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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-079-05 Addendum Unfinished Business REPORT Leading the Way , PLANNING SERVICES Meeting: COUNCIL Date: Monday, June 27, 2005 Addendum to Report #: PSD-079-05 File#: PLN 37.2 By-law M Subject: BOWMANVILLE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended that Council approve the following: 1. THAT Addendum to Report PSD-079-05 be received; 2. THAT the Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan, dated June 2005 (distributed under separate cover) be approved and that the necessary By-law be passed; 3. THAT the Region of Durham Planning Department be forwarded a copy of this Report and Council's decision; and, 4. THAT application to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval of the Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan be submitted; 5. THAT the Directors of Planning Services and Finance be delegated authority to accept any modifications by the Minister provided they are minor in nature, and do not effect the intent of the Community Improvement Plan; and 6. THAT all interested parties listed for this report and any delegations be advised of Council's decision. Submitted by: Reviewed by: a i . Crome, M.C.I.P.,R.P.P. Franklin Wu Director, Planning Services Chief Administrative Officer FL*DC"df June 21, 2005 CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO LIC 3A6 T (905)623-3379 F (905)623-0830 ADDENDUM TO REPORT NO.: PSD-079-05 PAGE 2 1.0 APPLICATION DETAILS 1.1 Applicant: Municipality of Clarington 1 .2 Community Improvement Plan: To adopt the Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan to allow for incentives and municipal works that will improve the viability of the Bowmanville East Town Centre and help maintain the strong and high quality community life that residents enjoy. 2.0 LOCATION 2.1 The subject lands are the Bowmanville East Town Centre and some of the adjacent surrounding residential lands as set out in the schedule attached to the bylaw. 3.0 BACKGROUND 3.1 On December 15th, 2003 Council approved the preparation of a Community Improvement Plan for Bowmanville and a study area Bylaw 2003-186 as amended. The terms of reference for the study called for a community focus group, which was formed in February of 2004 and has guided the study since that time. 3.2 Prior to the undertaking of a Community Improvement Plan stakeholder groups were consulted to determine whether the residents and community were receptive to having such a study prepared, the result was very positive. The community has been kept informed of the study progress through reports in the newspaper and a newsletter. Comments received during the progress of the Community Improvement Plan have been supportive of the recommendations put forward. 3.3 This Community Improvement Plan will allow the Municipality to provide incentives to business owners and property owners in the Bowmanville Community Improvement Project Area. It also includes recommendations for works by the Municipality. 3.4 The Business Development Manager of the Clarington Board of Trade has been intimately involved in the preparation of this Community Improvement Plan and will continue to be involved in the implementation. ADDENDUM TO REPORT NO.: PSD-079-05 PAGE 3 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN 4.1 The Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan consists of grant programs for building permit fees, site plan control application fees, heritage building fagade improvements and building code improvements. Other measures recommended in the Community Improvement Plan are enhancement of the civic square, improvements to municipal and private parking areas, capital funding for improvements located on municipal lands (such as streetscape works), ongoing liaison with stakeholder groups and the public. 4.2 Part of the implementation of the Community Improvement Plan is the ongoing co-ordination between the various community organizations, the Municipality of Clarington, the Board of Trade and Tourism Clarington. Cross-marketing amongst all these groups and other initiatives is vital to the ongoing success of the Community Improvement Plan. 5.0 PUBLIC MEETING AND SUBMISSION 5.1 At the statutory public meeting held on June 20th, 2005 there where no submissions from the public. The Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan has the endorsement of the community focus group, as presented by Ron Hooper at the meeting. In addition, the focus group provided comments about the first steps of implementation, as noted below: a) The Community Focus Group thanked Council for funding for the grant program, $25,000, was approved in the 2005 budget. The focus group are recommending that in future years the allocation to the grant program be increased given that a single address could piggy-back all the grants together and receive $26,000. Council on an annual basis, as part of the budget approval, can review the funding. b) As a priority the community focus group are recommending that the entry markers at Roegnik Drive and Mearns Avenue be installed as soon as possible. Staff can finalize the design and costing of these markers over the summer recess and determine funding sources for the project. Depending on the cost it may be possible to have them constructed out of the Community Improvement Plan funding in the Planning Services budget in 2005; otherwise a request for funding can be included in next year's capital budget. c) The focus group requested that the study regarding infill, intensification and related parking policies be initiated immediately. The first step of this study will be the drafting of the terms of reference which staff could undertake during the summer recess. Staff have already begun researching what other municipalities have done with regard to infill and intensification studies and cash-in-lieu of parking policies. ADDENDUM TO REPORT NO.: PSD-079-05 PAGE 4 d) The final item from the focus group, is that while they agree with the development charge exemptions/reductions that have been recommended, more could be done to support infill and intensification either through additional development charge adjustments or additional grant programs. The infill intensification study will provide specifics on additional funding initiatives. 