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Staff Report
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Report To: Planning and Development Committee
Date of Meeting: March 27, 2023 Report Number: PDS-017-23
Submitted By:
Reviewed By:
File Number:
Carlos Salazar, Director of Planning and Infrastructure Services Mary -
Anne Dempster, CAO
PLN 2.12
Resolution#: PD-029-23
By-law Number:
Report Subject: Envision Durham: Draft new Regional Official Plan
Recommendations:
1. That Report PDS-017-23 and any related delegations or communication items, be
received;
2. That the comments presented on the Draft new Regional Official Plan contained in
Report PDS-017-23 be endorsed;
3. That a copy of Report PDS-017-23 and Council's decision be sent to the Region of
Durham, other Durham Region area municipalities, and the Ministry of Municipal
Affairs and Housing; and
4. That all interested parties listed in Report PDS-017-23 and any delegations be
advised of Council's decision.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PDS-017-23
Report Overview
Page 2
Envision Durham is Durham Region's Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) of the
Regional Official Plan. The MCR was initiated in 2019 to develop the vision for the Region to
2051, consists of multiple components, and will be completed upon the Province's approval
of a new Regional Official Plan.
Clarington staff has participated throughout the Envision Durham project and has presented
a series of reports to Council, providing updates and comments on Envision Durham to date.
A chronology of reports is included as Attachment 1.
On February 10, 2023, the Draft new Regional Official Plan (ROP) was publicly released for
review. Comments on the Draft ROP are being accepted by the Region until April 3, 2023.
Staff generally supports the strategic directions and proposed policies contained in the Draft
ROP.
The purpose of this report is to present key comments on the Draft ROP.
1. Background
Purpose
1.1 The purpose of this report is to present comments on the Draft new Regional Official
Plan (ROP).
Envision Durham - Municipal Comprehensive Review
1.2 Envision Durham is Durham Region's Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) of the
Regional Official Plan. The MCR was initiated in 2019 to develop the vision for the
Region to 2051, and looked at how and where the Region will grow, how its land and
resources will be used, and the types of housing and job opportunities needed to create
healthy and sustainable communities.
1.3 The Envision Durham project consisted of three stages (Discover, Discuss, and Direct)
and multiple components including the agricultural and natural heritage systems, growth
management, employment areas, and major transit station areas. Each stage has
included consultation on the various components.
1.4 Throughout the project, staff participated on the intermunicipal working group and
prepared 20 submissions and reports to Council to comment on background
documents, discussion papers, policy directions and draft mapping related to the
various components that make up the MCR process. A complete chronology is included
as Attachment 1.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PDS-017-23
Page 3
1.5 In accordance with Council's direction, Planning and Infrastructure staff directly mailed
an information sheet to property owners whose lands fall within the Clarington
Settlement Area Boundary Expansion (SABE) areas to ensure they are aware of the
proposed changes and the opportunity to provide comments to the Region on the Draft
Official Plan. To date, staff has received 4 inquiries in response to the notice.
1.6 On February 10, 2023, the Draft new Regional Official Plan was publicly released for
review. The Region held a Public Open House on March 6 and a Public Meeting on
March 7, and prepared Report #2023-P-6, which provides an overview of the Draft new
Official Plan and consultation undertaken. Comments on the draft are being accepted
until April 3, 2023. Regional staff has indicated they expect to bring the document back
to Regional Council with a recommendation for adoption prior to the summer break,
after which it will be forwarded to the Province for approval.
1.7 In response to Council's request, Regional Planning staff will be presenting the Draft
new Regional Official Plan to Planning and Development Committee at the March 27
meeting.
Overview of Draft new Regional Official Plan
1.8 The Draft ROP incorporates the work undertaken throughout the Envision Durham
process and is intended to guide long-term growth and infrastructure investment will
support the 2051 vision for the Region as a complete, healthy, sustainable, diverse, and
welcoming community of communities.
1.9 The Draft ROP contains high-level strategic directions, informed by community
engagement undertaken during the MCR process, and is organized around the following
chapters:
• A Prosperous Region;
• Healthy Communities;
• Supportive Infrastructure and Services;
• A Vibrant Urban System;
• A Thriving Rural System;
• A Protected Greenlands System; and
• A Connected Transportation System.
