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Home My WebLink AboutPSD-080-11 Clarington PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Date: September 26, 2011 Resolution #: - - 1 By-law M N/A Report #: PSD-080-11 File #: PLN 38.7 Subject: OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW Release of Intensification Discussion Paper RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report PSD-080-11 be received for information. F ,e Submitted b Reviewed b b i J. Crome, MCIP, RPP Franklin Wu DiI tor, Planning Services Chief Administrative Officer DJ/COS/df 20 September 2011 CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C 3A6 T 905-623-3379 REPORT NO.: PSD-080-11 PAGE 2 1. BACKGROUND 1.1 The Official Plan Review Process The Official Plan Review work plan outlined in Report PSD-049-08 provides for a series of discussion papers and emphasised public participation. To allow for continuous implementation through Official Plan amendments, the review process has been broken into several major components namely: Themes: • Built Environment and Planning Process; • Rural/Agricultural; • Growth Management; • Intensification; • Employment Lands; and • Sustainable Communities. Special Projects: • Courtice Main Street Study and Secondary Plan; • Courtice Employment Lands Secondary Plan; and • Parks, Open Space and Trails. Each major component of the Official Plan Review follows the same process. The process begins with the release of a Discussion Paper, followed by comprehensive public and public agency input and review, and which culminates in an Official Plan Amendment, as illustrated in the diagram below: • ea • - ' Receive Public Input Present'draft Official Plan Amendment „ Receive Pubhc Input ® • • • ° • ` o Receive/incorporate public anput 1.2 The Municipality retained the services of Dillon Consulting to assist staff with the Growth Management and Intensification components of the Official Plan Review. Dillon REPORT NO.: PSD-080-11 PAGE 3 Consulting also prepared the Courtice Main Street Master Development Plan which was approved in principle by Council in September 2010. 1.3 The purpose of this report is to announce the release of the Intensification Discussion Paper, prepared by Dillon Consulting in consultation with Joseph Bogdan Associates Inc. Architects & Urban Design Consultants, EDP Consulting and Staff of the Planning Services Department. The report also provides information on the proposed public consultation process associated with the discussion paper and subsequent steps to amend the Official Plan. 2. INTENSIFICATION DISCUSSION PAPER 2.1 Provincial Policy, more specifically the Provincial Policy Statement 2005 and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe 2006, place particular attention on intensification and the prevention of urban sprawl. Provincial Policy requires municipal Official Plans to include intensification targets and policies consistent with new provincial directives. 2.2 The Region of Durham undertook a Growth Plan conformity exercise (ROPA 128) which only received partial approval by the Minister in October 2010. Several aspects of ROPA 128 were not approved by the Minister and are subject to Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) appeals. Key elements of ROPA 128 which have not been approved include area municipal population, housing and employment allocations, Greenfield density and intensification targets and proposed urban boundary expansions. The final outcome of the various OMB appeals may have an impact on the Regional Official Plan policies and targets allocated to Clarington. 2.3 This Intensification Paper includes an analysis of ROPA 128 and provides recommendations for Clarington's conformity requirements to meet the intensification target. These recommendations will be confirmed once a decision has been made on the outstanding ROPA 128 elements. However, for the purposes of discussion, this Paper sets the stage for meaningful public consultation regarding the implications of planning for residential intensification in Clarington and also provides a platform to formulate an intensification strategy for Clarington. 2.4 The key chapters in the Discussion Paper set out the context for Intensification, the Drivers of Intensification, Opportunities and Constraints for Intensification, a Capacity Analysis, and the paper concludes with recommendations regarding an intensification strategy and proposed policy directions. 2.5 Following the release of the related Growth Management Discussion Paper (November 2011), both Discussion Papers will be the subject of public consultation meetings in Courtice, Bowmanville and Newcastle. 2.6 The availability of the Intensification Discussion Paper will be advertised in the newspapers and notice will be sent to all interested parties. This Discussion Paper and all relevant information is being made available on the Official Plan Review website REPORT NO.: PSD-080-11 PAGE 4 htt :// clarington.net/ourr)lan/. The public is encouraged to provide comments. The Paper is also available to the public in all Clarington Libraries. 3. CONCURRENCE - not applicable 4. CONCLUSION 4.1 The Intensification Discussion Paper identifies a strategy for meeting the intensification targets established by the Province and the Region. Public input will be sought over the next few months. CONFORMITY WITH STRATEGIC PLAN The recommendations contained in this report conform to the general intent of the following priorities of the Strategic Plan: X Promoting economic development Maintaining financial stability Connecting Clarington X Promoting green initiatives X Investing in infrastructure Showcasing our community Not in conformity with Strategic Plan Staff Contact: Dean Jacobs Attachments: Attachment 1 - Intensification Discussion Paper (Under Separate Cover) Intensification Discussion Paper OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW Compass to our Future MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT September 2011 Submitted By: sop Joseph Bogdan Associates Inc. . DIL—ON Architects Urban Design Consultants Consulting CONSULTING TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 2 1.1 Background .......................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Purpose of the Intensification Discussion Paper................................................. 4 1.3 Format.................................................................................................................. 4 2.0 CONTEXT FOR INTENSIFICATION ............................................................................ 6 2.1 What is Intensification? ....................................................................................... 6 2.2 Why is Intensification an Important Policy Objective?........................................ 9 2.3 Policy Context for Intensification....................................................................... 11 2.4 Historical Context............................................................................................... 19 2.5 Physical Context................................................................................................. 21 2.6 Market Context.................................................................................................. 22 2.7 Land Supply........................................................................................................ 30 2.8 Key Findings ....................................................................................................... 31 3.0 FRAMEWORK FOR INTENSIFICAITON ................................................................... 33 3.1 What Drives Intensification?.............................................................................. 33 3.2 Physical Factors.................................................................................................. 35 3.3 Socio-Economic and Political Factors ................................................................ 41 3.4 Summary of Key Findings................................................................................... 44 4.0 OPPORTUNITIES, ISSUES AND CONSTRAINTS FOR INTENSIFICATION AREAS IN CLARINGTON......................................................................................................... 46 4.1 Physical Structure .............................................................................................. 46 4.2 Courtice Main Street Study Area ....................................................................... 48 4.3 Courtice Road..................................................................................................... 57 4.4 Bloor Street Corridor.......................................................................................... 64 4.5 Bowmanville West Town Centre ....................................................................... 69 4.6 Bowmanville East Town Centre ......................................................................... 77 4.7 Highway 2 East................................................................................................... 89 4.8 Newcastle Village Centre................................................................................... 94 4.9 Waterfront Places............................................................................................ 101 4.10 Other Areas (Outside the Centres and Corridors) ........................................... 112 5.0 CAPACITY ANALYSIS ............................................................................................ 117 5.1 Purpose of the Capacity Analysis..................................................................... 117 5.2 Methodology.................................................................................................... 117 5.3 Potential Capacity for Intensification .............................................................. 118 5.4 Comparison of Capacity and Targets............................................................... 119 6.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................... 122 Intensification Discussion Paper-September 2011 6.1 Reconciling Trends, Issues, Opportunities and Constraints ............................ 122 6.2 Recommendations for an Intensification Strategy.......................................... 122 6.3 Next Steps........................................................................................................ 127 LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1: Urban Housing Unit Growth Allocations, 2006—2031 Table 2.2: Schedule E —Table TT - Intensification Allocations, 2015 - 2031 Table 2.3: ROPA 128 Growth Targets and FSls for Centres and Corridors Table 2.4: Historic Intensification Rates throughout Southern Ontario Table 2.5: Historic Intensification Rates Compared to ROPA 128 Targets Table 2.6: Historic Growth and Future Forecasts Table 2.7: Clarington's Share of Durham Region Housing Unit Completions, by Unit Type Table 2.8: Share of Clarington Housing Units by Type Table 2.9: Average Unit Sale Price, December 2009 Table 2.10: Average Unit Sale Price, 2009 Table 2.11: Average Sale Price of a Single Family Home Table 2.12: Land Supply, Municipality of Clarington Table 5.1: Intensification Potential, Clarington LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1: OP Review Integrated Process Chart Figure 2.1: Intensification by Geography Figure 2.2 Growth Plan Conformity Process Figure 2.3: Region of Durham Amendment 128, Schedule A — Map 5, Regional Structure Figure 2.4: Clarington's Historic Share of Durham's Growth, By Unit Type Figure 2.5: Clarington's Projected Share of Durham's Growth, By Unit Type Figure 3.1: Factors Influencing Intensification Figure 4.1: Location Map, Centres and Corridors Figure 4.2: Clarington Official Plan, Planned Land Use for Courtice Figure 4.3-A: Courtice Main Street and Centre, Opportunities and Constraints (Land Use) Figure 4.3-13: Courtice Main Street and Centre, Opportunities and Constraints (Public Realm) Figure 4.3-C: Courtice Main Street and Centre, Opportunities and Constraints (Infrastructure) Figure 4.4: Courtice Road Corridor, Existing Lot and Building Patterns Figure 4.5: Courtice Road Corridor, Opportunities, Issues and Constraints Figure 4.6: Bloor Street Corridor, Existing Building and Lot Pattern Figure 4.7: Bloor Street Corridor Opportunities and Constraints Figure 4.8: Bowmanville West Town Centre, Existing Buildings and Lot Pattern Figure 4.9: Bowmanville, Official Plan Land Use Figure 4.10: Planned Land Use, Bowmanville West Town Centre Figure 4.11: Bowmanville West Town Centre Opportunities and Constraints Figure 4.12: Bowmanville East Town Centre, Existing Lot and Building Pattern Figure 4.13: Bowmanville East Town Centre Secondary Plan, Land Use Map A Figure 4.14: Bowmanville East Town Centre Secondary Plan, Land Use Map B Figure 4.15: Downtown Bowmanville Opportunities and Constraints Figure 4.16: Highway 2 East, Existing Buildings and Lot Pattern Figure 4.17: Opportunities and Constraints, Highway 2 East Corridor Figure 4.18: Newcastle Village Centre, Existing Buildings and Lot Pattern Figure 4.19: Existing Planned Land Use, Newcastle Village Centre Figure 4.20: Opportunities and Constraints for Newcastle Village Centre Figure 4.21-A: Port of Newcastle Waterfront Place, Existing Buildings and Lot Pattern Figure 4.21-13: Port Darlington Waterfront Place, Existing Buildings and Lot Pattern Figure 4.22-A: Existing Planned Land Use, Port of Newcastle Waterfront Place Figure 4.22-13: Existing Planned Land Use, Port Darlington Waterfront Place Figure 4.23: Opportunities and Constraints for Port Darlington Waterfront Place Figure 4.24: Opportunities and Constraints for Port of Newcastle Waterfront Place Figure 4.25: Courtice Intensification Sites, Outside of Centres and Corridors Figure 4.26: Bowmanville Intensification Sites, Outside of Centres and Corridors Figure 4.27: Newcastle Intensification Sites, Outside of Centres and Corridors LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A: Policy Audit Tables Appendix B: Intensification Examples Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background Perceptions about how we build our cities are changing. Increasingly there is recognition that traditional urban patterns have a host of negative unintended impacts on our economy, society and environment. In Ontario, the Province has issued legislation in an attempt to address some of these unintended consequences and improve the way in which we manage growth and build our cities. New provincial plans and policies, in the form of the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) and the Growth Plan, place a particular emphasis on planning for intensification. Specifically, the Province has mandated that municipalities incorporate intensification policies and targets into both upper and lower tier official plans. In Clarington, this means that the Municipality must also consider the Region of Durham's (the Region) intensification policies which are articulated in ROPA 128. ROPA 128 identifies a basic urban structure for Clarington, designating a series of Centres and Corridors. These Centres and Corridors are intended to be the long term focus for residential intensification in Clarington. Furthermore, ROPA 128 identifies a specific target of 6,181 housing units (or 32% of Clarington's total housing demand), which is to be achieved through intensification between 2015 and 2031. Implementing Provincial and Regional intensification objectives in Clarington will not be easy. An analysis of trends and relevant data shows that there are a number of reasons to suggest that accommodating intensification will be a challenge. Clarington has a large supply of greenfield lands and the Municipality has historically had some of the least expensive detached homes in the GTA. This combination of available land and affordable homes has been Clarington's competitive advantage for the last 20 years and the central driver of the local housing market. Additionally, an analysis of historic intensification rates suggests that the Municipality will need to more than double its intensification rate to meet the Regional targets. How can these seemingly divergent directions be aligned? The first step is to develop a strategy for intensification. The proposed strategy for intensification in Clarington includes: • General Official Plan policies; • Identification of specific intensification priorities; and, • Implementation and action plan. Official Plan Policies The Official Plan policies for intensification should include the following four basic components: 1. Clarington's Official Plan policies should include the ROPA 128 intensification target. The Official Plan needs to specifically identify the Region's 32% target and include policies explaining how and where the Municipality intends to accommodate this target. 2. The Official Plan needs to specifically identify areas where intensification should occur. The Official Plan should include an urban structure schedule which shows the location of Clarington's main intensification areas, which are the Centres, Corridors and Waterfront Places. The Plan should include specific policies for accommodating growth. The Official Plan should also include policies which generally encourage intensification throughout the built-up area and recognize that neighbourhoods are stable, but not static. The Plan should also include updated land use compatibility guidelines to ensure that development is sensitive to the surrounding local context. Lastly, the Plan would need to identify Clarington's two GO station sites as Major Transit Station Areas, which could also accommodate intensification. 3. The Official Plan needs to articulate a broad phasing strategy for intensification. The phasing strategy should articulate the priority areas for intensification, documenting the Municipality's short, medium and long term intentions for each of the Centres and Corridors. This is particularly important for aligning Regional infrastructure phasing with local growth aspirations. In addition to identifying the timing of development, the Official Plan will need to articulate key implementation elements that are required to advance the strategy (such as Community Improvement Plans, design guidelines, Secondary Plans etc.). 4. The Official Plan should include basic urban design policies to guide intensification. The basic urban design policies should specifically address intensification based on the physical factors discussed in Section 3 of this Paper. The urban design policies should build upon those policies put forward in Clarington's draft of Amendment 77 (refer to Policy Audit tables in Appendix A for more detail). Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Intensification Priorities Priority 1: Address the Servicing Constraints and Develop the Courtice Main Street Corridor (Highway 2). On a local scale, development and redevelopment of Courtice Main Street and the Courtice Town Centre will provide the residents of Courtice with their own physical centre. From a broader perspective, the Main Street provides a strategic link which connects Clarington to Oshawa and the rest of the Region. The redevelopment of Courtice Main Street will reinforce and support regional transit moving across Clarington (from Newcastle, to Bowmanville to Courtice and beyond via Highway 2/King Street). Additionally, the completion of the Courtice Main Street Study will provide a detailed land use vision for the area and will help to facilitate development once servicing is in the place, meaning that development can proceed, subject to the completion of the secondary plan. The Municipality's immediate focus should be ensuring that the Corridor is adequately serviced to support growth along the Corridor. Because servicing constraints are the main barrier to comprehensive redevelopment, the securing of municipal water and sewer services for Courtice Main Street should be the top intensification priority for Clarington. Without servicing, development will not materialize. Priority 2: Continue to support Bowmanville's Historic Downtown through strategic infilling. New commercial development within the Bowmanville West Town Centre has the long term potential of undermining the shopping function within Bowmanville East Town Centre. The Historic Downtown of Bowmanville needs residential infilling to support its small shops and businesses, which will come under continued pressure as the nearby Town Centre West area builds out. Both areas contain a number of competing land uses, including small shops, financial institutions and restaurants. The Municipality can support the existing businesses in Downtown Bowmanville through strategic infilling (provided development is context sensitive). However, there is a limited amount of land available for development in the Downtown. The majority of the Downtown area lands are occupied and built out. A parking strategy, including possibly constructing an elevated municipal parking structure would help free land for intensification and infilling, thereby supporting the existing businesses and reducing the potential for outflow and commercial vacancies. It is recommended that the City proceed with a detailed parking strategy for the Downtown area and update its secondary plan accordingly. The updates to the Secondary Plan should also contemplate specific opportunities for public realm improvements in the Downtown which would help to enhance the area and attract investment. Priority 3: Protect Newcastle Village Centre's built heritage and maintain the existing scale, form and function of the Village Centre. Given its relatively small size and historic character it is recommended that only a small amount of infilling be permitted within the Newcastle Village Centre. A modest amount of infilling on vacant sites and redevelopment of under-utilized sites would support the existing businesses in the Village Centre and maintain the attractive, pedestrian oriented character which makes it a successful place. A parking strategy may be needed to facilitate intensification. The inclusion of a small local centre within the nearby greenfield lands, located north and north-west of the built-up area, would also help to reduce any potential development pressures on the Village Centre. Priority 4: Promote Infilling and Intensification within the Bowmanville West Town Centre. The majority of the Bowmanville West Town Centre site is commercial. The policies in the Official Plan allow for a variety of other uses, including residential. There is a need to review the secondary plan policies so that the Municipality can maximize the potential for intensification. Because the area is unconstrained by historic architecture or built heritage, there will also be potential to accommodate denser residential building forms. The infilling and intensification in the Bowmanville West Town Centre is considered to be a longer term objective, as the area is presently under its first phase of development. However, the presence of nearby GO services, regional transit, shopping and under-utilized land make the area an ideal location for infilling and intensification. Implementation and Action Plan In addition to the above noted Official Plan policies and priorities, the intensification strategy includes a number of implementation measures. It is recommended that the Municipality prepare updates to a number of its secondary plans as well as prepare new secondary plans for the Corridors which are not presently covered'. Specific elements of the implementation and action plan could include: • Revisions to existing secondary plans (Newcastle Village Main Central Area, Bowmanville East Town Centre, Bowmanville West Town Centre); • New secondary plans for other Corridors; • Completion of infrastructure studies (see previous regarding servicing constraints); • An incentives program which could include elements such as reduced development charges, density-bonusing in exchange for public amenities, Note that all of the Municipality's Centres are presently covered with an existing secondary plan. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 process incentives (such as fast tracking or development permit system) and targeted improvements to infrastructure and public amenities (such as streetscaping, recreational/institutional facility upgrades, parks, plazas/squares etc.). • Public awareness campaign on intensification and redevelopment; • Branding campaign for Downtown Bowmanville; • Comprehensive urban design guidelines; and, • Urban design review panel. In addition to the above noted items the Municipality should also consider the following recommendations: • Prepare joint secondary plans for both the Bloor Street and Courtice Road Corridors. Both areas will be serviced by similar systems and both areas will be influenced by the build-out of greenfield lands north of Bloor Street and east of Courtice Road. Additionally, the Municipality should consider designating the lands at the intersection of Courtice Road and Bloor Street as a local centre. In the absence of secondary plans the Official Plan needs to include policies which protect opportunities for mixed-use, pedestrian oriented development along these corridors (i.e. no backlotting, local road connections, pedestrian connections, appropriate employment uses along the corridors etc.). • Consider revisions to the employment land designations along Courtice Road and Bloor Street. As noted above, portions of the Courtice Road and Bloor Street Corridors are designated for employment land purposes. Some of the lands are designated for light industrial purposes and others are designated for prestige employment uses. The Municipality might consider creating a new designation (Employment Corridor) to ensure that the form and land use on the edges of the employment areas supports the concept of a mixed-use, pedestrian oriented corridor. • Develop a municipal mobility hub plan for both the proposed GO station sites. Clarington has two GO rail station sites, which have the potential to be catalysts for future long term intensification growth. These mobility hubs represent Clarington's best opportunity to implement the Growth Plan direction for Major Transit Station areas. In particular, accommodating residential intensification within the Bowmanville West Town Centre will be heavily influenced by the plans for the nearby GO rail station. Accordingly, the Municipality should develop a mobility hub plan for both of these areas to ensure that the development potential in and around the GO rail station sites is maximized. A Note about ROPA 128 and Conformity with the Regional Plan The Region's Growth Plan conformity amendment (ROPA 128) was partially approved by the Minister. However, several aspects of ROPA 128 were not approved by the Minister and are subject to Ontario Municipal Board appeals. Key elements of ROPA 128 which have not been approved include several inter-related components, including the municipal population, housing and employment allocations, the greenfield density and intensification targets and proposed urban boundary expansions. The final outcome of the various OMB appeals may have an impact on the Regional Official Plan policies and the targets allocated to Clarington. This Intensification Paper includes an analysis of ROPA 128 and provides recommendations for Clarington's conformity requirements to meet its intensification targets. Naturally, these recommendations would need to be confirmed once a decision has been made on the outstanding ROPA 128 elements. However, for the purposes of discussion, this Paper provides a meaningful starting point for understanding the implications of planning for residential intensification under the Growth Plan in Clarington. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Section 1 Introduction Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 1 .0 INTRODUCTION Growth can be an exciting and tumultuous experience for municipalities. On the one ✓ What are the implications of our hand municipalities look forward to the current growth trend? benefits that come with growth, such as an ✓ What does Growing Durham mean expanding economy, a rejuvenated for Clarington? population base and more vibrant ✓ Do we have enough servicing and communities. On the other hand facilities (i.e. fire protection, municipalities must also come to grips with a libraries, schools) in place for series of questions whose potential outcomes growth? can have serious environmental, financial and V What does growth mean for our social implications for the future health of the natural environment? municipality. Where do we grow? How do we ✓ Do we have adequate lands for grow? What role does intensification play employment? when determining how to accommodate growth? How will we pay for the infrastructure that is needed to accommodate growth? These are just a few questions that municipalities need to address when planning for long term growth. A growth management strategy can help provide answers to these complicated questions. 