Monday's meeting addressed an important document that will guide the growth of King Township through 2051 as well as the new Official Plan Review.
Take note that in the transportation section of the Official Plan Review the town is considering extending 15th sideroad across the 400 highway as a by-pass for transport trucks. More on this very important matter and how you can have your say below (click on the Official Plan Review in Quick Links to go straight there).
Quick Links
Mayor’s Comments
• King Township was awarded the Governor General’s Award for Architecture for the King City Public Library and Seniors Centre. Adele Reid, the CEO of King's libraries, and the Mayor went to Ottawa to receive the award from both the current and past Governor Generals. You can see the award on display at the King City Library.
• Thank to to our Public Works Department for working tirelessly to clear over 60" of snowfall last weekend. King has already removed 751 trucks full of snow from the township and crews are now focused on opening up catch basins so that the snow melt has a place to go. Check the catch basin in front of your property and if there has been an oversight please contact Service King: 905-833-5321; serviceking@king.ca
A reminder to please not park on the street, don’t push your snow onto the street, and don’t leave garbage and recycle bins on the roadway.
• Ask King Zoning is a new service introduced to give direct access to zoning staff for personalized support and answers to zoning related questions. This will help with zoning by-law questions, building standards, heights, set-backs, and understanding the permit process. Click here for more.
• Taste of King is on from February 22 through March 8th. Savour the prix-fixe menus and special promotion in King township restaurants. Menus are available here. #SupportLocal
• Cold Creek Maple Syrup Fest is on Saturday March 1 from 10am until 2pm with a pancake breakfast from 10am until 12pm. Join guided hikes through the sugar bush, witness tree tapping demonstrations and immerse yourself in lessons at the evaporator. Click here for more.
• Nominations are open for the Volunteer Appreciation Awards until March 9th. Categories include Citizen of the Year, Special Recognition Award for Residents and Non-Residents, Senior Citizen Award of Merit, Lifetime Achievement, and Youth Award of Merit. Submit your nominations online at king.ca/awards
• Summer Camps registration is just around the corner. The guide is online and has information on the one week sessions running from June 30 through August 29 at various location in Nobleton, Schomberg, and King City including the new Zancor Centre. Camps cover a wide range of interests from sports, science and technology, leadership, and much more. Register early to not be disappointed.
• Positions are available for Summer Camps including Directors, Coordinators, Councillors, Seasonal Parks Workers, Outdoor Program Facilitators and more. Application deadline is March 14th. Check out the postings here.
Growth Management and Employment Land Strategies
• As part of King’s requirement to plan for future growth up to 2051, Watson & Associates were hired to prepare a population and employment land strategy. The report to council was done in conjunction with a number of consultations and will help inform the Official Plan review, various Master Plan updates, and the Development Charges review. The highlights of the report and some of my own remarks (noted with >JA<) are as follows:
1) Council endorsed the following minimum population, housing, and employment forecasts for the Township to 2051:
a) A population growth forecast of 21,200 people, resulting in a total population of 51,000 people for the Township;
b) A forecast of 8,400 new households, resulting in a total of 17,400 households for the Township; and
c) An employment growth forecast of 7,060 new jobs, resulting in a total of 17,700 jobs for the Township.
>JA< These are the minimum targets. King is required to accommodate the population forecast that was approved by the province in the York Region Official Plan and can approve more but not less.
The employment target keeps the existing balance in King at 96% residential and 4% commercial/employment tax ratio. King's CAO has advised, however, that King should strive for a 90/10 split which would help reduce the tax burden on residents as commercial/employment lands are taxed at a higher rate.
I suggested that the town consider adding more commercial/employment land than is being proposed to improve this ratio. I found it interesting that Watson has noted that if we added all the employment being proposed in Nobleton in Option 1 (see #13) + Option 2 (see #13) + the 10 hectares in Schomberg (see #16) + the Whitebelt land (see #18) + the Laskey hamlet (see #19) all together they would only add an extra 3,000 jobs above 2051 forecast. This would move King to about a 40% employment activity rate (up from the current 35%) which would help to reduce residential tax burden. Note, that even with all of these lands, the town STILL would not meet the 90/10 ideal but it would be better than the 96/4 we have now.
