Recap: Council Public Meeting - November 25
- Marian
- Nov 18
- 3 min read
Updated: 12 hours ago
Council Public Meeting Tuesday November 25, 2025 at 6pm.
View Meeting Agenda: Revised Agenda
Watch Meeting: Meeting Video
Recap:
Residents and stakeholders voiced widespread concerns about the scale, density, and height of the proposed towers, traffic congestion, lack of sufficient parkland, shadowing impacts, the overshadowing of existing condominiums, and the timing of the application relative to the ongoing secondary plan. Many speakers urged council to defer any decisions until the secondary plan is completed to ensure coordinated, data-driven urban planning.
Council members acknowledged the concerns, emphasizing the early stage of the process and the need for further technical studies, including traffic, shadowing, and parkland adequacy. The meeting concluded with a unanimous motion to refer all comments back to city staff for further review and to continue the secondary plan process, underscoring the complexity and sensitivity of balancing growth targets with community livability and infrastructure capacity.
On the Agenda:
A request for comments concerning proposed Official Plan and Zoning By-law
Amendment applications to permit the construction of a high density high-rise mixed use development.
This application revises the proposal first brought to the Council Public Meeting in 2023. The previously proposed expansion of the Sheraton Hotel and conference centre is no longer part of this submission.
The proposal includes eight residential towers between 39 and 49 storeys, about 3,773 housing units, new retail space, and a small elevated private park space. Some of the existing hotel, retail, and conference centre buildings would stay.
Because the proposal is so large, it needs amendments to both the Official Plan and the Zoning By-law. The land is currently designated for employment and commercial uses only, so high-rise housing is not permitted. The applicants want it redesignated to a “Key Development Area” with permission for much more height and density.
City planning staff are not making any recommendations yet. The purpose of this report is to present the updated proposal to Council and the public and gather comments.
Staff note several concerns that must be addressed before any decision can be made. These include:
The height and density being higher than what is usually planned for this part of the city.
The need to coordinate with the new Secondary Plan being created for the East Beaver Creek and Highway 7 area.
Big questions about transportation, servicing, stormwater, school capacity, parks, and how the street network should be laid out.
The proposed private “strata park” does not meet the city’s expectations for parkland in this area.
Other City departments and external agencies are still reviewing the applications, and many have requested more information or changes.
A future staff report will provide a recommendation once all comments are reviewed and the proposal is refined.
Public Comments: The public may submit written correspondence regarding agenda matters by email to clerks@richmondhill.ca. Written correspondence must be submitted by 12 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Comments submitted will be provided to all Members of Council, considered as public information and noted in the public record.
Delegations: No prior registration is required to make an in-person Delegation, but is encouraged. Prior registration is required should the public intend to make an electronic delegation by video conference or telephone. Applications to appear as a delegation must be submitted by 12 p.m. on the day of the meeting by email to clerks@richmondhill.ca or by using the on-line application form found on Richmondhill.ca. The Office of the Clerk will provide instructions on appearing as a delegation.