1.1 Background The Growth Management Strategy (GMS) for the Municipality of Clarington (the Municipality) is being undertaken as part of the Municipality's Official Plan Review process. Clarington's Official Plan (OP) was originally adopted in 1996 and since that time a number of changes have occurred which requires the Plan to be updated. The Municipality is in a period of rapid growth and expansion; the Province of Ontario has implemented major legislative changes and issued new plans and policies; and, the Region of Durham (the Region) has reviewed its Official Plan and recently issued a new growth strategy entitled Growing Durham (as implemented through Regional Official Plan Amendment 128 (ROPA 128)). Clarington's Official Plan Review process started in 2008. An Introductory Discussion Paper, released April 2008, explained the need for the OP review and its components and also presented an overview of how Clarington has changed since the adoption of the current OP. The OP Review covers a range of specific subjects, each having its own discussion paper, policy recommendations and eventually updated policies in the OP. The purpose of each of the discussion papers is to highlight the key issues and to suggest directions as to how to address the issues to best suit the Clarington community. What is the purpose of a Growth Management Study for Clarington? In response to Places to Grow, Growing Durham, ROPA 128 and Clarington Council's Corporative Strategic Plan and to tackle some of the challenges facing growth, the Municipality's GMS examines how, when and where growth should occur by testing and distributing the Growing Durham population and employment forecasts to the local urban communities. The outcome of the GMS will have significant fiscal implications for the Municipality and influence the provision of services and local infrastructure. The GMS will be the basis for updating Clarington's OP to conform to Places to Grow and Growing Durham. The themes for the OP Review discussion papers are: • Growth Management; • Intensification; • Employment Lands; • Sustainable and Healthy Communities; • Urban Design and the Planning Process; and, • Agriculture and Rural Issues. The OP Review also includes three special projects: • Courtice Main Street Study; • Courtice Employment Lands Study; and, • Parks, Open Space and Trails Plan. Figure 1.1 shows the overall project process and how this Intensification Discussion Paper fits within the broader project. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 0 Figure 1.1: OP Review Integrated Process Chart Input from Working Committee,Hemson&AECOM Internal Intensification Options Analysis and Parks,Open Concepts Space and i Trails Plan Land Supply Internal Analysis/ Options Growth and Structural Discussion Evaluation Preferred Recommen- Discussion Management Concepts Options for Paper— dations Paper— of Options Option Growth Part 1 OPA Part 2 Internal Courtice Main Options Street Study and Public Open House Concepts Sessions& & Workshop GPA Internal Employment Options Lands and Concepts 1.2 Purpose of the Intensification Discussion Paper The purpose of this Discussion Paper is to discuss opportunities and constraints in Clarington for residential intensification. This Discussion Paper, along with feedback from Staff, Council and the public, will be used to develop a strategy for intensification along with a series of new Official Plan policies (for intensification). 1.3 Format This Discussion Paper is divided into six main sections. The first section provides a brief introduction, explaining the background and purpose of the report. The second section discusses the context for intensification in Clarington. The third section outlines the framework for understanding intensification, identifying in general terms the physical characteristics and market conditions required to support intensification. The fourth section documents opportunities and constraints for intensification in Clarington. The fifth section documents Clarington's capacity for intensification, comparing the potential supply of units against its ROPA 128 targets. The last section provides a summary of key conclusions and recommendations for developing an intensification strategy for the Municipality. Section 2 Contextfor Intensification Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 2.0 CONTEXT FOR INTENSIFICATION The following section discusses a number of basic questions which help to frame the planning context for intensification. Key questions addressed in this section include: • What is intensification? • Why is intensification an important policy objective? • What is the current intensification policy context? • What is the historical context for intensification in Clarington? • What is the physical context for intensification in Clarington? • What is the market context for intensification Clarington? 2.1 What is Intensification? Intensification can generally be defined as higher density development and redevelopment within a city's existing built up area. Intensification is defined by the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) as "the development of a property, site or area at a higher density than currently exists through: • Redevelopment, including the reuse of brownfield sites; • The development of vacant and/or underutilized lots within previously developed areas; • Infill development; and, • The expansion or conversion of existing buildings". The above-noted definition of intensification includes two key components, form and location. The form-based aspect describes intensification as a "higher density than currently exists", meaning that intensification could include a wide variety of housing types, depending on what exists on a given site. Intensification can include singles or semis and it can also include mixed-use developments, townhomes and row houses or low and high rise apartment buildings. The locational aspect of the definition identifies a series of generic places where intensification can occur: brownfield sites; vacant land and underutilized lots; infill areas; and, existing buildings. The following pages present graphic examples illustrating different types of intensification projects, showing that intensification can take on many forms and manifest itself in a variety of locations. Redevelopment: Garrison Woods, Calgary,Albertan Gums I Of Barracks • • �[ �- •� a ■ • 111 � �T � _ • River i • • Park �■�..�±_I. � �-� eunt Roya uni'm • • I f .I `wee+ • • - �FFiAttt_ �� i� •Business irk • • •_aa• • - m 5 min(400 m)walk radius _.•_.bus line I bus stop Garrison Woods was formally part of the Canadian Forces Base in Calgary, Alberta and is now known as one of Canada's best examples of intensification through redevelopment. The 184 hectare site was comprehensively planned and transformed from abandoned military barracks into a mixed use, transit supportive and pedestrian friendly neighbourhood. Development of Vacant Lots: Harmony Development, Toronto, OntariO3 w H I. I - Sheppard AvGnue Eaar This 243 unit townhouse development is a typical example of on a vacant lot intensification project. The development was designed as a complete neighbourhood covering an area 4.2 hectares and includes townhomes, a park, access to transit and connections to a nearby open space system. 2 See Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure website for more details on Garrisson Woods redevelopment: https://www.pIacestogrow.ca/index.php?option=com content&task=view&id=18&ltemid=25 3 See CMHC website: http://www.cmhc.ca/en/inpr/su/sucopl/upload/Harmony-Toronto-Ontario.pdf Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Infill Development: Kenneth Avenue, Toronto, Ontario t Intensification can also include infilling between two existing lots. This example shows how building a new single detached ` - dwelling is also considered intensification. In this case, two new single detached dwellings were built on a vacant lot i; ` between a row of adjacent singles (north) •� �, and a high rise apartment (south only r : � . parking lot is in view) 4 V ' Conversion of Existing Building: Massey Building, Newcastle, Ontario ,3 2The old Massey building in Newcastle is an =.cz; excellent local example of how a building can be � I converted from non-residential to residential -nd commercial uses. — �� 4 The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Growth Plan) provides a third element which further helps to define intensification. The Growth Plan assigns a specific geography to the definition, expanding upon the PPS' locational and form based elements. The Growth Plan assigns each municipality with a physical boundary, called the Built Boundary, which is intended to represent the physical limits of development as of 2006. The Growth Plan states that any growth which occurs within a municipality's Build Boundary, after 2006, is considered to be intensification4. 4 Note that the Province of Ontario has defined the built up area for all municipalities within the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The Built Boundary is intended to be a static snapshot of the built-up area for each municipality and is to be used as a monitoring tool, allowing for a uniformed approach to measuring intensification rates across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Figure 2.1 graphically illustrates the relationship between the Built Boundary and the Urban Boundary. Any growth which occurs within Built Boundary would be considered intensification. Figure 2.1: Intensification by Geography ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... grted Rural Area Mirk ��Bad+ . ..: �:: _... �. Greenfield Area Built-Up Area 2.2 Why is Intensification an Important Policy Objective? Together, the PPS and Growth Plan provide a clear definition of what intensification is and how it should be measured. But why is this important? The 20th century witnessed unprecedented growth and prosperity around the globe and North America's cities in particular, expanded at incredible rates. However, the growth and expansion of North American cities was underpinned by at least three basic conditions: 1) relatively inexpensive and abundant raw land at the periphery; 2) cheap fossil fuels; and, 3) fast and efficient automobile travel. Overtime these three basic conditions have slowly eroded. Raw land suitable for development is less abundant and no longer inexpensive; the rise of carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels is raising the earth's temperature and threatening the planet with global climate change; and, high gasoline costs plus congestion, are forcing us to look at alternative modes of transportation. These changing dynamics, among other things, has led to the realization that urban form has a profound impact on our economy and environment. The continued use of the automobile as the preferred mode of travel has produced clogged and congested highways and arterials. Congestion is more than personal inconvenience. It is estimated that traffic congestion and the delay of goods movement costs Ontario's manufacturing based economy 5$ billion in lost GDP every years. Also, addressing congestion through public transit investment is particularly can be 5 See the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, page 7. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 challenging in low density communities which are spread out, as mass transit systems generally require the economies of scale achieved through more compact development. In addition to economic costs, the outward expansion of our cities has a range of negative environmental costs, including consumption of prime agricultural land, loss of habitat, smog and deteriorating air and water quality and the general degradation of natural systems. These negative environmental costs are real. For an example, between 1986 and 2001 a total of 107,611 acres of agricultural land was taken out of production, with 27,882 acres in Durham alone 6. Another illustrative example is habitat loss. The Ministry of Natural Resources estimates that there are 585 species at risk in Canada (283 in Ontario), with habitat loss being the "single greatest threat to plants and animals in Canada"'. The outward expansion of urban areas across southern Ontario and the Greater Golden Horseshoe in particular, is seen as one of primary reasons related to the loss of prime agricultural lands and habitat. Promoting intensification is one way in which these negative economic and environmental trends can be addressed. Intensification has a wide variety of positive benefits, including: • Reduce automobile dependence and Co unifies support compact, walk-able `'`:„;i;.',fl:x, ” i'Ka'` a communities; • Contribute towards the development of healthy communities and facilitate active lifestyles; • Support existing transit systems and 'r increases opportunities for developing I•�rrr dt rxr hrr' new transit services; • Support economic development and community investment by making the best use of our existing infrastructure systems, including roads, sewer and water; 6 See Agricultural Production in the Central Ontario Zone, 2003 (Smart Growth Issues Paper, Neptis Foundation) See Environment Canada website. http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/sar/sar-e.html • Slow the outward expansion of cities, preserving land in the rural and agricultural areas, reducing habitat loss and providing opportunities to reduce urban heat island effects; • Reinvigorate and revive declining neighbourhoods through infilling and redevelopment; • Provide opportunities to attract growth, particularly for smaller households seeking a different housing product than the one provided in typical suburban areas (e.g. young professionals, empty nesters, childless couples). 2.3 Policy Context for Intensification For a number of reasons discussed in the previous section, intensification has become a fundamental policy objective for all governments. The policy context is discussed in terms of the following: • Provincial Policy Statement (Ontario); • The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Ontario); • ROPA 128; and, • Official Plan (Clarington). A policy analysis was undertaken to assess how the Municipality's current Official Plan Municipalities Shall Be Consistent with conforms to the Provincial and Regional the PPS intensification polices contained with the The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) above noted documents. The results of this establishes a broad vision for how analysis are documented in a series of communities should grow overtime. In policy audit tables (refer to Appendix A). order to ensure that the policies in the The key findings of the policy analysis are PPS are applied in all communities as a summarized in the following subsections. key component of the planning process, the Planning Act requires that 2.3.1 Provincial Policy Statement all decisions affecting land use The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) is the planning matters "shall be consistent principal document for guiding land use with" the PPS. planning in Ontario. The PPS states that municipalities "shall identify and promote opportunities for intensification and redevelopment where this can be accommodated taking into account existing building stock or areas, including brownfield sites, and the availability of suitable existing or planned infrastructure and public service facilities required to accommodate projected Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 needs" (see Section 1.1.3.3). The PPS also states that planning authorities shall develop minimum intensification targets (see Section 1.1.3.5) which are to be incorporated into local official plans. Municipalities are expected to update their official plans to bring them into conformity with the PPS. Specifically, municipal official plans should include intensification policies and intensification targets. 2.3.2 Places to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe The Province of Ontario released its vision for how growth and development should occur between 2006 and 2031 in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH). The vision for growth is documented in the Growth Plan for the GGH (Growth Plan), PLACES which was produced under the legislative RFTTFR CH01C.FS. RRIGHTFR F11TLIRF. authority of the Places to Grow Act _ Y (2005). The Greater Golden Horseshoe Growth Plan includes the Region of Durham and covers fu theGreaLer Golden Har eshce an area that stretches from the County of 2006 Simcoe in the North to Niagara Region in MMM the south to the Counties of F . Peterborough and Northumberland in the east and to the Counties of Wellington LI of Rublic lnfm5micnrrcRcnc'raal and Brant and the Region of Waterloo in Ontario the west. The guiding principles of the Growth Plan are: • Build compact, vibrant and complete communities; • Plan and manage growth to support a strong and competitive economy; • Protect, conserve, enhance and wisely use the valuable natural resources of land, air and water for current and future generations; • Optimize the use of existing infrastructure to support growth in a compact, efficient form; • Provide for different approaches to managing growth and recognize the diversity of communities in the GGH; and, • Promote collaboration among all sectors — government, private and non- profit—and the public to achieve the vision. The Growth Plan requires that all upper and lower tier municipalities bring their official plans into conformity with the Growth Plan. This approach to conformity is linear and is graphically illustrated in Figure 2.2. The Growth Plan contains a series of specific policies for intensification. The Plan's key intensification policies are summarized below: • Intensification Target: By the year 2015 and for each year thereafter, a minimum of 40 per cent of all residential development occurring annually within each upper and single-tier municipality will be within the built-up area. Figure 2.2 Growth Plan Conformity Process Province (Places to Grow) Region of D (ROPA 128) Municipalities 6ML.,'MAW Local Official Plans General Policies Land Use Policies • Intensification Strategy: All municipalities will develop and implement through their official plans and other supporting documents, a strategy and policies to phase in and achieve intensification and the intensification target. • Contents of the Strategy: The Intensification strategy and policies will: • Be based on growth forecasts contained in Schedule 3 of the Growth Plan; • Encourage intensification generally throughout the built up area; Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 • Identify intensification areas to support the achievement of the intensification target; • Incorporate the built boundary as delineated by the Province; • Recognize urban growth centres, intensification corridors and major transit station areas as a key focus for development; • Identify the type and scale of development in intensification areas; • Designate major transit stations and intensification areas in official plans; • Include density targets for intensification areas; • Plan for a range and mix of housing; and, • Encourage secondary suites throughout the built up area. • Design of Intensification Areas: Intensification areas should be planned and designed to: • Attract a significant portion of population and employment growth; • Support a mix of uses; • Provide high quality public spaces and urban design standard; • Support transit and a variety of other modes; • Achieve higher densities than surrounding areas; and, • Plan for transition to adjacent areas. Lastly, the Growth Plan includes an important policy direction for other provincial ministries. Policy 2.2.3.8 states that "Ministers of Crown and municipalities will use infrastructure investment and other implementation tools and mechanisms to facilitate intensification". 2.3.3 Regional Official Plan Amendment 128 On June 3rd, 2009, Regional Council adopted the Durham Regional Official Plan Amendment 128 (ROPA 128). ROPA 128 was partially approved by the Minister on October 27, 2010. However, several aspects of ROPA 128 were not approved by the Minister and are subject to Ontario Municipal Board appeals. Key elements of ROPA 128 which have not been approved include several inter-related components, including the municipal population, housing and employment allocations, the greenfield density and intensification targets and proposed urban boundary expansions. The final outcome of the various OMB appeals may have an impact on the Regional Official Plan policies and the targets allocated to Clarington. This Intensification Paper includes an analysis of ROPA 128 and provides recommendations for Clarington's conformity requirements to meet its intensification targets. Naturally, these recommendations would need to be confirmed once a decision has been made on the outstanding ROPA 128 elements. However, for the purposes of discussion, this Paper provides a meaningful starting point for understanding the implications of planning for residential intensification under the Growth Plan in Clarington. The following subsection provides a summary of the key elements of ROPA 128. The purpose of the ROPA 128 is to incorporate changes to the Regional Official Plan to implement the Provincial Growth Plan. ROPA 128 provides a new urban structure for the Region and local municipalities. From an intensification perspective, the key conformity components of ROPA 128 are as follows: • New Urban Structure: A new urban structure which identifies a series of Centres and Corridors as the focus for attracting intensification and redevelopment across the Region. • Intensification Target: Specific intensification targets for each municipality based on the Region's need to meet a 40% intensification target across the Region (based on the housing and population forecasts). Table 2.1 below summarizes the housing unit allocations assigned in ROPA 128. Table 2006—2031 Municipality Total Unit Growth Ajax 17,205 Brock 1,251 Clarington 25,076 Oshawa 27,649 Pickering 48,854 Scugog 2,124 Uxbridge 3,440 Whitby 34,375 Durham 159,974 -)uuice. region of Dumam, rurH 1<< The growth allocations provide the basis for establishing intensification allocations. Table 2.2 shows Schedule E- Table 'E9' of the Amendment. It contains the approved intensification allocations (targets) for 2015-2031 for the municipalities in Durham, Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 including Clarington. Clarington's intensification target is 32% or 6,181 housing units (2015-2031). Table 2.2: Schedule E—Table 'E9' - Intensification Allocations, 2015- 2031 Municipality Total Unit Total Units %of Municipal %of Regional Growth Allocated to Total Total Intensification Ajax 7,987 4,343 54% 9% Brock 1,321 306 23% 1% Clarington 19,616 6,181 32% 13% Oshawa 20,229 7,934 39% 17% Pickering 3,6163 14,354 40% 31% Scugog 1,908 576 30% 1% Uxbridge 2,870 1,042 36% 2% Whitby 26,316 11,963 45% 26% Durham 116,411 46,699 40% 100% Source: Region of Durham, ROPA 128. Figure 2.3 shows Schedule A-Map A5 of ROPA 128 (Minister's Decision) which displays the new Regional urban structure for Municipality of Clarington (including the Centres and Corridors). ROPA 128 identified the Bowmanville Town Centres (East and West), Courtice Town Centre and Newcastle Village Centre as Regional Centres. Regional Centres are to be planned and developed as the main concentration of urban activities. The Regional Centres should provide an integrated range of institutional, commercial, major retail, residential, recreational, cultural, entertainment and major office uses. These Regional Centres should support a global, long-term density target of 75 residential units per gross hectare and a floor space index of 2.5. Their built form should have a mix of high-rise and mid-rise development, as determined by the area municipalities. The Amendment also provides for the development of smaller scale Local Centres and Corridors. Local Centres and Corridors are to be defined by local municipalities. The boundaries, as well as land use designation, of the Regional and Local Centres are to be included in local municipal official plans. Figure 2.3: Region of Durham Amendment 128, Schedule A— Map 5, Regional Structure (Minister's Decision) ru ed ju e23.2711 EXHIBIT 5' --. -- --- OFFICIAI.F --_ ---..- - -- N0,128 I QFFI REGI or 0 <,i, i Ci - - °---- - --- 1 �fy -R$AIY 5 rs rFM lmxa.w�. KVICE$ 1 - f v pry Y % 9ElKR 8v;1 1 •.� w r;�� I 66 S Y4wKNK8 _ !! Rf1RA1 SYSTEM •,.� +I .- 1 xwu senlFrE xls ...........r.,-,..,.. - r v ... 11 Nan-Decision #3 4 a Nnn- I rlar.s 1 �� .,m prie1 ' #3 > -.. 1 . Y npF.ai ErY Refusal lPILEaRf1 t Refusal 1 a #3 ' _ i a xcaE.nn t ., ..ohrv` TRAN580RTAT7(H F pi �wealFCFo B s+�� .li?H�omxGis s,Q rrmcrw c.,r �RUi,v� iEWIltl4 Non-Decision h LAKE ONTARIO ..m....., inl�l.............."..,-........_. SRF('iAi AAFic p� UL fIEFfl®I Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 According to ROPA 128, Local Urban Centres, as designated in area municipal official plans, shall be planned and developed similar to, but in a smaller scale than, the Regional Centres. Local Centres will serve large segments of Urban Areas through the provision of uses which complement those offered within the Regional Centres. These Local Centres should support an overall, long-term density target of 30 residential units per gross hectare and a floor space index of 2.0. Their built form should have a wide variety, generally mid-rise in height, with some lower and higher buildings, as determined by the local municipality's official plan. In addition, ROPA 128 identified Regional Corridors throughout the municipalities, including the Courtice Main Street Corridor (Hwy. 2), Courtice Road (south of Hwy. 2) and Bloor Street in Courtice and King Street in Bowmanville. Regional Corridors shall be planned and developed in accordance to the underlying land use designation, as higher density, mixed-use areas, supporting higher order transit services and pedestrian oriented development. These corridors should support an overall, long-term density target of 60 residential units per gross hectare and a floor space index of 2.5. Their built form should include a wide variety of building forms, generally mid-rise development with some higher buildings, as determined by the area municipalities. Regional Corridors should also provide efficient transportation links to the Regional Centres as well as other centres in adjacent municipalities. In addition, Regional Corridors should be developed with a sensitive urban design that orients development to the corridor, preserving and enhancing cultural heritage resources and maintaining and enhancing historical main streets. Local Corridors, as designated in local municipal official plans, shall be planned and developed as mixed-use areas, with appropriate densities to support frequent transit service. Local Corridors have an overall long-term density target of 30 residential units per gross hectare and a floor space index of 2.0. The corridors should contain a wide variety of building forms, but should predominantly include mid-rise development. Table 2.3 outlines the growth and development expectations for Regional Centres, Regional Corridors, Local Centres and Local Corridors established by ROPA 128. The table indicates the assigned growth target, and floor space index (FSI) for each. Table 2.3: ROM 128 Growth Targets and FSls for Centres and Corridors ROPA 128 Regional Regional Local Centre Local Waterfront Centre Corridor Corridor Places Gross Density 75 60 30 30 60 Target (upgh) FSI 2.5 2.5 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.4 Historical Context As noted earlier, municipal intensification targets are a key aspect of Growth Plan conformity. In December 2007 the University of Toronto published the technical paper entitled "A methodology for estimating the historical rate of residential intensification between 1991 and 2001 for the Toronto Regioni9. Using Statistics Canada data, the University of Toronto paper documented historic intensification rates between 1991 and 2001 for all upper and single tier municipalities within the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Table 2.4 shows the historic intensification rates for the Greater Golden Horseshoe municipalities. 9 A second study has been commissioned by U of T to include intensification rates for 2001 to 2006 for all lower tier municipalities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. However at the time of publication of this Discussion Paper, the new study by U of T had not been released. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Table 2A Historic •n Rates throughout Southern Ontario a i Municipality New Dwellings Intensification Intensification 1991-2001 Units 1991-2001 Rate Toronto 66,000 63,000 96% Niagara 17,300 5,700 33% York 73,600 22,900 31% Durham 35,600 10,200 29% Peel 75,900 21,000 28% Peterborough 5,300 1,400 27% Halton 27,400 6,200 23% Brant 4,900 1,100 23% Hamilton 19,900 4,400 22% Waterloo 27,100 6,000 22% Northumberland 4,100 700 16% Wellington 12,700 1,500 12% Dufferin 3,800 300 8% Si mcoe 32,000 2,400 8% Kawartha Lakes 3,400 200 7% Haldimand 2,300 25 1% GGH Total 411,000 147,100 36% GGH (excluding Toronto) 345,000 84,100 24% University of Toronto, GCUT Technical Paper Series, "Paper No 2.A methodology for estimating the historical rate of residential intensification between 1991 and 2001 for the Toronto Region", December 2007. Table 2.4 shows that, with the exception of the City of Toronto, no other municipality has historically achieved an intensification rate of 40%. The historical data also suggests that Durham (compared to most other municipalities) is in a relatively good position to move towards achieving the 40% target, as Durham achieved a rate of 29% for the period of 1991-2001. It is worth noting that the Region achieved this rate of intensification during a period which was largely absent of strong provincial and regional policies supporting intensification (as is now the case). Table 2.5 provides the historic intensification rates for the Municipality of Clarington for the period 2001-2006, as estimated by Dillon Consulting. While the two periods are not directly comparable, it is worth noting that Clarington's historic rate is well below the Region's historic rate. More importantly, Clarington's historic intensification rate is also well below the Region's target for the Municipality. Between 2015 and 2031 Clarington will need to more than double its historic intensification rate (16%) to achieve the ROPA 128 target of 32%. Translating the target into real terms would mean that on any given year, after 2015, Clarington will need to build 386 units within its built up area; historically this figure was 128 units. Table 2.5: Historic Intensification Rates Compared to • • • . 128 Target Period New Dwellings Intensification Intensification Average Units Rate Annual Units 2001-2006 4,134 642 16% 128 (Clarington) 2015-2031 19,616 6,181 32% 386 (Clarington) ,,__ed by Dillon Consulting Li,mted, 200 . used ___.,ificatior rate for Clarington is based on the same methodology as the U of T figures in Table 2.5. 