The challenge with designating all of these lands for employment now is that some landowners might then apply to have it re-zoned as residential. It would then be up to council to approve or refuse – a decision which is not appealable.
2) Council endorse the following overall population and housing forecasts by Village, and remaining rural area to 2051:
a) That King City is forecast to grow to a population of 23,220 people, requiring an additional 5,210 households;
b) That Nobleton is projected to grow to a population of 13,580 people, requiring an additional 2,190 households;
c) That Schomberg is forecast to grow to a population of 3,340 people, requiring an additional 300 households; and
d) That the remaining rural area is forecast to grow to a population of 10,860, requiring an additional 120 households.
3) Council endorsed an intensification rate of 50% for the total housing growth between 2024 and 2051, and the following intensification rates for the Built-up Area (BUA) for each Village;
a) 55% for King City;
b) 37% for Nobleton; and
c) 84% for Schomberg.
>JA< The Provincial Growth Plan defines intensification as the development of a property, site or area at a higher density than currently exists. Intensification can contribute to higher density mixed-use communities, offering improved value for infrastructure investments. About half of this intensification will occur in the built-up areas and the other half will be in newly developed Greenfield areas within the existing urban boundaries.
York Region’s Official Plan identifies an intensification target of 4,700 units for King through 2051 and Council adopted Watson’s recommendations of how to accommodate that intensification in each village. While Council technically had the option of re-allocating intensification to different villages, staff pointed out that this could lead to a higher overall population than is targeted. If, for example, King increased its population in Greenfield areas it would not prevent intensification that has already been designated in core areas.
In addition, if King does not plan for the growth where it is likely to occur, there may not be sufficient servicing. King's various Master Plans identify how the town plans for the future and are informed by these numbers - if they aren't accurate the town will not be able to plan appropriately (ex: pipes may not be the right size). Moreover, the cost to the town of the development (roads, sewers, parks, etc.) won’t be properly captured in the Development Charges bylaw correctly leading to future funding shortages.
The intensification can be accommodated through different forms of development rather than through 6+ story apartment buildings that are not in keeping with the towns character. Instead, a variety of different built forms to accommodate different needs will be considered in the new Official Plan.
4) Council directed staff to explore the current and potential future intensification mapping in Appendix C to the Phase 2 Report through the Official Plan Review.
>JA<This intensification will help inform the Neighbourhood Plans Study, both in terms of residential units and population, and employment. A commercial floor space ratio was applied to the lands where mixed use or commercial development is being contemplated, and a number of residential units and population for the Study Area is being attributed based on the amount of intensification that the area can realize. Staff hope that an updated draft of the Neighbourhood Plans will be ready for public consultation later this spring.
Following are the charts from Appendix C:
5) That Council endorse a minimum density target of 35 people and jobs per hectare for the Township’s Designated Greenfield/Growth Area Community Areas.
>JA< King’s current density is about 30 people and jobs per hectare and 7-12 units per hectare, but newer developments such as King City East and Roselena Phase 2 in Schomberg are at the 35 people and jobs per hectare which is about 10-12 units per hectare.
Watson had recommended that King update its Official Plan to account for 50 people and jobs per hectare within new designated growth areas, but Council was not supportive. Given King's current density level, Council noted that this increase was too high and not in keeping with the town's character.
6) That Council endorse the following targets for commercial land areas:
a) A target building coverage of 28%;
b) A commercial land intensification rate of 25% for Nobleton and Schomberg;
c) A commercial land intensification rate of 30% for King City; and
d) A commercial space per capita rate of 37 square feet/resident.
>JA< Commercial land accommodates retail and commercial services and is expected to remain steady through 2015 at 37 sq.ft/capita. Since the population is more than doubling, the commercial space must also grow.
7) That Council endorse the following minimum Employment Land Use forecasts, by market sector:
a) Major Office: 400 jobs, 6% share of growth;
b) Employment Area: 2,540 jobs, 36% share of growth;
c) Population-Related: 3,960 jobs, 56% share of growth; and
d) Rural: 160 jobs, 2% share of growth.
>JA< The province changed the definition of Employment Land to only include manufacturing, warehousing and logistics/transportation and requires that municipalities set aside land for these types of businesses. Service and retail types of employment are deemed Population-Related and accommodated in Commercial areas.
