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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-008-12 Clarftwn REPORT PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Date: January 23, 2012 Resolution#: W ' - By-law#: N/A Report#: PSD-008-12 File#: PLN 38.1 Subject: OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW UPDATE RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Staff Report PSD-008-12 be received for information. (zt i Submitted by: Reviewed by: ®, Davicu. Crome, MCIP, RPP Franklin Wu, Director of Planning Services Chief Administrative Officer COS/LB/df 18 January 2012 CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C 3A6 T 905-623-3379 REPORT NO.: PSD-008-11 Page 2 1. PURPOSE 1.1 The purpose of this report is to update Council on the progress of the Official Plan Review and advise of changes to the Work Program. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 Since the adoption of the Official Plan in 1996 there have been significant changes at the Provincial level. Changes to the Planning Act, the Provincial Policy Statement and the introduction of Provincial Plans like the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Greenbelt, and the Places to Grow Act have introduced new planning policies and procedures at the local level. These provincial initiatives required that the Region of Durham update the Regional Official Plan, and in turn, the Clarington Official Plan must be updated to conform to Regional and Provincial Policy. 2.2 Growing Durham The Region completed many elements of their Official Plan Review and adopted it through Regional Official Plan Amendment 114 in September, 2006. As their review was being completed, the Province's Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Places to Grow) was legislated. This led to the Region's Growth Plan process known as Growing Durham. Staff has spent considerable time participating in the Region's Growth Plan exercise and reviewing the implications of the proposed Regional Official Plan Amendment 128 (ROPA 128). A number of concerns were raised due to the implications for Clarington. Staff advised and sought Council approval (Staff Report PSD-031-09) as to Clarington's position regarding the proposed Amendment. Clarington had requested: • An Eastward expansion of the Courtice Urban Area for additional residential and employment lands near the Courtice Road interchange and the Durham East Link; • Resolution of Deferral Area 4 in Orono to designate it Employment Area; • An expansion of the Bowmanville Urban Area to Living Area to facilitate the proposed Phase 8 of the Wilmot Creek Retirement Community; • A Regional Corridor designation for Courtice Road from Highway 401 to Highway 2 connecting the future GO Train Station site to the Highway 2 Transit way Station for the Durham East Link; and • The exclusion of the designation of future Employment Area and Living Area lands (Schedule `F') beyond 2031. The majority of Clarington's concerns were positively considered by the Region except for the employment area expansion in Courtice. ROPA 128 was adopted by Regional Council in June 2009. It was then sent to the Province for approval. REPORT NO.: PSD-008-12 Page 3 The Province issued its Decision on ROPA 128 in October 2010. Parts of the Ministry's decision were not supportive of Clarington Council's position, specifically the refusal of the eastward expansion of the Courtice Urban Boundary as Employment Area. In addition, the Ministry withheld their decision on a number of Clarington specific issues including: • The eastward expansion of the Courtice Urban Boundary as Living Area; • The expansion of the Bowmanville Urban Boundary for the proposed Phase 8 of the Wilmot Creek retirement community; and • The eastward expansion of the Orono Urban Boundary for Employment. Several aspects of ROPA 128 that were not approved by the Minister are subject to Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) appeals including the Municipality of Clarington as one of the appellants. These include area municipal population, housing and employment allocations, greenfield density and intensification targets and proposed urban boundary expansions. The OMB appeal will also deal with elements of the methodology for calculating these projections. The final outcome of the various OMB appeals will have an impact on the Regional Official Plan policies and targets allocated to Clarington. The Region has advised staff that they will not consider lower tier Official Plan conformity proposals implementing the Growth Plan and the Regional Plan (ROPA 128) until after the appeals to the OMB are settled. 3. APPROACH TO THE CLARINGTON OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW 3.1 Introductory Discussion Paper and Public Consultation The purpose of the Introductory Discussion Paper released in May, 2008 was to open dialogue with regard to the effectiveness of our current planning policies and the challenges Clarington's community could be facing over the next 25 years. The Introductory Discussion Paper provided an overview of the current Official Plan, how it has changed since 1996 and a discussion of what needs to be reviewed by using/revisiting our current vision. The existing principles in the Official Plan of Sustainable Development, Healthy Communities and Growth Management were the starting point. 