1.10 The following section presents staff's key comments on the Draft new Regional Official
Plan. The comments speak to high-level policy directions, language, and structure to
help ensure Clarington is able to achieve its long-term vision and objectives and enable
us to conform to the ROP in a manner that is locally appropriate. The comments are in
bold, with additional explanation for context.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PDS-017-23
2. Comments
General
Page 4
2.1 Staff generally supports the strategic directions and proposed policies contained
in the Draft ROP, subject to the comments contained in this report. Additional
technical comments on the document will be provided directly to Regional staff as
Clarington staff continues the detailed review.
Growth Allocations and Settlement Area Boundary Expansions
2.2 The Draft ROP establishes Clarington's 2051 population and jobs forecasts of 221,000
and 70,300, respectively, with a minimum intensification target of 40% and designated
greenfield area density of 48 people and jobs per hectare. Up to 1,373 hectares of
Clarington's white belt has been identified as possible `2051 Urban Expansion Area',
including 845 hectares for residential (Community Area) and 528 hectares for
Employment.
2.3 Planning staff does not object to the long-term growth allocations for Clarington
to 2051. Staff is working with Hemson to complete Clarington's population and
employment forecast work distributed by urban and rural areas. This work will also
include an assessment of the implications of the Bill 23 and Greenbelt Plan changes to
inform our upcoming Official Plan review.
2.4 Staff supports the phasing policy framework accompanying the `2051 Urban
Expansion Areas' included in the Draft ROP. This policy framework will be critical to
ensuring Clarington is able to manage its urban boundaries, and the lands within, in a
manner that will (i) support growth and intensification in our built-up area (ii) create
complete communities with transit supportive densities (iii) focus infrastructure
investment, and (iv) continue the long-term protection of our vital agricultural land base
and natural heritage system.
Consideration of Boundary Expansion Requests
2.5 Planning and Infrastructure staff does not support additional boundary expansion
requests beyond those included as apart of the 1,373 hectares presented in the
Draft ROP. Staff reviewed boundary requests as part of the Settlement Area Boundary
Expansion component of the MCR process and concurs with Regional staff's
recommendations on such site -specific requests. This reflects Council's recent
resolution confirming Clarington does not need urban boundary expansions to meet the
housing pledge of 13,000 homes by 2031.
Orono Urban Area Boundary
Municipality of Clarington
Report PDS-017-23
Page 5
2.6 The proposed 10-hectare Settlement Area Boundary Expansion to the east side of
the Orono Urban area is supported.
2.7 However, the boundary of the Orono urban area expansion proposed on Map 1 of the
Draft ROP does not appear to align with the boundary delineated in the LPAT Order on
this matter. Staff requests the Region to address this inconsistency.
2.8 As part of the upcoming Clarington comprehensive municipal review staff will explore
opportunities to expand the Community Area on the west side of Orono, as was
previously requested, and in keeping with the Orono Economic Development Strategy's
direction to foster new residential development in support of the continued viability of the
Orono downtown.
Major Transit Station Areas — GO Train Extension to Bowmanville
2.9 There are two proposed Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSA) in Courtice and
Bowmanville to support the extension of the Lakeshore East GO Transit line. Regional
Official Plan Amendment (ROPA) No. 186, adopted by Regional Council in December
2021, delineated the boundaries of the protected MTSAs and established the
associated policy framework. ROPA 186 is currently before the Province, awaiting
approval.
2.10 Staff notes the Province may approve ROPA No. 186 in advance of the balance of the
Draft ROP. In accordance with the recent Bill 23 amendments to the Planning Act, staff
will need to be prepared with the necessary resources to advance the local planning
and zoning within one year of approval. Collaboration with the Region will be
required as part of this process to ensure the necessary transportation and
servicing infrastructure will be in place to support development within the MTSAs
in a timely manner.
Employment Areas and Economic Development
2.11 Policies in the Draft ROP that provide for the timely servicing of Clarington's
employment areas are supported. Investment in the servicing of Clarington's
employment areas is critical to implementing the priorities of our Economic
Development Strategy, which includes expanding the inventory of serviced employment
lands to cultivate an innovative land use framework to continue to build the economic
capacity of the Municipality.
Consultation and Engagement with Indigenous Communities
2.12 Staff supports the enhancement of policies on consultation with Indigenous
communities that have been included in the Draft ROP. It would be beneficial to
Municipality of Clarington
Report PDS-017-23
Page 6
mention the Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada: Calls to Action, as
they are applicable to municipal government.
