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Home My WebLink AboutPD-185-84 �j�t ,c�Li• � �� 4 CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF NEWCASTLE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT T.T.EDWARDS,M.C.I.P.,Director HAMPTON,ONTARIO LOB 1JO TEL.(416)263-2231 REPORT TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 5, 1984 REPORT NO. : PD-185-84 SUBJECT: RESIDENTIAL NODES/CLUSTERS POLICY STATEMENT - CRITERIA TOWN OF NEWCASTLE RECOMMENDATION: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following : 1 . That Report PD-185-84 be received; and 2. That the criteria within Staff Report PD-185-84 * and noted on Attachment No. 1 to said report be adopted by Council ; and 3. That a copy of said criteria, along with Staff Report PD-185-84, be forwarded to the Region of Durham for their information and records in consideration of the Town of Newcastle's request of the Region to review the Official Plan sections on clusters in rural and open space areas. . . .2 I i A REPORT NO. : PD-185-84 Page 2 BACKGROUND: Council , at their October 9, 1984 meeting, in consideration of an application for an amendment to the Region of Durham Official Plan pertaining to an Estate Residential Development, adopted a resolution of Committee (#GPA-991-84) whereby the Town of Newcastle requested that the Region of Durham review the Official Plan section on clusters in rural and open space areas and further, that the Region review the rounding out and/or infilling in residential areas that are not, now, defined as clusters. Subsequently, a further resolution of Committee (#GPA-928-84) was endorsed whereby Town Staff was directed to prepare a policy statement on rural and open space development for Committee's consideration. COMMENTS: The Region of Durham Official Plan (Section 11 .2.2) stipulates that the use of land within a designated permanent agricultural reserve area for any purpose other than agricultural and farm-related uses shall not be permitted ; the intent being the preservation of agricultural lands. Staff concurs with this provision within the Official Plan and would not be a position to support a general policy statement which would alter this intent. Within the "Major Open Space" designations, the Plan stipulates that the predominant use of lands shall be for agricultural and farm-related uses. In addition , the Plan states that the development of new non-farm residential uses shall be discouraged unless such development proceeds in the i . ..3 I REPORT NO. : PD-185-84 \/ Page 3 form of infilling between existing residential dwellings and is recognized as a residential cluster or node within a municipality's Zoning By-law. Infilling is defined in Section 10.2.1 .4 of the Durham Plan as : "situations where one or more non-farm residential dwellings are to be located between two buildings located on the same side of a public road and within a distinct node or cluster of non-farm residential dwellings in such a manner as to not contribute to strip or ribbon development and subject to such a node or cluster being identified in the respective Zoning By-law". As Committee may recall , rezoning applications requesting a node/cluster zone have been submitted for Staff's review and recommendation to Committee and Council in the past. i .e. DEV 83-25 Friedrich, DEV 83-4 Anderson, and DEV 84-11 Tomina. Within the review process of each application Staff responded to Committee having consideration for the Region of Durham Official Plan designations/policies and the following general criteria/policies. a) a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of six (6) residential lots which already exist in the area to be defined as a cluster; b) the cluster is bounded on, at least, three (3) sides by natural or physical boundaries ; c) the cluster is not located adjacent to an active agricultural operation ; d) the cluster has a main community focal point i .e. school , community centre, church, general store etc. in order to justify the location of residential development of this nature; ...4 i REPORT NO. : PD-185-84 Page 4 e) the proposed cluster is located at the intersection of two (2) roads. Staff would note that the above policies for determining appropriate locations for the designating of residential clusters and nodes are similar to policies which have been adopted and enforced by other municipalities within the Region of Durham. i It is Staff' s opinion that the policies - guidelines noted above have been endorsed/acted upon in consideration of the applications previously submitted and dealt with by Committee and Council and accordingly would recommend the formal adoption of same by Council . Staff would note for Committee's information that Regional Staff advises that in consideration of the request of the Town of Newcastle to review the cluster provisions within the Official Plan, a review of same has commenced. Accordingly and as noted within the recommendations of said report , Staff would suggest that the policy guidelines , should Council deem advisable to endorse, be forward-ed to the Region for their information and review in response to Council 's request. Respectf mitted, r T.T. Edwards, M.C.I.P. Director of Planning LDT*TTE*j i p October 25, 1984 *Attach. ATTACHMENT NO. 1 TO REPORT PD-185-84 TOWN OF NEWCASTLE CRITERIA/POLICIES FOR THE PURPOSES OF IDENTIFYING NODES OR CLUSTERS Nodes or Clusters are defined as areas which satisfy two (2) or more of the following criteria. a) A minimum of three (3) and a maximum of six (6) residential lots which already exist in the area to be defined as a cluster. b) The cluster is bounded on, at least, three (3) sides by natural or physical boundaries. c) The cluster is not located adjacent to an active agricultural operation. d) The cluster has a main community focal point i .e. school , community centre, church , general store etc. in order to justify the location of residential development of this nature. e) The proposed cluster is located at the intersection of two (2) streets.