HomeMy WebLinkAboutPD-97-91 THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF NEWCASTLE
DN:GTA.GPA
REPORT
Meeting: General Purpose and Administration Committee F i I e ff ula-i4,(A
Date: April 22, 1991 Res. #
Report#: PD-97-91 File#: Pln 1 . 6 Cy Law#
Subject: THE GREATER TORONTO AREA URBAN STRUCTURE CONCEPT STUDY
Recommendations:
It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and
Administration Committee recommend to Council the following:
1. THAT Report PD-97-91 be received for information;
2 . THAT the submission of the Region of Durham on The Greater
Toronto Area Urban Structure Concepts Study be endorsed;
3 . THAT a copy of this Report be forwarded to the Minister
Responsible for the Greater Toronto Area, the Honourable Ruth
Grier, the Office of the Greater Toronto Area, the Greater
Toronto Area Co-ordinating Committee and the Region of Durham.
1. BACKGROUND
1. 1 The Greater Toronto Urban Structure Concepts Study, was
undertaken for the Greater Toronto Co-ordinating Committee by the
IBI Group consulting firm. The Greater Toronto Co-ordinating
Committee (GTCC) initiated this study to develop three generic
urban structure concepts for the Greater Toronto Area and to
provide strategic information regarding the infrastructure
requirements, costs, and other important criteria. The latter
included their impact on the matters of environmental quality,
energy consumption, the provision of human services, the 'ability
to achieve sustainable development, economic impetus and quality
of life. Also, impacts on the immediate hinterland of the
Greater Toronto Area were to be considered.
1 .2 On September 4, 1990, General Purpose and Administration
Committee Meeting received Report PD-262-90 which provided an
REPORT NO. : PD-97-91 PAGE 2
overview of the "The Greater Toronto Area Urban Structure
Concepts Study" .
At the Regional level, a similar report was prepared by the CAO,
Finance, Works and Planning Departments for a Special Standing
Committee of Regional Council . It was submitted on September 5,
1990 with its key recommendation being that Durham Region's area
municipalities be encouraged to work with Regional staff to
prepare a common submission to the Ontario Government responding
to the above-mentioned study.
1 . 3 On November 14, 1990, Regional Planning staff convened a meeting
to determine if such an approach could be considered. It was
agreed that Regional staff would prepare a submission for review
by area municipalities and, if acceptable, would form the basis
of a common submission. Any diverging or additional comments
could be noted by area municipalities . A common submission held
the promise of presenting a united front on this important
Provincial initiative.
1.4 Such a draft was sent out to all of the area municipalities early
December 1990 . Newcastle Planning staff reviewed the draft and
prepared staff-to-staff comments on December 14, 1990 .
A second draft was prepared by Regional staff but the timeframes
imposed by the Region did not give staff the opportunity to
review the proposed Submission or to bring the matter before Town
Council prior to the Region's consideration of the matter.
Consequently, the Submission was adopted as a Regional Submission
with the request to area municipalities to endorse its contents.
2. REGIONAL SUBMISSION
2 . 1 The Region's submission contains three sections:
Section I - A Vision Statement
Durham's role in the GTA is addressed through a vision statement
which:
REPORT NO. : PD-97-91 PAGE 3
is based on tenets of balanced population and employment
growth, variety of housing, equitable economic development,
delivery of community services, efficient infrastructure and
transportation systems , promotion of self-sustaining
communities, protection of the environment, fiscal
responsibility, and a high quality of life, and
provides a Regional context promoting a self-sustaining
"Macro" Nodal Concept, a compact urban form consisting of
distinct urban centres (regional and sub-regional) to
accommodate the shift in population growth to the Regions
outside of Metropolitan Toronto and a decentralized
employment base. Such a development concept integrates the
elements of urbanization, open space, rural settlements,
agriculture and transportation in an efficient and co-
ordinated manner. The Durham Regional Official Plan
embodies a Macro Nodal Concept which should be incorporated
within the overall growth strategy for the GTA.
Section II - Concerns Regarding the Urban Structure
Concepts Study
Concerns regarding the Study are raised which:
relate to the data used;
discuss the relationships of existing and proposed
government policy; and
question the use of the Study for future policy decisions .
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Section III - Further Courses of Action
Further courses of action are discussed as follow-up to the Study
which:
address the need for additional concept identification and
analysis;
emphasize the use of more appropriate data and evaluation
criteria; and j
suggest the need to establish a co-ordinated and consultive
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process . j
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REPORT NO. : PD-97-91 PAGE 4
2 .2 Forwarded under separate copy is Report 91-J-9 from the Region's
Economic Development Finance, Planning, Social Services and Works
Departments which contain a more detailed summary of the
highlights of the Regional Submission. The actual submission
forms Attachment #1 to Regional Report 91-J-9 .
3. STAFF COMMENTS
3. 1 Staff have reviewed the Regional Submission on The Greater
Toronto Area Urban Structure Concepts Study and generally
concurs with the contents of that submission. In addition to the
three generic concepts reviewed in the Provincial Study, that is
Spread, Central and Nodal, the Region has introduced a fourth
concept entitled "Macro Nodal" . The concept is that larger,
"self-sustaining" communities would consist of distinct urban
centres (regional and sub-regional) that accommodate the shift in
population growth to the Regions outside "Metro" and promote an
equitable distribution of existing and new employment. It was
stressed that the Macro Nodal Concept is beneficial not only for
Durham Region but the entire Greater Toronto Area.
3 .2 In this regard, Courtice is part of the Whitby-Oshawa-Courtice
"macro-node" . Bowmanville and Newcastle Village would eventually
grow as one large "macro-node" , being the eastern anchor of the
Region. This would be beyond the 2021 timeframe for the Urban
Structure Concepts Study and beyond the mature state of the
Durham Region Official Plan. Staff noted previously in Report
PD-59-91, that the Region's vision of structuring future urban
growth would link Bowmanville and Newcastle Village.
3 . 3 Staff wish to reinforce the Regional concerns related to the
population, household and employment growth forecasts for the
Region and in particular the Town. The Central Concept is
virtually a no-growth scenario for the Town of Newcastle (ie.
population of 53,000 by the year 2021) . Even the most optimistic
projection resulting from the spread concept would be 95,000 and
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REPORT NO. : PD-97-91 PAGE 5
could be accommodated within the current "designated" urban
boundaries . It is unrealistic to assume that the momentum for
growth in the Town since 1986 could suddenly be stopped.
Moreover, as noted in the Region's submission, the impact of
senior government announcements for transportation infrastructure
has not been included in the growth forecasts nor adequately
addressed in the Study (ie. Highway 407, GO Transit) .
3 .4 The Greater Toronto Area Urban Structure Concepts Study was
prepared to provide a comparison of broad concepts for
structuring urban growth in the Greater Toronto Area. This is
the first step of what will hopefully be a co-ordinated
consultative process for future planning. It is complex and
ambiguous but will lead to very important decisions for the
financing and development of Provincial and Municipal
infrastructure. It is recommended that the Town endorse the
Region's submission on this matter.
Respectfully submitted, Recommended for presentation
to the Committee
Franklin Wu, M.C. I .P. Lawrenc E. Kotseff
Director of Planning Chief A inistrative
and Development Officer
BR*DC*FW*df
11 April 1991
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