Letter from Councillor Neethan Shan to the Chief Planner

Re: Request to Remove Meadowvale Road South of Highway 401 from the Proposed EHON Retail and Services Initiative

Dear Mr. Thorne,

I am writing regarding the City’s Retail and Services in Neighbourhoods initiative under the Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) program. While I appreciate the objective of increasing access to neighbourhood-serving retail and services, I request that Meadowvale Road, south of Highway 401, be removed from the proposed “Major Streets” designation and excluded from the retail initiative.

A one-size-fits-all city-wide approach does not adequately reflect the significant differences between Toronto’s neighbourhoods. In fact, throughout the EHON process, City Council has recognized these differences by approving numerous street-specific and ward-specific exceptions. Nearly every ward across the city contains areas where unique local circumstances have warranted a tailored approach rather than blanket implementation. The same consideration should be applied to Meadowvale Road south of Highway 401.

Most importantly, Meadowvale Road north of Highway 401 and south of Highway 401 are fundamentally different environments. While the northern portion contains a different development pattern and land-use context, the southern section functions primarily as a low-density residential corridor adjacent to environmentally sensitive lands, established neighbourhoods, and residential communities that lack the infrastructure necessary to support the proposed zoning changes.

The rationale for introducing commercial permissions on residential properties is often tied to concepts of walkability, complete communities, and access to local services. However, many portions of Meadowvale Road south of Highway 401 do not possess the basic social and physical infrastructure required to support those goals. Large sections of the corridor do not even have sidewalks, making it difficult to characterize the area as a walkable retail environment. Residents would, in many cases, still need to drive to access services, undermining one of the primary justifications for the proposal.

Furthermore, the area lacks the supporting community infrastructure that exists in more urbanized and mixed-use neighbourhoods. Unlike many of the locations envisioned by the policy, Meadowvale Road south of Highway 401 was not planned or built to accommodate a commercial main street environment. Introducing broad commercial permissions could result in land-use conflicts, increased traffic, parking pressures, delivery activity, and the gradual erosion of the residential character that residents value.

I am also concerned that, once permissions are granted as-of-right, properties may evolve beyond their originally intended neighbourhood-serving purpose. Experience elsewhere in the city has demonstrated that businesses initially marketed as local amenities can become regional destinations, generating impacts well beyond what residents were led to expect. This risk is particularly concerning in an area that lacks the transportation, pedestrian, and public realm infrastructure necessary to support increased activity.

For these reasons, I respectfully request that Meadowvale Road south of Highway 401 be removed from the Retail and Services in Neighbourhoods initiative. Such an exemption would recognize the unique characteristics of the corridor and ensure that future planning decisions are guided by local context, infrastructure capacity, and meaningful community consultation.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. I look forward to continuing to work with City Planning to ensure that growth and neighbourhood planning reflect the distinct needs of Scarborough communities.

Sincerely,

Councillor Neethan Shan
Scarborough Rouge Park
Toronto City Council