3.2 Work Plan Council formally initiated the Official Plan Review process with a special meeting of Council. At the meeting, Council approved an approach for Clarington's Official Plan review which does not follow the traditional model; Clarington's workplan emphasizes continuous public involvement with phased implementation rather than one exercise with a final amendment. To facilitate this, the Review has been broken into several major components including: REPORT NO.: PSD-008-12 Page 4 • Community Vision; • Built Environment and Planning Process; • Planning for Prosperity and Growth; • Planning for the Countryside; and • Planning for Sustainable and Healthy Communities. Special Projects: • Courtice Main Street; • Courtice Employment Lands Secondary Plan; and • Parks, Open Space and Trails Plan. Each component follows the same process, beginning with Discussion Papers and finishing with an Official Plan Amendment. Public input and review opportunities are presented as often as possible to ensure that the Official Plan Amendments proposed to Council meet the needs of the community. 3.3 Consulting Services The Official Plan Work Plan was designed with a combination of staff-led and consultant-led components. The consultant-led components require considerable staff time to administer including the compilation and co-ordination of background information, mapping, analysis review and to ensure that the final reports are fully complete and satisfactory. Dillon Consulting was selected in 2009 as the principal consultant with their supporting sub-consultants in urban design and land economics. Other consultants have been hired: • Hemson has been the Municipality's consultant for Development Charges and the growth forecasts for the development charges study and the Official Plan are co- ordinated. • AECOM is the Municipality's consulting engineer and have been involved in certain components, such as the Courtice Main Street Study. • Urban Metrics was the retail market analyst for the commercial policy review and is updating their work as part of the Official Plan Review Process. Specialized Consultant costs are anticipated as part of the Review. For the most part, 90% of the costs are covered by Development Charges funds. 4. WORK PROGRAM STATUS 4.1 Community Vision The first phase of public consultation began following the release of the Introductory Discussion Paper. More than 600 residents provided input during this initial phase which consisted of: REPORT NO.: PSD-008-12 Page 5 • Community sessions in Bowmanville, Courtice, Newcastle, Newtonville, Orono and Solina; • Stakeholder meetings with the Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington, Living Green Community Advisory Committee, Clarington Heritage Committee, Clarington Board of Trade, Building Industry and Land Development Association and the Visual Arts Centre Board; • Community surveys with 400 Clarington residents and 75 business owners/ managers; and • Consultation with government agencies, including the Durham Regional Planning Department, Inter-ministry Working Group, Ganaraska and Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authorities, School Boards and Municipal Departments. The following three community priorities have remained at the forefront: 1. Preservation of the natural environment, including environmental features, open spaces and agricultural lands. 2. Commitment to creating employment opportunities, not just residential development. 3. Maintenance of the rural, small town character of Clarington, partly through the preservation and enhancement of historic downtowns. 4.2 Built Environment and the Planning Process The second discussion paper, Let's Have a Discussion...Improving our Built Environment and the Planning Process, was released in 2009. This Discussion Paper explores the new tools that have been provided to municipalities to help manage the land use planning process and built environment including, Employment Areas protection, Community Benefits (bonusing) and Urban Design. It also focuses on the changes to the Planning Act that emphasize transparency and the shift of information needs to the beginning of the planning process. On September 13, 2010 Council held the statutory public meeting to present Official Plan Amendment 77 to the public. After this input, staff has revised the Official Plan Amendment. The revised Amendment will be the focus of Council's public meeting on February 6, 2012. 4.3 Planning for Prosperity and Growth Planning for Prosperity and Growth is a major component of the Official Plan Review and has been subdivided into several topics: • Clarington Community Forecast: Population and Employment Projections • Commercial Market Analysis Update • Economic Base and Employment Lands Discussion Paper • Intensification Discussion Paper • Growth Management Discussion Paper REPORT NO.: PSD-008-12 Page 6 4.3.1 Community Forecasts Population and Employment Projections Hemson Consulting was retained by the Municipality of Clarington to prepare growth forecasts based on the Provincial Growth Plan and the Durham Regional Official Plan. The growth forecasts are for population, housing and employment for the entire Municipality and for the four urban communities and the rural areas within Clarington. The paper was released in September 2011. Area 2006 2031 Percent Change Bowmanville 31,600 66,400 110% Courtice 23,200 35,000 51% Newcastle 8,900 20,900 134% Orono/rural 17,200 18,100 5% Total 80,900 140,300 74% 4.3.2 Commercial Market Analysis Update The Update will be based on the 2005 Commercial Policy Review analysis that resulted in the allocation of retail space based on a population threshold of 91,000 people for Clarington. The Update by Urban Metrics will evaluate the appropriateness of the existing retail and service space (supply and demand) in Clarington and assesses whether there is sufficient commercial land designated in each of the Urban Areas (Courtice, Bowmanville, Newcastle, Orono) to accommodate demand until 2031. The Commercial Market Analysis Update will serve as background information to the Growth Management component of the Official Plan Review. The Update will be released in the first quarter of 2012. 