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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPDS-001-21Clarington Public Meeting Report If this information is required in an alternate accessible format, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131. Report To: Planning and Development Committee Date of Meeting: January 11, 2021 Report Number: PDS-001-21 Submitted By: Faye Langmaid, Acting Director of Planning and Development Services File Number: COPA 2020-0005 and ZBA 2020-0019 Resolution#: PD-006-21, C-003-21 Report Subject: Applications to amend the Clarington Official Plan and Zoning By-law to allow a nine -storey mixed use building and 45 townhouse units at 1465 Highway 2, Courtice Purpose of Report: The purpose of this report is to provide information to the public and Council. It does not constitute, imply, or request any degree of approval. Recommendations: 1. That Report PSD-001-21 be received; 2. That staff receive and consider comments from the public and Council with respect to the above referenced applications; and 3. That all interested parties listed in Report PSD-001-21 and any delegations be advised of Council's decision. Municipality of Clarington Report PDS-001-21 Report Overview Page 2 The Municipality is seeking public input on applications to amend the Clarington Official Plan more specifically the Courtice Main Street Secondary Plan and Zoning By-law to allow a nine -storey mixed use building and 45 stacked townhouse units situated in five separate blocks at 1465 Highway 2 in Courtice. The nine -storey building is proposed to contain 132 residential units plus 254 square metres of ground related commercial floor space. The site is approximately 1.1 hectares, producing a housing density of approximately 160 units per hectare. The site plan details, and tenure will be addressed through future Site Plan and Plan of Condominium applications. The subject applications have been deemed complete. 1. 1.1 1.2 1.3 Application Details Owner/applicant: 1465 King Street Inc. Agent: Proposal 1.4 Area: 1.5 Location SvN Architects + Planners Courtice Main Street Secondary Plan Amendment To permit townhouses as a component of a mixed -use development, to increase the maximum permitted building height from eight storeys to nine storeys for the mixed -use building and to reduce the private laneway width from 7 metres to 6.5 metres. Zoning By-law 84-63 Amendment To rezone the property from "General Commercial Exception (Cl - 39) Zone" to a zone appropriate to permit a nine -storey mixed use building containing 132 residential units and 254 square metres of ground related commercial floor space and 45 stacked townhouse units. 1.1 hectares 1465 Highway 2, Courtice 1.6 Roll Numbers: 181701007006400, 181701007006700 and part of 181701007003690 1.7 Within Built Boundary: Yes Municipality of Clarington Report PDS-001-21 2. Background Page 3 2.1 On October 9, 2020, 1465 King Street Inc. submitted applications to amend the Courtice Main Street Secondary Plan and Zoning By-law 84-63, to permit a nine -storey mixed use building and 45 stacked townhouse units in five separate blocks at 1465 Highway 2 in Courtice. The proposal also includes indoor and outdoor common amenity spaces, as well as enclosed at grade and below grade parking. The mixed -use building contains 132 residential units plus 254 square metres of ground floor related commercial floor space (Building 1) and 45 stacked townhouse units (Buildings 2 to 6). See (Figure 1). Figure 1: Proposed Site Plan Municipality of Clarington Page 4 Report PDS-001-21 2.2 On October 30, 2020, the applications were deemed complete and circulated to departments and agencies for comments. 2.3 The following studies were submitted in support of the applications: • Planning and Urban Design Rationale • Transportation Impact Study • Environmental Impact Study — Addendum • Environmental Noise Feasibility Study • Functional Servicing Report • Stage 1-2 Archaeological Property Assessment • Phase One Environmental Site Assessment • Hydrogeological Study 3. Land Characteristics and Surrounding Uses 3.1 The site, which is vacant, is located on the south side of Regional Highway 2, just east of Darlington Boulevard and Varcoe Road. There is approximately 104 metres of frontage along Highway 2. The site 1.1 hectares. Figure 2 shows the proposed development and surroundings uses. 3.2 The surrounding uses are as follows: North: White Cliffe Terrace Retirement Residence and single detached dwellings fronting onto Cherry Blossom Crescent. East: The Uplands, Courtice development site, comprised of 150-unit apartment plus 2 condominium buildings of 102 and 126 units. South: The Uplands, Courtice development site comprised of single detached homes fronting onto Darlington Boulevard. West: Oshawa Monument Company, Esso and Circle K with Tim Hortons Express. 3.3 The Official Plan Amendment, Secondary Plan Amendment and Zoning by-law Amendment for The Uplands site was approved in 2018. The Site Plan approval process is underway and nearing completion. Municipality of Clarington Page 5 Report PDS-001-21 Courtice Heath Centre n� 5 Esso /Circle K � I _ O U G, E White Cliffe Terrace 101 0 Is X I� 1 Apartment Building - 9 Storey - 132 Units 2 Stacked Townhouses - up to 4 Storeys - 14 Units 3 Stacked Townhouses - up to 4 Storeys - 6 Units 4 Stacked Townhouses - up to 4 Storeys - 10 Units 5 Stacked Townhouses - up to 4 Storeys - 10 Units 6 Stacked Townhouses - up to 4 Storeys - 5 Units Figure 2: Location and Surrounding Lands Municipality of Clarington Report PDS-001-21 4. Provincial Policy Provincial Policy Statement Page 6 4.1 The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) policies direct growth to settlement areas and promote compact development forms. Planning authorities are to facilitate development of a variety of housing forms and promote residential intensification to achieve efficient development patterns, especially along public transit and active transportation routes. The definition of `intensification' includes the development of underutilized lots within previously developed areas and infill development among other uses. Recent changes to the PPS policies state that planning authorities shall also consider market demands when evaluating proposals. 