5.2 A number of phone calls have been received from members of the public prior to the public meeting, most of the calls were of a general information nature when specifics of the recommendations were discussed, the callers appeared to be in support of the recommended grant programs for the most part. Property owners that attended the Open House held in April and who have spoken with Planning Staff since that time are in support of the recommendations and anxious to submit grant applications. 5.3 The Bowmanville Zoo was not included in the Bowmanville Community Improvement study area as approved by By-law 2003-186 in December of 2003. The zoo could be added as an amendment to the study area by-law and become part of the community improvement project area if Council so desired; however, at this point it would delay the approval of the Community Improvement Plan. 6.0 AGENCY COMMENTS 6.1 Letters were sent to the applicable commenting agencies on May 26th, 2005 asking for comments within a three week timeframe. No objections to the Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan have been received. 6.2 The Clarington Engineering Services Department, Durham Region Works and Durham Regional Police are in agreement with the recommendations regarding signage and streetscape improvements, they would like to co-ordinate on these initiatives. The improvement of access signage is seen as a benefit by all. 6.3 CLOCA advises that consultation with them prior to approval of any works in the valleylands or floodplain is encouraged to avoid natural heritage or hazard lands. 6.4 The Durham Region Planning Department has no objections to the CIP. They have indicated that it is in conformity with the Regional Official Plan and Community Strategic Plan. 6.5 A presentation was made to LACAC who are in support of the recommendations. Representatives of LACAC, the Accessibility Committee and Traffic Management Committee were members of the community focus group and thus many of their concerns were addressed during the study. The committees members are in agreement with the general intent of the plan and have offered their expertise in ADDENDUM TO REPORT NO.: PSD-079-05 PAGE 5 relation to the specific works that relate to their areas of interest, fagade improvements to heritage buildings and streetscape works. 6.6 The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing have provided preliminary comments on the Community Improvement Plan. Their comments have been amalgamated into the final document before Council. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing may require additional modifications. Providing that the modifications do not alter the intent we are recommending that Council delegate authority to accept the modifications to the Directors of Planning Services and Finance. 6.7 The changes that have been made to the community improvement plan document since the final draft are minor in nature and involve clarification of intent, grammatical and typographic corrections, etc. 7.0 COMMENTS 7.1 Based on the comments contained in this report, it is respectfully recommended that the proposed Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan be APPROVED and submitted to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval. 7.2 The proposed amendment conforms to the Durham Region Official Plan and the Region has advised that the amendment is exempt from Regional Approval. Attachments: Attachment 1 — Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan (bylaw) The Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan will be circulated under separate cover. Interested parties to be notified of Council's decision Members of the Bowmanville Community Focus Group Bowmanville BBC Ron Hooper Ann Marie Halliday Justin Barry Rev. Frank Lockhart Fiona Corby Suzanne McCrimmon Garth Gilpin Mike Hubicki and Ron Albright Brendon Nightingale Clayton Morgan Larry Dekkema Bill Humber Fiona Corby ATTACHMENT THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON BY-LAW NUMBER 2005- being a By-law to adopt Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan WHEREAS Section 28 of the Planning Act R.S.O. 1990, as amended, authorizes the Municipality of Clarington to pass by-laws for the adoption or repeal of Community Improvement Plans thereto; AND WHEREAS the Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington deems it advisable to adopt the Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan, June 2005 to allow for the implementation of grants, and other municipal works, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the Council of the Municipality of Clarington enacts as follows: 1. That the Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan (as attached) be approved including Schedule A the community improvement project area; and 2. That the Clerk of the Municipality of Clarington is hereby authorized and directed to make application to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs for approval of the aforementioned Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan; and 3. This By-law shall come into force and take effect on the date of the passing hereof BY-LAW read a first time this 27th day of June 2005 BY-LAW read a second time this 27`" day of June 2005 BY-LAW read a third time and finally passed this 27� day of June 2005 John Mutton, Mayor Patti L. Barrie, Municipal Clerk a IIIIIIIIi i Null— 1111111 =� "iiinnHlllNnhiNn iE i Illuin111111NIdIN r _nmm�u�nuinnn nnn a�w . _ 1111■■1111111 111 �•� IIn11111111► = N VIII �- -- InunIN ln • 'I.1."1�� � uln i b - �_ � .■ , �Illflr. e ' IIIIIII�= = _ ■ �_ 1 IIIN111111� . 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COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLANS IN CLARINGTON ................................... 4 1.1 WHY WAS THIS COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN STUDY UNDERTAKEN? .....................................4 1.2 WHAT IS A COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN?.............................................................................4 1.3 WHAT IS THE STUDY AREA FOR THE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN?.......................................5 1.4 WHO HAS GUIDED THE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN?...........................................................5 1.5 BOWMANVILLE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN VISION STATEMENT.........................................6 1.6 PRIORITIES6 IMMEDIATEPRIORITIES..........................................................................................7 LONGER TERM PRIORITIES......................................................................................7 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ..................................................................... 