HomeMy WebLinkAboutPD-140-96DN:ReL rrUDG.GPATHE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON
REPORT
General Purpose and Administration Committee
Meeting: p File #�
Date: Monday, October 21, 1996`
Res. #
Report #: PD- 140 -96 File #: OPA 96-01 1 /D
By-law #.
APPLICANT: Subject: PROPOSED DURHAM REGIONAL OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT
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Recommendations:
It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration
Committee recommend to Council the following:
1. THAT Report PD- 140 -96 be received;
2. THAT Report PD- 140 -96 be approved as the comments of the Municipality of
Clarington on the proposed Official Plan Amendment submitted by Reladanora
Holdings Inc.;
3. THAT a copy of Council's decision and this report be forwarded to the Town of
Whitby and the Region of Durham Planning Departments; and
4. THAT the Town of Whitby and the Region of Durham advise the Municipality of
Clarington of their Council's respective decisions.
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1.1 Applicant: Reladanora Holdings Inc.
1.2 Proposal: Proposing to amend the Durham Regional Official Plan in
order to permit a 150,000 square foot warehouse format retail
centre, including a 60,000 square foot Leon's furniture store.
1.3 Area: 7.834 hectares (19.35 acres)
2. LOCATION:
2.1 The subject lands are located in the Town of Whitby at the south -west corner of
REPORT NO.: PD-140-96 PAGE 2
Thickson Road and Highway 401 (see Attachment #1). The proposed
development is just to the west of the existing Thickson Ridge Power Centre and
is described as Part of Lot 21, Broken Front Concession in the Town of Whitby.
3.1 In June of 1996, Reladanora Holdings Inc. submitted an application to amend the
Durham Regional Official Plan in order to permit retail warehouse uses on the
subject lands. The proposed amendment is attached as Attachment #2. It is
essentially identical to the general amendment to the Regional Official Plan on
large format retail warehouses as proposed by Regional staff (OPA 95- 002 /D).
Concurrently, the applicant has applied for an amendment to the Whitby Official
Plan and Zoning By -law.
4. PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE DURHAM REGIONAL OFFICIAL PLAN
4.1 Within the Durham Regional Official Plan the subject property is designated as an
"Employment Area ". Section 11.3.1 of the Regional Plan permits manufacturing,
assembly and processing, service industries, warehousing, limited personal
service uses, hotels and transportation facilities.
4.2 The applicant seeks to amend the policies of Section 11 of the Durham Regional
Official Plan in order to permit the proposal. Since the proposed amendment is
a policy amendment and not site specific, the proposed amendment would apply
to all local municipalities within the Regional Municipality of Durham. The
amendment would permit area municipalities to designate locations in
Employment Areas for large -scale single - purpose retail warehouses exceeding
2,000 square metres. The amendment provides criteria to be considered
including traffic impact studies and retail impact studies demonstrating the
floorspace will not unduly impact the viability of any designated Central Area.
REPORT NO.: PD-140-96 PAGE g
5.1 Staff have presented reports on other applications in this area by Invar Industrial
Ltd. The first two applications were approved and have led to the development
of the Thickson Ridge Power Centre.
The new Whitby Official Plan has designated the Thickson Ridge Power Centre
and additional lands on the north side of Highway 401 as a Special Activity Node.
This area and the related policies have been deferred.
More recently Invar Industrial Ltd. submitted an application for smaller retail
warehouses on the south side of Victoria Street. Clarington Council opposed the
introduction of smaller retail warehouses in Employment Areas.
5.2 Since the approval of the Thickson Ridge Power Centre proposals have been
submitted which, if approved, would result in a substantial cumulative increase in
commercial floorspace and regional drawing power. The total floorspace could
increase from approximately 400,000 square feet to 1 million square feet as
outlined below:
EXISTING AND PROPOSED RETAIL WAREHOUSE FLOORSPACE
Thickson Ridge Power Centre
400,000
North of Highway 401
200,000
Subtotal "Special Activity Node"
600,000
Invar Proposal for Smaller Retail Warehouses
120,000
Kose Properties Inc. Proposal
108,200
Reladanora Holdings Inc. Proposal
150,000
TOTAL EXISTING AND PROPOSED
978,200
The cumulative impact of these proposals substantially changes the retail
structure of the Region as outlined in the Durham Regional Official Plan. This
necessitates careful independent analysis which addresses the impacts on each
Municipality.