Historically, the majority of the Township's Employment Area growth has been in one Village; Schomberg. We're only now seeing King City's Employment Area beginning to build out, and Nobleton currently has no Employment Area lands.
In looking to 2051, Watson considered a number of factors related to market competitiveness, including access to transportation infrastructure, access to labour and employment markets, supply and market choice of land development opportunities, cost of doing business, the business environment, and quality of life aspects. Further, in assessing land demands trends in Employment Area absorption, growth potential, density and vacant land was considered. This is how the land needs to 2051 were calculated, which determined that Nobleton had the largest shortfall, with a shortfall also identified for Schomberg, based on the vacancy rate being applied to the currently designated Employment Area lands.
While the Provincial Policy Statement doesn't allow us to stop giant warehouses that aren’t in keeping with our communities, King’s new Official Plan can zone these areas for different sizes and lot configurations to help regulate the size of buildings.
8) That Council endorse the following targets for Employment Areas:
a) An intensification target of 15%;
b) A 40% land vacancy factor for Schomberg;
>JA< This is to reflect the lack of development in Schomberg that has occurred historically despite vacant land availability as some land-owners have declined to develop their Employment Land. Currently, these land-owners benefit from a reduced rate for vacant land, but King has recommended to York Region (which sets the rates) that the vacancy reduction from commercial/employment land be removed.
c) An overall employment density of 30 jobs per net hectare; and
d) A gross-to-net ratio of 55%
>JA< This is to accommodate for roads, buffers, etc. that would also need to be accommodated on these lands.
9) That Council endorse the following Employment Area growth forecasts as minimum targets for each Village:
a) King City: 1,090 new Employment Area jobs;
b) Nobleton: 770 new Employment Area jobs; and
c) Schomberg: 680 new Employment Area jobs.
>JA< Through a review of existing Employment Lands and their intensification, Watson determined that King City and Schomberg have a sufficient Employment Land inventory through 2051 but that Nobleton has a 39 hectare shortfall. More on this below.
13) That Council endorse Option 2 for the Nobleton Employment Area Expansion Site, as identified in Figure 6-3 of the Phase 2 Report, and direct Staff to proceed with the recommendations from the Phase 2 Report for the Nobleton Employment Area Location Options.
>JA< This item was altered to provide more flexibility for Planning to provide additional employment lands in Nobleton and adjust the interface with existing residential areas. The recommendation was changed as follows:
Council directs staff to undertake further analysis of Option 1 and 2 for the Nobleton Employment Area Expansion Sites, as identified in Figure 6-3 of the Phase 2 Report, and including the potential reconfiguration of Option 2 within the southwest quadrant of the village.
15) That Council direct Staff to proceed with recommendations from the Phase 2 Report for the Nobleton Community Area Location Options and further analyze Options 1 and 3 as identified in Figure 6-6 of the Phase 2 Report to address the 8 hectare shortfall of Community Area Land in Nobleton through the Official Plan Review.
>JA< The three options considered each represent the required 8 hectares needed to address Nobleton's shortfall. The lot sizes, however, were assessed at 50 people per hectare which Council did not support given King's current density of 30-35 people per hectare. To allow staff to look at all three Options and the density for future development which might impact the number of hectares needed to meet the target population in Nobleton, the direction to staff was changed as follows:
That Council direct Staff to undertake further analysis of Options 1, 2 and 3 as identified in Figure 6-6 of the Phase 2 Report to address the shortfall of the Community Area land in Nobleton through the Official Plan Review.
16) That Council endorse undertaking further analysis of the settlement area expansion for Schomberg as shown in Figure 6-8 of the Phase 2 Report to address the 10 hectare shortfall of Employment Area land and direct Staff to review and assess this option further with the Province through the Official Plan Review to determine the feasibility of this expansion.
>JA< As noted in #9 above, Schomberg has a 10 hectare shortfall in Employment Area Land which Watson has recommended be addressed by the expansion of the Schomberg Village boundary. This expansion would be into the Greenbelt which is permitted in the Greenbelt Plan but is limited to a maximum of 10 hectares to ensure growth is carefully managed and aligns with provincial planning objectives.
