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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPD-112-98 DN: PD-112-98 THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON REPORT Subject: URBAN DESIGN AND TRANSPORTATION STUDY UPTOWN BOWMANVILLE AND WEST BOWMANVILLE GATEWAY FILE NO: PLN 31.6.1 Meeting: Date: Report #: General Purpose and Administration Committee Monday, September 21, 1998 PD-112-98 FILE #: PLN 31.6.1 File # Res. #C~Q~-SO(o-9~ By-law # Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report PD-112-98 be received for information. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 On June 22, 1998, Council received Report PD-71-98 on the official plan amendment and rezoning applications by Clarington Place Limited and 800769 Ontario Limited (Clarington Place). At that time, staff noted the inter-relationship of that application with the West Bowmanville Business Park proposed by The Kaitlin Group. It was noted that a comprehensive review of the transportation system and the preparation of urban design guidelines encompassing both development parcels was appropriate before consideration of the official plan amendment, subdivision and rezoning applications by both applicants. The purpose of this report is to provide Council with the background for this Study and to report on its status. 699~b~ REPORT NO.: PD-112-98 PAGE2 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 The West Main Central Area for Bowmanville (Uptown Bowmanville) was the subject of a secondary plan and urban design study in 1992-1993. That study was undertaken in response to four applications for commercial plazas in the area fronting on Highway 2 between Green Road and Regional Road 57 (Martin Road). A primary objective of that study was to prepare a comprehensive and integrated land use plan for an expanded Main Central Area which, in combination with the existing Main Central Area, was to serve as a focal point in the Municipality. High urban design standards were to be employed to ensure an active street life, pedestrian friendliness and community pride. To that end, an Urban Design Plan was prepared an adopted by Council on December 13, 1993. The Urban Design Plan provides a visual three-dimensional interpretation of the future of the area to serve as a guideline in evaluating individual proposals. 2.2 The Study recommended a grid system of streets that could accommodate increasing volumes of traffic as land uses in the area intensified. Uptown Bowmanville will be the most intensely developed area of the Municipality. In addition to major retail and community facilities, it will be the site of high density residential uses, office development and a future GO train terminal. Traffic considerations played a major role in the plan for the area. A comprehensive traffic study was undertaken at the time. 2.3 The study provided background information for a Secondary Plan and Urban Design Plan for the Uptown Bowmanville area. This was central to Council's review of development proposals in the area . It also became the central element of an extensive Ontario Municipal Board hearing. The Ontario Municipal Board approved Official Plan Amendment #56 with modifications and the related zoning by-laws for Markborough Properties and Clarington Place. They also supported the grid road concept for the Uptown Bowmanville area as an efficient means of 699~~65 REPORT NO.: PD-112-98 PAGE3 means of providing accesses to the area without compromising the urban character of the area. The Board issued its decision in December of 1995. 2.4 During the preparation of the new Clarington Official Plan, the West Main Central Area Secondary Plan was incorporated with modifications. Specifically, the Plan was amended from the document approved by the Board to: • reflect a subsequent decision to delete the underpass under the CPR railway connecting Clarington Boulevard to Aspen Springs Drive; and • provide for the expansion of the Community Park to the north by deleting a portion of Street H. 2.5 During the preparation of the Clarington Official Plan, Green Martin Properties (The Kaitlin Group) requested that their lands on the west side of Green Road be designated to permit a business park. Kaitlin's submission indicated that they were willing to construct a tourist information centre and dedicate a site to the Municipality comprised of no less that 0.5 ha.(1.2 ac). Staff did not support this proposal. Nevertheless, Council amended the Official Plan to incorporate Special Policy Area H -The West Bowmanville Gateway. The Special Policy Area comprises a Special Purpose Commercial designation and additional policies as follows: • Service stations and motor vehicle service establishments are not permitted; • Prior to the development of any part of the Special Policy Area, the proponent will enter into an agreement to construct a tourist information centre and transfer to the Municipality a site of no less than 0.5 ha.; • Development in Special Policy Area H shall be subject to urban design guidelines to be prepared and approved by the Municipality. 