2.5 Physical Context The Municipality of Clarington is comprised of three primary urban settlement areas, Bowmanville, Newcastle and Courtice and a smaller urban settlement area, Orono10 New growth within these urban settlement areas will count towards achievement of the Municipality's intensification target. Specifically, all new development within the Built Boundaries will count as intensification. The urban settlement areas are situated along Highway 401, east of Oshawa. The majority of _- development is located north of the 401 k corridor with pockets of waterfront development south of the 401 on Lake Ontario. The following subsection generally describes the physical characteristics of Clarington. Note that ?ecentdevelopmentin Courtice later sections of this Discussion Paper will provide a finer-grain analysis of specific intensification areas within each urban settlement area. Clarington's three main urban settlement areas share a number of common characteristics and also have several distinctive features that make each place unique. 10 Note that this intensification paper deals with Courtice, Bowmanville and Newcastle. Given its small size, Orono was not included in the analysis at the request of the Municipality. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Generally, the three areas can be characterized as suburban communities with the predominant form of housing being single detached dwellings. Like most communities across North America, the majority of neighbourhoods in Clarington have been designed to cater to the automobile, featuring limited pedestrian linkages and a predominance of residential uses (as opposed to commercial, institutional, recreational, open space or mixed uses)" While the predominant housing development tends to be low density, there are examples in all three urban settlement areas of higher density residential development: townhouses, ' medium rise apartments, and condominium structures. Additionally, Clarington does have a small foundation of mixed use, pedestrian friendly, transit Downtown eowmanville supportive neighbourhoods. For an example, Downtown Bowmanville and Newcastle are both very successful areas with unique historic identities that have been preserved and enhanced as the communities have grown over time. Both of these downtowns have low vacancy rates with a variety of shops and services containing a mix of uses (retail, commercial, residential, institutional, and recreational). 2.6 Market Context The ability to achieve intensification growth is a function of market conditions 1 (demand) and the availability of land (supply). Historic rates of development reflect past market conditions. Developers are drawn to areas and building types that generate greater potential revenues. The sale price is set by demand; greater demand results in a higher sale price as buying competition drives the price up. Market saturation New townhouses in eowmanville occurs when there is an over-supply of one type of housing and therefore vacancies 11 Refer to the Growth Management Discussion Paper for additional details on existing conditions. increase. This drives the price down and discourages new development of such units. Similarly, a shortage of housing can drive prices up as supply fails to meet demand and buyers compete for units. This housing supply and demand relationship influences intensification, motivating the type and location of units being built. In addition to housing supply and demand, the land supply (i.e. the amount of available space/land to build on) also drives intensification. The land supply is used to determine the capacity for residential development. An abundance of available land results in less intense development as building footprints can be larger and density can be lower. Therefore, intensification also requires some restraint on available land for residential development, such as a built boundary or a geographical constraint. To understand how market conditions and land supply relate to Clarington's potential for intensification, the following section discusses housing supply and demand as well as land supply in Clarington and Durham Region. Land supply for intensification (capacity) is then further explored in subsequent sections. 2.6.1 Growth Trends According to population and household forecasts completed by Hemson Consulting in 2009, the predominant unit type in Clarington will remain single-detached dwellings; even if Growth Plan policies are successful in shifting unit-type preferences of households from ground-related (single, semi-detached and rowhouse) to increased apartment/mid-rise/high-rise unit forms. Table 2.6 presents Clarington's housing forecast; forecasts were completed by Hemson and by the Region of Durham. Both forecasts are shown in Table 2.6. These forecasts assume a lower household size by 2031 than currently exists. This relates to intensification because the type of housing units built is often a reflection of household size; the larger the household size, the more space required. Intensification can be more easily met with smaller household sizes. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Table 2.6: Historic Growth and Future Forecasts Year Hemson Forecast Region of Durham Forecast Total Annual Average Average Households Growth Rate Household Total Household Size Households Size 1986 10,900 - - 3.07 10,900 3.07 1991 16,400 5,500 8.5% 2.98 16,400 2.98 1996 20,100 3,700 4.2% 2.98 20,100 2.98 2001 23,200 3,100 2.9% 2.97 23,200 2.97 2006 26,900 3,700 3.0% 2.87 26,900 2.87 2011 30,200 3,300 2.4% 2.82 30,200 2.82 2016 34,600 4,400 2.8% 2.77 34,000 2.77 2021 39,900 5,300 2.9% 2.72 39,200 2.72 2026 45,400 5,500 2.6% 2.68 46,600 2.69 2031 50,700 5,300 2.2% 2.66 52,100 2.56 Change 23,800 2.6% (0.21) 25,200 (0.31) 2006-2031 (7.3%) (10.8%) Source: Herr--,. --Aiting, 2010 and Region of uumam. The forecasts in Table 2.6 are based on the share of the Region's forecasted housing development captured by Clarington. Table 2.7 shows Clarington's share of the Region's development based on unit type. Table 2.7: Clarington's Share of Durham Region Housing Unit Completions, Type Single Detached Semi- Detached Rows Apartments 1986-91 20.2% 6.2% 11.1% 9.3% 1991-96 27.3% 8.0% 27.8% 3.7% 1996-01 19.5% 2.5% 17.6% 11.0% 2001-06 16.6% 0.9% 8.6% 34.7% 2006-11 19.6% 1.0% 7.0% 32.0% 2011-16 18.0% 10.0% 15.0% 17.0% 2016-21 17.5% 10.0% 15.5% 17.0% 2021-26 17.3% 9.0% 16.0% 17.0% 2026-31 1 17.0% 1 8.0% 1 16.5% 1 17.0% Table 2.7 demonstrates that historic development has consisted primarily of single detached units until more recently, with a rise in apartments. Apartment units have 0 increased significantly over the last 20 years, accompanied by overall declines in other unit types. Clarington is capturing a greater proportion of Durham's apartment development than one might initially expect. The 2001-2006 data shows Clarington capturing 34% of apartment development over other municipalities in Durham that are substantially larger and closer to the City of Toronto, including Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax and Pickering. This apartment trend is projected to continue through to 2011, after which time the proportion of apartments in Clarington is projected to drop by almost half. The increase in apartment development will support intensification efforts. Figure 2.4 graphically displays this trend. Figure 2.4: Clarington's Historic Share of Durham's Growth, By Unit Type 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Single Detached Semi- Detached Rows Apartments 1991-96 1996-01 ■ 2001-06 Clarington's regional share of housing growth by unit type is projected to vary over time. The most dramatic change is projected to occur between 2006 and 2016 with increases in semi-detached and row housing, a decline in apartments, and steady development of single detached units. Clarington's forecasted share of Durham's growth by unit type is displayed in Figure 2.5. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Figure 2.5: Clarington's Projected Share of Durham's Growth, By Unit Type 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Single Detached Semi- Detached Rows Apartments ■ 2006-11 ■ 2011-16 2016-21 2021-26 2026-31 Table 2.8 displays the proportional distribution of forecasted growth by unit type, by urban settlement area. Table 2.8: Share of Clarington Housing Units by Type Unit Type Year Bowmanville Courtice Newcastle Rural 2006-11 50.2% 14.9% 26.9% 8.0% Single and 2011-16 50.5% 20.6% 24.4% 4.5% Semi 2016-21 50.0% 24.0% 21.6% 4.4% 2021-26 53.5% 25.6% 16.5% 4.4% 2026-31 62.3% 25.0% 9.2% 3.5% 2006-11 47.0% 32.0% 21.0% 0.0% 2011-16 52.0% 28.0% 20.0% 0.0% Row 2016-21 61.0% 20.0% 19.0% 0.0% 2021-26 67.0% 18.0% 15.0% 0.0% 2026-31 67.5% 17.5% 15.0% 0.0% 2006-11 91.0% 4.0% 4.0% 1.0% 2011-16 79.0% 5.0% 15.0% 1.0% Apartment 2016-21 74.0% 10.0% 15.0% 1.0% 2021-26 69.0% 15.0% 15.0% 1.0% 2026-31 69.0% 15.0% 15.0% 1.0% 2006-11 56.0% 14.9% 22.9% 6.2% 2011-16 55.6% 19.3% 22.0% 3.1% Total 2016-21 55.8% 21.0% 20.1% 3.1% 2021-26 58.6% 22.4% 16.0% 3.0% 2026-31 1 64.5% 21.7% 11.5% 2.3% Source: Hemson Consulting, 2010 and Region of Durham. Bowmanville captures the greatest proportion of Clarington's housing share, followed by Newcastle and Courtice; with one exception, row houses. Courtice captures a greater proportion of row house development than Newcastle. The municipality's rural area, consistent with both market expectations and generally accepted planning principles, is not forecast to accommodate significant growth. With such a large gap in apartment style development between Bowmanville and the other urban settlement areas, it can be assumed that higher density development to meet intensification targets would be best suited in Bowmanville. However, intensification targets can be met through row house and semis development which exist in both Courtice and Newcastle. 2.6.2 Housing Demand and Sale Prices The market demand for housing in Clarington has historically been driven by an affordable supply of ground oriented units. Tables 2.9 to 2.11 presents a variety of different housing market price indicators, benchmarking Clarington against its Intensification Discussion Paper-September 2011 neighbours and other GTA municipalities. The market "snapshot" presented below shows that Clarington's housing prices are lower than most other municipalities for most housing types. A particularly telling figure is presented in Table 2-11, which shows that Clarington ranked 23 or higher among 24 GTA municipalities in terms of sales price for single detached dwellings between 2001 and 2006. Table 2.9: Average Unit Sale Price, August 2011 Housing Type Community Average Sale Price Detached Pickering $432,758 Ajax $375,471 Whitby $372,740 Clarington $335,306 Oshawa $288,253 Semi-Detached Pickering $305,500 Ajax $303,525 Whitby $294,000 Clarington $208,625 Oshawa $197,843 Condo/Apartment Whitby $219,071 Pickering $218,238 Ajax $183,300 Clarington $166,000 Oshawa $121,500 Condo/Townhouse Pickering $257,188 Whitby $216,665 Ajax $207,696 Clarington $189,545 Oshawa $159,444 Attached/Row/Townhouse Pickering $296,175 Ajax $286,758 Whitby $266,053 Oshawa $251,421 Clarington $217,250 Duul uu_ I U1011tu nevi tsLute ouur u, IVIO <et vvu— , Community Average Sales Price ($) Pickering $ 373,373 Ajax $ 334,130 Whitby $ 330,169 Clarington $ 302,357 Oshawa $ 265,938 Source: Toronto Real Estate Board, Market Watch,August2011. Table 2.11: Average Sale Price of • _AM Rank Municipality 2001$ 2002$ 2003$ 2004$ 2005$ 2006$ 1 King Township 409,863 478,007 497,464 525,142 721,125 863,370 2 Oakville Town 295,814 370,699 405,850 418,500 532,331 655,362 3 Caledon Town 249,652 242,451 277,996 344,087 426,978 603,090 4 Aurora Town 504,920 327,644 364,291 382,752 595,686 557,851 5 Vaughan City 314,752 333,150 373,047 421,039 488,792 519,128 6 Mississauga City 309,325 325,747 342,533 421,731 457,767 509,593 7 Burlington City 297,883 337,251 331,369 354,864 436,273 498,963 8 Richmond Hill Town 321,916 345,292 391,172 385,809 432,562 475,198 9 Whitchurch-StouffviIle 338,395 350,630 334,294 423,343 466,283 451,436 Town 10 Pickering City 324,211 325,577 305,436 396,406 363,135 445,414 11 Markham Town 313,166 320,333 317,712 348,760 381,833 419,549 12 East Gwillimbury Town 424,152 427,423 496,511 321,750 472,165 411,922 13 Halton Hills Town 253,655 250,767 285,257 290,350 336,470 388,408 14 Grimsby Town 234,900 261,629 266,059 284,344 318,975 381,228 15 Brampton City 258,259 243,342 285,307 329,715 370,881 375,675 16 Ajax Town 293,174 299,731 318,540 311,697 321,088 374,217 17 Hamilton CMA' 250,546 250,967 293,087 317,052 342,891 371,044 18 Milton Town 243,955 272,847 266,380 298,964 345,875 363,257 19 Uxbridge Township 307,815 284,816 308,262 331,437 351,028 361,445 20 Newmarket Town 272,197 256,811 256,533 299,903 327,971 348,568 21 Whitby Town 231,596 247,428 251,483 283,068 318,612 335,605 22 Oshawa City 207,638 227,394 236,233 256,146 293,105 329,874 23 Clarington Municipality 204,240 217,795 217,489 237,347 261,767 296,746 24 Georgina Town 216,262 219,123 242,515 257,830 287,695 283,330 Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). ' Hamilton CMA is comprised of an average of Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough, Glanbrook, City of Hamilton and Stoney Creek. Intensification Discussion Paper-September 2011 2.7 Land Supply Another important determinant of intensification potential is the amount of readily available greenfield land. Table 2-12 summarizes Clarington's potential supply of greenfield land with the context of the Municipality's entire land supply. Table 2-12 shows that Clarington has a relatively large supply of greenfield land, with 4,630 units in registered and draft approved plans (committed) and an another potential 11,647 units on vacant designated greenfield lands and proposed plans of subdivision. Table 2-12 also shows that Clarington also has a relatively large supply of draft approved and registered plans located within its built up area (2,663 units). In practical terms, this means that Clarington has already committed to 2,663 new "intensification" units12. The Growth Management Discussion Paper features a more thorough discussion of residential land supply. Supply,Table 2.12: Land Area Committed Uncommitted Secondary Secondary Total Built-Up Greenfield Suite Built-Up Greenfield Suite Potential Potential Bowmanville 1,935 2,997 99 2930 5,924 66 13,951 Courtice 158 827 20 2023 4,489 44 7,561 Newcastle 570 693 25 431 1,198 29 2,946 Rural/Hamlet 0 113 2 0 36 1 152 Sub-Total 2,663 4,630 146 5,384 11,647 140 24,610 Totals 7,439 17,171 24,610 Source: iViunicipality of Clarington, March 2011. 12 Note that the majority of these units will likely be low density units located at the fringe of the built up area. Based on the Growth Plan definition of intensification,these units will still count as intensification. 2.8 Key Findings Key findings from this discussion of Clarington's residential intensification context are summarized below. • Provincial and Regional policies and plans require the Municipality to have an intensification strategy. Clarington's intensification strategy should be articulated in its Official Plan. • The Region of Durham provides Clarington with a basic structure to plan for intensification, identifying a series and Centres and Corridors. The Regional Centres and Corridors are intended to provide opportunities for future intensification within Clarington and also are considered to be part of the Region's broader urban structure. • Clarington's intensification target is 32% (6,181 units); two times higher than its historic average intensification rate. The intensification strategy will need to articulate how the Municipality intends to meet this target. • Between June 16, 2006 and December 31, 2010 a total of 946 units were constructed within the built boundary. • Clarington has successful downtowns in both Newcastle and Bowmanville, which are positive examples of vibrant, mixed use, relatively compact and pedestrian friendly places. • Recent market trends, including sale prices and historic growth shares tend to favour ground-oriented housing in Clarington. • Clarington has a large supply of greenfield lands. • Clarington is committed to 2,663 new intensification units, which are either draft approved or un-built units in registered plans. These new intensification units are mostly lower density units being constructed at the inner fringe of Clarington's Built Boundary. However, the new units will count towards Clarington's target of 6,181 units (32%target). All of the above-noted key findings point towards the need for a comprehensive intensification strategy. The first step in developing an intensification strategy is to better understand the drivers of intensification. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Section 3 Frameworkfor Intensification 3.0 FRAMEWORK FOR INTENSIFICAITON 3.1 What Drives Intensification? There are a range of factors which can influence intensification within a neighbourhood, municipality or region. Generally, these factors can be grouped together into two categories: • Physical factors; and, • Socio-Economic and political factors. Physical elements define and characterize a space and can include elements such as parks and public spaces, schools and institutions, housing, topography and soil conditions, businesses, amenities, infrastructure, transportation routes and utilities. The condition, quality and diversity of these physical elements partially influence the ability of a particular place to develop/redevelop. Socio-economic factors are less tangible and harder to visualize; they manifest themselves as demographic changes, political interests and municipal regulations, housing prices, consumer preferences and interest rates. These abstract factors also influence how change will occur in a given place. The following section outlines the specific physical and socio-economic factors which have the ability to influence redevelopment and regeneration. Figure 3.1 graphically illustrates the range of physical and socio-economic factors influencing intensification. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 1. Presence of unique features and 1. Costs and financial consideration amenities (built or natural); 2. Ownership constraints; 2. Access to a variety of transportation 3. NIMBYism; modes and level of transit service; 4. Municipal policies and incentive 3. Availability of hard infrastructure services and capacity; 5. Supply and availability of greenfie. land; 4. Opportunities to create a compact built form and density; 6. Experienced and diverse land developers and home builders; and, High quality public realm; 7. Other"invisible" trends and factors 6. Numerous connections to adjoining (demographics, employment market, areas (pedestrian, auto and other housing market, interest rates). modes); Pedestrian oriented environment; 8. Diversity of housing types and tenures; and, 9. Diversity, mixture and agglomeration of uses (including proximity to other important destinations. 3.2 Physical Factors 3.2.1 Presence of Unique Features and Amenities Unique features and amenities are destinations that draw people in. These - -- unique features include places like libraries, art galleries, museums, movie and performance theatres, sports and recreational facilities, health care . facilities, schools, colleges and — - universities and also specialty retail and shopping facilities. Important landmarks, including buildings and public art are also considered to be unique features. These unique features Clarington Public Library(and Municipal Offices), are traffic generators which attract Bowmanville people to a place. The location of one- of-a-kind buildings and amenities provide a magnet to attract people into the area, thereby providing support to R A the higher density developments. Agglomeration of unique features and amenities further propels opportunities — TM for redevelopment and intensification. Landmark Buildings such as the Newcastle City Hall In Clarington, the historic downtowns of Bowmanville (located in the Bowmanville Town Centre East) and Newcastle (Village Centre) are examples of places which have a variety of unique features and amenities, including one-of-a kind heritage buildings, civic services and shops. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 3.2.2 Access to a Variety of Transportation Modes Vibrant areas that attract a diversity of people require a diverse range of transportation choices so as to reduce congestion and minimize the need for parking space, thereby maximizing the amount of developable lands. Reciprocally, y providing a wide range of transportation r choices requires a critical mass of people 1` ' to support the range of choices. A typical +� range of transportation choices within an intensification area might include walking, cycling, transit and automobile. They r presence of transit within an area has potential to drive localized intensification. However, the rate of growth is influenced Conveniently located bicycle parking infrastructure by the level of transit service; as the service level increases, so to do opportunities for redevelopment and intensification. The presence of different modes of transit, including bus, express bus, street car, light rail, commuter rail and subway, produces drastically different forms of density and development (e.g. places with express bus service will produce a certain form of development compared to a place which is serviced by a subway). In Clarington, the Bowmanville West Town Centre is an example of a place with access to a variety of transportation modes. 3.2.3 Availability of Hard Infrastructure and Services One of the prerequisites for building a successful intensification area is an adequate supply of appropriate infrastructure to support long term 1` growth. Intensification areas require water and wastewater capacity to support development and may also require innovative techniques to address Bowmanville West Town Centre GO Bus Stop stormwater issues. While these services tend to be invisible for the most part, as a rule they are required to support dense urban development, particularly in older areas where servicing may be in poor condition due to age. In addition to traditional infrastructure requirements, other services, such as wireless networks are increasingly important for attracting people and businesses into an area. Most of Clarington's existing development centres, such as the Town Centres in Bowmanville and Village Centre in Newcastle have hard infrastructure services in place. 3.2.4 Opportunities to Create Compact Built Form and Density Density measures the number of people living and or working within a given ` area. Successful intensification areas1 typically exhibit higher densities than surrounding neighbourhoods. Typical a housing forms found within densely populated intensification areas include low, mid and high rise apartment buildings and walk-up and stacked town homes. Employment uses are typically mid and high rise office and commercial Courtyard of Massey Square, Toronto buildings (and multi-story retail uses). These housing and employment forms allow for a critical mass of people to live and work within a concentrated area in f .- close proximity to one another, thus increasing the overall density of the area. This critical mass of people helps to support the wide variety of land uses - and transportation modes found within intensification neighbourhoods. The historic downtown located in the Bowmanville Town Centre East Bowmanville East Town Centre has numerous examples of compact build form. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 3.2.5 High Quality Public Realm Successful intensification areas usually have high quality public rA, realms13 compared to other = ' ��u_� Pi T r'"liiiu iFnier � . neighbourhoods. One of the main characteristics of an intensification �T area is the limited amount of private space. Higher densities translate into smaller units and less private amenities, such as garages and backyards. The reduction in private amenities is exchanged for a higher The revitalized Saint Roch Square in Quebec City quality and greater range of public amenities. These public amenities are shared spaces and might include courtyards, well lighted walkways, k5 !' public plazas, civic buildings and enclosed public spaces. These elements reinforce one another and provide a network of spaces which enhance the overall public realm of the area. An enhanced public realm helps to draw people into the area and supports the requirement for denser housing forms. Rotary Park, Bowmanville The historic downtown located in the Bowmanville East Town Centre is an example of a place with a higher quality public realm, as portions of it include special lighting, street trees, murals, benches, sidewalks etc. 13 The term public realm refers to all outdoor spaces which are owned and occupied by public uses, such as municipal parks, squares and plazas, sidewalks, paths and walkways, roads, municipal parking lots, etc. 3.2.6 Numerous Connections Successful and vibrant intensification areas are well connected to their surrounding neighbourhoods. These connections cater to pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and automobile users and allow people to enter and exit the area from a variety of routes. An important symbiotic relationship sometimes exists between successful intensification areas and adjacent neighbourhoods. The extent to which these areas are connected influences the overall attractiveness and success of both areas. Adjacent neighbourhoods benefit from their close proximity to a diverse collection of activities, including dining, shopping and entertainment options. At the same time, the intensification areas benefit from the additional daily flow of traffic provided by residents living in the adjacent neighbourhoods. Mixed use development connected to adjacent infill neighbourhood, Port Credit. The historic downtowns of Bowmanville and Newcastle are examples of places which are well connected to adjacent neighbourhoods. 3.2.7 Pedestrian First Environment Successful and vibrant intensification z areas cater to pedestrians first, providing K an environment which supports Y pedestrian movement. Characteristics of a pedestrian first environment include a 4 ,, fine grain street pattern, smaller more e walkable blocks (200 metres) and an appropriate relationship between street width, sidewalk width and building height. Las Romblas, Barcelona Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Other components, such as pedestrian malls, linear main streets, colonnades for weather protection, public squares, public art, active storefronts, sidewalk cafes and trail linkages all help to support a pedestrian first atmosphere. This pedestrian first atmosphere adds to the overall vibrancy of the area and reduces dependence on the automobile for internal travel, thereby supporting the diversity of modes and connections required to build a vibrant and successful intensification neighbourhood. The historic downtowns of Bowmanville and Newcastle Village Centre are examples of places which have walkable environments. 3.2.8 Diversity of Housing Types and Tenures As noted earlier, intensification areas require a critical mass of people. Accommodating a critical mass of people means providing a variety of �i housing types and tenures suited to a qi wide range of potential residents. g LL Providing a mix of both ownership and rental opportunities and housing types, including apartments and townhomes `rM helps to attract a range of people (such as students, singles, small families and Benchmark Manor, Markham seniors). The Bowmanville Town Centres are examples of places which have a diversity of housing types and tenures. 3.2.9 Diversity and Mix of Land Uses Vibrant and successful intensification areas contain a diversity and mix of land uses. These areas tend to provide a large critical mass of complimentary uses which are multiple traffic generators, providing activities for a variety of different users (different ages, different interests etc.). These areas provide residential, commercial, employment, recreational, entertainment, public service and institutional and cultural uses. More importantly, land uses within successful intensification areas are not divided into large segregated - precincts; rather they are integrated *' and mixed throughout the area. Integrated and mixed land uses means that each individual block or building might contain a variety of uses. In this way, all parts of the area maintaink constant activity throughout the day and into in to the evening. This constant activity provides a sense of Mixed use development in Bowmanville East Town Centre energy and vibrancy associated with successful intensification areas. The Bowmanville Town Centre and Newcastle Village Centre are examples of places which have diversity and a mixture of uses. 3.3 Socio-Economic and Political Factors 3.3.1 Costs and Financial Considerations Intensification projects can be impacted by any number of financial considerations which can potentially affect the redevelopment of a given area. For an example, obtaining a record of site condition for a brownfield or greyfield site would be more expensive compared to a greenfield site. Given the scarcity of space typically associated with intensification projects, denser developments usually require underground or structured parking lots, which increase construction costs. Other hidden factors, such as lending rates and banking policy can also hinder redevelopment and intensification. 3.3.2 Ownership Constraints Some properties never seem to get developed. For a variety of reasons a particular land owner may choose not develop his or her property. While this may be true for lands located anywhere in a given municipality, whether greenfield or intensification, it becomes an important factor within strategic intensification areas because it can stagnate development and renewal of the broader neighbourhood (especially with larger sites). Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 3.3.3 NIMBYism NIMBYism can stall or stop redevelopment. NIMBYism stands for Not In My Back Yard and is the phenomenon where local residents and/or businesses oppose redevelopment on the basis that the proposed project will have serious impacts on individuals, despite the potential community-wide benefits. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation highlighted NIMBYism as a significant factor affecting intensification projects: There is often considerable opposition to intensification projects, frequently relating to perceived threats to property values, incompatible building scale and character, blocking of sunlight and views, as well as parking and traffic problems. Compared to greenfield development, neighbourhoods are usually living closer to the projects and there is more interest in ensuring the project fits in because of unique architectural fabric has already been established. Neighbourhood opposition is usually more intense in well-established residential neighbourhoods surrounding infill projects14. 3.3.4 Municipal Policies and Incentives Municipal policies and incentives can influence intensification. Vague official plan policies, restrictive and out-dated zoning by laws and heritage restrictions are examples of municipal planning regulations which can prevent or slow intensification projects. In contrast, municipalities also have a wide variety of tools and mechanisms which, when employed correctly, can be used to attract, encourage and facilitate intensification, including: • Community Improvement Plans; • Secondary Plans; • Urban design guidelines; • Urban design panels/review committees; • Form-based zoning; • Lower parking standards (for intensification projects); • Development charges; • OP and zoning policies encouraging granny flats and secondary suites; • Leveraging infrastructure upgrade projects to improve public realm through the Environment Assessment process; • Development corporations; 14 See CMHC Summary of Residential Intensification Case Studies, Built Projects, 2004. s qW • Tax increment financing; and, • Refunding or waiving of application fees. 3.3.5 Supply and Availability of Greenfield Land The supply and availability of greenfield land can also impact intensification rates. Generally, greenfield development tends to be more desirable compared to intensification because greenfield sites can have fewer constraints compared to infill and intensification sites. For example, greenfield sites usually have to grapple with more complex environmental issues, although the process for addressing floodplains, significant woodlands and wetlands tends to be more straight-forward than obtaining a record of site condition for a brownfield site or assembling property and converting/redeveloping a city block of heritage buildings. Private sector investment may choose sites which are less complicated, unconstrained and available; typically this means greenfield sites. The supply and availability of greenfield land can also influence public sector decisions around the priorities for future infrastructure spending, as public investments to service greenfield areas may yield short-term assessment gains (compared to the perceived gains associated with longer term revitalization projects). 3.3.6 Experienced and Diverse Land Development Community Intensification developments, particularly complex sites with multiple issues, require experienced developers capable of dealing with the range of potential issues. Risk aversion and lack of knowledge can prevent other builders who specialize in greenfield development from entering into the intensification market. Intensification requires support and investment from the private sector and unless there is a pool of builders whose core business is infilling, there is likely to be slower uptake. 3.3.7 Other "Invisible" Trends and Factors A variety of other "invisible" trends and factors can also influence opportunities for residential intensification. "Invisible" trends and factors include, but may not be limited to the following: • Demographic changes (e.g. aging population, emigration, income); • Interests rates; • Federal housing policies; • Employment rates and trends; and, • Land values and housing prices. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 3.4 Summary of Key Findings Developing a successful intensification strategy for Clarington means that the Municipality will need to address both the physical and socio-economic factors which affect intensification. Some of the previous factors identified cannot be influenced by the Municipality, such as demographics or interest rates. However, other factors more easily fall within the realm of the local government, including infrastructure, parks and open spaces and municipal incentives. Clarington's intensification strategy will need to address those factors which it has the ability to influence, and in doing so, will maximize the Municipality's potential to facilitate residential intensification and achievement of its intensification target. Improvements to the public realm are critical for successful intensification projects. A number of physical characteristics discussed in this section are tied to building an attractive public realm. Clarington's intensification strategy should leverage opportunities to improve the public realm, through urban design, as a means to attract developers and change perceptions about intensification. There are opportunities to improve public understanding of the benefits of density and intensification. One of the key barriers to intensification is NIMBYism. The Municipality has the opportunity to improve the public's understanding of intensification by articulating the benefits and challenges. Clarington's strategy for intensification will need to consider how the public sector can foster greater awareness, understanding and acceptance. Beyond policies, Clarington could develop comprehensive urban design guidelines and/or an urban design review panel to foster greater acceptance and understanding of intensification projects. There are opportunities to improve the physical environment within areas of change. From a physical perspective, the Municipality has the ability to influence the changes and character within its Centres and Corridors. As a starting point, the Municipality needs to understand the range of localized issues and opportunities that exist within the Centres and Corridors. A detailed analysis of the specific opportunities and constraints within each of the Municipality's Centres and Corridors is discussed in the next section. Section 4 Opportunities, Issues and Constraints for Intensification Areas in Clarington Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 4.0 OPPORTUNITIES, ISSUES AND CONSTRAINTS FOR INTENSIFICATION AREAS IN CLARINGTON 4.1 Physical Structure The following section outlines the specific opportunities, issues and constraints in Clarington for the Municipality's Centres, Corridors and Waterfront Places as defined in ROPA 128. These areas include: • Courtice Main Street (Highway 2 through Courtice); • Courtice Town Centre; • Courtice Road Corridor; • Bloor Street Corridor (Courtice); • Bowmanville West Town Centre (Bowmanville); • Highway 2 East Corridor (Bowmanville); • Bowmanville East Town Centre; • Newcastle Village Centre; and • Waterfront Places. These places offer the best potential for transforming neighbourhoods within Clarington into vibrant, mixed use, pedestrian-oriented and transit supportive areas. The location of the Centres, Corridors and Waterfront Places are illustrated in Figure 4.1. 4.1.1 Defining the Boundaries of Centres and Corridors The boundaries for each of the Regional Centres are based on the Municipality's existing Official Plan designations which define the extent of each Centre. The boundaries for each of the Corridors are based on a distance of 75 metres from edge of the street right- of-way (ROW), for a total width of approximately 150 metres15 15 The suggested width of Corridors was provided by the Municipality of Clarington. CO CO -... Ca LL • Pebbleston -... .: - rte 1 '.. P� .. n-Centre Ell MD 0 �i Port Darlington Waterfront Place A large portion of the Corridors examined in this section should be considered as greenfield land, because portions of the Corridor lie outside the built up area. However, for analysis purposes, the entire length of each Corridor has been examined in a comprehensive fashion, as the policies and directions for the Corridors contained within the Official Plan will treat the Corridors as single entities. 4.1.2 A Note about Courtice Main Street and Courtice Town Centre Courtice Main Street and Courtice Town Centre is the subject of a separate discussion paper. The contents of this Discussion Paper are briefly summarized in section 4.2, since both areas need to be part of a broader municipal-wide strategy for intensification. However, the detailed planning and analysis for this area is contained in the Courtice Main Street Study. 4.1.3 Lands outside of Regional Centres and Regional Corridors The analysis discussed in this section also recognizes the potential for infilling and intensification to occur, albeit in a limited fashion, outside of the Centres and Corridors. Accordingly, Section 4 also contains a small sub-section describing the various site specific opportunities and constraints located within the built-up area, but outside the Centres and Corridors. A summary of the opportunities and constraints is provided in the next sub-section. 4.2 Courtice Main Street Study Area 4.2.1 Description Courtice Main Street (also known as Highway 2) extends from the western edge of Clarington at Townline Road eastward to a planned location of the Highway 407-401 north-south link. The location of Courtice Main Street Corridor is shown on Figure 4.1. The Corridor is approximately 3.7 km in length and covers an area of 114 hectares. The area also includes the Courtice Town Centre area, located at the intersection of Highway 2 and Trulls Road. 4.2.2 Existing Planned Land Use Figure 4.2 shows the existing Official Plan land use for Courtice Main Street and Courtice Town Centre. Highlighted in red on the Figure are the approximate locations of the Town Centre and Corridor. The Corridor is designated as the Courtice West Shopping District, Urban Residential, Environmental Protection, Special Policy Area F and Future Urban Residential. The Courtice Town Centre area is designated as a Special Study Area 1. Figure 4.2: Clarington Official Plan, Planned Land Use for Courtice 3a3 UR9AN ROUMPhRY �- r RUiURE l UR9RN RE3fUEtlTIAL LYIMNA IDENTU \.. I .. 1:1 RESIIUNDENSR'f � •° �•• .•p1•.•••� - RESIGENTLLL 1 HIGH OEHSM II REWDENUk. f ITPWN CENTRE 1 _j $H RPICE DISTRICT ' � I ®$XPPPING PIGTRIPF I Il s NEIGRBPIJRNPW CFNFm + EM HRHWAYCOMMER Main Street Town Centre J I I� MESTI-M EHRLOYNENT.AEA LIGML ► © /J/Z WWSTRu kREA ► ® .— IIII, RIM AREh �...... uL NW5T �Y ► � ► AFAR _ A dL31NE33 RAfM a N .Yr ` ► UTILITY �EEWIT TR?MAREA GREEN SPACE N J� R ERFROHT G I 1 g N I o REEMVIAY 3 g Courtice CAfWUNITY RARK Bloor Street ° r5 S N IRoad DISTRICT PARR I o i NIVGH@BURHO D I / I Corridor SECLONOMrSCHOOI 1 S4LOHPARY SCHOOL T,! I E MENThRY SCHOCI — ` H 1• I E4E EM NTTARY SCHO PUNNRJPUC MARY G AREA R•SRECIALROLICYh I'� I I •.e...�..SPEGNL STUDY AREA 41a GOSTATIPN -- --- -.— .___mss_ D22e� , . I D32 MAP A2 LAND USE COURTICE URBAN AREA MLE FERREDBY �'-� TH FLEGIOH dF DURIUN OFFICIAL PLAN MUNICIPALITY OF CL4R11,7011 .wr z.zAAr Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 4.2.3 Opportunities A brief summary of the key opportunities identified for the Courtice Main Street include: • There is relatively strong — public support for redevelopment of the - ----------- corridor. The corridor is --- viewed as the principal - a � opportunity for enhancing the community's image and establishing a core area for Courtice. • There are opportunities for improving open space linkages. The Farewell and Black Creek valleylands which run parallel to the corridor are a strong natural asset that can be emphasized through preservation of view corridors, streetscaping, signage, and trail connections to become Courtice's "green link" community theme or image. There are currently some existing connections that can be enhanced and supported through improved linkages. • The corridor is already in transition. Existing residential properties are currently changing to business/personal service uses. This indicates a transition towards more commercial activity, implying that mixed use development in the long term could be supported. • The corridor contains several large land parcels. These larger parcels provide opportunities for immediate development/redevelopment without the need for land assembly. Examples include the Courtice West Shopping District plazas on the north side and the Courtice Town Centre site. • There are multiple intersections along Highway 2 which can be utilized to enhance the public realm. These locations could be beautified with signage, planters and lighting to improve Courtice's image and utilized as a way to slow traffic. • The Farewell and Black Creek valleylands provides an existing unique natural feature. Unique features act as a draw for people and support investment in an area. The valleylands are strong natural assets that draw people to the Courtice Main Street area. • Transit serviced along the corridor will be enhanced to improve access to a variety of - transportation modes. - Durham Region has indicated that transit service will be increased along Highway 2; it is designated as a transit and cycling spine. • There is a Regional planning GO Bus service, Durham framework to support intensification along the corridor. New Regional policies to intensify the Corridors and Centres may provide the impetus to have the area serviced. Servicing the area will be a great incentive and should help to attract private sector investment. • The future provision of water and sanitary services along the corridor provides opportunities for future public realm improvements. The majority of the corridor is un-serviced. At some point the area will be serviced and the construction and development along the corridor presents a unique opportunity to implement public realm and streetscape improvements along the entire length of the corridor. 4.2.4 Issues and Constraints Key challenges to realizing the potential growth opportunities within the corridor include: • The existing road conditions are not conducive to a pedestrian-first environment. The existing road conditions, including high speed and traffic volumes, along with noise, dirt and debris do not support a pedestrian-first environment. Significant improvements to the public realm (including the travel portion of the road and adjacent lands) will be required to foster a pedestrian oriented environment. A comprehensive streetscape and public realm plan is required. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 • There are environmental constraints to development. The edges of the creek valleys along some parcels limit the ability to build higher density development and also pose challenges for stormwater management and water quality. • Future development will require property assembly in some places along the corridor. Current individual single ownership patterns result in sites that are too limited in area and configuration to accommodate higher density development. • The corridor parcels abut low density, stable residential areas. Transitioning of building height, screening of parking areas and other measures will be necessary. • There are some existing land uses along the corridor which present challenges to enhancing the corridor. The location of the service stations at the south and north corners of Townline Road and Highway 2 present a short term challenge for creating an attractive gateways. The Municipality might explore opportunities for enhanced landscaping and signage in strategic locations along the corridor. • The transition and the redevelopment of the Courtice West Shopping District to a mixed use, more urban and pedestrian oriented area will be challenging. Accommodating the transition of multiple tenants and - d Corridor near Townline with large set-backs and low density uses phased reconstruction will require an owner/developer with vision and commitment to the long term redevelopment. Consolidation of parcels along the south side may be also be a challenge. • Portions of the corridor are un-serviced. Servicing is one of the most critical challenges for development of the Corridor. At present the majority of lands along the corridor lack sanitary and water services. The timing for establishment of regional services has yet to be determined. There is a need for a formal servicing strategy for the corridor. • The financing of future servicing may also present a further challenge. If servicing is required to be funded by development only, this will be a disincentive, resulting in no development until servicing occurs. This could cause deterioration of the corridor, as sites become and remain vacant and/or construction of lower scale development forms that do not support intensification objectives. • Due to servicing and market constraints, such as the current lack of servicing along the corridor and development slowdowns in the market, it is perceived that development and redevelopment along the corridor may take longer than anticipated. Planning policies will be required to promote and secure high density developments along the corridor (which may limit development in the short term). • There are multiple access points to this corridor. The current number of access points along the corridor, particularly between Townline and Darlington Boulevard, may present challenges to redeveloping the corridor in a manner that would safely maintain current access. Figure 43A through 4.3C are excerpts from the Courtice Main Street Discussion Paper, showing opportunities and constraints along the Corridor. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Figure 4.3-A Courtice Main Street and Centre, Opportunities and Constraints (Land Use) i NASH RD Pool k .0 r m " !. U) (� lz 0 I z 1v m ` m 0 0 ry LEGEND EXISTING AND APPROVED USES, LIMITED OR NO DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL —- STUDY AREA BOUNDARY 0 GAS STATION NON RESIDENTIAL USES COURT ICE URBAN BOUNDARY � {MIX USE.OFFICE.SENIOR RESIDENTIAL AND FUNERAL HOME) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION � EXISTING RETAIL COMMERCl/LL V$E$ SWM STORM WATTER MANAGEMENT STAALE LOW AND ML DiUM DENSITY FACILITY(EXISTING AND PROPOSED) RESIDENTIAL INTERFACE MTO'407 EAST LINK LANDS Figure 4.313 Courtice Main Street and Centre, Opportunities and Constraints (Public Realm) INASH RD F .I:tt� ��ry�. ,�.• r, °� �'� �1 j'y...7 M10,11 A !.:V ti � � � _• 11 • 7' `1x •i M ~ 1 � r1 1z r t in 0 r Nz 4 X (M z n .. 1 M �4 i \ti i LEGEND PUBLC REALM OPPORTUNITIES CLA:UNGTON?COURTICE STUDY AREA BOUNDARY 10 GATEWAY OPPORTUNITIES min CO UIR ICE URBAN BOUNDARY OPEN SPACE Kl94iME. ENVIRONMENTAL PR?TFCTIpN TRAIL LINK POTENTIAL MUNICIPAL0,13EN SPACE VIEW CORRIDOR OPPORTUNITY SCHOOL FOCAL AREASTtEETSCAPING IMPROVED SIDEWALKS POTENTIAL BUFFER TREATMENT ALONG FUTURE HANCOCK ROAD BY41ASS Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Figure 4.3-C Courtice Main Street and Centre, Opportunities and Constraints (Infrastructure) r ll NASH RD > #al l rn 1 w• 1 .� 4. rt M'r w. 0 �� 1i =i tC7 � C p C7 p X yy w �a s~ 1 i LEGEND mw- STUDY AREA BOUNDARY REGIONAL CORRIDOR COURTICE URBAN BOUNDARY `+ FISTING IT BUS TRANSIT �■� `* CaD TRANSIT E3tJS ROUTES FUTURE REGIONAL CYCLING SPINE ENVIRONMENTAL ENTAL PROTEC71ON 407 EAST LINK LANDS 4.3 Courtice Road 4.3.1 Description The Courtice Road Corridor is located in Courtice and stretches from the north side of Highway 401 to Highway 2 (Courtice Main Street). The Corridor is 3.8 km in length and covers a gross area of approximately 115 hectares. Presently, the existing road is a 2 lane arterial road, linking the eastern edge of Courtice with the 401. The majority of the lands within the Corridor are presently being used for agricultural purposes, although a small portion of north of Bloor Street and immediately south of Highway 2 contains low density residential and commercial development. Vacant land on west side of Courtice Road,south view Figure 4.4 shows the existing buildings and lot patterns for the Corridor. Figure 4.4 reveals the presence of some large potentially developable parcels fronting onto the Corridor. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 0 Figure 4.4: Courtice Road Corridor, Existing Lot and Building Patterns Buildings Existing .ts Existing Lots and Buildings r ■ { L ■ i \ 1 y \ ! T { ■ ■ z! { 1 T ■ 4 1 { i { f{ ■ .° 1 w t ■ 4{ � ■y ■■ T �r 1 E r ■ ■ ■ \ Y \ x { ■ 15 ■ ■ 1 4 4 45 ■ i i • w { y ■ • 5t Y { + 44 1 y et \ { \ • y 4e �; i ! f i � 4.3.2 Existing Planned Land Use Figure 4.2 (refer back to previous section, page 49) shows the current land use designations for the lands which fall within the Courtice Road Corridor. The lands on the west side of Courtice are designated Urban Residential, Future Urban Residential, Light Industrial and Prestige Employment. The lands on the east side of Courtice Road are outside of the urban boundary, although ROPA 128 to the Region of Durham's Official Plan proposes that the lands north of Bloor be included within the urban boundary and designated as Urban Residential (to match the designations on the west side of Courtice Road). 4.3.3 Opportunities Key opportunities identified for the Courtice Road Corridor include: • The Corridor is served with transit. Transit crosses the north end of the Courtice Corridor, with both Durham Region Transit (bus) and GO bus services. • Transit services along the Corridor will continue to improve providing better access to a variety of transportation modes over time. Future plans for the Corridor will include expansion and extension of DIRT services and will also include the Courtice GO rail station. The GO rail station is to be located in the south end, on lands immediately adjacent to the Corridor. With improvements to transit, there will also be opportunities to increase pedestrian and active transportation linkages between new greenfield neighbourhoods and the Corridor. • The majority of lands along the Corridor are undeveloped. Presently, the majority of the lands within the Corridor are agricultural and would be considered "undeveloped" in a planning context. These lands are generally characterized by large lots (see Figure 4.4). Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 3 Townhouses on west side of Courtice Road at Highway 2 • The intersection of Courtice Road and Bloor Street presents a unique development opportunity for improved urban form, mixture of uses and pedestrian-oriented environment. The lands located on the four corners of the intersection of Bloor Street and Courtice Road are at the intersection of two Regional Corridors. The lands on three corners of this intersection are underutilized, including one corner that is vacant, and offer potential for higher density, mixed use development. Similarly, the intersection of Highway 2 and Courtice Road offers similar potential, although the lands on the four corners of this location are more heavily constrained by existing uses and environmental features. • The area has some unique features and characteristics which will enhance the development of the area. Several portions of the Corridor are at an elevated grade. In some areas, particularly the lands at the intersection of Bloor Street and Courtice Road, the land is slightly elevated allowing for views of Lake Ontario. If these lands are developed at higher densities, and in an appropriate fashion, the area could provide housing with desirable views of the Lake. In addition to this, the Corridor s also includes the Ebenezer United Church, a historic structure dating back to 1866. The Ebenezer Sunday School building predates the construction of the Church, dating back to 1844 and is commemorated on-site with a plaque. • There are no incompatible land uses located on the Corridor. The existing uses within the Corridor do not preclude future development of mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development. Additionally, some of the lower density housing which has already been developed at the north end of the Corridor has been constructed with frontages oriented towards Courtice Road. The orientation of these new buildings will allow for the continued improvement and enhancement of the street environment (as opposed to "back-lotting" which creates challenges). 4.3.4 Issues and Constraints Key issues and constraints identified for the Courtice Road Corridor include: • The southern portion of the Corridor is designated as employment lands. Specifically, the lands on both the east and west side of Courtice Road, south of Bloor Street, are designated as employment lands. The future development of these lands will require careful attention to design and detail to ensure that development does not undermine the strategic importance of the Corridor. Presently, the existing permissions would allow for a range of prestige and light industrial uses to occur on these lands. Typically, these types of uses are not synonymous with pedestrian- oriented, transit supportive, mixed use development. Accordingly, the Official Plan and future secondary plan for the Corridor will need to address this issue. • There are environmental constraints near the Corridor. Tooley Creek parallels the east side of the Courtice Road Corridor. The Tooley Creek floodplain and natural heritage system adjacent to the creek valley will likely impose some constraints on the development of properties fronting onto the east side of Courtice Road. • The majority of the lands within the Corridor are not presently serviced with municipal water or sewer. Presently the lands along the Corridor are not serviced. Future development along the Corridor will require the construction of new water supply, sanitary sewer and storm water infrastructure to support growth. Sewer services along the Corridor will Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 be addressed by the proposed Courtice Trunk Sanitary Sewer System, which is expected to be extended to Baseline Road 2015. It is also important to note that the Courtice Trunk Sanitary Sewer System will also provide a servicing framework for Highway 2 Corridor (Courtice Main Street) and also for the Bloor Street Corridor. • The phasing of growth along the Corridor can be supported by logical extensions of key infrastructure. However, the provision of looped watermain infrastructure will be more challenging unless the land between the built up area and Bloor Street Corridor (north) are developed first or in conjunction with the Corridor. Water supply infrastructure in this area will also be supporting intensification in other areas of Courtice, Oshawa and Whitby. • The planned function of Courtice Road will require careful planning and attention. Courtice Road is planned to be a regional arterial road, with a planned road right of way width of 36 metres. As development occurs and traffic volumes increase, the road may need to be widened. The expanded width, traffic volume and speed will need to addressed to ensure that the infrastructure is properly meshed with design vision articulated in ROPA 128 (mixed use, pedestrian-friendly and transit oriented environment). Figure 4.5 graphically illustrates some key opportunities, issues and constraints related to the development of the Courtice Road Corridor. s Figure 4.5: Courtice Road, Regional Corridor Opportunities, Issues and Constraints tv tit 1 i `, � � The area is presently not serviced municipal water or sewer. Plans to The area has some unique service the area have yet features and characteristics determined. which will enhance the area. 4 3 t - k ` y The majority of lands adjacent to the corridor are considered to be a -,., s �" greenfield lands and have few = development constraints. The intersection of Courtice Road and 5 4.4 Bloor Street Corridor 4.4.1 Description The Bloor Street Corridor is located in Courtice and stretches from the west side of Townline Road (eastern border of Oshawa) to the edge of Courtice's urban boundary, east of Courtice Road. The Corridor is 4.0 km in length and covers a gross area of approximately 122 hectares. Presently, the existing road is a 2 lane arterial road and provides an alternative link for travelers moving in between Oshawa and Bowmanville (alternative to Highway 2 or the 401). The majority of the lands within the Corridor are presently being used for agricultural purposes, although there are several small clusters of rural residential housing located along the Corridor. Additionally, the west end of Corridor is presently developed with lower density residential subdivisions. Figure 4.6 shows the existing buildings and lot patterns for the Corridor. Figure 4.6 shows a similar building and lot pattern for Bloor Street as the one shown for Courtice Road, (i.e. large parcels with few buildings) with the exception of the rural residential subdivision (depicted as small buildings and small lots at the west end of the Bloor Street Corridor). 