8 2.1 HISTORY 8 2.2 LAND-USE 9 2.3 PREVIOUS STUDIES....................................................................................................................11 BOWMANVILLE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT STUDY, 1979 ........................................... 11 MARKET IMPACT STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED PYTHBOW MALL DEVELOPMENT ON BOWMANVILLE'S DOWNTOWN CORE, 1983 ................................................ 11 BACKGROUND REPORT TO BOWMANVILLE MAIN CENTRAL AREA DEVELOPMENT PLAN, 1985... 11 BOWMANVILLE CAUSE (COMMUNITY ASSIST FOR AN URBAN STUDY EFFORT), 1991.............. 11 BOWMANVILLE MAIN CENTRAL AREA STUDY- OVERVIEW, 1992...................................... 11 RETAIL MARKET STUDIES: A PLANNER'S GUIDE, 1995................................................... 12 BOWMANVILLE TOWN CENTRE, 1996........................................................................ 12 BOWMANVILLE EAST MAIN CENTRAL AREA SECONDARY PLAN, 1996 ................................. 12 MAIN STREET ONTARIO FUNDING APPLICATION, 1999.................................................. 12 DOWNTOWN BOWMANVILLE PARKING INVENTORY, MARCH 2000 .................................... 12 BOWMANVILLE KING STREET EAST CORRIDOR STUDY, 2003 .......................................... 12 CLARINGTON BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION REVIEW, 2004................................ 12 CLARINGTON COMMERCIAL POLICY REVIEW: RECOMMENDED POLICY CHANGES 2004/5 ........ 13 BOWMANVILLE EAST TOWN CENTRE SECONDARY PLAN 2005.......................................... 13 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS FROM SURVEYS, 1995, 1997, 1999 ...............................................................13 2.4 ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER.....................................................................................................13 2.5 STREETSCAPE ............................................................................................................................14 2.6 CARS AND PEOPLE......................................................................................................................15 3. COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN PROCESS...............................................16 3.1 BOWMANVILLE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AREA BOUNDARY......................................16 4. IMPROVEMENTS AND BARRIERS ................................................................19 4.1 PREVIOUS IMPROVEMENTS.........................................................................................................19 4.2 ECONOMIC INDICATORS.............................................................................................................19 4.3 BUILDING CONDITIONS..............................................................................................................20 4.4 LAND USE RESTRICTIONS...........................................................................................................20 4.5 PRIVATE PARKING AREAS...........................................................................................................20 4.6 FOCAL POINT AND CIVIC PRESENCE ...........................................................................................21 4.7 ADDITIONAL ISSUES ..................................................................................................................22 4.7.1 PARKING METERS .................................................................................... 22 4.7.2 TRAFFIC CALMING AND FLOW..................................................................... 22 4.7.3 SIGNAGE ............................................................................................... 22 4.7.4 STORE HOURS ........................................................................................ 23 4.7.5 SAFETY AND SECURITY ............................................................................. 23 5 PROGRAMS ...............................................................................................24 5.1 INCENTIVES...............................................................................................................................24 5.1.1 DEVELOPMENT CHARGES ........................................................................... 24 5.1.2 DESIGN ASSISTANCE ................................................................................ 25 5.1.3 DESIGN GUIDELINES ................................................................................ 26 5.1.4 PUBLIC AMENITY AREAS ............................................................................ 26 5.1.5 FACILITATION......................................................................................... 26 5.2 GRANT PROGRAM (TO BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH APPENDIX 5).........................................27 5.2.1 BUILDING PERMIT FEE GRANT PROGRAM ....................................................... 27 5.2.2 SITE PLAN CONTROL FEE GRANT PROGRAM.................................................... 27 5.2.3 HERITAGE BUILDING FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM .............................. 27 5.2.4 UPGRADE TO BUILDING CODE GRANT PROGRAM.............................................. 27 5.3 GENERAL RULES.........................................................................................................................27 5.4 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ...........................................................................................................28 5.4.1 ENTRY GATEWAY FEATURES....................................................................... 28 5.4.2 KING STREET BRIDGE REFURBISHMENT......................................................... 28 5.4.3 ROENIGK DRIVE PLANTER.......................................................................... 28 5.4.4 CIVIC SQUARE ........................................................................................ 28 5.4.5 20 KING STREET FACADE ........................................................................... 29 5.4.6 STREETSCAPING...................................................................................... 29 5.4.7 OFF-STREET PARKING............................................................................... 29 5.4.8 OTHER PUBLIC AMENITIES......................................................................... 