Language and Consistency
2.13 The Draft ROP includes many sections that speak to requirements for zoning,
development, and site design that include a level of detail more appropriate for area
municipal official plans. Where policies primarily affect area municipal matters, staff
recommends that they either be removed, or that the language be softened (e.g.
`encourage' rather than `require'). This will help to ensure the ROP is practical and
provides for locally appropriate implementation. This is particularly important in the case
of policies that are prescriptive in nature and include specific numbers or targets that are
not required to be established by the Region.
2.14 Ensure words and terms used throughout the ROP are used consistently and
intentionally to provide the necessary clarity for implementation. This includes
terms such as urban area, settlement area, commuter station, transit station, major
transit station area vs. protected transit station area. Ensure the use of the terms in
policy sections aligns with the definition of the term in the Glossary.
Organization and Format
2.15 Staff generally supports the new format and organization of the Draft ROP, which
has themed chapters for Urban, Rural, Greenlands, and Transportation Systems,
and a consistent policy framework throughout. Staff recommends locating chapters
that have overarching applicability (e.g. Greenlands System) towards the front of the
document.
2.16 Notwithstanding the above, the retention of the Major Open Space approach results in
confusion about how several policies will be implemented as the policies contemplate
overlap between the Greenlands System and Rural System, whereas the mapping
indicates the two Systems, and the designations within, are mutually exclusive. Staff
had hoped to see the Draft ROP move away from the Major Open Space designation in
favour of a more straightforward Greenlands System focused on natural heritage cores,
linkages and corridors, and a separate Rural System of agricultural and rural lands
providing for appropriate uses.
2.17 The Draft ROP is a much -expanded document from the current Regional Official Plan,
incorporating a comprehensive suite of policies to align with contemporary planning
principles. Staff recommends looking for opportunities to reduce duplication and
streamline sections of the Draft ROP that speak to similar topics (e.g.
neighbourhood, site design, nuisance attenuation, sustainability requirements) to
improve clarity and ease of implementation, and reduce potential conflict between
policies/sections.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PDS-017-23
Sustainability and Climate Change
Page 7
2.18 Staff supports the policies in the Draft ROP related to climate change adaptation
and mitigation. The policies generally align with Clarington's Corporate Climate Action
Plan and initiatives that are underway and planned towards achieving net -zero
emissions by 2050, including (i) monitoring greenhouse gas emissions (ii) promoting the
uptake of electric vehicles and installation of charging stations, and (iii) encouraging
green development.
2.19 The policies in the Draft ROP will also help to inform the Municipality's implementation
of sustainable design and green development standards through the site plan and
subdivision processes, the importance of which was recently acknowledged by the
Province through refinements to Bill 23 to retain such ability.
Implications of Bill 23
2.20 As per the comments included in Bill 23 Report PDS-054-22, Regional Planning plays a
valuable role and should be maintained for the purposes of aligning long-range planning
with transportation and servicing infrastructure planning and capital investment.
Regional level -coordination in this regard will better ensure infrastructure is available in
a timely manner where it is needed to support the construction of the housing.
2.21 However, Bill 23 was passed with Durham Region identified as a regional municipality
without planning responsibilities, and whose ROP would be assumed by the area
municipalities to the extent that it is relevant. The opportunity to review the Draft ROP
has been helpful and will support the implementation of the ROP as part of our
Clarington Official Plan review and conformity exercise, as we prepare to comply with
the changes introduced through Bill 23.
Housing Pledge
2.22 On February 27, 2023, Council endorsed Clarington's Housing Pledge (Report PDS-
009-23) in response to the Province's assigned expectation that Clarington will take the
necessary steps to facilitate the construction of 13,000 new homes by 2031. The
Housing Pledge outlined specific actions to be undertaken to achieve the target,
including initiating a review of the Clarington Official Plan.
2.23 The approval of the new ROP represents the first major milestone in the process to
achieve the 2031 housing target. Upon the Province's approval of the ROP, staff will
complete the Clarington Official Plan Review, which will implement the new ROP or
amalgamate the two Official Plans into one comprehensive document. This will enable
the remainder of the actions outlined in the Pledge that are required to facilitate the
13,000 homes, including infrastructure master planning and updated zoning.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PDS-017-23
Page 8
2.24 As put forward in Bill 23 Report PDS-054-22 and the Housing Pledge Report PDS-009-
23, Clarington has sufficient housing capacity in the form of approved and planned
residential units to meet the assigned target of 13,000 homes by 2031 without any
residential urban boundary expansions or Greenbelt lands.