4.4.2 Existing Planned Land Use Clarington's Official Plan designates the lands on the north side of Bloor Street as Urban Residential, Future Urban Residential and Environmental Protection (refer back to Figure 4.2). The lands on the south side of Bloor in between Townline Road and the Environmental Protection area east of Prestonvale Road are designated as Urban Residential. In specific locations along the Corridor lands are identified for medium and high density residential development. The lands on the south side of Bloor Street, east of the Environmental Protection area are designated for Light Industrial Purposes. s� Existing Buildings Existing Lots -Z ME Existing Lots and Buildings 11—ell 0 175 350 700 Meters Al Lai 4.4.3 Opportunities Key opportunities related to intensification along the Bloor Street Corridor includes: • The majority of lands along the Corridor are undeveloped. Presently, the majority of the lands within the Corridor are designated for development and are presently being used for agricultural or rural purposes and would be considered "undeveloped" in a planning context. These lands are generally unencumbered with environmental constraints and are characterized by large lots (see Figure 4.6). • Transit services along the Corridor will continue to improve to provide better access to a variety of transportation modes. Future plans for the Corridor will include expansion and extension of DRT services. Similar to Courtice Road, as improvements to transit increase, there will also be opportunities to improve pedestrian and active transportation linkages between new greenfield neighbourhoods and the Corridor. • The valleylands provide an existing unique natural feature. Unique features act as a draw for people and support investment in an area. • The intersection of Courtice Road and Bloor Street presents a unique opportunity for compact, mixed use, transit supportive and pedestrian oriented development. The lands located on the four corners of the intersection of Bloor Street and Courtice Road are the intersection of two Regional Corridors. The lands on three corners of this intersection are underutilized, including one corner that is vacant, and offer potential for higher density, mixed use development. Similarly, the intersection of Highway 2 and Courtice Road offers similar potential, although the lands on the four corners of this location are more heavily constrained by existing uses and environmental features 4.4.4 Issues and Constraints The Bloor Street Corridor faces a number of challenges which are similar to those of Courtice Road, as both Corridors are located in the same general area and exhibit a number of similar characteristics. Key issues and constraints related to intensification and development within the Bloor Street Corridor includes: • The Corridor has several established, existing uses. Within the context of a 20 year plan, the Corridor includes a number of uses which may present challenges for redevelopment. Existing uses include the Flea Market, several clusters of rural residential housing, an apple orchard and cell phone tower. Some of these uses may present challenges for property s• assembly, but generally, the majority of the parcels are large and un- fragmented. It should be noted that the Corridor also contains institutional uses which would be compatible with the planned function of the Corridor. • Most of the Bloor Street Corridor is not serviced with transit. Only a small portion of Bloor Street is presently serviced with transit, which criss-crosses the Corridor in three locations in a north-south fashion. However, over the long term it would be expected that transit services would be extended along the Corridor to service new development. • The Bloor Street Corridor is criss-crossed by several valley systems and creeks. The Corridor is crossed by the tributaries of Tooley Creek and Robinson Creek and new storm water management infrastructure will be needed to adequately control drainage and ensure that water quality is maintained. Portions of the Corridor exhibit significant grade changes. • The majority of the lands within the Corridor are not presently serviced with municipal water or sewer. Presently, the Plans to service the lands along the Corridor have not been determined. As stated previously in the section for the Courtice Road Corridor, the necessary provision of looped watermain infrastructure will be challenging unless the greenfield lands north of Bloor Street and south of the built-up area are developed in advance. The provision of sewer services along the Corridor may be expedited by the proposed Courtice Trunk Sanitary Sewer System, which is expected to be extended to Baseline Road by 2015. • The southern portion of the Corridor is designated as Employment. The lands on the south side of Bloor Street are designated as Employment lands. The future development of these lands will require careful attention to design and detail to ensure that development does not undermine the strategic importance of the Corridor. Presently, the existing permissions would allow for a range of prestige and light industrial uses to occur on these lands. Typically, these types of uses are not synonymous with pedestrian-oriented, transit supportive, mixed use development. Figure 4.7 summarizes some of the key opportunities, issues and constraints related to the development of the Bloor Street Corridor. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Figure 4.7: Bloor Street, Regional Corridor Opportunities, Issues and Constraints J ,h L,. 4,.. i M 16 � M- y..• Yea', 4.- �`.' a.y2lhd•'� v + '`,• -y+. 2 > $��' '. Iv A 1 o�+ f F t There are a number of large parcels1 1 ' ` on both sides of the corridor,which 1 are generally unconstrained and Lands at the west end of the Corridor undeveloped. . are being developed at relatively low densities (relative to the densities contemplated for Regional Corridorsd in Growing Durham). ' 2 r w F x r1 s. �Y- p � _ .w x .1 ank 1' 1 4.5 Bowmanville West Town Centre 4.5.1 Description The Bowmanville West Town Centre is located on the western end of Bowmanville, west of Regional Road 57. The Town Centre is relatively close to Downtown Bowmanville, separated by a 300 metre stretch of land along King Street. The Bowmanville West Town Centre is 103 hectares, extending 1.8 km along the length of Highway 2. The Town Centre is flanked by vacant residential land to the north and newly developed residential subdivisions to the south. The Town Centre's planned function is to act as a mixed-use centre, accommodating shopping needs in a more traditional, pedestrian friendly built form. The area is only partially built out and continues to grow and develop. Figure 4.8 shows the existing building and lot fabric for the Bowmanville West Town Centre. The building pattern reveals that a sizable amount of land is presently undeveloped or being used for parking. The building pattern also shows the emerging "street wall" along King Street. 4.5.2 Existing Planned Land Use The development of the Bowmanville West Town Centre is presently regulated by the Bowmanville West Town Centre Secondary Plan. The Secondary Plan permits a range of uses, including residential (medium and high density), commercial, office, community, institutional and parks and open space uses. Figure 4.9 shows the planned land use for Bowmanville. Figure 4.10 shows the planned land use for the Bowmanville West Town Centre. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Existing Buildings �_-_ � * •lrrt � _ 1j11► ■ ►w��G► s �'i c � ��►► _�� f `yyyVlllllr -��.*ice��,,�►►I��_ 11►►►11 F�1►►Ii► IE71#� � � _ � �a►a,►�� `1111/1j4/j ►`�s 1 �►�tit�;'rf111►►► � '_ �.um,mns �s I/II/Igj�� ■ Existing Lots s '%i°i��i�'*�� " _�Iliu�t► ��//I�s�+i►�►r►►r :.y � ,�Gy . � .q, ��. ��1111► ��``plllntl +� �r►rpt5� �� - ��h,�tl�� /. ►�- F � sm111tt� ..,ati' �r��a��G �►� C►rte _ tip rI�J► S X31 �h s tid, � s t is. /•r■.4� '�R 1 Existing Lots and Buildings `� '�' =Y' s° '°° °",e,es 70 Figure 4.9: Bowmanville, Official Plan Land Use i C3 - � J `G RE. N a.O RHAH '. West Town Centre 8 zei Bowmanville 0 East Town Centre Highway 2 .r IQ ' East I «+ i � r 1 r I i t I up ipirRl$M HOPE P P _ E�1.GYMREETIDE EHT MEA $ECUBLC LN•4AAY$GNO[>4 �-�uraeAAl ltaLlNayRY L'OH STRLIL ARFJi SEPARATE NDIY SEGONDPRY SGKGGY DZ4' ®FI TVAE -GENER L PRw rE I)R6AH RE$Ip[HT146 INDIIgTRwI AREA 5£CCNDARY$CNppL LA ON7 A.RK) u U"M RES NTIAL VTIUTY i PUALC. ELELNEHTARY SCHOOL AfEMM DENSITY ENYIRDNAEMAL SEPARATE RESIDENT L PROTECTK]NAR ELEM ARY 03L MAP A3 GN LENS+TY cme.$PA.GE �A� ®RESIDENTIRL 111111, ELEAIENMRY SCHOOL LAND USE fGwN CENTRE WATER QNi SECCNOARY BOWMANVILLEURBANAREA MEEMYAY ��PLANI.1!(iAREA NEIDNROI.R HN ®COWU pTY PARK. .Ln..."M SKCL$L POLICY AREA OFFICIAL PLAN CENTRE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON -InGH,yAYCGMr,E>aCwt e DISTRIGTPARK .. •••SPECLYLS MYAREA, 1�A6CYNES;AiE . NEIGREWRNPW 04 STATION E%TRACnON AREA PARK Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 0 Figure 4.10: Planned Land Use, Bowmanville West Town Centre . fL,TONM CENTRE WII, MEMM CEN7W REWDENTA LW RISE NIA DEN" RMDENML Y@ RME IGN DENSITY REWENTYL ... __� SiREE4-RE1.41E[I CUMMFRCYI 6EHEN%COMMERML FACII.RY } kii"''sj�..puuJNRx RARN 3 NE,G,RwR.5W GIRIS E'nnfiQ—E— PRDTFLTQN AREA i f 4:. FUTURE SIIE PEhE$7 M NALMIYAY ,y n CONTAMINATED SRC .... , ;. MAP A LAND USE •k'"'- -(` • 4T ROWMAPEYILLF WEST R CENTRE SECONDARY 2W7 PLAN . U-- 4.4 ='lYY Cp14:,NmN 6 NNaCSO rvx Gct 4.5.3 Opportunities Key opportunities related to intensification within the Bowmanville West Town Centre include: • The Bowmanville West Town Centre is the principal transit hub within Clarington and provides access to a variety of transportation modes. The Municipality's main GO bus station is located at the foot of Prince William Boulevard on the south side of the Centre. The station also includes a small park and ride lot. In the future, the site will be expanded to provide access to GO rail services. The area is also well served by existing DIRT services which run along King Street and are linked to the GO bus station. Over the long term, the area may also be serviced with DIRT light rail services. • The Bowmanville West Town Centre area has structurally been laid out with a conscious effort to support pedestrians. On a macro-scale, the area has been laid on a large grid with a central north-south and east- west spines. As such the area is well positioned from a transportation perspective to support intensification. In the future, as development and infilling occurs, the area has the potential to develop into a more pedestrian oriented mixed-use centre. f a Current development in Bowmanville West Town Centre • The structure and lay out of the Bowmanville West Town Centre will allow for infilling and intensification to occur, over time. The Town Centre provides large parcels and large sites, which are physically capable of absorbing additional residential and commercial infilling. However, similar to the Historic Downtown, a parking strategy will be required to ensure that an adequate amount of space is provided. • The Bowmanville West Town Centre has a diverse collection of important destinations and a mix of uses. At present, the primary draw to the area is the range of large box retail outlets (Home Depot, Zellers, Canadian Tire, Loblaws), however, the area also includes a range of smaller boxes (including restaurants and banks), entertainment uses (movie theatre), institutional uses (secondary school, place of worship Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 and fire station), high density residential uses and recreational uses (parks and community centre). The Bowmanville West Town Centre is flanked by some higher density residential uses which improve the diversity of housing types. Unlike other Centres and Corridors, the Bowmanville West Town Centre area is flanked by a number of higher and medium density residential uses. Local and neighbouring residents provide support to the commercial areas throughout the day and into the evening. The area is serviced with municipal sewer and water services. A trunk sanitary sewer extends through the Bowmanville West Town Centre area. Water flows drain southerly through the subdivision lands south of the CPR via the trunk sanitary sewer along West Side Drive, which ultimately drains to the Port Darlington Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP). The extent to which this sanitary sewer is able to support intensification of the West Town Centre area will need to considered in the context of additional development to the north of the West Town Centre. The Region's Infrastructure and Fiscal Analysis Impact Study will provide guidance with respect to available capacity in both the sanitary sewer and water supply. In the long-term the West Town Centre along with other lands in west Bowmanville are considered branches to the Courtice WPCP. The timing and methodology through which sanitary sewage flows from west Bowmanville may be diverted to the Courtice WPCP has not yet been determined. Potential may exist to support the ultimate intensification goals of the West Town Centre through future planning for this infrastructure, however this should not be construed as the ultimate solution to any long-term sanitary constraints for the Bowmanville West Town Centre or that this process will proceed in a sufficiently timely manner. 4.5.4 Issues and Constraints Key issues and constraints related to intensification within the Bowmanville West Town Centre include: ® The majority of the Bowmanville West Town Centre lands are underutilized. The built out of the Bowmanville West Town Centre may take several generations. The first generation of development is more heavily focused on commercial development. The key characteristics of the existing built form are the large box uses, mostly set back from the street, with surface parking in the front (with a few exceptions). Infilling and redevelopment are crucial to realizing the planned built form of the area, which states that the area is to be built as a traditional "town centre". Furthermore, while the area as a whole includes a mix of uses, the uses are lower density in scale and are not mixed within individual buildings. • The area is not well connected with the surrounding neighbourhoods. Internally, there exists a basic grid pattern; however, this grid is not connected to the existing surrounding neighbourhoods. As the area continues to evolve there will be opportunities to enhance connectivity with the surrounding neighbourhoods, particularly the neighbourhoods north of the Bowmanville West Town Centre, which have yet to be developed. The rail line which forms the southern limit of the Bowmanville West Town Centre is a barrier to improving connectivity with the existing neighbourhoods. The higher and medium density developments south of the rail line do not have pedestrian connections to the Bowmanville West Town Centre. However, improving connectivity (pedestrian and auto-based) remains a reasonable objective. • Internal connectivity is limited in the short term. While the Bowmanville West Town Centre is laid out on a grid pattern, the existing blocks tend to be quite large and are broken up by parking lots. Improving the internal connectivity will occur as infilling and intensification occurs in the future and can be facilitated through amendments to the Secondary Plan. • The area lacks greenspaces and natural features. While King Street includes street trees, (3 rows including a tree lined centre boulevard) the majority of the site is covered with surface parking. There will be opportunities to improve tree coverage and add greenspaces into the Bowmanville West Town Centre as the area evolves, however. Figure 4.11 graphically illustrates some of the key opportunities and constraints for the Bowmanville West Town Centre. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Figure 4.11: Bowmanville Town Centre West, Regional Centre Opportunities, Issues and Constraints ED 7 � - R ari Vi �. .-.. • y Has a variety of important destinations, including recreation, ll� ID 3 2 j q shopping and entertainment uses. _ s ME ilk = � s 2 <s r A large portion of the area is covered , with surface parking, providing additional opportunities for infilling over the long term. F y There are multiple infilling ° opportunities for mixed use and high _ density development. A�� ` 4.6 Bowmanville East Town Centre 4.6.1 Description The Bowmanville East Town Centre is located in the centre of Bowmanville's built up area and can best be described as three smaller neighbourhoods which cover a total area of 60 hectares: • The Historic Downtown: Includes the majority of the lands which have historically been identified as "downtown". Extends from the west side of Scugog Street to the east side of Division Street and from the south side of Wellington Street to the south side of Queen Street (22 hectares). • Central King Street Spine: Includes the narrow strip of land on the north and south sides of King Street in between Division Street and Liberty Street. The King Street Spine connects the Historic Downtown with the Bowmanville Mall area (7 hectares). • Bowmanville Mall and Environs: Includes the lands at the east end of the East Town Centre designation which generally surround the Bowmanville Mall. Extends from the east side of Liberty Street to the western edge of the Bowmanville Mall and from the north side of Prince Street to the south side of Church Street (31 hectares). The three neighbourhoods are distinguished from one another by their form and function. The Historic Downtown is comprised of a mix of mostly older two and three storey buildings which front immediately onto the street. The Historic Downtown includes a mix of institutional, cultural, small shops, professional offices and restaurants and residential uses. The residential uses found within the Downtown are diverse, including historic single-detached and semi-detached dwellings, row houses, low, mid and high rise apartment buildings. The King Street Spine acts as a transition area between the Downtown and the Mall area. As a transitional area, these lands have no real defined form and include a mix of commercial (office and highway commercial) and residential. The Bowmanville Mall and Environs includes two major uses: the Bowmanville Mall; and, the Lakeridge Health Bowmanville (Bowmanville Hospital). The area also features a mix of commercial and low, medium and high density residential uses. Figure 4.12 shows the existing lot and building fabric within Bowmanville East Town Centre. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Existing Buildings ■ Existing Lots INS '�::ix�l� � ■ll►� a ►►r �_ �ir►�►�i�r►• �►►►►�■t �, r ►t�+;� i~III- �1"vot"v'� � • �� ` If(If ► P +ES�miilu��. a ��►�j=,,-,*� •��1111f�►1r�1� '�f,�1Gr�p�t '11"�r��j�ui �'�''�ref►'/► I��i1�'a,111► r.� � 111 _�►un" 1�j��! �. +� ��1 Ili►►��'rrr�i ►t�.►►tip■ . ��ee .r ■. '� r�'*�i��`f� � �►��i� 1�+'�11]I r "�`�� +��f�.F ��, ��j1tr�*��1� d lfll�l ��%�� fl / �JII1ry '11;� ■ .. � n►p►►►►11u►�+iq �I�i. ��'��r��,��r � 11 ��f►t#f]*Ilj��`1�111�= �#�•t�'� '� ''-•►a►'a►'►un►■r ='r � � �i .� �. -►r,1 Ill , . IJ��i�1�Id� � t► -gip► e■ .�. .� -=_ r• •- ► �i /I ♦ 1„1�,I«1►"1v1v1u 1"1„°1�� s��=►'-i�-��s"' '%�fO►�t p•z�'.��.i I►1 C rI�.i �11�1�►► 111 . y ■y►r ►■r�■■:r.Via ar� • y t ►e ►► � , ,�tp�#►►■r t�t1 tM►tt t ►:�: Existing Lots and Buildings ��I c� �r � •��1+tllf�r f ��j��. �Q ,a.. e�r' �► fi w 1 rr►r/11g1 r.+ r'.,, „`+��+�,�j7jr: ��11a��'�♦"� e 5 ►`,1 . ' Wki .e.ri r Q ,� �� aViflf }` •�lpr�lr.' ;+�►IF�t� :y��m� [� y�.,',`,.� '., �� .` .+*37 �� j►1 £ r A gird P4tir['4A_ AF'E� **I►.°e� a� �,77+r''��+1� . 1 �,,,`rta �•,i'`rte:. +. '" � ,j%w�'� �yrl.' � ��/��M►�a��t� � iz5 zsa soo re ceri ti ► 78 Figure 4.12 reveals a dense pattern of mostly smaller lots and buildings concentrated in the core, oriented towards King Street. The firm street wall along King Street in the Historic Downtown is easily recognizable in the figure. Equally recognizable is the disappearance of the street-wall along King Street east of Liberty Street. 4.6.2 Existing Land Use Downtown Bowmanville is designated as a Town Centre in Clarington's Official Plan. The policies within the Town Centre designation permit a range of uses, including residential, commercial, office, institutional, cultural, recreational and entertainment uses. Future development and land use changes within the Downtown are covered in the Bowmanville East Town Centre Secondary Plan. Figure 4.13 and Figure 4.14 show the land use plans for the Bowmanville East Town Centre (identified as Maps A and B). Figure 4.13: Bowmanville East Town Centre Secondary Plan, Land Use Map A m LOWE STREET LUVLHS LANE y � � xnvc A_LMNOER eLw. PLACE Sl `� CPRLISLE AVENUE e smelRE nvEnuE �3 1 nr�° o 'e x 7r DOWNTOWN NSI I':UTION MAP A EOL NDARY " LAND USE RFcIr.FNTIAL COMMUNITY FACILITY DOWNTOWN STRLLI—PLLATED =. ..., ENVIRONMENTAL BOWMANVILLE COMMERCIAL AREA PROTECTION AREA EAST TOWN CENTRE SECONDARY PLAN 50 1C, '�C m JMIU1 2.2 7 ® MIXED USE AREA ��-F:;. -)ISTRICT PARK N,g caxsuanax s Pxowm mx 6N.DElICE oxir Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Figure 4.14: Bowmanville East Town Centre Secondary Plan, Land Use Map B CAIMUSLE AVENUE 3 , CRESCENT jL _ CHURCH STREIi w I = � ` o �- : I l � �'� fluEEH STREET y, F � SFRE Wy H,78B5 ORNE MCE STREET....._........: ......... • nSHRaLE CREi. rn • � .�AJLEV CT. EAST MAIN $TREET INTERNAL STREET—RELATED MAP B DISTRICT BOUNDARY LANEWAY COMMERCIAL AREA NANO USE LOW DENSITY GENERAL COMMERCIAL EAST MAIN STREET RESIDENTIAL nm BOWMANVILLE MEDIUM DENSITY INSTITUTION EAST TOWN CENTRE RESIDENTIAL S ECONDARY PLAN JANUARY 2,2C 1 HIGH DENSITY I •: `Tl ENVIRONMENTAL „�s tar�ua,a rs aae;+un can comrscwc ora- --- RESIDENTIAL PROTECTION AREA .,;-xcm�;cv+;xp.[sw r�ar,.,.c,s•,r.waa::.; Figure 4.9 (refer back) shows the planned land use for Bowmanville, identifying the limits of the Bowmanville East Town Centre (along with the West Town Centre and the King Street Corridors, which are discussed later in this section). :r 4.6.3 Opportunities Key opportunities related to intensification within Bowmanville East Town Centre include: • Bowmanville East Town Centre is the most mature and successful node within Clarington. The Town Centre has the greatest mix of uses and greatest diversity of housing compared to all other Regional Centres and Corridors within Clarington. The Town Centre also has the best connectivity with adjoining neighbourhoods and has a strong pedestrian focus, particularly in the Historic Downtown. • The Historic Downtown has a variety of cultural and institutional unique features. The Downtown includes two museums, an art gallery, a library, post office, Clarington's municipal offices, numerous historic churches and places of worship. The agglomeration of these cultural and institutional uses firmly establishes the Downtown area as the cultural and administrative centre of the Municipality. The Downtown area's status as the cultural heart of the Municipality is enhanced by the presence of numerous heritage buildings. • The Historic Downtown has a pedestrian friendly built form and well defined public realm. The Downtown area is laid out on a grid pattern and features small blocks, sidewalks on both sides of most streets and includes pedestrian connections to adjacent neighbourhoods. All of these features contribute to a strong pedestrian focused environment. • The Historic Downtown area accommodates a variety of residential housing forms. The Downtown includes apartments above shops along King Street, older historic singles, semi-detached and row houses on the fringe and a scattering of different high, mid and low rise apartment buildings. The housing mix also includes a variety of tenure types, with both rental and ownership units. • The Historic Downtown area is a transit hub. The Historic Downtown area has a GO bus stop and a number of DRT stops. • The Historic Downtown area provides a strong mixed use environment. The Historic Downtown contains uses which mixed on both a block and building level. The mixed use nature of the Downtown area distinguishes Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 r it from most other places within the Municipality and helps to support the pedestrian-focused environment. • The Historic Downtown is well connected to surrounding neighbourhoods. The Historic Downtown has numerous pedestrian and auto connections to its adjacent neighbourhoods. The numerous connections maximize inflow and outflow of pedestrian and auto traffic, further supporting the uses within the area. • The King Street Spine has potential for both infilling and redevelopment. The lands along King Street in between the Downtown area and Bowmanville Mall area are generally under-utilized and could be intensified over time. However, transition of these lands from lower- density residential and strip commercial-type uses will require a comprehensive strategy or plan beyond what has been contemplated in the current Secondary Plan. The current Secondary Plan policies do provide for a mixed use, pedestrian oriented vision within this area; I - Historic Downtown buildings,part of Bowmanville East Town Centre however, there is a need for a more detailed implementation strategy to ensure that the vision materializes. • The King Street Spine has a mix of uses. The lands along both the north and south side of the King Street Spine contain a mix of uses, mostly residential, commercial and office uses. However, unlike the Downtown area, the uses are only mixed across a block, and are generally not mixed on individual lots or buildings. • The Bowmanville Mall and Bowmanville Hospital anchor the Bowmanville East Town Centre neighbourhood. Both uses are considered to be important local destinations, attracting people into the area from across Bowmanville and the Municipality. • The Bowmanville Mall and environs also features a mix of housing types and tenures. The neighbourhood contains a mix of low, medium and higher density residential development, including high-rise apartment buildings. The majority of the residential uses within this area were constructed over the last thirty years and the housing stock is in relatively good shape. • There are opportunities for both infilling and redevelopment in the Bowmanville Mall and Environs neighbourhood. The neighbourhood includes several large vacant parcels which are capable of supporting denser, mixed use developments. The commercial uses along King Street also present opportunities for redevelopment. • The entire Bowmanville East Town Centre is presently serviced with municipal water and sanitary services; however, there is a need for more Regional analysis. The Region of Durham is presently undertaking a Fiscal Impact Analysis associated with the implementation of ROPA 128. The study will examine servicing needs on a block by block basis for the Centres and Corridors and will also provide timelines and define funding mechanisms for implementing infrastructure improvements. ° Recently, there have been a number of improvements to the local water and sanitary system. There is a Community Improvement Plan (CIP) in place for the majority of the lands within the Bowmanville East Town Centre. Over the last 15 years a significant number of local infrastructure project have been undertaken in the Historic Downtown area to renew local infrastructure in the Bowmanville East Town Centre. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 These projects have focused largely on supporting and upgrading infrastructure to meet new standards and provide a level of service that is generally supportive of the existing level, density and character of development in the area. 4.6.4 Issues and Constraints Key issues and constraints related to intensification within Bowmanville East Town Centre include: • While there exists some potential for infilling in the Bowmanville East Town Centre, intensification growth will require redevelopment and conversion. Most of the land within the Historic Downtown is entirely built-out, and there exists only a small collection of under-utilized or vacant lots. The majority of intensification opportunities within the Downtown area would require demolition and conversion or redevelopment of sites. Furthermore, the majority of the lots within this area are smaller, and consequently, redevelopment of higher density uses will require property assembly in most circumstances. • There is a perceived shortage of parking in the Historic Downtown. The Downtown area has a relatively large amount of surface parking space. The Downtown area attracts people from all over Clarington and this requires a large amount of parking space to support its diverse activities. a Surface parking in Bowmanville West Town Centre Presently, a combination of municipal surface lots and on-street parking accommodates visitors and residents in the Downtown area. If the Downtown area is to further intensify and diversify, the Municipality will need to consider alternative approaches to manage parking within this area, including but not limited to structured and underground parking lots. The current Zoning By-law exempts certain sites from providing on- site parking which could pose a challenge for the Municipality in providing adequate parking in the future depending on the density of development on those site. The King Street Spine and the Bowmanville Mall area do not have a well-defined public realm. Buildings along King Street have varying set- backs and consequently there is no consistent street-wall. Additionally, while there are sidewalks on both sides of King Street, they could benefit from a number of functional improvements (e.g. street trees, signage, lighting, curb cuts and enhanced paving etc.). A small portion of King Street (in front of the Bowmanville Mall) has recently been upgraded with new paving and also features a small gateway feature. The addition of street trees and pedestrian realm improvements along the entire frontage of the Mall would improve the physical character of the area and help to entice redevelopment of adjacent properties. • The King Street Spine has potential for redevelopment. While there are a number of sites along the King Street Spine which have physical potential for redevelopment, the area also has a number of active, successful businesses. Encouraging gradual change and redevelopment along this portion of King Street will be a challenge. The Bowmanville Mall and environs is not as well connected to its adjacent neighbourhoods. The Downtown East neighbourhood has significantly larger blocks compared to both the King Street Spine and the Historic Downtown. Consequently, auto connectivity has not been maximized and traffic tends to be more heavily concentrated along King Street. As redevelopment and infilling occurs over time, there will be opportunities to improve connectivity and the overall public within this area. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 .'A 1 f Corner of King Street East and Liberty Street, Bowmanville East Town Centre • King Street East plays a dual role. The Bowmanville King Street East Corridor Study (2003) identified a number of transportation issues along this section of King Street with most arising primarily from the conflicting roles it plays in the area. In keeping with its Arterial B designation King Street East between Liberty Street and Mearns Avenue is a key link for the movement of traffic across Bowmanville. However, it also plays a direct role in providing access to the adjacent commercial and residential properties. In order to address these transportation issues the Bowmanville King Street East Corridor Study identified the need to incorporate the following improvements: • Increased signalization at municipal roadway intersections with King Street. • Implementing an access management strategy to promote the consolidation of existing accesses onto King Street and manage the creation of new access in controlled fashion. • Supporting the access management strategy through a) extension of the adjacent local roads to create tighter grid road network to amIRMF facilitate land access and b) integrating internal drives and lanes in the area to provide a more comprehensive secondary movement network. • The Historic Downtown is surrounded by stable, well established residential neighbourhoods. All three of the neighbourhoods which constitute the Bowmanville East Town Centre are surrounded by stable residential neighbourhoods. The neighbourhoods which are on the immediate fringe of the Downtown will likely see a small amount of infilling and redevelopment, as homebuilders seek to capitalize on the positive attributes of the Downtown. Figure 4.15 graphically summarizes some of the key opportunities and constraints for Bowmanville East Town Centre. e : p o, I ¢ h � Stable residential neighbourhood which surrounds the Historic Downtown portion of the Town Centre East Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Figure 4.15: Bowmanville East Town Centre, Regional Centre Opportunities, Issues and Constraints Downtown Bowmanville Statistics 4 Total Area: 62 hectares 2 Existing infrastructure: water, sewer, roads and transit ; 1 c f F 3 The core area is a mixed use, •a pedestrian friendly environment and i' .N A includes high density residential uses. �- -ice}.- � --..,, - - �+ _ F •& ,I Y r.. rt. GO a tray Ki fir. 6 •�,: .� n I�Yrt F The core area has a variety of cultural and institutional ` attractions, including iconic buildings, museums, heritage +". The King St. spine lacks a cohesive structures and murals. ' identity and offers an opportunity for 77, `,. - infilling and community improvement 4.7 Highway 2 East 4.7.1 Description The Highway 2 East Corridor extends from the edge of Downtown Bowmanville (Bowmanville Mall) and continues along Highway 2 for 1.8 km to the edge of the Urban Area Boundary at Bennett Road. Similar to the Courtice Road and Bloor Street Corridors, the Highway 2 East Corridor is mostly undeveloped. The majority of the lands on both sides of the Corridor are rural, accommodating farms, rural residential housing, a farmer's market, a couple of light industrial enterprises and several institutional uses. Figure 4.16 shows the existing building and lot fabric for the Highway 2 East Corridor, revealing a mixture of both small and large lots. 4.7.2 Existing Land Use Presently, the lands within the Highway 2 East Corridor are designated as Environmental Protection and Green Space at the west end of the Corridor. Beyond this, the lands on the north side of Highway 2 are designated as Urban Residential and Future Urban Residential and the lands on the south side of Highway 2 are designated as Prestige Employment (refer back to Figure 4.9 for details). Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Figure 4.16: Highway 2 East, Existing Buildings and Lot Pattern Buildings Existing ip row.A + ■ r ■ rr ■ IN r Existing Lots - • � w f............ t rrt ------ ...... r Existing rrrt r M� •ts and Buildings Ik r + f• rrt fy . ..... ...... ". t 4.7.3 Opportunities Key opportunities related to intensification along the Highway 2 East Corridor include: • The Corridor includes several large tracts of undeveloped land with potential for redevelopment for improved density and public realm. The Corridor includes a mix of rural uses, including several large tracts of undeveloped land on large lots. A number of rural residential uses (farm lot severances) also exist along the Corridor which could be amalgamated for redevelopment in the future. • Transit services along the Corridor will continue to improve creating better access to a variety of transportation modes. Unlike Bloor Street and Courtice Road, the entire length of the Highway 2 Corridor is presently serviced with GO bus services. The Corridor provides a link between Newcastle and Bowmanville. DRT bus service is also intermittent along the Corridor. Development along this Corridor would help to support and improving services and increase ridership along an existing route. • The Corridor includes an important tourist attraction. The Bowmanville Zoo, located at the western edge of the Corridor, is a tourist destination which attracts visitors from the across the Region and beyond. • The Corridor includes unique natural heritage features. Portions of the Corridor are adjacent to or include large areas of the Municipality's Natural Heritage System. The forest cover and creek system provide a unique setting for future development (provided development occurs in a manner that protects and enhances the natural systems and functions). The creek system also contains a trail system that provides opportunity to strengthen linkages to the corridor. 4.7.4 Issues and Constraints Key issues and constraints related to intensification along the Highway 2 East Corridor include: • The lands within the Corridor are not presently serviced with municipal water or sewer. Servicing reviews associated with the Clarington Technology Business Park lands that abut the south side of Highway 2 have identified the need for future water and sewer upgrades prior to further development. Extension of watermains to create a looped system in the area will be required. Additionally, the need for significant Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 extension of existing sanitary sewers northwards through the Technology Business Park lands has been identified along with upgrades to existing downstream sanitary sewer infrastructure. Components of the necessary infrastructure works have been included in the Region's 2008 Development Charge Background study, however, timing for development has not yet been established. • Portions of the Corridor are already partially developed with low density residential clusters. The Highway 2 East Corridor includes several clusters of newer and older rural residential houses. These rural residential clusters are characterized by deep lots with narrow frontages. Over time, as services and development extend along the Corridor, these lower density rural residential units will pose challenges to redevelopment. Property assembly would be required to facilitate intensification. • The Corridor does not have a well-defined public realm. The existing corridor is scattered with rural dwellings and undeveloped land and does not currently have a well define or developed public realm. • The Corridor includes several permanent uses. Firmly established uses within the Corridor include the Bowmanville Cemetery, located on the south side of Highway 2 at the western edge of the Corridor. The Bowmanville Zoo is considered a permanent use, given its long standing history and integration within the community's social fabric. The Corridor also includes a number of environmentally protected lands. While it was noted earlier that the presence of these features is considered an opportunity, they also present challenges for development. Development in proximity to these lands will need to ensure that no negative impacts are brought about by new development, and could require innovative environmental management strategies. Figure 4.17 graphically summarizes some of the key opportunities and issues for the Highway 2 East Corridor. Arm Figure 4.17: King Street East Regional Corridor Opportunities, Issues and Constraints TE 1 t raghera The Corridor includes clusters of rural The Bowmanville Zoo, located at the 4 -� , 10 ' residential housing western edge of the Corridor, is a g major tourist destination attracting visitors form across the Region and G � � Kin^ L - • ` ' ? - _ 3 ,_z• - :� sx. The Corridor also includes several permanent uses, including the y ` Bowmanville Cemetery and environmentally constrained lands. ; MW * , S'+ 4.8 Newcastle Village Centre 4.8.1 Description Newcastle Village Centre is located in the centre of Newcastle, running parallel with King Street. Generally, the Downtown is only one block in depth on both sides of King Avenue 16 and runs from North Street to Arthur Street. The Downtown covers an area of just under 17 hectares. Newcastle Village Centre is characterized by its historic buildings, heritage character and specialty stores and shops. Figure 4.18 shows the existing buildings and lot pattern for Newcastle Village Centre. 4.8.2 Existing Land Use Newcastle Village Centre is designated as a Village Centre in the Municipality's Official Plan. The Village Centre is covered by the Newcastle Village Secondary Plan, which identifies a range of uses for the area. Figure 4.19 shows the planned land use contained in the Secondary Plan. 16 Note that King Street becomes King Avenue in the Newcastle Village Centre. Existing Buildings Existing Lots ON W Wool IN r�►'1 � 1Mr • t � 1� �� ■�� -111� �►�►► o�' Ala �� ,� � �' ► '�� ► � r 11111,1►,\ 111/'1 � '� � �► *'��* � �� ►111 111► . ■■�.�� .� �.► y ►�►_ 0,11, Existing Lots and Buildings Sv � t � 0 75 15.0 3,v h:1Arers ��._ �— � v Cdr.. � �� a�L ■ �.tia_. i i 95 Figure 4.19: Existing Planned Land Use, Newcastle Village Centre GEORGE Si, k �� J GLORGE Si. E u a in o GRAHAM a � LO rn U 0 O � WILMOT ST,_ .�. - :. a� 09 o • I� a IBM � � � •:' .��, � � � CHALLENGE epo pipe h N KING AVEN4IE CHEST KING AVENUE I _a °p� a HARMER DRIVE W W H � � ............... N F N O Z 2 U _ � in � � F3LGOM kV CARL IL NE ST. tV. � SF�. an� � VILLAGE CENTRE MIRED USE AREA — BOUNDARY MAP A MEDIUM DENSITY RE COUMUNITY FACILITY LAND USE D NEWCASTLE VILLAGE STREET-RELATED NP;;; NEIGHBGURIiGGD PARK VILLAGE CENTRE COMMERCIAL AREA SECONDARY PLAN a 50 IM m GENERAL D HERITAGE BUILDI s0 CDMUERCIAL AREA NGS I+a rs�aur"rb'�t° 4.8.3 Opportunities Key opportunities related to intensification within Newcastle Village Centre include: • Newcastle Village Centre has a small collection of locally important destinations and attractions. Locally important destinations and attractions located within Newcastle Village Centre include the Newcastle Memorial Park, a grocery store, the Newcastle Community Hall and a number of small stores, restaurants and shops. The uses within the Village Centre mainly cater to the daily needs of the residents of Newcastle, although the built form and setting also attract tourists and visitors. • Newcastle Village Centre has a strong historic character. The Village Centre features a number of historic heritage buildings and a well- defined street-wall which enhance the historic character of the Village Centre. The Community Hall, the Massey Building, the Newcastle United Church, other buildings on King Avenue and the surrounding residential homes all help to establish a strong sense of place for the Newcastle Village Centre. -- -- -------------------------------- --- ----------- - 4U a Historic building at corner of King Avenue and Mill Street Newcastle Village Centre • Newcastle Village Centre is an attractive, small scale, walkable and mixed use Centre. While the Village Centre is relatively small in scale compared to Bowmanville, the area is pedestrian friendly and supports a mix of uses. Uses are mixed both at the block and building level. Typical examples of mixed use form found in Newcastle are the two and three storey buildings which line King Avenue, with shops on the ground floor and apartments on the upper levels which provide some variety in housing types and tenures. • The Newcastle Village Centre is well connected to the surrounding neighbourhood. The older parts of Newcastle are laid out on a grid pattern and in most cases the Downtown streets are well connected to the adjoining neighbourhoods, facilitating the movement of pedestrians and automobiles. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 • The Newcastle Village Centre is served by transit services. DIRT routes run through portions of Newcastle Village Centre and connect residents with other parts of the Municipality and the Region. GO bus services are also available in Newcastle Village Centre, providing commuters with an option for travelling outside of the Region to other areas in the GTA. • There is potential for a limited amount of infilling and redevelopment in and around the Newcastle Village Centre. The majority of the lands in and around the Newcastle Village Centre are built out. However, there is potential for a small amount of infilling and redevelopment in and around the Village Centre on several scattered sites. Further, there is a Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for this area to support infilling and redevelopment. • Newcastle Village Centre has access to municipal services. Presently, the Downtown is serviced with municipal water and wastewater services. Additional commentary is provided in the next sub-section on issues and constraints. • There is opportunity to connect the Newcastle Village Centre to surrounding natural amenities. Foster reek runs by the western edge of the Newcastle Village Centre. There are limited opportunities to connect the Village Centre to the creek. 4.8.4 Issues and Constraints Key issues and constraints related to intensification within Newcastle Village Centre include: • The small scale and strong heritage character of the Village Centre limits the amount of intensification which can reasonably occur. Because the Village Centre has a well-established �. character and built form, the scope and scale of intensification and infilling ,}+i will likely be limited to two and three storey buildings = = which would be consistent •�- � = with the existing scale. Mixed use building in Newcastle Village Centre Additionally, because of the strong heritage character of the area, the Municipality will possibly attract only specialized developers and builders who are accustomed to developing within a heritage context, meaning that intensification rates may be slower in Newcastle. • Most of the infrastructure in the Village Centre was designed for a small scale Centre. Much of the infrastructure was designed and constructed at a time when supporting significant local growth and intensification was not a primary consideration. In this regard, it would be expected that detailed study of the local infrastructure would identify at minimum the need for local roadway and storm water management improvements coupled with sanitary sewer, water supply upgrades. The existing water supply and sanitary sewer infrastructure was mostly installed in the 1960's and 1970's and likely has several years of remaining service life. Similarly, the subject section of King Avenue is in good condition and could be preserved for some time through normal maintenance and rehabilitation activities. With respect to sanitary sewer and water supply infrastructure potential intensification may also require downstream trunk infrastructure upgrades to be implemented. Presently, the Region of Durham's capital program and Development Charge by-law include downstream works to expand capacity to support the long-term, lower density growth that has historically been planned for the northern portion of Newcastle. With appropriate consideration of cost impacts, potential would likely exist to incorporate additional over-sizing into the design of these improvements to facilitate intensification in the Village Centre if desired. Figure 4.20 graphically illustrates some of the key opportunities and constraints for Newcastle Village Centre. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 o, Figure 4.20: Newcastle Village Centre, Regional Centre Opportunities, Issues and Constraints 1 'iA,` MjY M r The area has a small collection of Ile '" ' locally important destinations and fiY: attractions concentrated on King St. IL 47 4 kl, i1 j , 3' Arl } , . r ti fi • . There are only a handful of infilling I' opportunities in and around Downtown Newcastle. Downtown Newcastle is characterised S. by its older buildings and heritage structures, some of which have successfully been redeveloped 4.9 Waterfront Places 4.9.1 Description There are two designated Waterfront Places in Clarington (refer back to figure 4.1). Port of Newcastle Waterfront Place is located in the Newcastle Urban Area south of Highway 401 on the shore of Lake Ontario. Port Darlington Waterfront Place is located in the Bowmanville Urban Area south of Highway 401 on the edge of Lake Ontario, just east of Port Darlington. Generally, these Waterfront Places are removed from View of Port Darlington Pier from Waterfront Place the rest of Clarington's built up areas and are better described as waterfront areas with a recreational focus and associated housing. Figure 4.21-A and 4.21-B show the existing buildings and lot patterns for both Waterfront Places. 4.9.2 Existing Planned Land Use The lands located in the Port of Newcastle Water Place are designated for a variety of uses within the Official Plan, including Waterfront Greenway, Tourism Node, Urban Residential, Utility and Harbourfront Centre in the Municipality's Official Plan. The lands within the Port Darlington Waterfront Place are part of the Port Darlington Secondary Plan area. It is designated for a range of uses including Waterfront Greenway, Village Commercial, Low Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, Marina Commercial, Green Space and Utility. Figure 4.22-A and 4.22-B show the planned land use contained in the Official Plan and the Port Darlington Secondary Plan. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 A • • • • • • • Existing Buildings Existing Lots Existing Lots and Buildings 411 � kkk.lr. , • ` ■ • e ■ Figure 4.21-B: Port Darlington Waterfront Place, Existing Buildings and Lot Pattern Buildings Existing ------------ ............ 16 . Existing Lots Existing Lots and Buildings ■ ........._ ■ i Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Figure 4.22-A: Existing Planned Land Use, Port of Newcastle Waterfront Place Isj �uSa ,I /) if-J A �f Port of Newcastle k f • Waterfront • s rte.;,•..._.. ■ • RTJPL _ cawJVTr osuli C4.RL•hY RC'JCQYTIl � P�RIOT P..AK C• Y JN]CMUrY 8 R[W'I RJtiAII]A6 RC'JCT i !T PF - YLL CCI—C i1.0-C ®I WI0.UwnO =CY-AC :c=cmc.Rr:cl,00. .3-TRl4 ARCS RCMLTTMr1=11}7L ��LAlll' � 2PAAa-[ 6LISM1TAAY 3=•MS=L CCPNR]M1Iffi TAl 1'AY]PAT Al CRCTC=A`IV AA GR {'4.54VNGPl±GL -A.x TRrR=AT P=YRITN M1O[8 .RCCFNIA.Y AF MAP Iii LAND USE NEWCASTLE"ALLA.GE URBAN AREA CFF1C,{L PLAN N'J-41CIPALRY C=-CLAkIHG3T84 mu Figure 4.22-13: Existing Planned Land Use, Port Darlington Waterfront Place LOL'- LOT i0 LOT 9 LOT fi LOT] LOT 5 LOT 5 y I 'r � Port Darlington Waterfront a Place _ :. u _ I S \y 100 m SECONDARY PRESTIGE PARKETTE PLANNING AREA EMPLOYMENT AREA. LOW DENSITY UII CITIES © DISTRICT PARK RESIDENTIAL ---- 4.9.3 Opportunities Key opportunities related to intensification within the Waterfront Places include: • The Waterfront Places are located on the shore of Lake Ontario, a natural amenity for the community and attraction for visitors. Locally important natural features attract residents and visitors. Both Waterfront Places include yacht clubs, recreational areas and park spaces. The Port of Newcastle Waterfront Place includes an appealing waterfront trail. The Port Darlington Waterfront Place is adjacent to the Bowmanville Harbour Conservation Area and Port Darlington Pier. These elements provide attractive amenities for residents as well as visitors. The focus on recreation and amenities is recognized in the Official Plan, as both areas are identified as Tourism Nodes. Waterfront Trail and park space, Port of Newcastle Waterfront Place • The Waterfront Places are in the process of being built out. The Port of Newcastle Waterfront Place has new development which has absorbed much of the area, but there are pockets of opportunity for some i z f..� •spry ", -- �� _. �� Aj wY IL 1 New townhouse development in the Port of Newcastle additional development as the whole area is not built up. These remaining undeveloped areas have planning approvals in place. The Port Darlington Waterfront Place in Bowmanville includes large vacant properties that have not been developed and the area has significant opportunity for planned development to occur (although planning approvals are also in place). • New development in Port of Newcastle includes a diversity of housing types which supports intensification based on a range of housing forms. New development in the area includes a range of housing types, including single detached dwellings, townhomes and apartments. The diversity in housing stock provides housing opportunities for a range of people (families, singles, retirees, professionals, etc.). • Port of Newcastle has access to municipal services. Due to the recent development in the Waterfront Place, the area is serviced with municipal water and wastewater services. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 4.9.4 Issues and Constraints Key issues and constraints related to intensification within the Waterfront Places include: • The Waterfront Places are not easily accessible. Because the Waterfront Places are located south of Highway 401, they are disconnected from the rest of the Municipality. Signage is an issue for these areas as they are not well marked and the road network does not include an intuitive grid pattern. i Local road and older residential development in Port Uariington Waterfront Place • There is little access to a variety of transportation modes and no transit service. There is no transit operating in these areas and other than the waterfront recreational trail, the areas do not include bicycle lanes or other active transportation connections. • The Waterfront Places are not connected to surrounding communities in Clarington. Both Waterfront Places lack integration with the surrounding areas. This provides a challenge to building connected s communities and connecting services. The 401 and the relative distance between the built up areas in Newcastle and Bowmanville are the most significant barriers to connecting the Waterfront Places with the broader community. • There is little in terms of public amenities in both areas. The Waterfront Places both have private yacht clubs and boating slips but these are not open to the public. • The Waterfront Places lack a complete mix and diversity of land uses. Current development within the Waterfront Places does not include a complimentary mix of uses. Uses are also scattered and disconnected ranging from park/green space, private club areas and private amenities, to utilities, residential, manufacturing/light industry, and parking uses. • There is not a high quality of public realm in the Port Darlington Waterfront Place. The transportation infrastructure serving the area, in some locations, is not well maintained and requires improvements. IN addition to this, it is expected that new development in this location would provide for a more unified and improved public realm. There is limited opportunity for further intensification. Beyond the approvals already in place, much of the land within the Waterfront Places is occupied by established uses. There is little potential for future redevelopment in the area. Figures 4-23 and 4-24 illustrate the key opportunities and constraints associated the Waterfront Places. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Figure 4.23: Port Darlington Waterfront Place Opportunities, Issues and Constraints Am �16 The area is surrounded with the ` natural amenities of Lake Ontario and Port Darlington Harbour. 3 t , 1 There are recreational amenities in 4 the area including a marina and harbour hotel, and a future waterfront park. kr A Figure 4.24: Port of Newcastle Waterfront Place Opportunities, Issues and Constraints f 4 Waterfront Place East Statistics Z t Total Area: 17 hectares - Vacant or underutilized land (ha): none } Existing infrastructure: water, sewer and roads. r r There are recreational amenities in the area including a marina, tennis and waterfront trail. 1 - - - 0 The area is surrounded with the natural amenity of Lake Ontario. 4.10 Other Areas (Outside the Centres and Corridors) 4.10.1 Description Intensification is measured as any new growth and development within Clarington's built up area. This includes development within the Centres, Corridors and Waterfront Places; however, it also includes growth and development which may occur outside the Centres, Corridors and Waterfront Places but within the built up area. A windshield survey of development opportunities within Clarington's built up area was undertaken and a number of sites located outside of the Centres and Corridors were identified. Collectively, this potential represents a snapshot of Clarington's intensification opportunities beyond those opportunities discussed in the previous sections related to the Centres and Corridors. Figures 4.25 to 4.27 illustrate the location of potential intensification sites for Bowmanville, Courtice and Newcastle. In summary, the sites constitute: • 47 individual sites covering an area of approximately 103 gross hectares, with 20 sites in Bowmanville, 20 sites in Courtice and 7 sites in Newcastle. • The collection of sites ranges considerably in size and context and includes sites which are large, vacant properties, smaller infill and severance sites and also a small number of redevelopment opportunities. • Some of the larger sites are candidates for neighbourhood-scale centres. Neighbourhood scale centres are locations which allow for denser development with mixed-neighbourhood scale services and amenities (such as convenience commercial and smaller scale service commercial uses). • Ultimately, the determination of which sites have potential for being local centres would require a more thorough, detailed analysis which is not contemplated in this Paper, but could be done through the Official Plan Review exercise. ' -7 Pebbleston oad l Oshawa pp c rtice cu 0 401 1 u cu 0 J � 1 � a� J C� 1 Nash Ro d C. Ul 1 J >1 1 Bloo Street � J 0 O Q_' M _0 C cu O 0 U) O = Bowman Hie Baseline Roa I Base i e Ro E man �— cu O c 2 t+ rw �_ r a r� ^^L ��O/ LL cu c �0 J u cu L O O U J C N Con ssion Street 0 Conc a eg;ona�N�9h J a 2 1 I- J 1 ' Newcastle Section 5 Capacity Analysis 5.0 CAPACITY ANALYSIS 5.1 Purpose of the Capacity Analysis As noted earlier, the PPS directs municipalities to consider intensification when planning for long term growth. One of the ways in which municipalities are expected to address this directive is by -- incorporating intensification potential into long range housing supply calculations. The following section presents the estimates for Clarington's potential for intensification and how this potential compares to the Municipality's Vacant Lot ineowmanville intensification target. 5.2 Methodology The methodology used to complete the capacity analysis was based on a bottom- up approach, building upon the opportunities and constraints analysis discussed in Section 4. The specific steps - _ involved in this process included: _ Completed a best practices review of how other Closed school in eowmanville. Potential site for municipalities conducted redevelopment intensification studies and capacity analysis, examining densities, built form, types of development, etc. (refer to Appendix B for more details). • Conducted a windshield survey of Clarington's built-up areas. Potential sites for intensification were documented, noting existing conditions and potential issues, opportunities and constraints. • A long list of potential sites was sent to the municipality's planning staff for review. There were 92 sites in total. Any sites that were overlooked as potential development were identified and the list was reduced based on Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Staff feedback of what sites were not developable (and also which sites already had planning approvals in place). • The short list of sites was mapped and areas were assessed for development potential. • The Municipality further vetted the short list of intensification sites, dividing the collection of sites into lands inside Centres and Corridors and lands outside Centres and Corridors. The Municipality provided capacity estimates for lands within the Centres and Corridors and also for lands outside of the Centres and Corridors (but within the built-up areas). 