• The Province is reviewing an MZO request for 188 Sandiford Dr. to allow full residential dwellings in a proposed institutional seniors living centre.
  • Gottardo Construction’s project includes 212 units in a six-storey, two-building development approved by Council in 2023.
  • The MZO would remove a cap on electrical service that prevents installation of complete kitchens and laundry in individual units.
  • If approved, the rezoning would eliminate the need for an Official Plan Amendment to permit independent living on the Employment Business Park site.
  • Public comments on the MZO are open until August 9, 2025, on the Environmental Registry of Ontario website.

 

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) has posted a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) request to the Environmental Registry of Ontario regarding a proposed seniors living centre by Gottardo Construction and the Sheriff Corporation. Their currently vacant 1.38-hectare property is located at 188 Sandiford Dr., at the northwest corner of Sandiford and Hoover Park drives.

The MZO would permit full residential dwellings by eliminating existing zoning restrictions that limit electrical capacity to 219 volts. That cap has prevented the inclusion of full kitchens and laundry facilities within individual units, ensuring the development remained consistent with the parcel’s designated institutional uses.

As described by the Ministry, an MZO “regulates the use of land and the erection, location, and use of any building or structure on the land, and prevails over the existing municipal zoning by-law to the extent there is any conflict.”

If approved, the Zoning Order would allow complete residential units and independent living, which are otherwise not permitted under the property’s Employment Business Park designation, as outlined in the Town’s Official Plan. The new permission would effectively bypass the need for Gottardo to secure an Official Plan Amendment for the change.

The MZO request met the Ministry’s intake thresholds with an endorsement from Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt. A similar process occurred last November when the Mon Sheong Foundation sought an MZO to upzone and expand its own seniors facility on a neighbouring site.

Only mayors who have been granted Strong Mayor Powers can personally endorse MZO requests over a Council resolution. While early expectations suggested Gottardo’s request might intensify the site, the proposed upzoning will not increase the 212 unit count already approved by Stouffville’s Council in 2023.

“This request is being made to expedite approvals for this proposal that would provide additional options for seniors housing,” the Ministry stated. “This MZO request would allow up to 212 units providing a range of care services to its residents either directly through its staff or indirectly through another provider within the already permitted six-storey senior’s care facility.”

According to a June 2023 staff report, current zoning permits two six-storey buildings connected by a single-storey amenity structure. The approved Zoning By-law Amendment allows the buildings to reach just under 20 metres in height, excluding rooftop mechanical and servicing elements. The MZO request does not seek to alter height permissions.

The applicant’s approved proposal includes 94 independent, 66 independent-supported, and 52 assisted living units, offering a variety of care levels for the centre’s future residents. Including studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units, a total of 242 beds were permitted. Those unit types could be altered should MMAH approve the MZO to allow for complete independent dwellings, though any changes would depend on finalized terms.

“Those changes depend on if the Minister allows a certain percentage to be upzoned, or if they allow the whole thing,” said Commissioner of Development Services Dwayne Tapp in comments to Bullet Point News. “But it could result in a permission that allows for individual independent dwelling units for a hundred percent of the site.”

Gottardo’s 2023 application planned to deliver 153 parking spaces. That parking rate was well above the Town’s institutional standard of one space per three beds, which mandated a total of 81 spaces. However, if units were reclassified as independent residential dwellings not requiring care services, a higher parking standard may apply.

Stouffville’s Comprehensive Zoning By-law requires 1.25 resident spaces and 0.25 visitor spaces per standard apartment unit. If required, changes could be addressed through an updated site plan application, and Tapp noted that a final zoning review also occurs at the building permit stage.

Should the MZO allow for Gottardo’s project to maintain its institutional land-use designation while also permitting independent residential units, the builder could avoid the need to increase its parking provision. According to the Ministry, the MZO request does not include any terms specifying parking standards.

“Parking requirements are based on use. If these units are still considered institutional following implementation of the MZO, those rates will not require changes” Tapp told us. “If the institutional designation no longer applies, Staff may interpret these units as complete residential dwellings and require the full 1.25 spaces.”

The Ministry is asking the public to weigh in on whether the requested MZO should move forward and to flag any potential concerns to help inform its decision making. Residents and other stakeholders will have until August 9, 2025 to offer comments, which can be submitted through the Environmental Registry of Ontario website.