3. Financial Considerations
3.1 There are no direct financial considerations at this time. However, there may be
financial implications associated with the requirement to conform to the ROP as part of
our upcoming review of the Clarington Official Plan.
4. Concurrence
Not Applicable.
5. Conclusion
5.1 Regional staff should be commended for their significant efforts in bringing forward the
proposed Draft new Regional Official Plan (ROP) as the culmination of the extensive
work completed through the Envision Durham Municipal Comprehensive Review
process. The opportunity to provide comments is appreciated, and staff looks forward to
continuing to work together.
5.2 It is respectfully recommended that (i) the comments presented on the Draft new
Regional Official Plan contained in Report PDS-017-23 be endorsed, and (ii) that a copy
of Report PDS-017-23 and Council's decision be sent to the Region of Durham and the
other Durham Region area municipalities.
Staff Contact: Sarah Allin, Planner 905-623-3379 x 2419 sallin@clarington.net or Lisa Backus,
Manager of Community Planning 905-623-3379 x 2413 or Ibackus@clarington.net.
Attachments:
Attachment 1: Envision Durham Project: Chronology of Clarington Reports and Comments
Interested Parties:
List of Interested Parties available from Department.
Attachment 1 to PDS-017-23
Envision Durham Project — Clarington Reports and Comments
No.
Region Document/Report
Release Date
Clarington
Report/Comments
Themed Discussion Papers
1
Agriculture and Rural
Mar. 5, 2019
Staff comments June 10,
System
2019
2
Climate Change and
May 7, 2019
Staff comments Aug. 1, 2019
Sustainability
3
The Urban System
June 4, 2019
Staff comments Sept. 3,
2019
4
Environment and
Sept. 3, 2019
Participated in mapping
Greenlands System
exercise with Local and
Regional Staff
5
Transportation System
Oct. 1, 2019
Staff comments Dec. 20,
2019
6
Housing Policy Planning
Dec. 3, 2019
Staff comments Mar. 3, 2020
Major Transit Station Area Regional Official Plan Amendment (No. 186)
7
Proposed Policy
Dec. 1, 2020
Staff comments Mar. 5, 2021
Directions, MTSA ROPA
8
Proposed ROPA for
Sept. 7, 2021
Staff comments Sept. 24,
PMTSAs (Statutory Public
2021
Meetin
Employment Land Conversions
9
Employment Land
June 2, 2020
Report PDS-009-21 Feb. 1,
Conversion Criteria
2021
Proposed Policy Directions
10
Proposed Policy Directions
Mar. 2, 2021
Staff comments June 30,
2021
Report PDS-038-21
LNA Technical Reports
11
Region -Wide Growth
July 2, 2021
Staff comments Aug. 9, 2021
Anal
12
Housing Intensification
Sept. 3, 2021
Comments provided after
Study*
release of land needs
scenarios (Report PDS-021-
22; Apr. 25, 2022).
13
Employment Strategy
Sept. 24, 2021
Staff comments Nov. 5, 2021
14
Community Area Urban
Oct. 1, 2021
Comments provided after
Land Needs Analysis
release of land needs
scenarios (Report PDS-021-
22; Apr. 25, 2022).
Alternative Land Needs Scenarios — Growth Management Study Phase 1
15
Information Report and
Feb. 11, 2022
Report PDS-021-22 Apr. 25,
2022
Attachment 1 to PDS-017-23
Regional Staff
Recommendation on Land
Needs Scenarios
Environmental Systems
16
Proposed Natural Heritage
Mar. 1, 2022
Resolution # C-398-21
passed by Clarington
Council on Jan. 24, 2022.
Systems (NHS) Update
Report
17
Regional Agricultural
Systems
June 7, 2022
Staff comments Oct. 12,
2022
Growth Allocations and Settlement Area Boundary Expansions
18
Growth Management Study
Nov. 10, 2022
rt PDS-005-23 Jan. 16,
F22
— Phase 2 Information
Report
Related Reports
19
Bill 23 — More Homes, Built
Oct. 24, 2022
Report PDS-054-23 Dec. 5,
2022
Faster Act
20
Housing Pledge
Oct. 24, 2022
Report PDS-009-23 Feb.,
2023