4.3.3 Economic Base and Employment Lands Discussion Paper The purpose of this discussion paper was to provide information and analysis on the economic base and employment lands in Clarington. This Paper was released in July 2010. This discussion paper included a review of: • Clarington's role in the context of the GTA economy including its share of employment in Durham Region by sector and labour flows; • Clarington's economic base including employment and sector growth; • Projected employment levels by the type and location in Clarington; and • Employment lands in Clarington and their suitability to meet employment targets. Some Conclusions from this paper include: • Clarington has sufficient employment lands supply to accommodate forecasted employment growth to 2031, however lack of servicing will limit growth potential. Less than 10% of the vacant employment lands in Clarington are serviced; • Clarington's economic development and investment attraction efforts are being hampered by a low supply of serviced vacant employment lands; REPORT NO.: PSD-008-12 Page 7 • Unserviced lands in Clarington have attracted cost-sensitive, space extensive uses with outside storage which detracts from the attractiveness of such lands for prestige and technology uses; and • Space extensive uses normally have low employment levels which impact the Municipality's ability to meet the employment density targets stipulated in Places to Grow. The lack of servicing will continue to attract such space extensive uses. 4.3.4 Intensification Discussion Paper The Intensification Paper released in September 2011 includes an analysis of Regional Official Plan Amendment (ROPA) 128 and provides recommendations for Clarington's conformity requirements to meet the residential intensification targets of 6181 units between 2015 and 2031 . These recommendations will be confirmed once a decision has been made on the outstanding Regional Official Plan Amendment 128 policies (see Section 2.2). However, for the purposes of discussion, the Paper set the stage for meaningful public consultation regarding the implication of planning for residential intensification and also provided a platform to formulate an intensification strategy for Clarington. The Discussion Paper set out the context for intensification. It describes the drivers of intensification, identifies opportunities and constraints for intensification, completes a capacity analysis, and concludes with recommendations for an intensification strategy and proposed Official Plan policy directions. The paper concludes that the Municipality needs to provide incentives for intensification and that we have the land supply within the existing Urban Boundaries to accommodate a total of 9960 intensification residential units, 61% more than our target. 4.3.5 Growth Management Discussion Paper Staff and the consulting team are currently finalizing the Growth Management Discussion Paper. The Discussion Paper explores how and where Clarington should continue to grow. It examines historical growth patterns, current development plans, infill and intensification opportunities and infrastructure opportunities and constraints. The paper also examines the implications of the Growth Plan and ROPA 128. This information has led to the creation of three development scenarios. The development scenarios define how and where Clarington's urban development should occur. Staff expect to release the Paper in February 2012. The Official Plan policy implications contained in this discussion paper and those in the Intensification Discussion Paper will be the subject of several public consultation meetings to be held in Courtice, Bowmanville and Newcastle in March. 4.3.6 Draft Official Plan Amendment The background studies and Discussion Papers will lead to an amendment to the Clarington Official Plan. We anticipate the draft Amendment will be released in the third quarter of 2012. REPORT NO.: PSD-008-12 Page 8 4.4 Planning for the Countryside The Countryside Discussion Paper is under preparation by staff and it will evaluate the effectiveness of rural and agricultural Official Plan policies in achieving the goals and objectives identified. A major part of the review is ensuring that the Clarington Official Plan is in conformity with the Greenbelt Plan. Clarington's rural area plays a significant role in supporting: • Protection of agricultural land for food and crop production; • A continuous major open space system for natural heritage conservation and recreation; • Hamlets and Rural settlements; and • The aggregate resource industry. Clarington's rural area comprises 70% of our land base and houses approximately 18% of our population, but it also is the home of one of our top economic producers; the predominance of good soils, proximity to markets and growing season supports a prosperous agricultural industry. The Countryside Discussion Paper is anticipated to be released in the third quarter of 2012. 