30 5.5 FUNDING SOURCES....................................................................................................................30 5.6 IMPLEMENTATION......................................................................................................................30 5.7 INTERPRETATION.......................................................................................................................31 TABLE OF APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: BOWMANVILLE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN NEWSLETTERAPPENDIX 2: OPEN HOUSE PANELS AND COMMENTS................................................................................ 32 APPENDIX 2: OPEN HOUSE PANELS AND COMMENTS...................................................................... 34 APPENDIX 3: STATUTORY PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE....................................................................... 38 APPENDIX 4: PREVIOUS STUDIES................................................................................................... 39 APPENDIX 5: GRANT PROGRAMS.................................................................................................... 53 Clyrirl )ton 1 . COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLANS IN CLARINGTON The Official Plan for the Municipality outlines the goals and objectives for Community Improvement. Clarington has had a long history of supporting its historical downtown areas and rural communities while taking advantage of federal or provincial funding programs to support civic improvements; this is the second formal Community Improvement Plan for Clarington. 1.1 WHY WAS THIS COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN STUDY UNDERTAKEN? The main purpose of this Community Improvement is to articulate a vision for Bowmanville, based on an assessment of past experience and future prospects, along with a realistic"road map" of how to get there. At its December 15th, 2003 meeting, Council approved a draft terms of reference for the Community Improvement Plan and a study area, which set out the Community Improvement Project Area, by By-law 2003-186 as amended. The Official Plan identified Bowmanville as a "first' priority for a Community Improvement Plan (22.3.2). The need for a Community Improvement Plan was further reinforced by the pending applications for"big box"stores in the west end of Bowmanville and the review of the commercial policies of the Official Plan including the potential removal of the square footage caps for retail development. The Clarington Board of Trade and the Municipality consulted with the Bowmanville BIA and other business representatives along King Street to determine if there was public support for a Community Improvement Plan. The Bowmanville merchants have a history of taking positive action when they anticipate a change within the market. The previous planning and market studies that have been undertaken provide a history of this tradition (see section 2.3). 1.2 WHAT IS A COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN? A Community Improvement Plan is a comprehensive community-based planning study with no set preconceptions. This approach implies that all previous activity, development incentives, and policies applicable to the project area are "up for review", as such, a prudent first step is to review and explore what the main "givens"for the area are and what positive or negative outcomes may arise from change. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan Page 4 C1arkgon 11.. 1.3 WHAT IS THE STUDY AREA FOR THE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN? The Planning Act permits Council to designate the "project area"to be ), �! investigated during a Community Improvement Plan study. The larger the _ project area, the more complex and time �: r, consuming the research and analysis may become. The designated Community _— Improvement Project Area is bounded by Wellington Street westerly to Liberty s " - Street, south to Church Street, then northerly to include the Kingscourt Road F _' TI area and Soper Creek valley lands to Mearns Avenue. Southerly along Mearns t j Avenue to Hobbs Drive and easterly along [� Queen Street to Queen Avenue then 7� i easterly to include the Bowmanville Creek Bowmanville Community Improvement Project Area valley lands, then northerly to the CPR Figure 1 tracks (see Figure 1). 1.4 WHO HAS GUIDED THE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN? A Community Focus Group was established to guide the development of the Community Improvement Plan. A call for applications was publicly advertised and a focus group appointed. There were 12 members, representing a variety of interests: COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN MEMBERS Ron Hooper.............................................. BBC Justin Barry..............................................Clarington Board of Trade Merna Vella .............................................. Bowmanville Resident Ellen Cowan.............................................. Business Bill Humber...............................................Bowmanville Resident Evylin Stroud ............................................Accessibility Committee Fiona Corby..............................................Clarington Resident Frank Lockhart..........................................Valleys 2000 Anne Marie Halliday...................................Business Brendan Nightingale .................................Traffic Management Committee Clayton Morgan.........................................LACAC Councillor Don MacArthur .........................Clarington Council (chair) 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 5 I Clarington Ie.HrFlFr qn The Focus Group was assisted by: Suzanne McCrimmon.................................Clarington Board of Trade Faye Langmaid ......................................... Planning Services Department Janaka Wijesundara .................................. Planning Services Department Leslie Benson............................................ Engineering Services Department Mike Hubicki .............................................Totten Sims Hubicki Ron Albright .............................................Totten Sims Hubicki The community focus group met at least ten times during the course of the study. In addition, members became involved in the Commercial Policy Review and the subsequent Secondary Plan changes. The individuals of the community focus group are active members of the community and brought a number of perspectives to the table. While there was general consensus on many aspects that could contribute towards revitalization and vibrancy, there was also lively debate and discussion. 