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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-049-08 Clarington Leading the way REPORT PLANNING SERVICES PUBLIC MEETING Meeting: SPECIAL COUNCIL ~eso C ~,~.-~-iv,~ ~ ~'- Oa ~j'- D 8 Date: Monday May 12,2008 Report #: PSD-049-08 File #: PLN 38.1 By-law #: Subject: CLARINGTON OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSION PAPER AND PRELIMINARY WORKPLAN RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended that Council adopt the following recommendations: 1. THAT Report PSD-049-08 be received; 2. THAT the preliminary workplan for the Official Plan review be approved in principle and that staff consider the comments made at the public meeting in finalizing the workplan; 3. THAT Staff report back on a Public Engagement Strategy; 4. THAT a copy of this report and Council's decision be forwarded to the Region of Durham Planning Department; and 5. THAT all interested parties on the list, as filed in the Planning Services and Clerk's Departments ,and any delegations be advised of Council's decision. Submitted by: Reviewed by: David . Crome, M.C.LP., R.P.P. F lin Wu, Director of Planning Services ~I Chief Administrative Officer LB'DJC`sn "TIV\~ 6 May 2008 CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C 3A6 T (905)623-3379 F (905)623-0830 REPORT NO.: PSD-049-08 PAGE 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The purpose of this report is two fold; first to provide Council with a summary of the Official Plan Review - Introductory Discussion Paper and second, to seek Council's approval for the preliminary workplan 2.0 BACKGROUND 2.1 The Planning Act of Ontario requires a Municipality to review its Official Plan every five years to ensure that it conforms with Provincial Plans, has regard to matters of Provincial interest and that it is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement. 2.2 On March 25, 2008 Council resolved that in accordance with Section 26 of the Planning Act a special meeting of Council be held on May 12, 2008 commencing at 2:00 p.m. with a scheduled recess at 4:00 p.m. and reconvening at 7:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss any revisions that may be required as part of the review of the Clarington Official Plan; the Planning Act also requires that the special meeting be advertised in accordance with the provisions of the Act for Council to hear submissions from residents on the subject. 3.0 PUBLIC NOTICE 3.1 The Municipality advertised for the special meeting through the local newspapers (the Clarington This Week and the Orono Times) on five separate occasions, the Municipality's website, and the Clarington.net quarterly newsletter. 3.2 Staff issued a draft Introductory Discussion Paper on April 22, 2008, followed by a final draft on April 30, 2008 outlining the key issues and the scope of the proposed Official Plan Review. The Introductory Discussion Paper has also been posted on the Municipality's website. A copy of the final Introductory Discussion Paper has been distributed under separate cover. 4.0 DISCUSSION 4.1 The purpose of the Introductory Discussion Paper is mainly to open dialogue with regard to the effectiveness of our current planning policies and the challenges Clarington's community could be facing over the next 25 years. The Introductory Discussion Paper consists of the following: · An overview of the current Official Plan, with a summary of its purpose, accomplishments, how it has changed since 1996, and its limitations; · An outline of the main reasons why it needs to be reviewed; · A discussion of what needs to be reviewed by using/revisiting our current vision and the existing principles in the Official Plan of Sustainable Development, Healthy Communities and Growth Management as a point of departure; · A summary of recent municipal initiatives that relate to the Official Plan Review process; and · A 2006 Census snapshot of Clarington's population demographics. REPORT NO.: PSD-049-08 PAGE 3 4.2 Overview of the Current Official Plan 4.2.1 The Clarington Official Plan is the Municipality's key planning policy document designed to guide development over the next 25 years. The current Clarington Official Plan (Official Plan) was prepared with extensive public participation between 1992 and 1996. The Official Plan was approved by Clarington's Council on January 29, 1996 and subsequently by Regional Council in October of the same year. 4.2.2 Some of the major accomplishments of the Official Plan are the following: · Existing downtowns have been preserved and renewed; · Development of a major new commercial area, the Bowmanville West Town Centre; · Improved community design; · Significant acquisition of lands for public use along the waterfront and for parks and open space; · Major community facilities have been constructed to serve a growing population; · Improved environmental review process of new development can proceed while maintaining the ecological integrity of the Municipality's natural heritage features; · The foundation for a number of implementation studies, including the Community Improvement Plans for Orono, Bowmanville, Newcastle Village and the Old Bowmanville Heritage Conservation District Study which led to the designation of the Beech Avenue Heritage Conservation District; · The Official Plan has guided the alignment of new and expanded arterial and collector roads, prepared for the introduction of public transit, and highlighted the importance of an emerging trails and bikeway network; and · The Official Plan maintained the integrity of the Municipality's rural/agricultural fabric and reinforced hamlets as the focal points of rural residential and commercial development. 