Tollendale Village II - Updates

Project Manager's Updates

Date: May 5, 2019

On February 27, 2019, the Council of the Town of Innisfil unanimously adopted an OPA and Rezoning application to permit the development of a Seniors Complex in Innisfil.

This followed a Statutory Public Meeting held in September 2018. At this meeting approximately 450 members of the public were present to demonstrate their support for the development. There were no negative comments nor any objections to the proposal, and many spoke in favour.

Figure 1 Some of the 450 people present at the Statutory Public Meeting held on September 12, 2018 Figure 2 Some of the 400 signatures of those present at the Public Meeting and supporting the proposal

In addition, there were 25 letters of support from all the neighbours, members from the public at large, major Developers of the area, MPP Andrea Khanjin, and MP John Brassard. All abutting property owners have given their written support. Letters are available on request.

Figure 3 Innisfil Council giving their unanimous approval to adopt the OPA and Rezoning Application for Tollendale’s proposed Seniors Complex on February 27, 2019

The next step is for Simcoe County Council to approve the OPA adopted by the Town of Innisfil. To assist County Council in their deliberation on this matter, and to address the concerns of County Planning Staff who have indicated some resistance to approving the OPA, we will be providing them with the following brief summary of the facts surrounding the Applications.

• The Seniors Campus will contain a 160 bed Long Term Care Facility, an Extended Care Facility with approximately 50 units and a Licensed Retirement Home Offering Basic care consisting of approximately 388 1- and 2-bedroom units. Lands are currently designated RURAL.

Figure 4 Proposed Campus concept

• Everyone acknowledges there is a growing demand for such Seniors facilities. The existing Tollendale Village alone, (284 Retirement apartments and a 160 bed Long Term Care Home) has been operational since 2000, never had a vacancy and currently has a waiting list for nearly 1000 retirement units, of which approximately 50% are ready to move in as soon as units become available. The local LHIN has indicated a severe shortage of Long-Term Care beds as well.
• Numerous Studies were completed (eg. Traffic, Archeological, Geotechnical, Environmental Impact, Hydrogeological, Stormwater Management, etc.) and all concluded that there is no impediment to development of the site.
• Most, if not all of the Retirement units will fall within the County of Simcoe Guidelines for Affordable Housing. Our unique Life Lease Tenure Arrangement ensures that the units will become more affordable over time.
• Upon completion, the project will provide in excess of 200 full-time permanent jobs, in addition to the dozens of construction jobs over several years.
• The City of Barrie Transit system and the Innisfil Public Transit system (Uber) are readily available to the site.
• The project lies outside but adjacent to a Settlement Area. However, as it is a Public Service Facility, the Growth Plan and the County OP permits it outside a Settlement area.
• The proposal meets the Growth Plan and County OP Definition of a Public Service Facility (PSF):
  • PUBLIC SERVICE FACILITIES means land, buildings and structures for the provision of programs and services provided or subsidized by a government or other body, such as social assistance, recreation, police and fire protection, health and educational programs, and cultural services.
• This was confirmed by Town of Innisfil Planning Department in their Staff report DSR-033-19 (page 7/37):
  • Town staff consider the use to be a ‘public service facility’, in particular based on page 31 of the Growth Plan,
• The Growth Plan 2017 does not insist that PSF’s can only be inside Settlement Areas, and the County OP, itself, states explicitly that PSF’s may be located outside of Settlement areas
  • Public service facilities should be directed to settlements, but may be located outside of settlements (policy 4.2.1)
• Any suggestion that no PSF can be permitted outside of a Settlement Area would preclude any possibility of the Proposed South Simcoe Hospital from being located anywhere in Innisfil, other than inside a Settlement Area.
• The site is the only remaining significant parcel of land in the area bounded by Lake Simcoe on the North, the 20th Sideroad on the East and the City of Barrie on the West and South, that has not yet been developed, and is not a Key Natural Heritage area. (see Sketch below) The Key Natural Heritage areas are designated Greenland in the County OP, and cannot be developed.

Figure 5 Site Location in context to surrounding lands

• According to Farming experts, the property, due to its size and location, is not viable as a farming enterprise.
• The Councils of Innisfil and the City of Barrie have agreed to enter into a Shared Services Agreement to have Barrie provide Sanitary sewer and water services to the site. (Barrie Council Resolution 17-G-167, June 19, 2017; Innisfil Council Resolution CR-250-02.16 June 12, 2017)We trust this information is helpful, and we encourage all of County Council to support the Council of the Town of Innisfil, who have demonstrated their strong desire to have the proposed project proceed.

We anticipate this matter to go to Council for consideration in spring summer of 2019

You can assist Tollendale Village in convincing County Council to approve the OPA by digitally signing our online petition at:

http://chng.it/yLgqbZBgrK

Please do so at your earliest convenience