4.5 Planning for Sustainability and Healthy Communities 4.5.1 Natural Heritage System The Clarington Official Plan has very strong policies regarding protection of the natural heritage system including wetlands. Proposed Official Plan Amendment 80 (Staff report PSD-030-11) was developed to place the lands identified as Provincially Significant Wetland (PSW) by the Ministry of Natural Resources into Environmental Protection Area designations, and to update the natural heritage features information of the Plan to accurately reflect the location of PSWs. Following the public meeting in April, 2011, a session was held with a group of concerned residents. Since that time, staff has re-evaluated the proposed PSW amendment in the context of the entire Official Plan Review and determined that any refinements to the natural heritage system to include the PSWs should be made through the Greenbelt Conformity exercise. Staff have amended the Official Plan Review Work Plan such that, the Natural Heritage System will include a discussion paper and public input before recommending Official Plan changes. Staff is coordinating this process with Staff from both Conservation Authorities. The Natural Heritage Discussion Paper to be released later this year, will provide an overview of natural heritage system planning including how to define a system and why protection is important. The role of the Conservation Authorities as the provider of REPORT NO.: PSD-008-12 Page 9 Natural Heritage information, the Provincial Policy framework and the interrelations to the Regional and Municipal Official Plans will be also discussed. The Paper will discuss proposed changes contemplated to existing Clarington Official Plan policies and/or mapping. 4.5.2 Parks, Open Space and Trails Masterplan Public expectations for an accessible public open space are increasing. The Masterplan will review the existing policy context and framework for the provision of parkland and trails and provide recommendations to modify the existing Official Plan policies. The Masterplan will guide the strategic provision and use of public parkland and open space and the development of trails within the Municipality for the next 20 years. There are four possible phases to the project. The first and second are the policy review and recommendations that will dovetail with the Official Plan Review that is underway and the third is the policy recommendations for the OP amendment. It is possible that a future fourth phase could be incorporated if deemed necessary by Engineering, Operations and Community Services. It would address in more detail issues related to specific parks and trails providing recommendations for their improvement through change in use, refurbishment and maintenance practices. This work has not commenced. It is anticipated to commence mid-year, after the completion of other phases of the Official Plan Review. 4.5.3 Integrated Sustainability Local Action Plan Funding has been set aside to develop an Integrated Sustainability Local Action Plan. This work would likely follow the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Partners in Climate Protection process. It is a five step process and can be applied on the corporate or community level. It could build on some of the work that was done by the Living Green Committee but has more of a scientific basis by establishing baseline conditions and setting targets for greenhouse gas emissions. This element of the work program has not been scheduled yet. It would commence later as time and resources permit. 5. SPECIAL STUDIES 5.1 Robinson/Tooley Watershed Study The Robinson and Tooley Watersheds are two small watersheds in Courtice with headwaters in the Lake Iroquois Beach. By virtue of their size, smaller watersheds are especially vulnerable to the effects of changing land use and the impact of development. REPORT NO.: PSD-008-12 Page 10 Although initially not part of the Work Plan, it has been important to undertake this background work to provide a basis for site specific studies, specifically the Courtice Main Street Study and the Courtice Employment Lands Study. The Robinson and Tooley Creeks Watershed Management Plan was endorsed by the CLOCA Board of Directors on January 17, 2011. It will be presented to the General Purpose and Administration meeting on January 23, 2012. As with the other watershed plans that have been prepared, staff are recommending that the Robinson and Tooley Creek Watershed Plan be referred to the Official Plan review for implementation. 5.2 Courtice Main Street Secondary Plan The Courtice Main Street Secondary Plan is one of the Special Projects in the Official Plan Review. The purpose of this project is to create a comprehensive Secondary Plan and implementing Zoning By-law for the properties fronting onto Durham Highway 2 between Townline Road in the west to the Courtice Urban Boundary in the east. The Secondary Plan policies will reflect the new Provincial growth management and intensification targets. Preparation of the Secondary Plan began with background research, the identification of opportunities and constraints and a visioning session with the Public in July, 2009. Phase two explored possible development options with the public workshop and an open house that resulted in the Master Development Plan. The Master Development Plan was adopted in principle by Council in September 2010. CLOCA initiated the preparation of the Harmony, Farewell and Black Creeks Watershed Plan in 2010. The details from the `Existing Conditions Report' has informed the preparation of the Secondary Plan and Zoning by-law for the Courtice Main Street and Study. Staff has been preparing a Secondary Plan and Zoning By-law that will be presented to the community at an Open House in March, 2012. The Secondary Plan and Zoning By- law need to reflect the findings of the Watershed Plans that have recently concluded. The completed watershed plans were not available at the time of finalizing the Master Development Plan in mid 2010. It is anticipated that a recommendation will be presented to Council and the public in May or June of 2012. 