4.2 The site is located within the settlement area of Courtice, in a place that is to be a focus of growth and development. It is located along a multi -modal transportation corridor. New development is to use existing infrastructure and public services appropriately, having regard for the site's surroundings. 4.3 The applications conform with the Provincial Policy Statement. Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Growth Plan) 4.4 The Growth Plan is a long-term planning framework that manages growth, mainly within the urban areas of the Greater Golden Horseshoe. It provides policies to encourage complete communities, which includes a diverse mix of land uses, a mix of employment and housing types, high quality public open spaces, and convenient access to local stores and services. New transit -supportive and pedestrian -friendly developments will be concentrated along existing and future transit routes. The objective is to protect the natural environment and near -urban agricultural lands by making efficient use of existing public infrastructure and encouraging compact development within the already built up areas of the municipality. 4.5 The site is within the defined Built Boundary in Courtice. Some growth is to be accommodated by directing development to the already built up areas of Courtice through intensification. A minimum of 40 percent of all residential development occurring annually within each upper tier municipality will be within built-up areas. After the Durham Region Official Plan comprehensive review is completed, the minimum target will increase to 50 percent. 4.6 The applications conform with the Growth Plan. Municipality of Clarington Report PDS-001-21 5. Official Plans Durham Region Official Plan Page 7 5.1 The Durham Region Official Plan designates the subject lands as a Regional Corridor. Regional Highway 2 is a Type B Arterial Road and functions as a transit spine. Regional Corridors are targeted for higher densities and mixed uses, supporting higher order transit services and pedestrian oriented development. Regional Corridors support an overall, long-term density target of at least 60 residential units per gross hectare and a floor -space index of 2.5. The nearby Farewell Creek valley is identified as part of the Natural Heritage system. 5.2 Urban areas across the Region shall be planned to accommodate a minimum 40 percent of all residential development occurring annually through intensification within built-up areas. The Durham Regional Official Plan requires a minimum intensification target of 32 percent for lands within the built boundary in Clarington. 5.3 Transit Spines facilitate inter -regional and inter -municipal transit services along arterial roads (GO Transit) and intersect with local transit services (Durham Regional Transit). Development along Transit Spines shall provide for complimentary higher densities and mixed uses in accordance with the Regional Corridor policies. 5.4 Since the site is along Regional Highway 2, noise impacts from the arterial road must be mitigated in accordance with Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks guidelines. Clarington Official Plan 5.5 The lands are within a Regional Corridor, within which a mixed -use building and apartments are permitted with a height between 3 and 12 storeys, and minimum net density of 85 units per hectare. Proposals for multi -unit residential must consider appropriateness of the site, compatibility, provision of suitable access points, traffic and parking impacts and massing. The urban design and sustainability policies of the Official Plan must be implemented through the development. 5.6 Multiple vehicular accesses shall generally be provided to townhouse and apartment blocks. Each condominium corporation shall have direct street frontage and direct vehicular access. 5.7 Where lands are within 120 metres of a natural heritage or hydrologic feature, an Environmental Impact Study is required. Municipality of Clarington Report PDS-001-21 Courtice Main Street Secondary Plan Page 8 5.8 Within the Courtice Main Street Secondary Plan, the lands are designated Commercial. The Commercial designation allows retail, service and office uses, high density residential uses such as mid- and high-rise apartments, either in a single use building or part of a mixed -use building and limited community facilities including social, recreational, educational and cultural facilities. 5.9 The Secondary Plan also identifies a trail system and a network of private lanes to be considered during the review of the applications. These are interconnected with The Uplands development which is adjacent. 