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5.3 Council has previously commented on the Region's amendment proposal (OPA
95- 0022/D) regarding retail warehouse uses in Employment Areas in Report PD-
72 -96. The Municipality raised the following concerns:
these uses should be permitted to develop in Employment Areas on private
services subject to the completion of appropriate hydrogeological and
servicing studies;
these uses should also be permitted adjacent to Type "C" arterials when
deemed appropriate through a traffic study; and
the retail analysis submitted on these types of applications are not
particularly helpful in addressing issues of concern to Clarington. The
analytical approach to be used in undertaking the retail impact assessment
should be open to input from adjacent municipalities.
5.4 With regard to the latter point Staff have some concerns with the main findings
of the market study submitted in support of this application as follows:
• the study appears to have included an aggressive trade area since it
includes population centres significantly removed from the subject lands.
It extends some 125 kilometres to the east along the 401 to Trenton and
even greater distances to the northeast beyond Lindsay and Peterborough.
the population projections are overly optimistic even in the short term.
the report does not acknowledge the Markborough/Willsonia /Canadian Tire
complex in the Bowmanville West Main Central Area as a competitor,
although it identifies centres in Lindsay, Belleville and Peterborough as
competitive sites;
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REPORT • PD-140-96 • 1
the report is unable to quantify specific impacts, with the exception of
furniture, since the other two tenants are not known. However, while the
report states that no other retail facility is at risk of losing its planned
function as a consequence of this development, the report does not
address the potential development and planned function for designated
Central Areas.
5.5 While the Municipality is supportive of the Region's general approach with the
modifications previously suggested, staff are concerned about the continuing
incremental growth around the Thickson Ridge Power Centre. The approval of
this site specific application is premature until the appropriate independent studies
have been prepared to demonstrate any possible impact on the designated
Central Areas in Clarington including the Courtice Sub - Central Area and the
Courtice, Bowmanville and Newcastle Village Main Central Areas.
Respectfully submitted,
Franklin Wu, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director of Planning
and Development
WM *DJC *FW *df
11 October 1996
Reviewed by,
W.H. Stockwell
Chief Administrative
Officer
Attachment #1 - Key Map
Attachment #2 - Proposed Amendment to the Durham Regional Official Plan
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Interested parties to be notified of Council and Committee's decision:
Mr. Robert Short
Town of Whitby
Planning Department
575 Rossland Street East
Whitby, Ontario.
UN 2MB
Mr. Alexander L. Georgieff
Durham Regional Planning
1615 Dundas Street East
4th Floor, Lang Tower
Whitby, Ontario.
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ATTACHMENT #1
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ATTACHMENT #2
Proposed Amendment to the Durham Regional Official flan
Purpose: The purpose of this amendment to the Durham Regional Official Plan
is to permit the development of retail warehouses in the Employment
Areas.
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Basis: The introduction of retail warehouse uses in locations in proximity to
�^ freeway interchanges would provide for a broader range of
employment- generating activities within the Employment Areas
without unduly impacting the planned function of existing and
designated Central Areas.
The amendment will allow area municipalities, after due
^ consideration and subject to specific criteria, to designate areas
suitable for accommodating retail warehouses.
Actual The Durham Regional Official flan is hereby amended by.
Amendment
�.., i) adding the words "retail warehouses," between the words
"materials," and "freight" in Section 11.3.1;
'"*' ii) adding new policies after 11 .3-16 as follows:
"11.3.17 Retail warehouses shall be defined as large - scale,
ell single- purpose facilitles,'having a minimum gross
*, leasable area of approximately 2,000 square metres,
serving a regional trade area, and storing and
displaying products in a warehouse formal.
^ 11.3.18 Councils of the area municipalities may, in the area
municipal official plans, designate locations in the
�. Employment Area for retail warehouse uses. These
locations shall:
a) be adjacent to either a Type A or a Type B arterial
road and in proximity to a Provincial freeway
interchange. In addition, a traffic impact study
shall be, prepared to identify impacts on the
Regional road system and to recommend
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mitigating measures. The cost of any required
improvements to the Regional road system will be
the responsibility of the applicant;
b) be the subject of a study which demonstrates that
the proposed floorspace will not unduly affect the
viability of any designated Central Area on Map
c) be compatible with surrounding land uses;
"~ d) be zoned in an appropriate commercial category
in the respective zoning by -law in accordance with
the provisions of this section; and
e) be subject to any other matters deemed
necessary by Councils of the area municipalities:'
'~ Implementation: The provisions set forth in the Durham Regional Official Plan, as
amended, regarding the implementation of the Plan shall apply
in regard to this Amendment.
Interpretation: The provisions set forth in. the Durham Regional Official plan, as
amended, regarding the interpretation of the Plan shall apply in
regard to this Amendment.
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