5.3 Potential Capacity for Intensification Table 5.1 summarizes the intensification potential within Clarington based on the methodology discussed above. Based on the analysis undertaken by the Municipality, there is physical potential for approximately 9,960 intensification units within Clarington's three main urban areas. Key assumptions related to Table 5.1 include: • Estimate of potential capacity is based on physical potential and does include a detailed market analysis of intensification potential; • Estimate of capacity includes potential development throughout the entire built-up area and accounts for development within: • Plans of sub-division (draft approved and registered plans) within the built-up area; • Centres; • Corridors; • Waterfront Places; • Secondary suite unit potential; and, • Other sites outside of Regional Centres and Corridors. • The unit estimates for capacity in Regional Centres and Corridors, except Highway 2 Regional Corridor, are restricted to development on vacant lands; • The Highway 2 Regional Corridor is considered to be the exception, since the Municipality has completed a series of comprehensive secondary plan studies for redeveloping the Corridor which takes into account a variety of technical considerations; • Unit estimates for capacity within Highway 2 Regional Corridor is based on 60 units per net hectare (as per ROPA 128) and an estimated capacity of 2,173 units; • Unit estimates for capacity on vacant lands within other Regional Corridors are also based on 60 units per net hectare (ROPA 128 prescribed density); • Unit estimates for development potential on vacant lands within Regional Centres assume ROPA 128 density of 75 units per net hectare; • Estimates for Regional Corridors are limited to only those portions of land which are located within the built-up area; and, • Estimates for secondary suites are based on a 2% unit yield. Table 5.1: Intensification Potential, Clarington Plans of Sub- Other Sites Regional Regional Waterfront Secondary Outside of Urban Area Division within Centres Corridors Places Units Centres& Total Built Up Area Corridors Bowmanville 1,935 1,475 * 672 97 783 4,962 Courtice 158 646 2,173 0 78 922 3,977 Newcastle 570 74 0 ** 20 357 1,021 Total 2,663 2,195 2,173 672 195 2,062 9,960 Municipality— Clarington, March 2011. *Where a Regional Corridor falls within a Regional Centre,figures were assigned to the Regional Centre. **Numbers yielded by Port of Newcastle Waterfront Places are included in plans of subdivision column. 5.4 Comparison of Capacity and Targets ROPA 128 assigned Clarington with a unit target of 6,181 intensification units. The estimated potential capacity exceeds the target, as there is potential for at least 9,960 new units. Based on this, it can be concluded that the Municipality has a sufficient supply of potential land to meet its intensification target. The fact that there is an available supply of intensification units beyond the target is not uncommon in most municipalities, particularly in the absence of a market demand analysis. This large supply of intensification capacity points towards the need for a Municipal intensification strategy which prioritizes where, when and how the intensification target should be achieved. 5.4.1 Key Findings Key findings of this section include: • Clarington has a potential supply of intensification sites which exceeds the Region of Durham's intensification target. The Region of Durham's Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 intensification target for Clarington is 6,181 units. The Municipality has a long term potential capacity of 9,960 units within its entire built up area. However, there is a substantial difference between physical capacity of intensification and market potential for intensification. The oversupply of potential intensification sites suggests that there is a need for the Municipality to prioritize intensification areas and develop a long term strategy. While policy permissions will be incorporated into the Official Plan which allow for intensification to occur within all of the Centres and Corridors, there is still a need to align financing and investment for specific areas. Prioritizing of intensification areas will allow the Municipality to focus infrastructure and economic investment in strategic locations and help to ensure that the Municipality achieves its target. The next section recommends priorities for intensification and provides the policy foundation for a recommended intensification strategy. Section 6 Conclusions and Recommendations Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 6.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 6.1 Reconciling Trends, Issues, Opportunities and Constraints Perceptions about how we build our cities are changing. Increasingly there is recognition that traditional urban patterns have a host of negative unintended impacts on our economy, society and environment. In Ontario, the Province has issued legislation in an attempt to address some of these unintended consequences and improve the way in which we manage growth and build our cities. New provincial plans and policies, in the form of the Provincial Policy Statement and the Growth Plan, place a particular emphasis on planning for intensification. Specifically, the Province has mandated that municipalities incorporate intensification policies and targets into both upper and lower tier official plans. In Clarington, this means that the Municipality must also consider the Region of Durham's intensification policies which are articulated in ROPA 128. ROPA 128 identifies a basic urban structure for Clarington, designating a series of Centres and Corridors. These Centres and Corridors are intended to be the long term focus for residential intensification in Clarington. Furthermore, ROPA 128 identifies a specific target of 6,181 housing units (or 32% of Clarington's total housing demand), which is to be achieved through intensification between 2015 and 2031. Implementing Provincial and Regional intensification objectives in Clarington will not be easy. An analysis of trends and relevant data shows that there are a number of reasons to suggest that accommodating intensification will be a challenge. Clarington has a large supply of greenfield lands and the Municipality has historically had some of the least expensive detached homes in the GTA. This combination of available land and affordable homes has been Clarington's competitive advantage for the last 20 years and the central driver of the local housing market. Additionally, an analysis of historic intensification rates suggests that the Municipality will need to more than double its intensification rate to meet the Regional targets. How can these seemingly divergent directions be aligned? The first step is to develop a strategy for intensification. The next subsection outlines a proposed strategy for intensification in Clarington. 6.2 Recommendations for an Intensification Strategy 6.2.1 Municipal Wide Recommendations The strategy needs to include a number of new Official Plan policies and a number of new supporting plans and documents. The Official Plan policies should include the following four basic components: 1. Clarington's Official Plan policies should include the ROPA 128 intensification target. The Official Plan needs to specifically identify the Region's 32% target and include policies explaining how and where the Municipality intends to accommodate this target. 2. The Official Plan needs to specifically identify areas where intensification should occur. The Official Plan should include an urban structure schedule which shows the location of Clarington's main intensification areas, which are the Centres, Corridors and Waterfront Places. The Plan should include specific policies for accommodating growth. The Official Plan should also include policies which generally encourage intensification throughout the built-up area and recognize that neighbourhoods are stable, but not static. The Plan should also include updated land use compatibility guidelines to ensure that development is sensitive to the surrounding local context. Lastly, the Plan would need to identify Clarington's two GO station sites as Major Transit Station Areas, which could also accommodate intensification. 3. The Official Plan needs to articulate a broad phasing strategy for intensification. The phasing strategy should articulate the priority areas for intensification, documenting the Municipality's short, medium and long term intentions for each of the Centres and Corridors. This is particularly important for aligning Regional infrastructure phasing with local growth aspirations. In addition to identifying the timing of development, the Official Plan will need to articulate key implementation elements that are required to advance the strategy (such as Community Improvement Plans, Design Guidelines, Secondary Plans etc. —see item 6.2.3). 4. The Official Plan should include basic urban design policies to guide intensification. The basic urban design policies should specifically address intensification based on the physical factors discussed in Section 3 of this Paper. The urban design policies should build upon those policies put forward in Clarington's draft of Amendment 77 (refer to Policy Audit tables in Appendix A for more detail). In addition to the above noted OP policies, the Strategy should include updates to the secondary plans as well as recommending new secondary plans for the Corridors which Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 are not presently covered by secondary plans (note that all of the Municipalities Centres are presently covered with an existing secondary plan) and any other materials which might help to advance development in intensification areas. The specifics of these materials should be confirmed once the public has had an opportunity to respond to the specific intensification priorities discussed in section 6.2.2. Specific elements of the strategy could include: • Revisions to existing secondary plans (Newcastle Village Main Central Area, Bowmanville East Town Centre, Bowmanville West Town Centre); • New secondary plans for Corridors; • Recommendations for an incentives strategy (which can also be incorporated into the Official Plan policies); • Public awareness campaign on intensification and redevelopment; • Branding campaign for the Downtown Bowmanville; • Comprehensive urban design guidelines; and, • Urban design review panel. 6.2.2 Intensification Priorities Section 3 of this Paper outlined a series of physical and socio-economic factors which help to create attractive and successful intensification areas. Section 4 outlined a range of specific opportunities, issues and constraints. Based on the understanding of what is needed to create a successful place and the key opportunities and issues in Clarington Centres and Corridors, the following are being recommended as the top priorities for the intensification strategy. In essence, these priorities also form the basis for the Municipality's intensification phasing strategy. Priority 1: Address the Servicing Constraints and Develop the Courtice Main Street Corridor (Highway 2). On a local scale, development and redevelopment of Courtice Main Street and the Courtice Town Centre will provide the residents of Courtice with their own physical centre. From a broader perspective, the Main Street provides a strategic link which connects Clarington to Oshawa and the rest of the Region. The redevelopment of Courtice Main Street will reinforce and support regional transit moving across Clarington (from Newcastle, to Bowmanville to Courtice and beyond via Highway 2/King Street). Additionally, the completion of the Courtice Main Street Study will provide a detailed land use vision for the area and will help to facilitate development once servicing is in the place, meaning that development can proceed, subject to the completion of the secondary plan. The Municipality's immediate focus should be ensuring that the Corridor is adequately serviced to support growth along the Corridor. Because servicing constraints are the main barrier to comprehensive redevelopment, the securing of municipal water and sewer services for Courtice Main Street should be the top intensification priority for Clarington. Without servicing, development will not materialize. Priority 2: Continue to support Bowmanville's Historic Downtown through strategic infilling. New commercial development within the Bowmanville West Town Centre has the long term potential of undermining the shopping function within Bowmanville East Town Centre. The Historic Downtown of Bowmanville needs residential infilling to support its small shops and businesses, which will come under continued pressure as the nearby Town Centre West area builds out. Both areas contain a number of competing land uses, including small shops, financial institutions and restaurants. The Municipality can support the existing businesses in Downtown Bowmanville through strategic infilling (provided development is context sensitive). However, there is a limited amount of land available for development in the Downtown. The majority of the Downtown area lands are occupied and built out. A parking strategy, including possibly constructing an elevated municipal parking structure would help free land for intensification and infilling, thereby supporting the existing businesses and reducing the potential for outflow and commercial vacancies. It is recommended that the City proceed with a detailed parking strategy for the Downtown area and update its secondary plan accordingly. The updates to the Secondary should also contemplate specific opportunities for public realm improvements in the Downtown which would also help to enhance the area and attract investment. Priority 3: Protect Newcastle Village Centre's built heritage and maintain the existing scale, form and function of the Village Centre. Given its relatively small size and historic character it is recommended that only a small amount of infilling be permitted within the Newcastle Village Centre. A modest amount of infilling on vacant sites and redevelopment of under-utilized sites would support the existing businesses in the Village Centre and maintain the attractive, pedestrian oriented character which makes it a successful place. A parking strategy may be needed to facilitate intensification. The inclusion of a small local centre within the nearby greenfield lands, located north and north-west of the built-up area, would also help to reduce any potential development pressures on the Village Centre. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Priority 4: Promote Infilling and Intensification within the Bowmanville West Town Centre. The majority of the Bowmanville West Town Centre site is commercial. The policies in the Official Plan allow for a variety of other uses, including residential. There is a need to review the secondary plan policies so that the Municipality can maximize the potential for intensification. Because the area is unconstrained by historic architecture or built heritage, there will also be potential to accommodate denser residential building forms. The infilling and intensification in the Bowmanville West Town Centre is considered to be a longer term objective, as the area is presently under its first phase of development. However, the presence of nearby GO services, regional transit, shopping and under-utilized land make the area an ideal location for infilling and intensification. 6.2.3 Implementation and Action Plan In addition to the above noted Official Plan policies and priorities, the intensification strategy includes a number of implementation measures. It is recommended that the Municipality prepare updates to a number of its secondary plans as well as prepare new secondary plans for the Corridors which are not presently covered17. Specific elements of the implementation and action plan could include: • Revisions to existing secondary plans (Newcastle Village Main Central Area, Bowmanville East Town Centre, Bowmanville West Town Centre); • New Secondary plans for other Corridors; • Completion of infrastructure studies (see previous regarding servicing constraints); • An incentives program which could include elements such as reduced development charges, density-bonusing in exchange for public amenities, process incentives (such as fast tracking or development permit system) and targeted improvements to infrastructure and public amenities (such as streetscaping, recreational/institutional facility upgrades, parks, plazas/squares etc.); • Public awareness campaign on intensification and redevelopment; • Branding campaign for Downtown Bowmanville; • Comprehensive urban design guidelines; and, • Urban design review panel. Note that all of the Municipality's Centres are presently covered with an existing secondary plan. In addition to the above noted items the Municipality should also consider the following recommendations: • Prepare joint secondary plans for both the Bloor Street and Courtice Road Corridors. Both areas will be serviced by similar systems and both areas will be influenced by the build-out of greenfield lands north of Bloor Street and east of Courtice Road. Additionally, the Municipality should consider designating the lands at the intersection of Courtice Road and Bloor Street as a local centre. In the absence of secondary plans the Official Plan needs to include policies which protect opportunities for mixed-use, pedestrian oriented development along these corridors (i.e. no backlotting, local road connections, pedestrian connections, appropriate employment uses along the corridors, etc.). • Consider revisions to the employment land designations along Courtice Road and Bloor Street. As noted above, portions of the Courtice Road and Bloor Street Corridors are designated for employment land purposes. Some of the lands are designated for light industrial purposes and others are designated for prestige employment uses. The Municipality might consider creating a new designation (Employment Corridor) to ensure that the form and land use on the edges of the employment areas supports the concept of a mixed-use, pedestrian oriented corridor. • Develop a municipal mobility hub plan for both the proposed GO station sites. Clarington has two GO rail station sites, which have the potential to be catalysts for future long term intensification growth. These mobility hubs represent Clarington's best opportunity to implement the Growth Plan direction for Major Transit Station areas. In particular, accommodating residential intensification within the Bowmanville West Town Centre will be heavily influenced by the plans for the nearby GO rail station. Accordingly, the Municipality should develop a mobility hub plan for both of these areas to ensure that the development potential in and around the GO rail station sites is maximized. 6.3 Next Steps The next step is to engage the public and receive feedback on the proposed intensification strategy. Intensification Discussion Paper—September 2011 Appendix A Policy Audit Tables Relevant Policy Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation & Amendment 77) PLACES TO GROW: GROWTH PLAN FOR THE GREATER GOLDEN HORSESHOE 2.2.2 Managing Growth The existing Official Plan includes some policies in the Residential Objectives and Town, Village 1. Population and employment growth will be accommodated by — and Neighbourhood Centre policies which provide a basic framework for intensification (see a) directing a significant portion of new growth to the built-up areas of the community below). through intensification b)focusing intensification in intensification areas Residential Objectives 6.2.4 To provide opportunities for residential intensification, which are physically compatible with and sensitive to the physical character of existing neighbourhoods. Town, Village and Neighbourhood Centres and Commercial 10.2.6 To provide opportunities for and to encourage future intensification and infill with new development. 2.2.3 General Intensification There are no applicable policies present in the plan dealing with intensification targets. As the 1. By the year 2015 and for each year thereafter, a minimum of 40 per cent of all upper tier municipality, the Region of Durham is responsible for providing the Municipality with an residential development occurring annually within each upper- and single-tier intensification target. Refer to ROPA 128 A municipality will be within the built-up area. 2.2.3 General Intensification The current Official Plan does not articulate a formal intensification strategy, however, the Plan 6. All municipalities will develop and implement through their official plans and other does include a number of policies which promote intensification (see below). The plan has supporting documents, a strategy and policies to phase in and achieve intensification and sufficient policies promoting secondary suites. the intensification target. This strategy and policies will — a) be based on the growth forecasts contained in Schedule 3, as allocated to lower- 6.3.4 Opportunities to improve housing affordability and diversity shall be encouraged through tier municipalities in accordance with policy 5.4.2.2 residential intensification. Ahousing component should be provided in all new commercial b) encourage intensification generally throughout the built-up area development. Relevant Policy Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation & Amendment 77) c) identify intensification areas to support achievement of the intensification target 6.3.7 One apartment-in-house is permitted in a detached or semi d) incorporate the built boundary delineated in accordance with Policy 2.2.3.5 residential areas. e) recognize urban growth centres, intensification corridors and major transit station areas as a key focus for development to accommodate intensification 6.3.10 One garden suite may be permitted in association with any single detached dwelling, f) facilitate and promote intensification through a temporary use by g) identify the appropriate type and scale of development in intensification areas h) include density targets for urban growth centres where applicable, and nunimum 6.3.11. The garden suite w density targets for other intensification areas consistent with the planned transit is an agreement between the owner and the Municipality regarding the occupant, the period of service levels, and any transit-supportive land-use guidelines established by the occupancy, the Government of Ontario installation, maintenance and removal of the suite, and any financial con i) plan for a range and mix of housing, taking into account affordable housing needs J) encourage the creation of secondary suites throughout the built-up area. 2.2.3 General Intensification The Official Plan includes general criteria for evaluating proposals for intensification (see 6.3.5 7. All intensification areas will be planned and designed to— below) and also very specific policies for the Village and Town Centres as articulated in the a) cumulatively attract a significant portion of population and employment and associated secondary plan growth b) provide a diverse and compatible mix of land uses, including residential 6.3.5 Proposals for residential intensification will be permitted where the following criteria are met: and employment uses, to support vibrant neighbourhoods a) there are adequate municipal services to accommodate increased demands including water c) provide high quality public open spaces with site design and urban supply, sanitary and storm sewers, schools and parkland; design standards that create attractive and vibrant places b) the site is accessible to community facilities, shopping and public transit; d) support transit, walling and cycling for everyday activities c) there is capacity in the road system to accommodate additional traffic; d) the proposal is physically compatible with the surrounding neig e) generally achieve higher densities than the surrounding areas massing, height, siting and shadowing; and f) achieve an appropriate transition of built form to adjacent areas. e) there is adequate on-site parking. 10.4.5 Town and Village Centres shall be developed in accordance with the following urban design principles: a) a grid system of streets and walk requirements and to function as places of social interaction; b) an integrated and diverse mix of uses shall be planned and developed; c) active street life is encouraged through the provision o street-related buildings, outdoor patios, possible outdoor display and selling areas, and other amenities; d) the pedestrian environment is paramount in all Town and Village Centres and will be enhanced through development which is human in scale, buildings of high architectural quality, grade level doors and windows, and the provision of street benches, awnings, pedestrian scale lighting, and streetscape amenities; R- Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation & Amendment 77) e) buildings will be sited to provide a continuous fa provide a sense of enclosure; f) development within historic downtown areas should complement existing buildings, have consistent height, setback, floor and ceiling levels, arrangement and height of windows, and building materials; g) development of a transit supportive environment including consideration of the requirements of Section 19.8.3; and h) public safety will be enhanced in the design and siting of buildings and public open spaces to provide visibility, easy access, multiple routes, and unobstructed views from streets and buildings. Amendment 77 includes a detailed section (5) of policies on urban design. The policies are intended to apply to all forms of development, and generally do not distinguish be intensification and greenfield development. The Amendment also provides specific design guidance for the preparation of secondary plans (23.3.4) which are supportive of the Growth Plan policy(ies). 2.2.3 General Intensification Policy 19.3.7 ties transportation investment to the growth management policies of the plan. 8. Ministers of the Crown and municipalities will use infrastructure investment and other the Official Plan deals with transportation, stormwater and community infrastructure only (water implementation tools and mechanisms to facilitate intensification. and sanitary sewer infrastructure are addressed in the Regional Official Plan). 19.3.7 Construction of any part of the transportation system shall be in accordance with the of the authority having jurisdiction to finance such infrastructure. In addition, road construction shall meet the overall growth management policies of this Plan and shall be in accordance with the Municipality's Capital Works Program and Develop 2.2.5 Major Transit Station Areas and Intensification Corridors There are no specific policies in the Plan which address intensification corridors and major transit 1. Major transit station areas and intensification corridors will be designed in station areas. official plans and planned to achieve— a) increased residential and employment densities that support and ensure the viability of existing and planned transit service levels b) a mix of residential, office, institutional, and commercial development wherever appropriate. 2. Major transit station areas will be planned and designed to provide access from various transportation nodes to the transit facility, including consideration of pedestrians, bicycle parking and commuter pick-up /drop-off areas. Provindal and Reglana a PWky Audft o Relevant Policy Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation & Amendment 77) 3. Intensification corridors will generally be planned to accommodate local services, including recreational, cultural and entertainment uses. 2.2.7 Designated Greenfield Areas There are no applicable policies in the Plan at this time. 6. Municipalities will develop and implement official plan policies, including phasing policies, and other strategies, for designated Greenfield areas to achieve the intensification target and density targets of this Plan. 3.2.3 Moving People In general, the Official Plan provides no direction as to how transit planning should be tied to 2. All decisions on transit planning and investment will be made according to the intensification development/promotion. following criteria b)Placing priority on increasing the capacity of existing transit systems to support The Plan includes several p intensification areas; 19.10.1 states that the "Municipality will develop an interconnected system of cycling and walking d)Facilitating improved linkages from nearby neighbourhoods to urban growth centres, routes providing access to major activity and employment centres major transit station areas, and other intensification areas Policy 19.10.2 (see below) 3. Municipalities will ensure that pedestrian and bicycle networks are integrated into distinguish between the forms of development (greenfield areas vs. intensification areas) transportation planning to - Policy 19.10.2 b)provide linkages between intensification areas, adjacent neighbourhoods, and transit In order to plan for and encourage walking and cycling, the Municipality wi stations, including dedicated lane space for bicyclists on the major street network where a) consider the provision of safe and convenient cycling and walking feasible routes in the review of all new development and redevelopment applications; b) investigate and provide for bicycle lanes wherever possible in the construction or reconstruction of roa c) encourage and support measures which will provide for barrier design of pedestrian facilities; d) require the provision of bicycle stands as a condition of approval of site plan applications; e) provide bicycle stands in the downtow Newcastle Village and Orono, major parks and community facilities; and f) provide recreational trails in accordance with Sections 4 and 18 of this Plan. There are several urban design policies in Amendment 77 which promote active t connectivity, but generally the policies are not explicitly tied in a particular form of development (intensification vs. greenfield areas). 