What's Inside:
A Big Thank You!
For Making the Community Walk with Metrolinx a Success
Over 60 residents joined RORA, Councillor Keith Irish and Metrolinx at various points of our community walk on July 11, 2024. Steve Collins, EVP for Subways, brought members of his technical team and community engagement team. Residents asked numerous questions ranging from sound and vibration, depth of subway tunnels, property acquisition and the locations of Emergency Exit Buildings. The Q&As from the walk were recorded by Metrolinx and a formal document will be provided to RORA for sharing with the broader community. Events like community walks and your participation are critical to holding Metrolinx accountable.
Yonge North Subway Extension Update
Royal Orchard Community Liaision Committee (CLC)
Metrolinx held another CLC meeting on May 24, 2024. The meeting included a presentation that featured tunnel depth profiles in the Royal Orchard community, the phasing of milestones associated with the Advanced Tunnel contract, and a discussion on additional geotechnical investigations required in the Royal Orchard community, including mitigations and work hour options.
RORA raised concerns regarding the oversimplification of the tunnel depth profiles as they did not include any geotechnical data and the absence of timelines in the milestone chart. Without this critical information, the milestone chart is not meaningful. The Minutes of the meeting and the presentation materials are attached. Documents from the meeting are available at: https://www.royalorchardra.ca/post/royal-orchard-community-liaison-committee-meeting-3
YNSE Community Office (295 High Tech Road)
We urge residents to visit the new Community Office. Metrolinx staff are on hand to answer questions and demonstrate the Sound Lab which aims to provide residents with a simulation of subway noise once the new YNSE is in service.
Visitors can drop in on Tuesdays from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., Wednesdays from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Meetings at other hours can be booked at https://www.metrolinx.com/en/projects-and-programs/yonge-north-subway-extension/events/yonge-north-subway-extension---book-a-meeting
RORA has significant concerns with the methodology used to simulate the noise and vibration of the future subway under and near residents’ homes. These concerns have been raised with Metrolinx and include:
1. Residents with homes above the subway tunnels do not appear to have been included in the ambient noise data collection exercise. The “soundscape” provided in the Sound Lab demo does include homes located above the subway tunnels.
2. The output or the engineered sound that is featured in the demo is deliberately calibrated to 29 dBa to reflect the noise level committed to by Metrolinx. This is a simulation only and may not reflect the actual noise level once the YNSE is in service.
3. The noise level in the demo only features one train running. In reality, both north and south trains will be running and passing. Will the 29 dBa commitment cover this activity?
RORA will continue to press Metrolinx to address the data gaps arising from the flawed methodology.
Neighbourhood Watch
RORA has been in contact with York Regional Police (YRP) about setting up a Neighbourhood Watch Program for our community. Neighbourhood Watch may reduce crime through the active participation of residents in crime prevention. It involves working with neighbours to keep an eye on each other's property and reporting suspicious activity.
This will formalize the current RORA social media accounts where we have been sharing information on suspicious activity – in particular, residents have recently reported seeing men with backpacks on bicycles and scooters travelling on Kirk Drive, Thorny Brae Drive, Banquo Road and by Royal Orchard Park. One individual was seen taking photos of houses. If you see anything suspicious, call York Regional Police at 905-881-1221, extension 7008.
Residents on Portree Crescent, Banquo Road and Thorney Brae Drive have confirmed their interest in participating in Neighbourhood Watch. Sam Cuda has volunteered to be Captain for this area. If you are interested in starting Neighbourhood Watch in your area, please contact us at: royalorchardra@gmail.com.
Development News
Yonge Corridor Secondary Plan
The Yonge North Subway Extension (YNSE) will be bringing increased density to the Yonge Street corridor. The City of Markham is developing the Yonge Corridor Secondary Plan to shape this transformation and define the infrastructure requirements needed to support future development (e.g. parks, schools, retail, community amenities).
RORA attended the recent stakeholder Visioning Session on June 24, 2024. The session had a heavy developer presence. RORA has raised concerns about lack of park land, parking, disruption to basic services needed by existing residents, traffic, impact on schools, hospitals, community facilities, and the overall scope and scale of the developments proposed along Yonge Street.
We pointed out that the Secondary Plan must recognize the significant densities being proposed for the Bridge and High Tech Transit-Oriented Communities (TOCs).
We also noted that new development created along the Yonge Corridor should be inviting to residents, and offer them opportunities to congregate, and enrich the neighbourhood with new amenities (e.g. restaurants and green spaces – “pockets of delight” – as experienced in European cities). This will add vibrancy and diversity to neighbourhoods and engage residents.
An open Community Session was also held the same day. For those who could not attend the event, you can still provide your input by emailing yongecorridor@markham.ca. More information on the Yonge Corridor Secondary Plan can be accessed at:
As the people who live, work, and spend time here, we are best-positioned to tell Markham what is working, what is not, and what issues we would like the Secondary Plan to address. Make sure your voice is heard and help Markham develop a Secondary Plan that benefits current and future residents.
Eastern Langstaff Gateway Area
The City of Markham’s Development Services Committee (DSC) held a Public Meeting on June 25, 2024 on a developer’s request for the City to support a Minister’s Zoning Order to revise the current zoning permissions to develop a high-density mixed use community including schools, a community centre, public parks, and a revised road network. The subject lands are southwest of Highway 407, north of the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, and east of Cedar Avenue – the eastern portion of the Langstaff Gateway area. Langstaff Land Holdings Ltd. (the owner) is seeking height and density permissions that “complement” the Bridge Station TOC MZO to the west. The owner, through its associated companies, has a controlling interest in 17 properties or 35% of the lands that make up the Subject Lands.
RORA’s deputation acknowledged the proposed application is considerably more reasonable and complete than the Condor development west of Cedar Ave; and noted the cumulative impact of 97,000 new residents to the entire Langstaff Gateway area (west and east of Cedar Ave) and on supporting infrastructure (see attached).
The other landowners in the Langstaff East area did not support the application. DSC referred the application to City staff for further review and analysis. City staff are expected to report back to DSC by December 2024.
Help Us Make RORA More Successful
We are interested in your views and your ideas for our neighbourhood. We need volunteers to help with events and committees. If you have some time to give, we would love to hear from you. We are still looking for a treasurer and secretary.
Contact us at royalorchardra@gmail.com
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