2.6 Both the Kaitlin Group and Clarington Place Limited currently have applications before the Municipality: 699u66 REPORT NO.: PD-112-98 PAGE 4 a) In March 1998, the Kaitlin Group submitted applications for a plan of subdivision and rezoning for their lands in the West Bowmanville Gateway. b) In March 1997, an application was filed on behalf of Clarington Place Limited and 800769 Ontario Limited which, in part, proposed to redesignate lands within the Uptown Bowmanville area from High Density Residential and Medium Density Residential to Entertainment Commercial. In June 1998, the applicant revised his proposal by withdrawing the proposed rezoning and revising the proposed Official Plan designation to Retail Commercial. Given the requirements to update the Urban Design Plan for the Uptown Area and to prepare Urban Design Guidelines for the West Bowmanville Gateway Area, and the inter-relationships between the two areas, staff felt that it was important to have a comprehensive review and a coordinated urban design concept. Consequently both development proponents agreed to fund a study which examined urban design and transportation issues in the area. 3. STUDY PROGRESS 3.1 As noted in Report PD-71-98, Urban Strategies Inc. (formerly Berridge Lewinberg Greenberg) are undertaking the urban design component and Totten Sims Hubicki are undertaking the Transportation component of the Study. To date the following activities have been completed: • Terms of Reference have been prepared and approved by the Kaitlin Group and Clarington Place; The development proponents have forwarded initial payments to the Municipality; A project initiation meeting was held with the consultant team, Municipal staff and Regional staff; • Meetings were held with each of the proponents to review some of the initial findings and to clarify their development proposals. Work is currently proceeding and future meetings are scheduled. It is anticipated that the Study will be presented to Council in mid-fall, thereby completing the comprehensive review of the applications proposed for this area. A full 699u67 REPORT NO.: PD-112-98 PAGE 5 presentation will be made to Council by the consultant team. This will enable Council to have the benefit of full comprehensive review of the area prior to making decisions on individual applications. 4. COMMENTS 4.1. The area under study represents the westerly gateway to Bowmanville. Therefore, it's important to have an urban design plan in place to guide individual development applications. This would prevent unsightly piecemeal development and at the same time, achieve some consistency with the urban design features that are now in place in the recently built Clarington Place and Clarington Centre. 4.2 The grid system of public roads assumes that multiple roads are available to relieve the traffic volumes on arterial roads. In particular, in Uptown Bowmanville, Street H and Bowmanville Boulevard (see attachment) were intended to provide alternate access to the area and relieve Highway 2 from the large volumes of traffic generated by these land uses. The designation of the West Bowmanville Gateway Area was undertaken without the benefit of traffic studies or consideration of the impact on Uptown Bowmanville. The current study will allow for a comprehensive review of the transportation plan for the area in light of traffic volumes generated by existing development, and recent proposals to amend the Official Plan. The Study will also consider ways of improving access to municipal facilities in Uptown Bowmanville, including the Fire Station and the Garnet B. Rickard Complex. 4.3 An important element for the Municipality is the timing of crucial links in the grid road system. Unless certain components of the road system are timed relative to new development, the incomplete system will not function as intended and traffic problems will arise. Some of these are evident even with the current level of development but will become worse with new development unless crucial segments of roads are built. The transportation plan will relate development with the timing of road infrastructure. 699~i6~3 REPORT NO.: PD-112-98 PAGE 6 5. CONCLUSION 5.1 An Urban Design and Transportation Planning Study has been initiated to review the inter-relationships of the Uptown Bowmanville Area. and the new West Bowmanville Gateway Area. There is a need to re-evaluate the land use and transportation plan in light of decisions made over the past few years. This Study will be completed by mid-fall and allow for the subsequent review of the related applications in the area. Respectfully submitted, Reviewed by, Franklin Wu, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. W.H. Stockwell, Director of Planning & Development Chief Administrative Officer. *DC*FW*jip September 10, 1998 Attachment: Urban Design Plan: Bowmanville West Main Central Area F~ql ~~ i I I, jl o N I li I, ~ 'l °° w Z o¢ ,~ I ~~ ~ I'~ ~ J a C'3 W ~ ~ f o5 °a (~ ~_~~I ~_ ~ ~a zz~ 1 i i -- F- ~ Z ~~ oc~ ~~~ LT ~ ~ @ ~i ~ ~ ICI i ~ - ~~~ m? zz? QM ~ Q W W J mm~nr( ~ ~-- ~I ~~. II'~ ~` L ~ Lam' ~ I '~, ~ X11 II~~~~~~V' \ ~'\ ~~ ~ I v i l l I ~~ C -~ ; 7 /Tl ~. 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