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Cornell: Community Development |
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February 19, 2008 – A total of 7050 native tree species will be planted over a two year period beginning in April 2008, along the north side of the Donald Cousens Parkway 0.5 km east of 9th Line. The Donald Cousens Parkway North Berm and East Half of Flatland Restoration Project is to be carried out by the Rouge Valley naturalists . This will re-establish native self-sustaining vegetation.
For more environmental initiatives affecting Ward 5, please visit Councillor John Webster's website >> |
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IBC Cornell Gates
January 25, 2008 – International Business Consortium Inc. (IBC), a Canadian based company, is excited to offer to international investors the opportunity to be part of a multi-billion dollars project that will be a first in North America.
IBC has put together the concept of a Vertical Health City (VHC) envisioned to be developed on a 20 acre property in Markham, Ontario, Canada.
Cornell Living Center will be the pre-eminent Health and Wellness Vertical City Community and health destination for the world where anyone interested in a health conscientious lifestyle would want to be a part of such a community. It will be the first development that brings and promotes a holistic approach to health, from a physical, mental, and spiritual perspective. As such, the development will incorporate any and all products and/or services that cater to those three dimensions in order to create a health conscientious and wellness community. If a business is related to health, we want that business to be part of our development. It is a live, work, play, entertain, and shop approach to life.
As currently envisioned, this development will encompass the following components:
Commercial/offices/medical offices
Wellness retail (any form of retail that is associated with health and wellness
 from a preventative and treatment perspective including indulgence like spas)
Health/wellness/gym center
High end assisted mature retirement living
Entertainment/happiness
Condo-Hotel with club membership, fractional ownership and timeshare,
and a network of international chapters/affiliates
Luxury Residential Condo Mid-rise and Low-rise design
Read more from the Cornell Gates website >> |
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As communities sprawl, so do waistlines
November 29, 2007 – Interesting article from The Star about the healthy approach of living in a New Urbanism community. Read Article >> |
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May 28, 2007 – At the last Council meeting, Ward 5 Councillor John Webster made another plea to cut the red tape and get Bur Oak opened. The motion was not only passed, but heartily endorsed. With thanks to the Regional Councillors, the Town and Regional Staff, as well as the developers, the road is now open from Highway 7 through the community of Cornell. Hallelujah!
Original Release >>
Note: Bur Oak Avenue is open at Hwy 7 through Cornell to north of 16th Avenue in Upper Cornell, where it curves west in Markham. |
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From Ward 5 Councillor, John Webster >>
March 28 , 2007 –The parking issues along Bur Oak are indeed a conundrum. I have received some calls from business people who want more parking along Bur Oak. The residents who buy into the Cornell concept of new urbanism are quite strong that this is a community for the people, not the cars. As a case in point, when one of the developers requested to bring a new model of home with "Front Loaded" homes to be built by the park, there was a great deal of discussion about the attraction of more vehicles.
The design of Cornell is a neighbourhood of communities, each served with a neighbourhood business area within a 5 to 10 minute walk. The density within that area is, or will be when it is built out, a about 5,000 people.
These business areas are for the traditional "Cottage Industry" that has grown larger than an in-home business, but smaller than a destination business. This would bring businesses such as a tailor, a small bakery or coffee shop, a convenience store, an insurance office with one or two agents. The concept should attract the type of business where the owner lives upstairs and works on the main floor. Business people who purchase a property do a lot of due diligence in making certain that there is a correct fit.
It is often said that the three most important items in finding a suitable business property are Location, Location and Location. This includes knowing that there is a fit for the type of business and the proximity of the market.
Bur Oak is not like the business area on the Main Street of Markham. Main Street will support a 'drive to' type of business, but would certainly collapse if a 'walk to' type of business tried to open due to a much lower density and lifestyle of the surrounding area.
I am concerned that we need to be careful that we don't change our entire philosophy without proper investigation. The obvious answer is to re-engineer to permit parking, but I'm concerned that we're then going to attract more of the wrong type of business. We need to look very closely at our philosophy, and get a second opinion before we take action permanently.
There has been a lot of work done at the Town in the past two months to find a solution, and we're not there yet. The Planning, Traffic and Engineering staff are bringing a report from a technical point of view to determine what can be done.
The decision that is taken now will set the style of the Cornell Community for the next 75 to 100 years, and must be done carefully and correctly. If the philosophy of Cornell is correct, then we need to stand by it: if not, we need to be very careful that we do what is right. |
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April 27, 2007 – The Town of Markham is updating the land use policies applying to lands within the Cornell community in eastern Markham. The existing Cornell Secondary Plan, approved in 1994 based on the principles of new urbanism, has provided the foundation for a unique community within Markham. An open house to present a draft updated Secondary Plan was held in April 2006. The draft Secondary Plan was built on the existing Cornell Secondary Plan, and introduced new policies to encourage growth in Cornell Centre – an urban, mixed-use, pedestrian and transit-oriented precinct centred along Highway 7.
A Public Open House is being held by the Town to allow residents and landowners to learn more about the revised draft Secondary Plan.
