CCKT AGM Is planned for October 23rd, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
The key theme of the evening will be: Five Ways to Build the Housing We Truly Need, and How to Take Action. We welcome guest speaker, Franz Hartmann of the Alliance for a Liveable Ontario (ALO).
Please bring a neighbour!
You may preview the key housing ideas on the ALO Website with Five Ways Home videos and text.
Neighbourhood Plans for Core Areas of King City and Nobleton
The Neighbourhood Plan process continues to move forward with relatively good citizen and Council engagement. On Monday, September 23, Draft Concept Plans for the core areas of both King City and Nobleton were presented to Council.
Key Components of each draft concept plan include:
–– Diversified housing options (including 25% affordable units)
–– Mixed use (residential and commercial)
–– Multi-unit buildings up to six storeys.
–– Pedestrian walkways to better connect parts of the core areas.
–– Outdoor plaza (gathering space for the public), plus indoor space.
Possible water feature for summer that could be converted to a public skating rink in the winter.
–– Provision for parking (including underground parking in King City)
–– Conservation and integration of many heritage structures.
–– Significant intensification of two core areas.
–– Landscaping with “community gardens” and “pollinator gardens”
–– First Nations art garden with native plants, shrubs and trees
–– Retaining recreation space in parks and enhancing natural heritage
–– Repurposing or replacement of municipal buildings (e.g. King City arena, old King City Seniors Centre, Nobleton Community Hall)
Members of the public affirmed several aspects of the plans that they liked, and also expressed concerns related to traffic, and with the amount of intensification and heights of up to six storeys for many of the buildings shown on the concept plan maps. CCKT presented an oral deputation and written comments. Here is a link to CCKT’s written submission.
Two people asked to have the process timeline extended in order to engage more members of the public and to review the plans further, so we get them “right”. Township Council approved extending the planning process for the Neighbourhood Plans into 2025, and recommended holding another set of Open Houses for the public. The revised timeline and dates for future Open Houses are to be announced.
Members of the public can visit SpeaKING on the Township website to read more about the Neighbourhood Plans process, to view the Draft Concept Plans and maps, and to send comments to planners. Here is a link: https://speaking.king.ca/neighbourhoodplans
Save Mary Lake
As members know CCKT has partnered with Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM) Coalition in striving to protect and conserve the sensitive natural heritage features at the Mary Lake site including the kettle lake and provincially significant wetland areas, and to limit new development on this site. The lake, wetlands, forests, meadows, farmland and existing buildings of the Marylake community are completely outside the King City Settlement Area on a sensitive parcel of land in a protected part of the Oak Ridges Moraine. Designations under the provincial ORM Conservation Plan include Natural Core, Natural Linkage and Countryside.
Prior to the plan for a new proposed Long Term Care facility at Mary Lake, natural heritage surveys, studies and observations on this site have indicated significant bio-diversity. Past studies by Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) have identified ten different fish species in Mary Lake and its tributaries. A key concern for CCKT and STORM is the potential harm to aquatic species in the the lake and wetlands from permanent de-watering around the foundation of the proposed LTC facility and the stormwater runoff with salt and other contaminants from the new road network and new parking areas.
As you may recall, an Application for Investigation to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) was submitted by CCKT and STORM in January. The MECP did carry out an investigation including two site visits in the spring. To date MECP has not observed non-compliance to provincial acts or any harm to the lake or wetlands and state that compliance or enforcement action is not “necessary currently.” MECP’s language is very important here with the use of the word “currently”, meaning that action may be required in the future.
Work on the Marylake site has slowed and we understand there is no de-watering or stormwater discharge taking place at the sensitive site beside Mary Lake. STORM and CCKT will continue to monitor the situation and consider future actions.
In the fall edition of Ontario Nature magazine there is an article titled Save Mary Lake: https://catalog.ontarionature.org/fall-2024/page/14-15
King Township Official Plan Review and Growth Management Strategy
The five-year review of King’s Official Plan, which was approved in 2019, has been launched along with updating King’s Growth Management Strategy. Population forecasts for residential and employment up to 2051 are included. Please use the link below to access important information from King’s policy planners, and to provide comments.
https://speaking.king.ca/our-king-official-plan-review
Population Forecast for King Township to 2051
On September 23, a presentation was given to King Township Council regarding population forecasts for residential and for employment in King Township up to 2051. This is part of updating King’s Growth Management and Employment Lands Strategy. King’s population is forecast to reach 51,000 residents and 17,700 jobs by 2051. To read the staff report use this link: https://pub-king.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=2365
“Taking Action Together’”
This title comes from the Title of the presentation by Franz Hartmann from the ALO at the AGM on Oct. 23rd
In Closing
CCKT welcomes the active participation of its members in a number of ways. There is a need for writers on a variety of topics which are important to CCKT – letters, articles, written submissions and newsletters. In addition speakers at Council Meetings, members of sub-committees, researchers, graphic designers, and those with specific experience and training, are all able to contribute. The CCKT Board also welcomes new Board members.
Please contact CCKT through the website or speak to a Board Member if you are interested in participating more actively.
All the very best,
Bruce Craig, Chair,
on behalf of the CCKT Board and Leadership Team:
(Bruce Craig, Fred Jessop, Lee Ann Kraft, Geoff Simpson, Cathy Wellesley and Deb Schulte)