4.2.3 Since the adoption of the Official Plan in 1996, an additional 7,700 housing units have been built, our population has grown by approximately 17,000, and ten new schools have opened. 4.2.4 An Official Plan is intended to be a living document that can respond to changing circumstances, new information and the evolving needs of the community and its citizens. The Clarington Official Plan has been amended over 50 times since its adoption. These amendments include major policy revisions, (Commercial Policy Review in 2005), amendments to implement municipal studies (the Energy Park Secondary Plan, 2005) amendments in response to development applications and amendments required by the Official Plan, such as aggregate operations and golf courses. 4.3 Why Review the Official Plan 4.3.1 The need for a review of the Official Plan stems from the following: REPORT NO.: PSD-049-08 PAGE 4 · Clarington Council's 2007-2010 Corporate Strategic Business Plan A strategic action of the Business Plan is to initiate the Official Plan Review with the emphasis "on managing rapid residential growth and educating the public". In concert with the Corporate Strategic Business Plan, the Official Plan Review will seek to reflect and build on the existing pillars of the Official Plan: Sustainable Development, Healthy Communities and Growth Management. · Local Planning for Global Stewardship Climate change, an anticipated world-wide energy crisis, air pollution, erosion of the natural environment and farm land, as well as continued, rapid urbanization pose threats to the wellbeing and sustainability of all communities and environments. The Official Plan is a very important tool available to the Municipality and its residents to help address these global challenges with a local solution. . Managing Growth Conservative projections anticipate Clarington's population to increase by 65,000 over the next 25 years. The review process will seek to determine where, when and how we can accommodate this population growth and the associated demands for services and amenities. · Legislative Requirements The Planning Act of Ontario now requires that an Official Plan is to be reviewed every five years to ensure that it conforms to, or does not conflict with, Provincial Plans and policies. During the last five years the Provincial Government has undertaken initiatives such as revisions to the Provincial Policy Statement, 2005, the Greenbelt Plan, the Growth Plan, the Clean Water Act, and most recently the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority's Metrolinx Transportation Plan, which is currently underway. The Municipality's Official Plan must also conform to the Region of Durham Official Plan. The latter has recently reviewed and updated (Amendment 114). A further step was deferred and the Region is now working on implementing the Growth Plan. 4.4. THE PROPOSED OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW PROCESS The suggested Official Plan Review process as outlined in Attachment 1 to this report reflects the fact that Clarington already has an Official Plan and that major policy sections of this Plan have been updated in recent years. Nonetheless, as it has been explored in previous sections, much has changed in the community and in the world that require a fresh look at the Plan. We must also keep in mind that we are a part of the Greater Toronto Area and are not isolated from its influence. A traditional Official Plan Review process is usually preceded by many technical studies, undertaken over a number of years to produce a comprehensive Official Plan Amendment. In contrast, it is proposed that the Clarington Official Plan review REPORT NO.: PSD-049-08 PAGE 5 process have step-by-step implementation throughout the process by bringing forward specific Official Plan amendments while a broader review is underway. The first step in the process of undertaking the Official Plan Review is issue identification. The Planning Services Department has prepared an Introductory Discussion Paper as a primer for the public meeting to be held on May 12, 2008. This Discussion Paper sets out the challenge of Planning within the context of existing municipal planning studies, development applications, Provincial and Regional legislation and policy documents. Public participation and engagement is the foundation to good public policy. The preliminary work program outlines a series of community workshops and a community survey in June that will help us define the issues and ensure that the Plan's Vision for the community reflects our citizens' needs and aspirations. Once we conclude this preliminary round of public participation and defined a clear set of issues, we will prepare a public engagement strategy to be presented to Council in a future staff report. It is important to note, that some activities will overlap. In addition, there may be a need to adjust the Official Plan Review workplan based upon public input, council direction, or external pressures like new provincial legislation and changing market conditions. 