3.2.5 Water and Wastewater Systems There are no applicable policies in the Plan. 8. Municipalities are encouraged to implement and support innovative stonnwater management planning when preparing secondary plans (see below). Relevant Policy Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation & Amendment 77) management actions as part of redevelopment and intensification J) Natural Environment • Integrate naturalized storm water management systems with adjacent natural features provide flora/fauna corridors and habitat areas Definitions Built Boundary No definition present. The limits of the developed urban area as defined by the Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal in accordance with Policy 2.2.3.5. Built Up Area No definition present. All land within the built boundary. Intensification The Plan includes a definition of intensification in 24.14 (see below). This d The development of a property, site or area at a higher density than currently exists consistent with the Growth Plan through: expressly excludes draft approved lots or vacant lots in registered plans of subdivisions (which are a) redevelopment, including the reuse of brownfield sites; considered to count towards the Municip b) the development of vacant and/or underutilized lots within previously developed the Built-Up Area). areas; c) infill development; or 24.14 The definitions of terms contained in this Plan are as follows: d) the expansion of conversion of existing buildings. Intensification - the creation of new residential units or accommodation in existing buildings or on previously developed and/or serviced land, generally including: • creation of rooming, boarding, and lodging houses • creation of apartments • conversion of non-residential structures to residential use • infill development on lots cre portion of the urban area • redevelopment, but does not include draft approved lots or vacant lots in registered plans of subdivision within developing greenfield areas Intensification Areas No definition present. Lands identified by municipalities or the Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal within a settlement area that are to be the focus for accommodating intensification. Intensification areas include urban growth centres, intensification corridors, major transit station areas, and other major opportunities that may include infill, R Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation & Amendment 77) redevelopment, brownfield sites, the expansion of conversion of existing buildings and greyfields. Intensification Corridors No definition present. Intensification areas along major roads, arterials or higher order transit corridors that have the potential to provide a focus for higher density mixed-use development consistent with planned transit service levels. Intensification Targets No definition present. The intensification target is as established in Policies 2.2.3.1, 2.2.3.2, 2, 2.2.3.3 and 2.2.3.4. Provincial •nal Intensification Policy Audit Table Relevant Policy Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation) PROVINCIAL POLICY STATEMENT 1.1.2 (part of Managing and Directing Land Use to Achieve Efficient Development Policy 6.3.16 states that and Land Use Pattern) wide basis by maintaining: Sufficient land shall be made available through intensification and redevelopment and, • A minimum of 3 year supply of residential la if necessary, designated growth areas,to accommodate an appropriate range and mix of registered plans of subdivision and condominium; employment opportunities, housing and other land uses to meet projected needs for a • A minimum 2 year supply of land zoned for medium and high density housing throughout all time horizon of up to 20 years. However, where an alternate time period has been urban areas; and, established for specific areas of the Province as a result of a provincial plarming exercise A 10 year supply of serviceable residential land to mee or a provincial plan, that time frame may be used for municipalities within the area. financial capability of both the Region and the Municipality to provide the necessary services. 1.1.3.2 (part of Settlement Areas policies) No applicable policy present in the Plan. Land use patterns within settlement areas shall be based on b) a range of uses and opportunities for intensification and redevelopment in accordance with the criteria in policy 1.1.3.3 Relevant Policy Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation) 1.1.3.3 (part of Settlement Areas policies) No applicable policy present in Planning authorities shall identify and promote opportunities for intensification and redevelopment where this can be accommodated taking into account existing building stock or areas, including broirgfield sites, and the availability of suitable existing or planned infrastrilctrlre and public service facilities required to accommodate projected needs. 1.1.3.4 (part of Settlement Areas policies) Policy 6.3.5 implements the PPS direction for appropriate Appropriate development standards should be promoted which facilitate intensification, (see below). redevelopment and compact form, while maintaining appropriate levels of public health and safety. 6.3.5 Proposals for residential intensification will be permitted where the following criteria are met: a) there are adequate municipal services to accommodate increased demands including water supply, sanitary and storm sewers, schools and parkland; b) the site is accessible to community facilities, shopping and public transit; c) there is capacity in the road system to accommodate additional traffic; d) the proposal is physically compatible with the massing, height, siting and shadowing; and e) there is adequate on-site parking. Amendment 77 includes a detailed section (5) of policies on urban design. The policies are intended to apply to all forms of dev intensification and greenfield development. The Amendment also provides specific design guidance for the preparation of secondary plans (23.3.4) which are supportive of the Growth Plan policie(s). 1.1.3.5 (part of Settlement Areas policies) No applicable policy present in the Plan. Planning authorities shall establish and implement minimum targets for intensification and redevelopment within built-up areas. However, where provincial targets are established through provincial plans, the provincial target shall represent the minimum target for affected areas. 1.1.3.6 (part of Settlement Areas policies) No applicable policy present in the Plan. Planning authorities shall establish and implement phasing policies to ensure that specified targets for intensification and redevelopment are achieved prior to, or concurrent with, new development within designated groivth areas. 1.1.3.9 (part of Settlement Areas policies) No applicable policy present in the Plan. A planning authority may identify a settlement area or allow the expansion of a settlement area boundary only at the time of a comprehensive revicir and only where it has been demonstrated that: N iw Relevant Policy Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation) a) sufficient opportunities for growth are not available through intensification, redevelopment and designated growth areas to accommodate the projected needs over the identified planning horizon; 1.4.1 (part of Housing) No applicable policy present in the Plan. To provide for an appropriate range of housing types and densities required to meet projected requirements of current and future residents of the regional market area identified in policy 1.4.3,planning authorities shall: a) maintain at all times the ability to accommodate residential growth for a minimum of 10 years through residential intensification and redevelopment and, if necessary, lands which are designated and available for residential development; and b) maintain at all times where new development is to occur, land with servicing capacity sufficient to provide at least a 3 year supply of residential units available through lands suitably zoned to facilitate residential intensification and redevelopment, and land in draft approved and registered plans. 1.4.3 (part of Housing) With respect to item 1.4.3.b.2 the Planning authorities shall provide for an appropriate range of housing types and as defined by the PPS. F densities to meet projected requirements of current and future residents of the regional market area by: With respect to item 1.4.3.e, the current Official Plan includes b)permitting and facilitating: for assessing intensification development. Through a variety of other existing tools, such as 2) all forms of residential intensification and redevelopment in accordance with policy secondary planning, the preparation of site plan guidelines as well as financial incentives such as 1.1.3.3 CIP's, the Municipality at e) establishing development standards for residential intensification, redevelopment and compact built form. new residential development which minimize the cost of housing and facilitate compact form, while maintaining appropriate levels of public health and safety. 1.6.4.2 (part of Infrastructure and Public Service Facilities) No policies present. Municipal sewage services and municipal water services are the preferred form of servicing for settlement areas. Intensification and redevelopment within settlement areas on existing municipal sewage services and municipal water services should be promoted, wherever feasible. Definitions Residential intensification Note that the PPS definition of residential intensification is slightly different than the Growth Plan Provincial and Regional Intensification Policy Audit Table Relevant Policy Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation) Means intensification of a property, site or area which results in a net increase in definition. For the purposes of long range planning and consistency, the Growth Plan definition is to residential units or accommodation and includes: be used in the Municipali a)redevelopment, including the redevelopment of brownfield sites; 11, Places to Growth). b)the development of vacant or underutilized lots within previously developed areas; c)infill development; d)the conversion or expansion of existing industrial, commercial and institutional buildings for residential use; and e)the conversion or expansion of existing residential buildings to create new residential units or accommodation, including accessory apartments, secondary suites and rooming houses. 0 1 or Relevant Policy Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation) ROPA 128 (Minister's Decision), Working Consolidation 3.3.8 (part of Economic Development) No policies present. To achieve greater diversification of the Region's economic base, Regional Council shall in cooperation with area municipal Councils: d)promote the beautification of development along major transportation corridors, in particular, the redevelopment and intensification of existing Employment Areas abutting Highway 401; 4.3.9 (part of Housing) No policies present. In the preparation of area municipal official plans, the area municipalities shall ensure the inclusion of policies and designations to implement the intent of the Plan and the provisions of this Section and the following: a) policies and implementation procedures required to meet the objectives of the Provincial Policy Statement and this Plan,particularly with respect to housing types, density, intensification and affordability; Relevant Policy Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation) 7.3.12 (part of Area Municipal Official Plan Conformity) No policies present. The Region may consider amendments to an area municipal official plan to designate a supply of land for development up to the time frame of this Plan, including expansion to urban area boundaries, provided that the amendment(amongst other items): • includes a phasing strategy for the urban area through secondary plans in greenfield areas and an intensification strategy in built-up areas; 7.3.17 (part of Area Municipal Official Plan Conformity) While the existing Official Plan does incl Area municipal intensification strategies shall be based on the following: elements in 7.3.17 (such as secondary suite permissions and the provision of a range and mix of i)the growth management objectives of Policy 7.3.9; housing type to take into consideration affordable housing), the existing OP does not articulate a ii)intensification in appropriate locations throughout the built-up area; comprehensive intensification strategy. iii)the identification of intensification areas; iv)the recognition of Urban Growth Centres, Regional and Local Centres, Corridors, Waterfront Places and Transportation Hubs and Commuter Stations as the key focus for intensification; v)the identification of the appropriate scale of development in intensification areas; vi)the provision of a range and mix of housing, taking into account affordable housing needs; vii)the permission of secondary suites; and viii)the provision of a diverse and compatible mix of land uses, to support vibrant neighbourhoods, providing high quality public open spaces with site design and urban design standards that create attractive and vibrant places, support transit, walking and cycling and achieve an appropriate transition to adjacent areas. Despite the intensification objectives herein, new or intensified development shall only be permitted in accordance with approved Floodplain Special Policy Area provisions in an area municipal Official Plan. 8A.2.4 (part of Centres policies) The existing Official Plan has secondary plans for all of the Regional Centre Area municipal official plans shall include detailed policies, or a Secondary Plan, for the development of any new Regional Centre, addressing: a) guidelines for the integration of local transit services with the road network; b) urban design guidelines to promote transit supportive land uses; c) design standards to promote pedestrian-oriented development and transit friendly facilities; and d)intensification and mixed-use objectives of this Plan. 8B.2.4 (part of Area Municipal Official Plans) As noted previously, the existing Official Plan includes some general policies to support In the preparation of area municipal official plans, the area municipalities shall include intensification in several specific locations (Town and Village Centres) and also includes s the following: basic criteria for evaluating intensification proposals. b) boundaries and land uses of corninunities within Living Areas, together with !Relevant Policy Existing Clarington Official Plan Policies Related to Intensification (August 2010 Office Consolidation) population, density and intensification policies/targets which implement the objectives of this Plan; d) designations and criteria for the intensification of various land uses. Schedule E Table E9, Intensification Allocations No policies present. (table illustrates the folloiring allocations for C'larington for the period betiveen 2015- 2031) • Total Unit Growth(19,616 units) • Units Allocated to Intensification (6,181 units) • %of Municipal Total (32%) • %of Regional Total (13%) Definitions Intensification The Plan includes a definition of intensification in 24.14 (see below). This definition means the development of a property, site or area at a higher density than currently consistent with the Growth Plan exists through: expressly excludes draft approved lots or vacant lots in registered plans of subdivisions (which are a)redevelopment, including the reuse of brownfield sites; considered to count town b)the development of vacant and/or underutilized lots within the Built-Up Area). previously developed areas; c)infill development; and Intensification The definitions of terms contained in th d)the expansion or conversion of existing buildings. Intensification - the creation of new residential units or accommodation in existing buildings or on previously developed and/or serviced land, generally including: • creation of rooming, boarding, and lodging houses • creation of apartments • conversion of non-residential structures to residential use • infill development on lots created through consent or plan of subdivision within the built portion of the urban area • redevelopment, but does not include draft subdivision within developing greenfield areas Appendix 8 Intensification Examples Gower Gardens — Gibsons, British Columbia Project Statistics Developer: Ken's Lucky Dollar Foods Architect: Kevin Ryan Date Completed: Sept 1998 Site Area: 0.21 ha (0.5 acre) Floor Area: 87sm-104sm (940 sq ft-1,118 sq.ft) residential, 521sm (5,610 sq.ft)commercial, 732sm (7,857 sq.ft)grocery store Number of Residential Units: 11 townhouse condominiums Building Height: 4 storeys Parking: 20 under building, 12 surface Residential Density: 52 units per net hectare FSI: approx. 1.1 Description Conversion of a parking lot and grocery store to a mixed use,4 - storey development of 11 townhouses, new commercial and retail space and retention of the existing grocery store. -`- - The development was geared to singles,couples and retiree downsizing. The property is located with walking distance of the Town's downtown area. Its relevance to Clarington is the small community context; {! redevelopment of an existing commercial property with parking in front;main street frontage. Design Features • Terracing of units preserved views and provided large outdoor patio/ , , balconies W • Accessed from the rear by a back lane; 1 parking spot/unit+visitor r parking • Massing and architectural design was compatible with local style ►- material and scale • A public walking path is integrated within/through the development Implementation Am • Provided 20% less parking than required;cash-in-lieu of$3,000/space ... not provided '"` +,�x • Developed through a series of public meetings which resulted in _ reduction of 1 storey • Conformance to the Town's downtown revitalization guidelines difficult because of site constraints;Town relaxed some regulations Costs,Successes, Failures The total cost of the project was$3.2 million. The project was financed through bank and private financing. Initial success was poor due to a weak real estate market; an adjacent grocery store threatened the health of the existing store;and general public debate over a higher density development in a small town context. The development has gained success. The Shops at Waterloo Town Square - Waterloo, Ontario Project Statistics t — Developer: First Gulf Development Corporation Architect: Joseph Bogdan Associates Inc., Architects-Urban Design Consultants — } Date Completed: 2007 �; Site Area: 2.9 ha (7.2 acres) ," Floor Area: 17,750 sm (191,000 sq.ft) ' ~ f Building Height: 1-3 storeys * ' Parking: 250 spaces surfaces FSI: 1.37 at build out (currently 1.0) ' Description The project is a redevelopment of a 1961 25,500 m2 (275,000 sq.ft.) enclosed mall that spanned two city blocks. The mall displaced one side of the city's original typical main street retail precinct with a suburban format of an internal-site located mall surrounded by parking. Redevelopment included environmental clean up;demolition of over two thirds of the project, including one half of the enclosed mall; and,the creation of a new city street. Two new mixed use office/retail buildings of 13,900 m2 (150,000 sq.ft.) reestablished street front retail; all uses are served by shared parking between the project parts located behind the main facades. The Master Plan included a civic square along the main street which opened in 2009. Its relevance to Clarington is the incremental conversion of suburban format retail to street related commercial and mixed uses in a small community context. Design Features' • Mixed use street related retail, office and public square • Architectural massing and detailing that reflect the existing main street character and scale • Re-construction the edge of the partially demolished wall with new street-related shop fronts and prominent entrances • Wide sidewalks, street trees and a sunny south exposure along Willis Way • Willis Way continues to evolve with high-end shops and has become the main link between King Street South the western part of Waterloo's downtown. Implementation or I • Result of an intensive series of workshops with municipal planning staff and public sessions , 1 • Buildings required conformance to urban design guidelines, written at the master plan stage • Complex development agreement of land use and parking between developer and city Costs,Successes, Failures • Received initial opposition by residents who enjoyed free parking at mall edge • Original higher density residential and commercial uses were not ultimately built out because of market downtown • Development has rejuvenated adjacent,existing retail&has become a destination • Land developer owned the mall site and was willing to reinvest and revitalize the site West River Commons — Minneapolis, Minnesota Project Statistics s � Developer: Lander Group, Inc. mm m mm_19 Architect: DJR Architecture Inc. f East Lala?Street Elerati- Date Completed: 2005 Site Area: 0.45 ha (1.11 acres) Floor Area: 6,542 sm (70,417 sq.ft) N Number of Residential Units: 53 apartments (74.3-227.6 D.—,A.— sm each); 3 storey ffi townhouses (185.8 sm each) ' 3 Retail:4 retail units (743.2 sm) 9 Coverage: 50%of total site area Pro�saa East Lake Street Parking: 111 spaces on site(74 E° underground, 37 surface) 1.4 spaces/residential unit FSI: 1.72 Description West River Commons is a mixed-use project consisting of 53 rental apartments,three market townhomes,and four retail tenants. West — --- River Commons opened in 2004 as a key redevelopment on the eastern Fio edge of Minneapolis along a major commercial corridor that runs east- „� .. I� 6� � � • 1w west across the city. The project replaced a gas station and some i 0 blighted buildings on a polluted site with a three and four-storey mixed- I ' use project. Through its pedestrian-friendly design,the project connects with the surrounding neighbourhood and creates a gateway to the city's eastern edge. Design Features • Mixed use street related retail, incorporating New Urbanist principles • Public plaza at the southeast corner of the site provides a community focal point • Increased building height and the location of the public plaza at the corner created an iconic structure that would be recognized as a city gateway • Varied building facades,terraced massing create and brick/stucco materials create a low-rise scale and style compatible with surrounding neighbourhood • Highly accessible to pedestrians with multiple building entrances from sidewalks Implementation • Result of 45 public meetings with neighbours in the immediate area • Buildings required conformance to urban design guidelines T • The site was targeted as a potential successful mixed-use retail project because of considerable drive-by traffic and a lack of competition of other retail in the neighbourhood Costs,Successes, Failures = • Long-term loans for development and construction provided by bank finances • Additional funding was needed due to soil contamination from the gas station • Of the 53 apartments, 12 units (20 percent of the total)are affordable to households earning 50 percent of the area median income • The developers noted that for infill, neighbourhood involvement and approval from the beginning is of utmost importance Eighth & Pearl Mixed Use Development - Boulder, Colorado Project Statistics Developer&Architect: Wolff Lyon Architects Date Completed: 1999 Site Area: 0.20 ha (1/2 acre) Floor Area: 1,700 sq.m (18,300 sq.f.t) Number of Residential Units: 5 Land Use Mix: Office: 625 sm (6,836 sq.ft) Retail:471 sm(5,078 sq.ft) Parking: 39 spaces off street, (28 spaces underground, 11 spaces surface) FSI: 0.85 Description f ' The Eighth & Pearl mixed-use development is located on a former gas stations-= site,three blocks to the west of Boulder's Downtown Mall. The project was part of Boulder's larger city effort to promote mixed-use development that provides a balanced growth pattern, in an attempt to reduce congestion and !� commuting. Retail uses on the ground floor provided space for four local businesses; offices are located on the second floor and there are five - `` residential townhomes with front porches and small gardens. The project serves as a model for future mixed-use projects in the Boulder area. - �o Design Features _- Provides a transition from the commercial character of Pearl Street to the traditional development patterns of the historic Mapleton Hill district • The housing module is based on the Boulder's historic 25 ft(7.62m) lotting --- pattern which helps the project fit into the existing neighbourhood , r • Brick patterning and a variety of building articulation created a transition to the existing neighbourhood • Commercial units along the main street have large display window, wide sidewalks and street trees, permitting places for outdoor seating and ti :® comfortable pedestrian movement • Underground parking was achieved through strategic utilization of the sloping site • Inner landscaped courtyards, built on top of the parking garage,function as = semi-private open space for residents and employees and provide private, k interior circulation to each unit • Each rowhouse is designed with a fagade to the street with individual steps " down to street level (as the homes are built above the raised garage) Implementation • The architect and municipal planners created a new zoning for a Business Main Street District;this project was one of the first developments • Zoning was changed from commercial only to mixed use, permitting higher densities, more flexible land use and was seen as an incentive to developers • Relaxed parking requirements Costs,Successes, Failures The project provided an affordable alternative for small, local businesses as the initial commercial rents were two thirds of the average rates in the nearby mall North Main Village - Milwaukie, Oregon Project Statistics Developer/Architect: Kemperco, LLC/Myhre Group Architects Date Completed: 2005 ; Site Area: 0.79 ha (1.95 acre) t � Total Floor Area: 10,182 sm (109,602 sq.ft) - N Number of Residential Units: 97 � Other Land Uses: Ground Floor Retail: 787 sm (8,468 sq.ft) Building Height: 2-4 storeys Density: 122 units/ha Parking: 107 spaces(31 retail on site; 24 on street; 52 residential) FSI: 1.29 Description North Main Village was developed is seen as the cornerstone of Milwaukie's revitalization of its downtown centre. The project is a compact mix of street-related retail, a four-storey affordable rental apartment building and live/work rowhouse condominiums, organized around a central public courtyard. Formally occupied by a vacant Safeway store and parking lot,the site was reconfigured to accommodate six buildings ranging from two to four storeys. The various uses are served by a combination of on-street parking and on-site surface and structured parking for the townhomes. Located a few blocks away from the waterfront, close to a highway interchange and a five minute walk to the Max Light Rail Station, North Main Village has become a prime destination for service and retail businesses and affordable and live/work living choices. i Design Features �� r • Range of medium density housing forms: single townhouses, townhouses over retail space and a four-storey rental ° apartment building and structured parking • A central open space/courtyard as a focal art and community uwlang$ j plaza; courtyard features a rain garden which filters storm - water runoff into the central plaza • Diverse architectural style that fits in with the surrounding neighbourhood and nearby historic structures - Retail frontage with arcades, large display windows and wide sidewalks for outdoor seating Implementation • The developer selected the site because of Milwaukie's efforts for an urban resurgence/renewal and location was a good potential for _- mixeduse development • City of Milwaukie undertook the initial streetscape and sidewalk implementations Costs,Successes, Failures • Financing was provided by a unique collaboration of private developers and financers with state, regional and local a k Lrtr r r governments _ — A public agency(Oregon Housing and Community Services) provided a long term load using a state sponsored tax-exempt financing program Massey Square — Toronto, Ontario ,P! Project Statistics w I Developer: PlazaCorp Investments Date Completed: 2003 Site Area: approx. 0.84 ha (2.07 acres) Floor Area: approx. 25,750 sm (257,505 sf) Number of Residential Units: 203 (158 apt&45 townhomes) Residential Density: 242 units per net hectare(98 units/net acre) Building Height: 9 and 4 storeys Parking: underground with limited street parking (# not available) FSI: approx. 3.06 — Description m, Massey Square is a compact development that combines a mid-rise mixed use F building, stacked townhomes, and underground parking. The project is located in the newly developed King West Village, a former industrial area -- _ which is being redeveloped as a destination for boutique shopping, restaurants and convenient downtown living. The area is serviced by a major streetcar route along one of Toronto's primary east-west arteries, King Street. The 9-storey retail/residential building is located along the primary King Street frontage, and a block of 4-storey stacked townhome units face Shank Street,the adjacent local street. An outdoor, linear courtyard links the apartment building and the townhome blocks. All units are served by an underground parking garage that spans the entire block with internal access from each building. The King Street building has street-related commercial space and the amenity rooms for the residential uses. The upper residential units are located on six floors of smaller units,topped by two floors of penthouses with double- height spaces and large terraces. The Shank Street Townhomes are organized in groups of 5 and 10 units,with a common, secure entrance and access to the parking garage. The ground/first floor units have private gardens facing the courtyard, and the upper second and third floor units have balconies overlooking the courtyard. Design Features • The massing of the apartment building is divided into three clear portions which define a pedestrian scale and break down the massing of the upper floors: a single storey podium base with a defined cornice,a block of 6 floors of residential units and stepped back penthouse floors. • Individual balconies create a smaller scale to the fagade • Retail display windows are set back slightly under an arcade, providing shade for pedestrians and places for individual shop sidewalk signage. • The stacked townhomes create a smooth residential-scaled transition to the existing stacked townhouses across the street. Implementation, Costs,Successes, Failures • Success of the development is related to its proximity to a main street car line.The range of housing type and tenure further increased its attractiveness • Site is 100%utilized because parking is underground, maximizing profitability and land use.All ground floor commercial is leased. Space between two building types is used as an opportunity for out-door space