Summary:

High-Level Summary

The North York Community Council, chaired by James Pastak, held a special meeting to tackle urgent planning matters related to parkland dedication and development proposals on Young Street. Key participants included Councillor Chang and Lori Payne, Chief Operating Officer for OGC. This meeting aimed to expedite the discussions to meet the October deadline for the Steeles-Yonge Secondary Plan (OPA 615).

Important Topics Discussed

1. Parkland Dedication at 6125 Young Street (File 16.1)

   • Councillor Chang and staff deliberated the potential for an offsite parkland dedication that connects with an existing onsite dedication at 6167 Young Street, enhancing accessibility to Center Park. Chang queried, "There is potential to expand that [parkland] and then would that not then create a connection towards Center Park?"

2. Urgent Meeting Justification

   • Staff stressed the need for this special summer meeting to advance settlements on files 6125 and 6355 Young Street, crucial for the upcoming OPA 615 hearing in October. It was noted, "The files were deemed urgent [...] it would allow us to move forward on the settlement on the other file on the OPA 615 file."

3. Concerns Over Holding Summer Meetings

   • Councillor Pastak raised issues about the inopportune timing of statutory meetings during summer, possibly hindering public participation. "Now could holding this meeting today and maybe even preventing people from deputing, could that trigger another appeal?" Pastak questioned.

4. Development at 6355 Young Street (File 16.2)

   • Lori Payne elaborated on the benefits of the new development, stressing its alignment with the subway line extension and the Young Street North secondary plan. Payne also addressed community concerns about parking, offering to increase visitor parking: "We'd like to offer an additional three parking spaces, reduce our resident parking and increase our visitor parking to help come together."

5. City's Parking Policy

   • The ongoing dissatisfaction with visitor parking in suburb developments was a point of contention. Councillor Chang highlighted the concerns shared with Councillor Carroll about the city's current parking policies. "Are you aware that Councillor Carroll and myself have raised concerns about the city's current policy in the suburb areas due to the lack of existing parking infrastructure?"

Opportunities for Public Input

• Residents can provide input during scheduled public consultations or submit feedback through the North York Community Council page at toronto.ca. Although no new consultations were announced in the meeting, ongoing public comments, particularly regarding parking concerns, are valued.

Motions and Outcomes

1. 6125 Young Street (File 16.1)

   • Motion to Secure Parkland Dedication
     • Outcome: Passed unanimously
     • Follow-Up Actions: Continue working with the applicant to secure additional parkland dedication.

2. 6355 Young Street (File 16.2)

   • Approval of Development Proposal with Additional Visitor Parking
     • Outcome: Passed unanimously
     • Follow-Up Actions: Include additional visitor parking spaces as part of the development proposal.

Councillors Present

• James Pastak (Chair)
• Councillor Chang