5.0 CONCLUSION The preliminary workplan outlines the scope of the process, defines the general tasks to be undertaken and identifies the sequence of these tasks. Planning staff will be consulting the Region and Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to review the work program prior to issuing Terms of Reference for the consulting contracts anticipated in the preliminary work program. Part III, IV and V are proposed to be undertaken primarily through consultants. Funds have been set aside in the 2007 and 2008 budgets for this purpose. Components of the work program will also be presented to Council's Agricultural and Green Community Advisory Committees for their input. It is respectfully recommended that the preliminary workplan for the Official Plan review be approved in principle and that Staff report back on a Public Engagement Strategy. Attachments: Attachment 1 -Official Plan Review -Preliminary Workplan An Introductory Discussion Paper - Distributed under separate cover REPORT NO.: PSD-049-08 PAGE 6 List of interested parties to be advised of Council's decision: on file in the Planning Services and Clerk's Departments. REVISED ATTACHMENT 1 to Report PSD-049-08 OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW - PRELIMINARY WORKPLAN The Official Plan Review has five main components: o Community Vision o Planning for the Countryside o Planning for Prosperity and Growth; o Planning for Sustainable and Healthy Communities o Planning for Action - Making it Happen Each of these components will follow the same review process and result in an amendment to the current Official Plan policies. The final product to be generated for each component review will be an Official Plan Amendment. These Official Plan Amendments would reflect the summary recommendations advanced by way of Discussion Papers. The Amendment may propose to replace or modify existing Official Plan policy or may propose new policy. After the public input for each component of the Official Plan Review and site specific issues have been addressed, statutory open houses and public meetings of the General Purpose and Administration Committee will be held; at that time the final draft of the Official Plan Amendments will be tabled for consideration and Council approval. The Process Part I A- Community Vision This Phase will include a Special Meeting of Council, community workshops, and meetings with staff of different levels of government, community leaders, developers, and a community survey. The main goal of this component is to engage the public in defining the future of Clarington. We intend to revisit the current community vision and to define what kind of community we want Clarington to become by the year 2031. Deliverables The Community Vision section would conclude with: o the reaffirmation or a revised Community Vision, o a specific set of strategic issues that will frame the Official Plan review, o a set of key community facts that will be refined over the Review period. The key facts become the basis for the development of indicators to be used in the evaluation and monitoring phase of the Official plan. Part I B Planning Reform - Bill 51, Bill 51, An Act to amend the Planning Act and the Conservation Land Act and to make related amendments to other Acts, provides additional powers to the Municipality with respect to complete applications, architectural control and sustainable development. The first Official Plan Amendment will implement the Planning Reform initiatives. Deliverables The Plannino Reform section would conclude with an Official Plan Amendment to implement the provisions of Bill 51 including: o Requirements for complete applications o External Architectural design o Zoning with conditions o Sustainable and accessible design Part II Planning for the Countryside The Planning for the Countryside component will be comprised of the conformity exercises required by the recent Amendment 114 to the Region of Durham Official Plan, the Greenbelt Plan, and Provincial Policy Statement, 2005. It will address the rural area of the Municipality and those areas outside of the urban boundaries.The input of the Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington will be sought through this process. Deliverables The Plannino for the Countrvside section will conclude with an o Official Plan Amendment regarding: o The Greenbelt Plan o Rural and Greenlands Systems Policies of the Durham Regional Official Plan o Protection of prime agricultural land o Farming support policies and incentives o Renewable energy in the countryside o A Zoning Amendment to cover the rural areas Part III Plannina for Prosperity and Growth One of the cornerstones of the Official Plan is to have a clear understanding of our growth projections and of how we are going to accommodate that growth. The objective is to ensure that as we plan for development, the community has the serviceable land, infrastructure (e.g. sewer, water, roads), community facilities (e.g. parks, libraries, fire halls), fiscal capacity (e.g. level of taxation, debt ratios), and the levels of service (e.g. processing of building permits, recreational programs) required to serve current