5.10 The Secondary Plan provides detailed urban design policies to ensure street -oriented buildings and an attractive streetscape along the Courtice Main Street. Development must meet the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and transit users as well as automobiles. Views and connections to natural heritage features shall be enhanced through the development of this site. 5.11 The proposed amendment to the Courtice Main Street Secondary Plan would allow for limited townhouse development in the Commercial designation, permit a nine storey rather than an eight storey (maximum) building and a reduction in the private laneway width from 7 metres to 6.5 metres. 6. Zoning By-law 6.1 The site is zoned General Commercial Exception (C1-39), which permits the full range of commercial uses found in the General Commercial zone within mixed use or single use buildings, subject to various specific regulations. The Zoning By-law amendment application proposes to rezone the property to permit the proposed uses. 7. Summary of Background Studies Planning and Urban Design Rationale, SvN Architects + Planners 7.1 This report provided the planning context of the subject lands and surrounding neighbourhood along Regional Highway 2. The report identifies that the land is within a Regional Corridor in the Regional and Clarington Official Plans and is designated Commercial within the Courtice Main Street Secondary Plan. 7.2 The report summarizes all supporting material submitted with the applications and states that the proposed development is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement and conforms to the Growth Plan, the Durham Regional Official Plan and the Clarington Official Plan. The proposed development supports the achievement of the objectives of the Secondary Plan, including compact, mixed uses in a transit supportive environment. Municipality of Clarington Page 9 Report PDS-001-21 The proposal aims to contribute to meeting density and streetscaping objectives of the Secondary Plan. 7.3 The report concludes that in this location, the proposed scale and intensity of the development considers its context and responds to urban design objectives of the Clarington Official Plan, Secondary Plan and the Courtice Main Street Urban Design Guidelines (Figure 3). Figure 3: View of proposed nine storey building from Regional Highway 2 Municipality of Clarington Page 10 Report PDS-001-21 Transportation Impact Study, Nextrans Consulting Engineers 7.4 The development is proposed to include 299 vehicle parking spaces and 66 bicycle parking spaces. Site entrances from Regional Highway 2 include a right in/right out access at the west side of the site and a full movement signalized intersection at the east edge of the site, shared with The Uplands development. The analysis completed for this study indicates that the internal private street network and the surrounding public streets can accommodate traffic generated by the proposed development with minimal impact on traffic volumes and travel time. The report states that the proposed supply of onsite parking will be sufficient in the context of available options for public and active transportation at the site. Environmental Impact Study — Addendum, GHD 7.5 This addendum was completed in light of the Environmental Impact Study completed for the adjacent Uplands site. The original study included fieldwork on this site. Additional fieldwork needed to produce the addendum was completed in June 2020. The study recommends that work to clear the site for grading should occur outside of the April 15 to August 15 breeding bird window but recognizes that the site has already been disturbed. Environmental Noise Feasibility Study, Valcoustics Canada Limited 7.6 This study examines noise generated by traffic on Regional Highway 2, by operations at the Esso gas bar and by operations the adjacent Oshawa Monument Company. Mitigation measures are outlined in the study report and will need to be addressed by the future Site Plan approval application. Functional Servicing Report, Siteplantech Inc. 7.7 This report investigated water supply, sanitary sewer and storm drainage for the site and concludes that the existing water supply and sanitary sewer services on Regional Highway 2 have sufficient capacity to accommodate the proposed development. Stormwater collected on this site is proposed to be stored on site, with a portion of the water to be reused as greywater and irrigation for landscaping. Stage 1-2 Archaeological Property Assessment, Amick Consultants Limited 7.8 Field investigations were completed in May 2020 and no archaeological resources were encountered. The report concludes that no further archaeological assessment is warranted and that Provincial interest in archaeological resources have been addressed. Municipality of Clarington Page 11 Report PDS-001-21 Phase One Environmental Site Assessment, G2S Consulting Inc. 7.9 The Phase One report identifies two areas of potential environmental concern within the site. First, there was a small welding shop on the site historically and second, the current and historic uses on the adjacent properties including the monuments manufacturer and the gas bar. The report recommends that a Phase Two Environmental Site Assessment be undertaken to investigate potential contaminants in the soil and groundwater. Hydrogeological Study, G2S Consulting Inc. 7.10 The findings of the Hydrogeological Study were not available at the time of the writing of this staff report. Any future staff report will include the findings. 8. Public Notice and Submissions 8.1 Notice for this Public Meeting was mailed to each landowner within 120 metres of the site on December 16, 2020. A Public Notice sign was posted on the site at Regional Highway 2. 