Updated May 27, 2024

Please sign to tell Vaughan Council, your local MPP's Tibollo and Smith as well as the Minister Calandra that you oppose the use of MZO's as a planning tool and specialized land use permission that facilitate fiscally and legally irresponsible land use planning. 

The community was explicitly told by Council members that these CIHA requests are not MZO's yet low and behold just 5 months later Minister Calandra is looking to use his super powers to approve these requests as MZO's.  The process and requirements are anything but clear and Planning in Ontario has become the Wild, Wild West. It is hard to understand the rules and how, when or if anything will change. The only thing consistent is that the landowners requesting special permissions are the sole beneficiary, not local communities whom our politicians are supposed to represent. 

On Dec 12, 2023, Council carried upon a recorded vote the CHIA request for 661 and 681 Chrislea Rd as below. Local residents and ratepayer groups were ignored.

YEAS - Councillor Martow, Regional Councillor Rosati, Councillor DeFrancesca, Councillor Ainsworth, Councillor Volpentesta, Regional Councillor Jackson, Regional Councillor Ferri, Mayor Del Duca

NAYS - Regional Councillor Racco, Councillor Iafrate

A recorded vote was not taken for the CHIA at 8083 Jane St. The Mayor claimed it was supported unanimously which is impossible to say in the absence of a recorded vote. 

It is abundantly clear that MZO's do not achieve housing faster, they have however, achieved monster warehouses on wetlands in an area that can not handle the volume of trailer traffic being generated (Walmart Warehouse Jane & Teston). This entire exercise has been a complete waste of time. The entire process is fabricated to allow politicians to make irresponsible planning decisions.  It is unfair to all others who do not seek or ask for special land use permissions, exemptions and want to develop our community in ways that are responsible and respectful by following due process.

Actions you can take.

1. Sign & share this petition
2. Send comments directly to the ERO postings
   https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-8617
   https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-8616
3. Send emails directly to the Mayor, Council and the Clerk's Office opposing these requests and MZO's as a Planning Tool: 
   clerks@vaughan.ca
   council@vaughan.ca
   mayor@vaughan.ca
4. Email your local MPP and the Minister of MMAH
   Michael.Tibolloco@pc.ola.org
   Laura.Smith@pc.ola.org
   Paul.Calandra@pc.ola.org

Original petition remains below for more information, nothing has changed. 

Original Petition As Posted

The purpose of this petition is to remind Vaughan Council that residents strongly oppose the use of any planning tool that gives site specific special permissions for landowners and removes the approval authority (York Region, TRCA) and appeal rights of all actors; Minister's Zoning Orders (MZO’s).

In January, 2021 when a seventh MZO came forward residents sent opposition and started a petition. At that time Vaughan Council left residents with the impression that they would not support any future MZO requests. The sentiment of residents remains the same. This is an underhanded decision making process that is an insult to residents and destroys public trust in government. 

The Ontario PC Government created a new process to endorse MZO requests under section 34.1 of the Planning Act, entitled the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator (CIHA) tool. It is no different than a MZO other than a legislated requirement for a Council motion in order for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to authorize special site specific unappealable zoning permissions. The only reason these requests are needed is because residential development on these lands is not in conformity with provincial planning legislation, in effect Official Plans and zoning. 

Residents are disappointed with staff and Council members who have chosen to support two CHIA/MZO requests in the absence of any support, the presence of local opposition and ignored York Region as well as TRCA’s documented concerns. Neither of these developments are suitable for use by the CIHA tool; neither are in planned intensification or growth corridors. The only one who benefits from this approval is the landowner as it will increase the value of their land, their ability to obtain financing and look good on return on investment portfolios. 

• BATTCORP HOLDINGS (VAUGHAN) LTD. AND BATTCORP II HOLDINGS (VAUGHAN) LTD. CIHA.23.002 661 AND 681 CHRISLEA ROAD VICINITY OF LANGSTAFF ROAD AND HIGHWAY 400
  4 high-rise towers (2 at 32 stories and 2 at 35 stories) for 1488 residential units
• 8083 JANE STREET LTD. COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOUSING ACCELERATOR (CIHA) FILE CIHA.23.001 8083 JANE STREET VICINITY OF JANE STREET AND MACINTOSH BOULEVARD
  3 high rise towers with a maximum height of 60 stories and 1 hotel at 8 stories

The development at Langstaff and Chrislea is a gas station. It is foolish and naive to suggest this will bring housing quickly or that this development is anywhere close to being shovel ready. The Record of Site Condition will take years if not a decade. Traffic will be an even worse nightmare. It is abundantly clear that the landowners and their paid consultant have a much larger plan for unplanned residential growth from Weston to Highway 400 south of Langstaff. What is the South Langstaff Community - it certainly was never presented to the public, it's not in any Official Plan, nor secondary plan? Shame on the consultant for making up a community name, misleading Council by creating and presenting something that doesn't exist. There will be more CIHA requests - unplanned growth!

"We are advised by Lucio Polsinelli, the representative for the landowners to the west of Battcorp’s lands (Tricap Properties and Vimica Investments Inc.) located at 8401 and 8383 Weston Road and 3603 Langstaff Road that they also support staff’s recommendations on
this item. Their intent is also to pursue residential development on their lands through a CIHA to complete the development of the South Langstaff Community"

It is abundantly clear there is an excessive level of political influence. Regional Councillor Jackson in Oct, 2020 along with our former Mayor put forward the motion 681 Chrislea Rd. to be converted from employment to residential against the recommendations of Vaughan and York Region staff. Regional Councillor Jackson has four $1200 donations in her 2022 financial election statement  who use 681 Chrislea Rd as their address. It seems probable that in 2019 the province would have received and granted a landowners request to not include these lands in the Provincially Significant Employment Zone - why else is there an irregular horseshoe that defies common sense? 

The development at Jane and Macintosh is on the new RNP arrival flight path, a floodplain and within 1000m of the second largest rail yard in Canada. Why would any responsible politician support a planning tool that forces permit approval under duress from Conservation Authorities in an area with high groundwater, lacking stormwater infrastructure and a flood plain?  

These CIHA requests should never be supported nor staff time and resources wasted, they:

• remove York Region’s legislated responsibilities under the Planning Act and the Municipal Act;
• remove landowners obligation to be compliant with York Region’s Official Plan and the Conservation Authorities Act;
• are fiscally and legally irresponsible by forcing the prioritization of infrastructure for unplanned growth that is not included in regional master plans or 10 year capital budgets;
• destabilizes employment lands (a growing problem);
• removes appeal rights; and
• impose greater risk and reckless disregard for people's lives and properties by forcing Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to give permits under duress that they otherwise would not. 

Vaughan Council fully knows we do not have a problem approving development, we have a problem with developments pulling building permits and finite servicing capacity. There is nothing here that is in the public interest. If Vaughan Council supports these special site specific requests it is a clear statement that Council doesn’t represent current or future residents only landowners and investors who don’t care about municipal fiscal responsibilities, our quality of life or the future of Vaughan.