Date: Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Great Hall, Markham Civic Centre
(Staff presentation at 7:00pm in the Canada Room)
For more information, call Marg Wouters, Senior Planner, East District at 905.477.7000 X 2758 or email her at mwouters@markham.ca. |
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Excerpt from the Cornell Advisory Council Meeting Minutes. READ MORE >>
December 11, 2006 – We are not sure when these minutes were made available, but the Cornell Advisory Council meeting for these notes took place on October 19, 2006. Download the PDF from the Town of Markham website or read some of the highlights below (we apologize for its length):
Library and parkland dedication issues
Andrew Keyes made a deputation chronicling his view of changes to the underlying assumptions re: the provision of library and parkland space in Cornell since 1995. He focused on his view that there had been:
A reduction in parkland from the original commitment of 5 acres/1,000 residents to 3 acres/1,000 residents
A decrease in size of the planned library from 30,000 sf to 20,000 sf
A change in the planned community centre from 160,000 sf dedicated Cornell recreation centre with ice pads to a shared community centre/Markham Stouffville Hospital wellness centre with no ice pads, and probability of paid parking.
Mr. Keyes requested an explanation for the changes and requested that the original agreements (5 ac/1,000 residents) be re-instated.
Valerie Shuttleworth, Director of Planning & Urban Design indicated that the previous parks and open space agreements could not be directly compared to the agreement currently being negotiated with the Cornell Developers Group. The Planning Act provides for a maximum of 1 ha of parkland per 300 units; anything in excess of that is negotiated with developers. It was also clarified that the original agreement between the Town and the Province (Ontario Realty Corporation) was a negotiated agreement which was not registered on title of the lands and therefore is not binding on current landowners. The agreement currently being negotiated with Cornell developers does not reduce parkland. The agreement endorsed by Council in March, which will include provisions for cash-in-lieu of parkland in Cornell Centre, will be binding on future developers. Cornell will continue to be better served with parks and open space than other areas of the Town.
Photo: The Markham Village Public Library currently under construction.
Catherine Biss, CEO Markham Public Libraries, was present to comment on the concerns with the size of the proposed library. She confirmed that the 1999 Recreation, Culture and Library Facility Master Plan identified a 30,000 sf library for Central East Markham, but indicated that the Master Plan did not include a financial analysis of how the various facilities would be funded (new library facilities are generally funded through development charges).
Council made a decision to reduce the East Markham and Angus Glen libraries to 24,700 sf based on a thorough financial analysis. Council then made a further decision to add 4,700 sf to the Angus Glen library by reducing the size of the proposed East Markham library by the same amount, while adding 10,500 sf to the Markham Village Library which also serves the Cornell community. The decision provided for a major library facility in each Service Area within the Town (i.e., Thornhill, Angus Glen, Markham Village, Milliken) of approximately 30,000 sf, supplemented by smaller library facilities (approx. 20,000 sf) one of which is the proposed East Markham library in Cornell.
The Cornell Community falls within Service Area B, which is defined as the area east of McCowan Road and north of Highway 407. The Markham Village Library is intended to be the major library facility in Service Area B. When the expanded Markham Village Library opens in 2007, the service level within Area B is expected to be 0.53 sf per capita, which is higher than the projected 2007 Town average of 0.45 sf per capita. When the proposed East Markham library in Cornell opens in 2009 (projected), it is expected that the service level for Area B will be at 0.8 sf per capita, above the Town standard of 0.6 sf per capita. As population continues to grow in Cornell (even to the levels proposed in the updated Secondary Plan) and throughout Area B over the next decade, it is expected that the service level in Area B will continue to be at or above the Town standard.
Increasing the size of the proposed East Markham library above 20,000 sf would result in the Area B residents being over-served to an even greater degree, at the expense of other areas in the Town. The periodic review (every five years) of the Recreation Master Plan ensures that any unexpected future increases in population in each Service Area are addressed on an on-going basis.
Discussion centred on the continued frustration of Cornell residents regarding the increases in density proposed by the draft Secondary Plan and the perceived reduction in parkland /community centre space. Staff indicated that the message to Cornell residents from the Advisory Group is that, even with the proposed increase in density, Cornell will be better served in terms of parkland/open space and library facilities than other areas in the Town.
It was suggested the Cornell Advisory Group forward a recommendation to Council requesting an additional 10,000 sf for the East Markham (Cornell) library, with the intention that Council forward the recommendation to the Markham Public Libraries Board for budget considerations. It was also requested that efforts be concentrated on finding methods to finance a larger library and community centre, including opportunities for sharing sports fields with the proposed high school opposite the proposed community centre.
A copy of a letter from Markham Public Libraries to Cornell resident Stephen Hood explaining changes to the proposed East Markham library was provided to the Group.
Val Shuttleworth will convene a meeting with Andrew Keyes and the Developers Group representative to discuss the current parks and open space agreement.
Motion made by Councillor Heath and seconded by Renee Torrington, "That an additional 10,000 square feet be considered for the East Markham (Cornell) Library; and that Council forwards this recommendation to the Markham Public Libraries Board for budget consideration.” |
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