8.2 At the time of writing this report, no comments have been received from the public. It should be noted that this report was written in advance of the Public Meeting due to the Municipal Administrative Centre closure for the Holiday Season. Comments received at the Public Meeting and during the continued review of the applications will be considered and included in a future recommendation report. 8.3 The applicant has advised staff they will host a virtual Open House at a future date. The Open House will provide more details of the proposed development, the applicant and their consultants will be available to answer questions at the virtual open house. 9. Agency and Departmental Comments 9.1 The applications were circulated to internal departments and external agencies for review and comment. At the time of writing this report, comments had not yet been received from the Region of Durham or Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority. Clarington Public Works — Infrastructure Division 9.2 Clarington Public Works — Infrastructure Division has no objection to the proposal, however there is some concern about traffic circulation internal to the site. The applicant needs to confirm the total traffic generated from the adjacent The Uplands site has been included in the intersection capacity analysis and further analysis could be required. Municipality of Clarington Page 12 Report PDS-001-21 9.3 This development will require access through adjacent lands for sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and watermain connections for which the applicant will require an agreement with the owner of the adjacent lands. Additional detail is required on the Site Grading Plan in between the condominium buildings and near the property lines to help depict how on -site drainage is to be conveyed and captured and how the proposed grading will tie into existing and proposed adjacent conditions. Further discussion is also required to ensure complete coordination of efforts regarding storm drainage between this site and the adjacent development. 10. Discussion 10.1 This development is intended to be complementary to The Uplands development, completing the west side of the private street between the two sites and completing the street frontage along this section of Highway 2. A cost sharing agreement between the two sites is necessary for the construction and maintenance of the private lanes and any shared services. Cross access easements will also be necessary. The site will add some small commercial space in a place easily accessible by residents of these developments and others nearby. This site is designated Commercial whereas The Uplands site is designated Mid -rise High Density Residential, both sites are within the Regional Corridor and are viewed through the same policy lens beyond the differences of the Secondary Plan designations. 10.2 Transportation objectives of the Secondary Plan are to transform Highway 2 from a "highway" environment to an urban multimodal transportation corridor with greater emphasis on the "pedestrian environment". Additional objectives are to support sustainable transportation choices including active transportation modes and future higher order transit and to improve the public realm and make the Corridor more transit supportive through high quality streetscaping. This proposal is part of bringing the vision for Regional Highway 2 to life by enhancing mobility options and the public realm, building transit -supportive land uses and creating an inspiring urban built form. 10.3 Traffic counts were conducted consistently with the approach taken for The Uplands site. The counts were completed on Wednesday March 4, 2020, which was before the pandemic lockdown began. Conditions observed indicate that the intersections in the study area are operating at acceptable levels of service, which is expected to continue under anticipated future conditions. The same is true of the proposed new entrances from Regional Highway 2 to serve the subject and adjacent Uplands developments. The proposed development is expected to generate 65 two-way automobile trips during the peak morning hours and 90 two-way automobile trips during the peak afternoon hours. Some common Transportation Demand Management recommendations are offered and will be considered in the preparation of the Secondary Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law amendment and through the Site Plan approval process. Municipality of Clarington Report PDS-001-21 Page 13 10.4 Staff will continue to review the applications including the recommendations of technical report. Agency comments along with any public comments will be addressed in a subsequent recommendation report. Detailed site design refinement will occur through the Site Plan approval process. The applicants Open House will provide another opportunity for the public to engage in the planning process for this development. 11. Concurrence Not Applicable. 12. Conclusion 12.1 The purpose of this report is to provide background information on the proposal to amend the Clarington Official Plan, specifically the Courtice Main Street Secondary Plan and Zoning By-law for the Public Meeting under the Planning Act. It is recommended that staff continue to review and process the application and prepare a subsequent recommendation report for Council's consideration. Comments received at this public meeting will be considered and included in the recommendation report. Staff Contact: Mitch Morawetz, Planner, 905-623-3379 ext. 2411 or mmorawetz(aD_clarington.net. Attachments: Not Applicable. Interested Parties: List of Interested Parties available from Department.