Council Public Meeting - Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 6:00 p.m. - City of Richmond Hill

High-level summary

The meeting bundled multiple development proposals and planning discussions around the East Beaver Creek Secondary Plan and adjacent high-density projects along Highway 7/Lesley Street. Key actions included referrals to staff, deferrals, and ongoing public consultation, with several motions either passed or deferred as staff and council balance planning policy, transit targets, and community input.

Five most important topics discussed

1) East Beaver Creek Secondary Plan alignment and process - The council treated the discussion as a core step in the secondary plan process, with timetable notes such as “phase two, final plan by March 2027.” Public input and alignment between the application and the secondary plan were emphasized. Quote: “Council made the determination that we wanted to take a look at this area as part of a secondary plan process separately.” and “We’ve yet to encounter any specifics about the secondary plan which is to come to council for public consultation.”

2) Proposed high-density development around Highway 7 and Leslie Street (eight towers, up to ~49 storeys) - Applicants presented a dense vertical proposal with 3,773 dwelling units on multi-use land, while council considered density targets and urban form. Public remarks highlighted concerns about scale and gateway impact. Quote: “The tallest buildings are directed to the Highway 7 frontage with the lower building heights tucked towards the rear.” and “eight towers ranging from 39 to 49 stories, totaling 3,773 dwelling units.”

3) Public participation, input process, and transparency - The meetings stressed broad public involvement, including in-person and online participation with time limits for speakers. Quotes: “If you get home tonight at 2:00 in the morning ... there’s still time.” and “Your voices are very, very important. Always have been, always will be.”

4) Compliance with bylaw designations (KDA) and parkland requirements - Residents raised concerns about KDA designation and adequacy of parkland; a bylaw cited was Parkland Dedication Bylaw 132-22, which requires a 2-acre on-site park. A resident noted that the current plan “does not meet the bylaw requirement” and proposed park buffers as an alternative. Quote: “The land is large enough to support new public streets, parks, and urban open space connections. What was being proposed does not have those enough space mentioned.” and Parkland Dedication Bylaw 132-22.

5) Transit, density targets, and planning metrics (PPJ/FSI) - The discussions tied the proposal to provincial transit and density targets, including MTSA densities and PPJ metrics, with staff promising ways to translate density measures for clarity. Quotes: “This MTSA is intended to accommodate a minimum density target of 200 people in jobs per hectare.” and “All three of the options presented for the EBC secondary plan would meet or exceed that as required.”

File numbers and bylaws discussed

• Parkland Dedication Bylaw 132-22 (Parkland Dedication on-site requirement).
• By general planning references: Official Plan Amendments and zoning amendments related to the East Beaver Creek area; specific file numbers were not consistently provided in the transcript sections.

Opportunities for public input

• Public input opportunities were repeatedly highlighted: attendees could speak during meetings (five-minute slots) and submit written comments to planning staff or Council. Several sections note that comments would be referred back to staff for consideration. In some sections, residents were encouraged to participate in ongoing consultations for the EBC Secondary Plan, with future opportunities anticipated (Fall 2026 to 2027 timeframes noted in some sections).

Motions and outcomes (titles and outcomes)

• Adoption of Agenda — Passed unanimously.
• Disclosures of Pecuniary Interest — Outcome: No disclosures were made.
• Scheduled Business / Proceed with Parkway Hotels and Convention Center application — Outcome: Proceeded as planned.
• Referral of Comments to Staff (East Beaver Creek / secondary plan context) — Outcome: Passed; comments to be reviewed for ongoing evaluation.
• Referral of Comments on Revised Development Proposal (Sheran / Sheran KDA context) — Outcome: Passed; staff to review public and council comments.
• Deferment of Approval for Revised Tower Proposal (T5/Tower discussion) — Outcome: Deferred; further review aligned with the secondary plan process.
• Adjournment — Passed.
• Follow-up actions across sections generally included staff analysis of comments, alignment with the secondary plan, and possible additional public consultations.

Councillors present

• Mayor West
• Councillor Tree
• Councillor Silvitz
• Councillor Shu
• Councillor Davidson
• Councillor Chan
• Councillor Shoes

Notes - The transcript set includes multiple, sometimes overlapping meetings and sections, each addressing different development proposals and planning steps. The above synthesis highlights the recurring themes, representative quotes, and formal motions that appeared across sections, focusing on topics with tangible implications for residents (density, parkland, public input, transit integration). If you’d like, I can tailor a version that focuses on a single project or a particular bylaw/file for deeper detail.