1.5 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan Vision Statement One of the major tasks for the community focus group was to develop a vision statement and identify short and long term priorities for the Community Improvement Plan. A vision statement is a description of the ideal state of being which community members believe is the desirable future for their community. It describes the qualities and characteristics of the area appreciated and valued by local people. Therefore, it is based on the knowledge of local community, and unique appreciation and understanding of these locales. Vision statements are concerned with how change and development can be carried out so that it is in harmony with its setting. The difficulty in developing this vision statement was to make it applicable to the entire area of the community improvement plan; while it is easy to segment the Community Improvement Project Area, thinking of it as a whole is more of a challenge. The community focus group adopted the following vision statement: Bowmanville's main street is much more than an historic Ontario downtown;it is nest/ed between two valleys, and provides shopping opportunities from the traditional to trendy. Bowmanville's merchants are open to change while promoting and delighting in their long established community values, stewardship and hospitality. 1.6 Priorities The priorities of the community focus group were based on the knowledge of the Community Improvement Project Area that each of the focus group members has from their different perspectives. The knowledge and insight of the community focus group members provided rich details for the development of the Community Improvement Plan. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 6 Cl�ri���on bvAu,?fM•�• Immediate Priorities • Entry Area Demarcation ; sk` '• • Development Charge Reductions • Civic Square Enhancements • Streetscape Enhancements *' • Guidelines for Infill and Intensification [ >SI i 4! s I y4� Longer Term Priorities • Historical Building Rehabilitation (incentives and design) • Downtown Parking Needs (inventory, public/private co-operation, oli ad'ustments a.. • Continued municipal support through promotion and development of the Bowmanville East Town Centre • Continued municipal support for infill and intensification through policy adjustments, streamlining of processing and incentives 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 7 Claringtoll 2 . BACKGROUND INFORMATION 2.1 History The Bowmanville and Soper Creeks would have provided the natives of this area with a plentiful supply of fish and other resources. Settlers in the form of United Empire Loyalists from New England arrived in 1794. The Bowmanville and Soper Creeks became sites for lumber and gristmills in the early 1800's. The main routes of land transportation, Danforth Road and Kingston Road, were built through Bowmanville bending where necessary to cross the creeks and creating a deviation from the typical grid pattern of many towns. While Charles Bowman, the man after whom Bowmanville is named did not reside here; he certainly had significant influence over the settlement and development of the village. Bowman purchased what had been John Burk's Crown Patent and additional lands to the west of Bowmanville. He improved the milling business and sold smaller lots for commercial and residential development. By the 1830's an influx of British immigrants caused the settlement of Darlington Mills, as it was known at the time, to expand to a population of approximately 1000. The Village of Bowmanville was officially incorporated in 1853. By 1858, the population had tripled and it was incorporated as a Town. The incredible growth was credited to the arrival of the railway, a positive economy, demand for wheat, and a mini real estate boom. Much of the downtown core and surrounding residential neighbourhood were built in the period between 1850 and 1900. Beldon's Illustrated Historical Atlas(1878) gives a good sense of how developed the community was. The street layout and wealth of the merchants and residents are evident in the illustrations. This period is also the beginning of civic works, such as the development of sidewalks, streetlights and the building of Town Hall (1903). Bowmanville historically started at the Bowmanville Creek and has grown and filled in, moving to the east and now abutting Soper Creek. Twentieth century growth can be attributed to the establishment of Bowmanville Foundry Company and arrival of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The Dominion Organ and Piano Factory had already been established prior to the turn of the century. Public and private investments in infrastructure, transportation and commerce have continued throughout the 20"' century at a moderate pace. Politically, Bowmanville lost its independence from the surrounding agricultural community when it was incorporated into the Town of Newcastle with the formation of the Region of Durham in 1974. The Town of Newcastle has since been renamed the Municipality of Clarington. Bowmanville remains the largest urban centre in Clarington and the focus of the community's identity. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan Page 8 C1r�,C11�'t41x 2.2 Land-Use The land use pattern and policies of the Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan is shown in Figure 2 (Page 10). The majority of the Community Improvement Project Area is within the Bowmanville East Town Centre (formerly known as the Bowmanville East Main Central Area). The policies set out in the Secondary Plan for that area remain applicable; those policies are currently being updated in response to the Commercial Policy Review (see Appendix 4 - Previous Studies). It is not the intention of this Community Improvement Plan to change the Official Plan designations or zoning status but rather to support and feed into the changes being made to the Secondary Plan for Bowmanville East Town Centre. The Secondary Plan sets out goals and objectives, which are in keeping with the vision statement of the Community Improvement Plan. Essentially the Bowmanville East Town Centre functions as a focal point, interest and identity for residents of Clarington. As one of the dominant commercial centres for Clarington (the other is Bowmanville West Town Centre), the eastern focal point has an emphasis on office uses including the Municipal Administrative Centre and Library, business and administrative services and retail commercial activity. It also has a resident population that assists in maintaining the urban core as a safe, accessible, vibrant