and future residents. The Planning for Prosperity and Growth component will be comprised of the conformity exercise required by the Places to Grow legislation. It will address the issues of intensification, alternative modes of transportation, and mixed use corridor development and employment areas. We will be engaging a consultant for this component. Deliverables Planninq for Prosperity and Growth This phase will conclude with the following products: · A series of Discussion papers that will include technical analysis and trends on the following preliminary list issues:: o Population projections, o Analysis of the Region's Growth management recommendations and their impact on Clarington, o Land needs for both employment, commercial, and residential development, o Intensification: selection criteria and proposed areas (Courtice, Bowmanville, Newcastle, Orono), o Urban Design Principles and Guidelines for Commercial, neighborhoods, intensification o Employment lands needs and analysis · A Draft Official Plan Amendment to implement Places to Grow legislation Part IV Sustainable and Healthy Communities This component will be comprised of a review of our existing policies particularly in the natural heritage, open space, development standards, and urban design areas. We will be engaging a consultant to assist in the compilation of emerging trends including renewable energy, green development standards, sustainable neighbourhood design and how our policies can better address these issues. An ongoing monitoring program will also be considered. The input of the Green Community Advisory Committee will be sought through this process.. Deliverables This phase will conclude with the following products: · A series of Discussion papers that will include technical analysis and trends on the following preliminary list of issue: o Healthy Communities Policies and Design principles o Green buildings and site development including energy conservation o Public amenities for active living o Urban design standards (e.g. roads, high density residential) o Parks, trails, and cycling network o Review of Waterfront Concept o Renewable energy o Aquifer Vulnerability-well-head protection o Natural heritage - buffers, hydrological features · A Draft Official Plan Amendment - Implementing Sustainable and Healthy Communities policies. Part V- Plannin!:! for Action - Makin!:! It Happen While community consultation is underway for the Official Plan Amendments to implement Prosperity and Growth, Sustainable Development and Healthy Communities, work will continue on area specific projects. These may include projects that have already been approved by Council and/or area specific projects that will be required in order to implement Provincial and Regional policies. The initial focus will be on the following projects: o Courtice Corridor Study o Courtice Employment Area Study o Green Community Strategy (through the Green Community Advisory Committee) Each of the Official Plan Amendments and area specific studies will have consideration for financial implications. The objective is to improve the link between land use and financial planning. This will help to ensure that the Municipality's annual and capital budgets, development charges, and long-term financial plan reflect Official Plan policies. In addition, specific indicators to monitor progress in implementing Official Plan policies will be developed for the different components of the Plan. Some of these performance indicators may include: amount of protected prime agricultural land, renewable energy production in the countryside, intensification targets, employment land development, and the number of parks including kilometers of trail developed. It is also important to mention that other major initiatives will be undertaken to implement the Official Plan Review, such as: · Development Charges Study and Long Term Financial Plan . Land Acquisition Study · Revision to the Zoning By-law · Other studies and initiatives that have been completed or are being prepared by other departments like the Outdoorllndoor recreational assessments, Community Services Strategic Plan, the Library Service Delivery Model, and the Clarington Master Fire Plan. Public Engagement Strategy While there are specific requirements within the Planning Act for open houses and public meetings, the intention is to embrace community involvement from the beginning. A variety of communication means and public engagement opportunities will be planned from the initial stages of review, beginning with this report, a community survey and community workshops. Public participation will consist of two main activities: public information and engagement. Public information will take place mainly through traditional means like newspaper ads, newsletters, as well as through the use of more innovative information resources like the internet and visualization software The second activity, public engagement, allows the community to be part of defining the policy outcome of the Plan. The Official Plan Review process is the most significant public involvement process undertaken in any community. Once we conclude the initial consultation on the discussion paper, the community workshops and survey, we will be preparing a detailed Public Engagement Strategy for Council consideration.