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Home My WebLink AboutPD-146-97THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON DN: PD- 146 -97 REPORT Meeting: General Purpose and Administration Committee File # Date: Monday, October 20, 1997 Res. # ` 7 Report #: PD- 146 -97 File #: PLN 2.4.1.4 By -law # Subject: OSHAWA OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO IMPLEMENT THE POLICY DIRECTIONS OF THE DURHAM REGIONAL OFFICIAL PLAN FILE: PLN 2.4.1.4 Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report PD- 146 -97 be received; 2. THAT Report PD- 146 -97 be approved as the comments of the Municipality of Clarington on the proposed amendments to the Oshawa Official Plan; and 3 THAT a copy of Council's decision and this report be forwarded to the City of Oshawa and the Region of Durham Planning Departments. 1. APPLICATION DETAILS 1.1 Applicant: City of Oshawa 1.2 Proposed Amendments: Proposing to amend numerous sections of the existing City of Oshawa Official Plan in order to implement the policy directions of the Durham Regional Official Plan. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 The City of Oshawa Official Plan was approved by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs in February of 1987 and fully conformed with the provisions of the Durham Regional Official Plan in effect at the time. REPORT NO. PD- 146 -97 PAGE 2 2.2 In 1991, the Region of Durham subsequently adopted a new Regional Official Plan. Section 20.3.1 of the 1991 Durham Regional Official Plan requires all area municipalities to prepare and adopt either: • a new municipal official plan; or • appropriate amendments to the existing official plan 2.3 Since the existing City of Oshawa Official Plan was approved only 10 years ago, the City determined that the preparation and adoption of a new comprehensive official plan was not necessary and that the adoption of various amendments to the existing plan would suffice. 2.4 The majority of the amendments consist of additions and /or deletions to more accurately reflect the 1991 Durham Regional Official Plan. This includes the addition of significant new lands to the urban area, additional central areas, updated transportation network and similar issues. Subsequent to our review of the amendments, we have identified the following comments and /or concerns which are provided below: • the inclusion of additional residential growth land; • the inclusion of additional industrial growth lands; • the assignment of the maximum gross leasable floorspace limits prior to 2021; • the proposed 25,000 square metre Community Central Area at King Street and Wilson Road; and • the boundary road agreement. 3. ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL GROWTH LANDS 3.1 When the Durham Regional Official Plan was adopted by Regional Council in 1991, the Hamlet of Columbus was given a Living Area designation and included within the Oshawa Urban Area. y REPORT NO. PD-146-97 PAGE 3 3.2 During the provincial review process, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs recommended the deletion of the Living Area designation and the deletion of the Hamlet from the Oshawa Urban Area. The Ministry also requested the justification for the need for these lands within a Living Area designation. Regional Council opposed these deletions and both were subsequently deferred by the Ministry as Deferral No. 12 to the Durham Regional Official Plan. 3.3 The proposed amendments to the Oshawa Official Plan include the designation of the lands subject to Deferral No. 12, as well as the designation of new residential lands that are not currently within the urban area in the Durham Regional Official Plan. 3.4 The background material states that the amendment is based upon the assumption of a population of 263,000 for the City of Oshawa in 2016. The target of 263,000 was consistent with the target established by the Region in 1994. However, in 1996, the census population for Oshawa was only approximately 134,000. Regional Planning staff have noted that the rate of growth within Oshawa was slower than anticipated and must increase significantly if its population target were to be achieved. Given Oshawa's current growth rate, the proposed target to double the population by 2016 does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, the designation of additional residential lands should be re- examined. 4. ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT AREA LANDS 4.1 When the Durham Regional Official Plan was adopted by Regional Council in 1991, the area north of the future 407 between the Oshawa/Whitby border and the east branch of the Oshawa Creek was designated as an Employment Area. 4.2 The Ministry of Municipal Affairs had stated in the Post Circulation letter that they "cannot support the Plan's proposed addition of 6600 Employment Acres at this time. This position is reinforced by the fact that 60% (7800 acres) of the Region's L_ I REPORT NO. PD-146-97 PAGE 4 current 13,000 acre supply of developable employment lands remain vacant." As a result, Modification No. 176 to the Ministry's Approval Certificate dated November 24, 1993 deleted this Employment Area and replaced it with a Permanent Agricultural Reserve designation. 4.3 The proposed amendments to the Oshawa Official Plan include re- designating these lands from Agricultural to Industrial. This re- designation could not be approved without a related amendment to the Regional Official Plan. Staff have not seen any justification for the inclusion of additional employment area lands within the timeframe of this Plan. 5. THE ASSIGNMENT OF MAXIMUM FLOORSPACE LIMITS PRIOR TO 2021 5.1 The Durham Regional Official Plan, which was approved with a 30 year time horizon to the year 2021, assigned maximum gross leasable floorspace allocations for all Main Central Areas within Durham Region. The Oshawa Official Plan is proposing to have a shorter time horizon to the year 2016. 5.2 In staff's view it is not appropriate to assign the maximum gross leasable floorspace in the Durham Regional Official Plan within the Oshawa Official Plan since the population threshold required to justify the floorspace will not have been achieved. The Clarington Official Plan was prepared on the basis of this principle. By way of illustration, the following chart compares Central Area floorspace allocations in the Durham Regional Official Plan with those contained in the Clarington Official Plan for the three Main Central Areas contained within Clarington: MAIN CENTRAL AREA DROP (2021) COP (2016) Bowmanville 200,000 m2 100,000 m2 Courtice 40,000 m2 25,000 m2 Newcastle Village 40,000 m2 15,000 m2 L�� REPORT NO. PD- 146 -97 PAGE 5 5.3 The proposed amendments to the Oshawa Official Plan contemplate the assignment of the maximum floorspace allocation as detailed in the following chart: MAIN CENTRAL AREA DROP (2021) OSHAWA OP (2016) Oshawa - King /Simcoe Oshawa - Simcoe/Winchester 600,000 m2 200,000 m2 600,000 m2 200,000 m2 Staff are of the opinion that the intent of the Durham Regional Official Plan is that floorspace allocations are to be staged to coincide with the time frame of the plan. 6. COMMUNITY CENTRAL AREA AT KING /WILSON 6.1 The proposed amendments to the Oshawa Official Plan include the identification of a 25,000 square metre Community Central Area located at King Street and Wilson Road. Although this site has already partially developed, staff note that the Regional Official Plan's maximum allowable gross leasable floorspace for Community Central Areas is 20,000 square metres. 6.2 Staff are of the opinion that the size of the King and Wilson Community Central Area should be reduced. Alternatively, detailed justification could be provided in order to consider an amendment to the Durham Regional Official Plan. 7. BOUNDARY ROAD AGREEMENT The extension of urban uses northerly in Oshawa will require the upgrading of Townline Road for the benefit of residents and businesses in the City of Oshawa. The Municipality is currently responsible for maintenance on this portion of the boundary road. In light of the changing situation, the issues raised by the required upgrading of the road and its subsequent maintenance should be addressed in a revised boundary road agreement. REPORT NO. PD-146-97 PAGE 6 It is recommended that Report PD- 146 -97 be approved as the comments of the Municipality of Clarington with respect to the proposed amendments. Respectfully submitted, Reviewed by, Franklin Wu, M.C.I.P., R.P.P., Director of Planning and Development WM *DJC *FW *cc W. H. Stockwell Chief Administrative Officer Attachment #1 - Proposed Amendments to the Oshawa Official Plan October 14, 1997 Interested parties to be notified of Council and Committee's decision: City of Oshawa Planning Department 50 Centre Street South Oshawa, Ontario L1 H 3Z7 Regional Municipality of Durham Planning Department 1615 Dundas Street East 4th Floor, Lang Tower West Building P.O. Box 623 Whitby, Ontario L1 N 6A3