downtown. Currently the population of the Bowmanville East Town Centre is approximately 850; in addition the mostly residential uses that occur along Church Street and Queen Street bring the population to well over 1000. This population will continue to grow although the number of people per unit is dropping. As part of the goals of both the Secondary Plan and Community Improvement Plan the intention is to continue to have this area and the surrounding residential neighbourhoods as a viable and desirable live/work situation. The Community Improvement Project Area has some 70,000 sq. metres of area allowable as retail and personal service floorspace. The recent findings and recommendations of the Commercial Policy Review show that 65,742 sq. metres exist and allows for an increase over time as more of the dwellings in the Estate Retail area are converted to mixed use. Generally the 70,000 sq. metres split into 30,000 sq. m. for the downtown and 40,000 sq. m. for the East Business District. One of the major recommendations of the Commercial Policy Review was to establish flexibility to allow for intensification and redevelopment opportunities. The revisions to the Secondary Plan for the Bowmanville East Town Centre address these policy directions. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 9 1 1 j/%/j ,., % % i Eve % W' FTF Y J tl —.i3s1x YA 1.1 • t y �J� C'Iarig on F2.3 Previous Studies A number of studies, inventories, strategies and recommendations have been made for the Community Improvement Project Area over the past 25 years, some specific to the downtown. Many of the recommendations and initiatives have been implemented by the Business Improvement Area (BIA), known as Bowmanville Business Centre (BBC), sometimes referred to as Historic Downtown Bowmanville (HDB) however due to financial constraints or neglect, others have not been implemented. A more fulsome discussion of each study is included in Appendix 4. Bowmanville Central Business District Study, 1979 • The purpose was to examine the Central Business District of the Bowmanville urban area, and to identify its roles, functions and potential for retail commercial activities, civic administration and amenity. • This study was to form the basis of a section of the Community District Plan (a precursor to the Official Plan), identifying policies and strategies for the revitalization of the Central Business District. Market Impact Study of the Effects of the Proposed Pythbow Mall Development on Bowmanville's Downtown Core, 1983 • Impact study of the proposed Pythbow development, including effects that it would have upon the downtown core in Bowmanville. • Study included a questionnaire concerning shopping habits. Background Report to Bowmanville Main Central Area Development Plan, 1985 • Reviewed existing and proposed development within the Bowmanville Main Central Area and how this relates to Durham Region Official Plan and the Official Plan of the Bowmanville Major Urban Area. • Also summarized existing retail and personal service floorspace and presented two development scenarios for the future development of Main Central Area. Bowmanville CAUSE (Community Assist for an Urban Study Effort), 1991 • Purpose was to stimulate analysis, provide focus for initiative, and make specific recommendations, acted as a catalyst for action in Bowmanville as a mixed-use area in rapid transition, encountering planning/design opportunities and pitfalls. • Opening discussion in the report made the point that Bowmanville already possesses a strong image and sense of community and is in no need of having to invent or foist a theme'onto the downtown. Bowmanville Main Central Area Study — Overview, 1992 • Purpose was to collect, review and elaborate on the policies existing in the Town of Newcastle affecting the Bowmanville Main Central Area. From there, appropriate future policies concerning the expected growth levels for Bowmanville could be drafted and approved. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 11 Clacig orl Retail Market Studies: A Planner's Guide, 1995 • Provided municipalities with a process by which a retail market analysis should be followed, as well significant attention is paid to the 'big box' retail development in a second accompanying section. • Attached to this process guide was a retail analysis conducted in 1995. Bowmanville Town Centre, 1996 • Inventory of existing streetscape items (metered parking spaces, trees, lights, waste receptacles, etc.) and development of urban design objectives. These urban design objectives were not formally adopted by the BIA or Council. Bowmanville East Main Central Area Secondary Plan, 1996 • Building on the inventory and analysis work to date this chapter within the Official Plan, it sets out the objectives and policies for the Bowmanville East Main Central Area. Main Street Ontario Funding Application, 1999 • Summarized the application made by Clarington for Main Street Ontario Millennium Funding —Bowmanville received funding for: 10 benches, 10 planters, and 10 waste receptacles (Bowmanville BIA); and Restoration and rehabilitation of the Bowmanville Creek (Valleys 2000). Downtown Bowmanville Parking Inventory, March 2000 • An inventory of the existing public and private formalized parking in the area bounded by Queen Street, Scugog Street, Church Street and Division Street. • Identified opportunities to provide additional parking in the downtown, and provide various alternatives for increasing available parking within the study area. • Private spaces 654, public spaces 206, on-street 181, total 1041. Bowmanville King Street East Corridor Study, 2003 • Purpose was to assess the appropriateness of the land use policies in the study area and make recommendations for changes, to develop transportation and property access management plan with strategy to accommodate traffic, and prepare urban design plan to guide future development. Clarington Business Retention and Expansion Review, 2004 • Goals of the review were to identify and remedy common business challenges, stimulate growth and job creation opportunities within existing businesses and to assist in facilitating long-range strategies for growth. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 12 Clarin on Clarington Commercial Policy Review: Recommended Policy Changes 2004/5 • Purpose was to review and study/analyze existing commercial policy and recommend changes to better accommodate growth that has occurred and is forecasted to occur into the future, recommendations have implications for a number of the Secondary Plans regarding commercial areas in the Official Plan. Bowmanville East Town Centre Secondary Plan 2005 • Revisions to the Bowmanville East Main Central Area Secondary Plan being recommended as a result of the Commercial Policy Review. The Secondary Plan review is occurring as a parallel process to this Community Improvement Plan. General Observations from Surveys, 1995, 1997, 1999 3 surveys have been carried out for downtown Bowmanville and the BIA on how best to get the message out to residents and tourists to shop in the downtown. The results were: • Similar attitudes concerning the downtown core between newer and longer term residents of Clarington (consistency of responses between the surveys and over time) • Word of mouth, newspapers and posters/banners appear to be the most effective methods of advertising downtown events. 2.4 Architectural Character Bowmanville from an architectural standpoint has distinct eras of construction along King Street. These distinct areas are the Historic Downtown with its mostly Victorian two and a half to three storey storefronts; the Estate Retail area from George to Liberty Streets characterized by large historic homes with more recent infill; and King Street East from Liberty to Mearns, which is predominantly from the modern commercial era. One of the most important issues raised by the community focus group and public has been the need to retain the historical buildings were possible while allowing them to take on different uses. The community clearly understands that the entire Community Improvement Project Area is evolving and that additional commercial and mixed-use developments are needed. However, they also realize that the area has a significant resident population and that additional residential development is desirable. The residential component enlivens the street, providing safety and surveillance. It is important to ensure that as this evolution happens the architectural character is respected. I eex ' NIt�i5 WlN al! iAL 311 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 13 Clarh on r.r.. e.w.r 2.5 Streetscape King Street Streetscape Visualization The streetscape characteristics of King Street are different from that ofueen or Church Streets in addition there are differences between the Historic Downtown Estate Retail ' and King Street East areas of the Community Improvement Plan (for map of areas see page 17). The streetscape of the Historic Downtown along King Street and side streets has had a significant amount of work in the summer of 2004 to reconstruct the sidewalks, provide new streetlights and pedestrian amenities (benches, garbage cans and tree planting). Streetscaping along Church and Queen Before Streets is in good condition; however a street tree planting program would benefit both streets in the downtown area. The Estate Retail area of King Street has little distinguishing its character. The street is very wide (4 lanes) and yet does not have on street parking. This area would benefit from some additional streetscaping and/or traffic calming that would effectively narrow the street through the provision of a street tree canopy and pedestrian amenities. In the Estate Retail area the streetscapes of Queen and Church Street are well established, any infill development should maintain the street trees and quality of the environment. ^ter The King Street East area of the Community Improvement Plan has already been the subject of extensive study in 2003 resulting in the development of urban design guidelines. These guidelines propose to strengthen the urban form of the street by bringing buildings up to the sidewalk and providing for a more pedestrian friendly streetscape. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 14 Clarin pll 2.6 Cars and People The Bowmanville Community Improvement Project Area is accessible by a number of roadways and trails. Many residents from the adjoining neighbourhoods access the downtown by foot or bicycle using the valley trail Puiucaei systems. The area is serviced by Clarington Transit and GO Transit; ridership is increasing over time as more people become familiar with the service. The traffic situation in the area is a reflection of the availability of parking, and the lack of other alternative east/west routes across Bowmanville. With the construction of the Longworth Bridge in 2004 to the north of downtown it is anticipated that some of the flow-through traffic will use this alternative route and avoid the downtown. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 15 G'laC'11r7{,'tM LeLyA.Yec 3 . COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN PROCESS The Community Improvement Plan as contained in this document has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Planning Act, 1990, R.S.O. and Municipal Act, 2001. For the purposes of carrying out a Community Improvement Plan, Section 28(7) of the Planning Act permits the municipality to make grants or loans to the registered owners, assessed owners, and tenants of land and buildings within the Community Improvement Project Area to pay for the whole, or any part, of the cost of rehabilitating such lands and buildings in conformity with the Community Improvement Plan within the Community Improvement Project Area. Section 106(1) of the Municipal Act, 2001 prohibits the "bonusing" of manufacturing business or other industrial or commercial enterprise. However, an exception is made in Section 106(3) of the Municipa/Act2001 for municipalities exercising powers under Section 28(6) or (7) of the Planning Act. Section 28 of the Planning Act allows municipalities with provisions in their Official Plans relating to community improvement to designate by by-law a "Community Improvement Project Area". Once this is done, a municipality may prepare a "Community Improvement Plan"for the Community Improvement Project Area. Map F, Community Improvement Areas of the Clarington Official Plan delineates the different areas of the Municipality that Community Improvement Plans are to be prepared for. In Section 22.3.2 of the Official Plan the Bowmanville Community Improvement Project Area (sub area 133) is identified as a "first priority". Council at its December 15, 2003 meeting accepted the staff report, which set out the Community Improvement Project Area and terms of reference for the study. The process included a community focus group, community open house, notification to the owners and residents within the area in the form of a community newsletter (see Appendix 1) and numerous media reports during the process. Stakeholder input was obtained throughout the process and specifically at an Open House held on April 11, 2005 (see Appendix 2). The process included a statutory public meeting held in accordance with Section 17 of the Planning Act, 1990 R.S.O. The statutory public meeting was advertised in the local newspaper. The statutory public meeting was held on June 20th, 2005 to explain the Community Improvement Plan and receive feedback. A copy of the statutory public meeting notice is included in Appendix 3. 