Yonge Street takes steps towards $450,000 facelift

Thornhill
February 14, 2010 09:00 AM
by David Fleischer York Region hopes a new streetscaping plan can give a dowdy section of Yonge Street a much needed makeover.
The region's transportation committee approved plans to spend $450,000 on the plan in response to requests from Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill.
"It is so inhospitable to pedestrians," said Markham Councillor Valerie Burke who walked the strip this past weekend.
"It's in desperate shape."
"Yonge Street could use a spruce-up, there's no doubt about that," Grandview Area Ratepayers Association president Marilyn Ginsburg agreed.
Even something as simple as adding trees would provide environmental and aesthetic benefits, not to mention cutting the wind that blows down the hilly section of road, she said.
Either way, Ms Ginsburg said, it should be something unique and respect the heritage district in Thornhill.
Vaughan and Markham worked together five years ago on a joint plan for Thornhill that has sat on the shelf along with plans to build Viva lanes through the corridor.
Its conclusions will be taken into account along with four other outstanding planning studies undertaken in recent years.
With Yonge serving as a major Viva corridor - and potentially a subway some day - pedestrians and transit are expected to become increasingly prevalent.
"It is critical that the pedestrian environment supports the goal of a vital pedestrian and cyclist-friendly, transit-supportive urban corridor," regional staff said in a report.
That means co-ordinating plans between the three local municipalities and the region, which actually controls the road.
The elephant in the room is the Yonge subway extension, which is on hold pending a Metrolinx analysis. It remains to be seen how long the region can wait before reverting to the Viva plans.
"I think we're beyond that," Vaughan Councillor Alan Shefman said of the dormant bus lanes.
"We're working on the subway."
As much as Yonge Street is in need of a facelift, it would make the most sense to wait until plans for the subway, and the development that will come with it, are firmed up, he said.
"If there is some sense it will be proceeding within a reasonable time, we'll hold off and do them together," Mr. Shefman said.
"Residents are very frustrated about the subway," Ms Burke said.
"They can't understand how the province wants us to take on this intensification (without) the infrastructure."
Residents are anxious, Ms Ginsburg agreed, especially with large developments such as the World on Yonge condominiums being approved while infrastructure is lacking.
"I think people are rightly nervous about it," she said.
There are no signs provincial funding for the subway is forthcoming, but politicians and residents intend on keeping the pressure up, Mr. Shefman said.
The citizen-driven Yonge Subway North committee meets once a month at Thornhill's Octagon restaurant and after 35 years on the strip, owner Ken Stathakis remains optimistic change is coming.
"When I first came here there was nothing ... it's day and night," he said.
He took an anticipatory breath, imagining what kind of change the subway could bring.
"It will be ... downtown," Mr. Stathakis said.
Representatives from each municipality want to work together to quickly establish a unified plan before development surges forward.
The study focuses on the area between Steeles and Bantry avenues, with the understanding it can be exported further north.
At this point none of three lower-tier municipalities are putting up any money.
The region approved a policy in 2006 that set out criteria by which local municipalities could obtain a share of the region's $3 million annual streetscaping budget.
Vaughan, Georgina, East Gwillimbury and Whitchurch-Stouffville have previously taken advantage of the program.
Council must approve the committee's decision at its meeting later this month.
GAMBLE ROAD/19th AVENUE
The corner of Gamble Road and the 19th Avenue will also get a makeover thanks to teamwork between Richmond Hill and the region.
The town approved paying 50 per cent of the $1 million cost, as well as ongoing maintenance costs at its November 2009 meeting.
Thanks to federal infrastructure funds, the region will contribute $345,000.
Both Gamble and 19th were being widened and the town moved to improve the look of the intersection with rock features, decorative paving and lighting, flower beds and enhanced crosswalks.
The redesign scales down the road and creates "an attractive green street that supports a pedestrian environment for the community, recreational users and transit commuters," regional staff reported.
YONGE STREET STUDIES
-Lasting from 2003 to 2006, the Thornhill Yonge street study was a joint Vaughan-Markham effort. Its suggestions include wider sidewalks and Markham fought to keep height limits for new development at 12 metres.
-Markham completed its Yonge-Steeles corridor study, setting out new guidelines for high-density development along the stretch.
-Vaughan is well along on its own study of the west side of the street and the adjacent segment of Steeles Avenue. A meeting last year was packed to capacity and a new round of meetings is set for March or April.
-Plans for high-density, transit-friendly downtowns are in the works for the Yonge-Hwy. 407 area. A public meeting in the next few months will outline some of the specific guidelines for Markham's Langstaff Gateway district, while Richmond Hill Centre's planning principles will be enshrined in the town's new official plan.