Apartment block in our backyards?

Stouffville and Affordable Housing (click for notes)

My home..

Anxiety on street ... loss of trees on site (staged logging over 2 yrs)

Current view ... trees gone

Location of Designated Apartment Block

Official Plan aim: to promote development which contributes through a mix of housing to a complete community Urban Medium Residential designation "estabd to broaden the inventory and range of housing types that are available to service the needs of residents" (Public Meeting Report #2, 4.4).
newly married, retired, disabled, divorced, b/n jobs chronically underpaid, under-employed, single, over-extended > i.e., locals (family members?) who will move away if no affordable housing

Increasing the housing mix?

2011: 8.8% of private dwellings are apartments 2006: 15.2% of private dwellings are apartments Well below the provincial average: 30% (both in 2006 & 2011)

W-S Foodbank clientele:

Up 50% in two years main issue > cost of housing (M. Wells)

Communities that attract transient population

college or university towns communities with seasonal employment

Whitchurch-Stouffville

net-exporter of jobs: most leave town for work 30% work locally vs. provincial avg: 56.6% (2006)

Transience increases with lack of affordable housing 45% of businesses say W-Stouffville poorly positioned to retain & attract employees under 30 yrs of age (2012) (biggest factors: affordable housing options 75% aged 20-29 live with their parents (prov avg: 42%)

Close to transit arena, reservoir trails, schools, tennis, church, 15 min to train

New transit service plan added 20 minutes each way for commuters north of Main Street

My home..

Some have expressed concerns of voyeurism ...

But ... we know our neighbours

Our neighbours know us

(Eg: 12 dwellings plus walkers have view of 1 dwelling) Voyeurism ? Or Safer community?

Voyeurism /privacy concerns for Bramble residents overstated? (Back side of) Bramble Cres. Millard St. Bus stop

Location of designated Apartment Block

Winter view (Google street view of Bramble Cres.)

Alternate proposal by Developer: Car centric?

A lot of pavement little grass

Missing: a pedestrian path to Ninth Line (... via Bartsview to reservoir)

Very few and very tight spaces for trees

Missing: a pedestrian/cycle path to transit schoolyard, arena GO-Station ...

Bus stop at Millard & Ninth

(for core text for presentation, click here)

(2006) 4.0% of working WhitchurchStouffville residents used public transit to get to work (compare 12.9% for Ontario) (2006) 3.6% walked or bicycled to work (compare 6.8% for Ontario)