The Shops on Steeles settlement struck by the Town of Markham, Bayview Summit Developments Limited and the German Mills Residents Association was formally accepted in the Ontario Municipal Board’s recently issued decision.
Instead of the 1,787 units Bayview Summit originally appealed to the provincial authority, the site will see 1,235 units. The tallest building was to top out at 32 storeys, but now the tallest building will top out at 25 storeys.
The mixed-use development will retain the current level of retail space, while office space will increase threefold. A park will be available to the public. It’s not going to happen all at once, as the development will be phased in.
The City of Toronto maintained its opposition during the hearing, favouring no more than 1,000 units. Seven participants spoke out against the development, citing traffic and shadowing concerns as well as strain on sewers, among others.
Gerald Diner, the German Mills Residents’ Association Inc. spokesperson at the hearing, said his group’s preference would have been to see no development on the site, but it acknowledged that some was inevitable.
“We believe that with the help of the town, we got the best deal possible,” he said.