Newmarket Today: The future of Mulock GO rail station
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- Written by: Gordon Prentice
A resolution carried by King's Committee of the Whole yesterday (7 November 2022) suggests the new owner of the Greenbelt lands west of Bathurst is "committed to providing the necessary lands" to Southlake Regional Health Centre for a "nominal fee".
The resolution is at 3:18:40 on this YouTube clip.
Click "read more" to see the resolution.
Gordon Prentice 8 November 2022
Update on 9 November 2022: Toronto Star editorial: The Greenbelt is for nature not housing. And from Newmarket Today: Newmarket Environmentalists concerned by Greenbelt Development
From Newmarket Today: King urges Province not to re-designate potential Southlake site
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- Written by: Gordon Prentice
The land west of Bathurst and immediately adjacent to Newmarket which is currently Greenbelt will be worth an absolute fortune when that status is removed and it becomes available for development. 
The Province announced on Friday 4 November 2022 that it was redesignating 7,400 acres of Greenbelt to accommodate new housing.
The huge parcel of (soon-to-be ex-Greenbelt) land at Bathurst was sold in September this year for $80M. It covers a massive 2.78 sq kms.
Land Banking Opportunity
The real estate agents, Moffat Dunlap, described the 687 acres as a prime opportunity for “land banking”.
They say the land is located
“across the road from completed subdivisions”
and is:
“a unique opportunity to acquire the largest block of land ever assembled in the area. Multiple houses and barns on the property which support the existing cash crop and livestock farm. The tenant farmer is willing to continue to work the land to keep the taxes low.”
"Almost out of development land"
The estate agents say the land is in a strategic location and that the
“surrounding municipalities are almost out of development land.”
For the new owners, the redesignated Greenbelt land will now be worth many, many multiples of the $80M they paid for it only a few months ago.
The land is shown in this Land Registry map, bottom left, as lots 3, 4 and 5 of Block 03407 together with the northern half of lot 2.
Gordon Prentice 8 November 2022
Update on 17 November 2022: From the Toronto Star: They recently bought Greenbelt land that was undevelopable. Now the Ford government is poised to remove protections - and these developers stand to profit
Updated on 5 February 2023: The blog as originally posted said the land was sold in August 2022. It was, in fact, sold on 15 September 2022.