Council asked staff to review the environmental features on the lands which currently aren’t inventoried. This review would determine if and how a land conversion might affect the environment. When this information is provided by staff at a later date, Council will be better able to decide whether the land should be added to the Settlement Area.
17) That Council endorse undertaking further analysis of the settlement area expansion for King City as identified in Figure 6-9 of the Phase 2 Report to address the 9 hectare shortfall of commercial land needs in King City through the Official Plan Review.
>JA< Council expressed concern that this land be considered Commercial which accommodates Population Based employment (retail, etc.) but is so far removed from the population it would be meant to serve. Staff have been asked to explore other opportunities for Commercial land within the boundary of the settlement as well as to look at designating this land for Employment Area.
18) That Council direct Staff to further analyze the opportunity to designate the Township’s ‘Whitebelt Lands’ as shown in Figure 7-1 of the Phase 2 Report as a new Settlement Area through the Official Plan Review.
>JA< Staff will look at compatible uses as part of the Official Plan Review but have been provided direction to look at including these lands within the boundary for the purposes of the analysis the will feed into the Master Planning work. Residents will still have the opportunity to comment on land uses and zoning at a later date as part of the Official Plan Review.
19) That Council direct Staff to resolve Deferral 1 to the Our King Official Plan through the ongoing Official Plan Review by recognizing the lands municipally known as 25 Laskay Mills Drive as being within the Hamlet boundary for the Hamlet of Laskay, and to analyze through the Official Plan Review if a dry employment area represents the most suitable use for these lands.
>JA< Deferral 1 refers to three issues that York Region deferred on during King’s last Official Plan review. Two of the issues have basically been resolved, but the outstanding item is 25 Laskey Mills Dr which is at King Rd. and 400 hwy.
In the last Official Plan review, King delineated all hamlet boundaries except for Laskey’s. In the new Official Plan review, Council has the choice to either include the land in the hamlet boundary, or to make it forever a part of the Greenbelt.
Staff recommend, and Council approved, that the land be made part of the boundary to provide more employment opportunities within the hamlet, especially given its proximity to the 400 highway. There are natural heritage features on the site that will be preserved but there are other parts of the land that can be used.
You can read the entire Growth Management and Employment Land Strategy report here.
2051 Official Plan Review
King is working on a new Official Plan to plan for the future through 2051 to accommodate the many recent changes in Provincial Policy. This project is in Phase 2 of 5 and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Phase 2 covers: Living in King, Working in King and Moving and Connecting in King
The first two were addressed in the Growth Management and Employment Land Strategies report above, but not Connecting in King which covers transportation and local infrastructure to support the growth.
As part of the current planning process, two key policy directions under consideration are:
Establishing a Goods Movement Network by identifying major goods movement corridors in Our King.
Protecting major goods movement routes/corridors from incompatible development
However, the proposed plan includes a deeply concerning recommendation: extending 15th Sideroad (Bloomington Rd in Aurora) across Highway 400 and through protected countryside to divert transport truck traffic away from King Rd.
Why This is a Bad Idea
A significant portion of 15th Sideroad runs through the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Greenbelt, areas designated for environmental protection. Widening and reinforcing the road would damage the ecosystems, alter natural water drainage patterns, and contaminate nearby water bodies. Not to mention that improved roads inevitably attract more vehicles and increase pressure for urban expansion, threatening the long-term integrity of our protected lands.
Rather than opening protected areas to transport trucks, I have strongly urged the township to consider alternative solutions, such as:
✅ Widening King Rd, which already has four lanes through downtown King City and is better equipped for traffic.
✅ Work with Vaughan to improve the King/Vaughan Rd.
✅ Exploring other options that do not compromise protected countryside.
Your Voice Matters
The Township of King will use the new Official Plan to guide decisions for years to come. If we do not speak up, we risk permanent damage to our natural landscapes. Councillor Boyd (Ward 2) and Councillor Cescolini (Ward 1) have already noted that they are in full support of this plan and want to see transport trucks routed through the countryside. If you oppose this, it is crucial to make your voice heard now.
📩 Take Action:
Email policyplanning@king.ca with your concerns.
CC me at janstey@king.ca so I can track of public feedback.
Share this information with friends and neighbors who care about protecting King’s countryside.
Together, we can stop this unnecessary and harmful expansion.
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