New Community Area - Block 41
In January 2015, the City of Vaughan initiated the planning process for a new community located in Concession Block 41 (‘Block 41’), one of the City’s last remaining greenfield areas. Block 41 was designated a “New Community Area” by Vaughan Official Plan 2010 (‘VOP 2010’), envisioned as a complete community with a mix of uses, supported by community facilities such as schools, parks, a community centre and a library.
After an extensive public consultation process, the Block 41 Secondary Plan was adopted by Vaughan Council on October 7, 2019, and approved by York Region Council, with modifications, on January 30, 2020. The Secondary Plan was appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (‘OLT’), and was subsequently approved by the OLT by an Order dated August 18, 2021, bringing the Secondary Plan into full force and effect as Official Plan Amendment 50 (‘OPA 50’) to VOP 2010.
On November 6, 2020, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing issued a Minister’s Zoning Order (‘MZO’), being O. Regulation 644/20, for a portion of Block 41 establishing zoning permissions for residential, retail, commercial, office, and institutional uses. The MZO implements land use zones that include “Low-Rise Residential”, “Low-Rise Mixed-Use”, “Mid-Rise Residential” and “Mid-Rise Mixed-Use” for this new community.
Where is Block 41?
Block 41 is approximately 428 hectares, and is bounded by Kirby Road to the north, Weston Road to the east, Teston Road to the south, and Pine Valley Drive to the west. Block 41 contains active agricultural land, the Hamlet of Purpleville, an established residential subdivision (the Purpleville Estates), provincial Greenbelt lands, tributaries and valley lands associated with East Purpleville Creek; and portions of the East Humber Wetland Complex. Block 41 also contains the TransCanada Pipeline Ltd. Compressor Station #130 and related pipeline infrastructure.
How the Secondary Plan was developed
The Secondary Plan for Block 41 was undertaken through a five-phase process, broken down as follows:
- Phase 1 - Project Initiation
- Phase 2 - Background Analysis & Visioning
- Phase 3 - Foundation Studies
- Phase 4 - Emerging Land Use Concept Report
- Phase 5 - Draft Secondary Plan - Council Approval Process
The resulting Secondary Plan established a land use planning and urban design policy framework to guide development for the Block, consistent with provincial legislation, and in conformity with provincial plans and regional policy. The Secondary Plan sets the vision for a complete community that is compact, vibrant, inclusive, healthy, sustainable and diverse. The Secondary Plan enables this by permitting a mix of uses, including residential, commercial and retail; a variety of built forms; as well as institutional and community uses focused within a centrally located community core. The Secondary Plan also establishes the framework for an interconnected system of parks, roads, sidewalks, and trails to create permeability and enhance access within the community.
The Secondary Plan seeks the preservation, restoration and enhancement of the natural heritage network, which comprises approximately 40% of the Block, and which includes, but is not limited to wetlands, woodlands, permanent or intermittent streams, valley and stream corridors, fish habitat, and significant wildlife habitats; the vast majority of which is located within the Greenbelt Plan Area.
Public Consultation Process
A comprehensive public consultation exercise was undertaken as part of the secondary plan process for Block 41; which included public open houses, a statutory public hearing, newsletter updates provided to interested parties, as well as progress updates to Vaughan Council.
For reference, newsletter updates that were provided to interested parties are available at the following links:
For reference, presentation material from the public open houses are available at the following links:
- Public Open House #1 - Visioning Summit - April 22, 2015 > view notice | presentation
- Public Open House #2 - Emerging Land Use Concept - September 21, 2015 > view notice | presentation
- Public Open House #3 - New Community Area Block 41 Secondary Plan Study - February 12, 2019 > view notice | presentation
The following reports were presented to Vaughan Council:
- Committee of the Whole (Working Session)- January 18, 2016 for status update on the New Community Areas > view Report I Presentation
- Committee of the Whole (Public Hearing) - April 2, 2019 > view Notice I Report
- Committee of the Whole (2) - September 24, 2019 (deferred to October 7, 2019) > view Notices | Report and Council Extract
The draft version of the proposed Draft Block 41 Secondary Plan is available for viewing at the following > link.
What’s Next?
The Secondary Plan requires a Block Plan be prepared by participating landowners within the Secondary Plan area prior to the submission and approval of the implementing development applications. A Block Plan application is an applicant-initiated, non-statutory requirement of the Planning Act. Block Plans are a planning tool used to ensure that all physical, environmental, social and economic aspects of development – as planned for through a secondary plan – are identified and precisely delineated within the plan area. A Block Plan serves as the comprehensive blueprint for future individual draft plans of subdivision and related applications.
The Block 41 Landowners Group submitted a Block Plan application to the Policy Planning and Special Programs Department on January 12, 2022. The Block Plan application has been circulated to internal City departments, and external agencies and utilities for review and comment. A Public Meeting was held for the Block Plan application on February 7, 2023. The Public Meeting report can be accessed here. Once all comments from internal City departments and external agencies have been addressed, the Block Plan Application will be considered at a future Committee of the Whole Meeting, which has not been scheduled to date.
For more information relating to the Block 41 Secondary Plan, please contact:
Armine Hassakourians, MCIP, RPP
Program Manager – Yonge/Steeles Program
City of Vaughan
Tel: (905) 832-8585, ext. 8368
Armine.Hassakourians@vaughan.ca
For more information relating to the Block Plan application for Block 41, or to be added to the notification list for the Block 41 Block Plan, please contact:
Rebecca Roach, MCIP, RPP
Senior Planner, Policy Planning and Special Programs
City of Vaughan
Tel: (905) 832-8585, ext. 8626
Rebecca.Roach@vaughan.ca
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