5.3 Courtice Employment Lands Secondary Plan The employment lands located in Courtice are considered some of the best in Durham Region due to their accessibility to Highway 401. This Study is examining the lands on the north side of Highway 401. It excludes the Energy Business Park which already has a Secondary Plan in place. This location will be further enhanced with the proposed Highway 401-407 Link and future GO Train Station and the future trunk sewer that will bisect the lands, addressing a long time servicing concern. In addition, the expansion and refurbishment of REPORT NO.: PSD-008-12 Page 11 Darlington Nuclear Station and the developing Clarington Energy Business Park makes this area highly attractive for the development. Given the infrastructure investment planned for the area, it will be important to update and refine the vision for the area. The work program will develop the land use and transportation policies in greater detail, including road alignments, ultimately leading to a Secondary Plan, Zoning By-law Amendment and Urban Design policies. This work has not commenced to date. Staff negotiated with Dillon to remove this item from their work program and it is planned to retender this component later in 2012, using the funds originally assigned to this project. 6. CHANGES TO THE WORK PROGRAM In summary, the following changes have been made to the Work Plan. • Provincially Significant Wetlands (contained in proposed Amendment 80) Provincially Significant Wetlands were initially advanced to be considered separately from the other components of implementing the Greenbelt Plan and Provincial Policy Statements. This was done to address issues in the Hancock Neighbourhood surrounding development applications. However, as a result of broader concerns of rural residents, Council directed staff to hold a Town Hall meeting on the issue. Staff held discussions with the key residents, former and current staff members of the Ministry of Natural Resources and staff from both Conservation Authorities in preparation for such a larger meeting. It is now proposed that the issue of Provincially Significant Wetlands be considered under the Natural Heritage component so that all of the proposed changes will be known and a broader education component can be undertaken. CLOCA and GRCA staff have agreed partner in this project and prepare the Discussion Paper and policy amendments. Proposed Amendment 80 would be scoped down to include only lands within the Hancock Neighbourhood and the revised amendment would be considered in conjunction with the Hancock Neighbourhood Design Plan Update. Staff will advise the residents who expressed an interest in the wetlands amendment of the revised approach subsequent to Council's consideration of this report. • Courtice Employment Area Although this project was originally part of the contract with Dillon, this work is being retendered approximately mid-year 2012. REPORT NO.: PSD-008-12 Page 12 • Courtice Main Street The work initially included only the preparation of a Secondary Plan for the Courtice Main Street Area. Staff have broadened the scope of work (undertaken by staff) to include the zoning amendment, so that the Official Plan and Zoning will be updated concurrently. • Countryside If staff resource permit, it would be desirable to prepare the Countryside rezoning amendment to follow in close sequence to the Official Plan amendment that will implement the Greenbelt Plan and Countryside. This work would commence in 2013. 7. CONCURRENCE — Not Applicable 8. CONCLUSION 8.1 To date, through the Official Plan Review, we have released 6 discussion papers, held 15 open houses, and 3 statutory public meetings. All information has been available electronically from the Official Plan review website at www.claringon.net/ourplan, and all of the Discussion Papers, in hard copy, at the Libraries. 8.2 In 2012, major steps will be completed towards updating the Clarington Official Plan including: • Several proposed amendments; • The release of further Discussion Papers; and • Numerous open houses and public meetings. 8.3 The updated Official Plan will guide development in Clarington for the next 20 years. It will also provide a solid foundation for long term financial and infrastructure planning. The Official Plan will set the framework so that development respects our environment, supports job creation, and enhances the character of our communities. 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 X Maintaining financial stability Connecting Clarington X Promoting green initiatives Investing in infrastructure Showcasing our community Not in conformity with Strategic Plan Staff Contact: Carlos Salazar/Lisa Backus List of interested parties - available upon request from the Clerk's Department.