Pickering not giving up on Preserve

Jan 30, 2006 By Danielle Milley Staff Writer

PICKERING -- Pickering is sticking to its position to see future development in the area of the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve known as Cherrywood.

Councillors voted down a staff recommendation at the Jan. 24 executive committee meeting to ask the Province to change the Places to Grow designation for land in northeast Pickering so it can be developed if the minister of public infrastructure renewal doesn't change the designation of Cherrywood to allow growth.

Ward 3 City Councillor David Pickles said he couldn't support the recommendation.

"It sends the message we're giving up or abandoning the Cherrywood community... We're not giving up on it," he said. "We did go through a lengthy process to find out where growth should best occur to meet employment and population targets."

The recommendation was part of a larger staff recommendation as part of a report on Pickering's comments on the ministry's Places to Grow plan, which is the Province's proposed growth strategy for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

In the plan, Cherrywood isn't designated as an area for growth. To accommodate future growth and population targets -- and to follow through on its growth management study -- the City wants the area designated as an area for potential growth. The preserve is not only protected from growth in this plan, it is also part of the Province's Greenbelt and the Province recently passed an act protecting it as agricultural land.

Ward 1 Regional Councillor Maurice Brenner was uncomfortable with endorsing the recommendation without doing a study.

"I can't support transferring anything without any logic just for growth," he said. "Growth for the sake of growth won't necessarily benefit the City of Pickering."

Staff defended the recommendation, which would mean asking for about 1,500 hectares east of Brock Road and north of Hwy. 7 to be designated for future development if the request to change Cherrywood's designation is denied.

"We strongly stand behind that report... What we are stating here is (this is another option) in the event that is lost," said Neil Carroll, director of planning.

Ward 3 Regional Councillor Rick Johnson defended staff's position.

"All I see staff going through with this exercise is to say in the next 25 years (this might be a spot for growth)," he said.

He doesn't believe the City will have to abandon its plan to develop Cherrywood.

"I sincerely think the next government, or in the next five to seven years, our growth management study will be supported by the provincial government," he said.
Ward 1 City Councillor Kevin Ashe commended staff for offering a report that protects the future for development.

"It's prudent of staff to look at the longer term and protect for the City's needs down the road," he said.

That recommendation was divided from the rest and didn't carry. The rest of the recommendations did pass. They included asking the minister to recognize the employment lands along highways 401 and 407 as provincially significant, adding a proposed higher order transit route along Taunton and Kingston roads, and increasing the employment-to-population ratio from one job for every three people to one for every two in Durham.