3.1 Bowmanville Community Improvement Project Area Boundary Part IV of the Planning Act states that the Council of a municipality may, by by-law, define an area of the municipality as an area to be examined for community improvement. The Council may, after such examination is completed, prepare Official Plan provisions with respect to the implementation of the Community Improvement Plan. Approval of a by-law to study an area does not stop any type of activity from being conducted if that activity complies with the 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 16 Clarig-1011 ItaNp Mr Me, current regulations in place. The purpose of the by-law is only to delineate the area to be studied. The Community Improvement Project Area (sub area B3) shown in the Clarington Official Plan, Map F was slightly modified for the purposes of this study. Council adopted By-law 2003-186 (as amended), which had the map (Figure 1, page 5) as the Schedule for the Bowmanville Community Improvement Project Area. The Community Improvement Project Area encompassed the East Main Central Area and minor portions of the surrounding residential neighbourhoods of Central, Vincent Massey and Memorial. In very general terms the Community Improvement Project Area is bounded by Wellington Street, excluding Vincent Massey Public School but including the residential area to the north of King Street up to and including Soper Creek; bounded on the east by Mearns Avenue, on the south by Hobbs Drive and Queen Street, extending into Bowmanville Creek valley and then bounded on the northwest by the CPR tracks. In examining the Bowmanville Community Improvement Project Area, three distinct areas were defined. The first area was called the Historic Downtown and encompassed the BIA. The Bowmanville BIA has a more limited geographical boundary being both sides of Church Street and King Street and the north side of Queen Street from Scugog (east side) to George Street (west side). The second area has been undergoing transition of use from estate residential to commercial, as such it became known as Estate Retail, this area runs from George Street to Liberty Street. The third area is from Liberty to Mearns and was the subject of a study in 2003 known as the King Street East Corridor. �J i a I I ! i fl r � ism Ott' st_._� if IJ Y t r � F C Bowmanville Community Improvement Project Area 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 17 IiJra�vM ll'n,Y Discussions during the Community Improvement Plan process suggested expansion of the BIA or the creation of additional BIA's to encompass the other areas of the Community Improvement Plan. The events that the BIA holds benefit the other retail areas of Bowmanville and deserve the support of all of the merchants. During the open house and other public information sessions the most common comment that we received was with regard to standardization of hours amongst the retail outlets, Sunday shopping hours and parking. Some of these issues are ones that the retail community holds greater responsibility for than the Municipality, especially considering the amount of private parking in the downtown area; attempts to hold discussions and meetings regarding co-operation between the property owners regarding co-ordination of private parking have to date been unsuccessful; however, efforts to help facilitate discussion will continue. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 18 4 . IMPROVEMENTS AND BARRIERS 4.1 Previous Improvements A number of major and minor improvements have taken place though both public and private initiatives within the Community Improvement Project Area over the past 25 years. The largest single development project was the construction of the Bowmanville Mall as the eastern anchor to the area in 1976. The CAUSE study from 1991 provided the impetus for a number of the downtown merchants and property owners to refurbish their storefronts. In reviewing the recommendations of the CAUSE study it is remarkable to note the number of them that have been implemented. The streetscaping works completed in the historic downtown area in 2004 have been a welcome revitalization for the merchants and community. These types of improvements need to be extended to the other portions of the Community Improvement Project Area. The work by the Valleys 2000, a non-profit charitable group focusing on the stewardship and trail development of both the Soper and Bowmanville Creeks has prompted the investment of municipal, private and other agency funds and in-kind labour to develop the valleys as natural habitat and recreational resources for the community. The Bowmanville Creek is a significant tourism resource because of the superb fishing. The hard-surfacing of the trail in 2003 and its extension in 2004 have prompted many residents to use the area on a daily basis. The trails link directly into the downtown through Rotary Park. In 2005, hard-surfacing of the trail in the Soper Creek at the eastern end of the Community Improvement Project Area will provide links back into this neighbourhood. These trails are already well used but will become more of a recreational resource to the residents. 4.2 Economic Indicators The Community Improvement Project Area does not exhibit severe characteristics of economic decline; however, with the anticipated commercial development in the Bowmanville West Town Centre at the King Street and Clarington Boulevard intersection, many of the merchants are trying to anticipate the changes they will have to make to maintain their portion of the market share and viability of their enterprise. While the Community Improvement Project Area does not have many vacant commercial areas or lots it provides a different atmosphere, store types, pricing and inventory than Big Box development. The 2004 BRE study indicated that the business base is well-established with more than half the businesses having been established for more than 10 years and only 11% as start-ups (less than 3 years). The majority of business operators have acknowledged the importance of building partnerships and sharing resources to enhance their economic stability and client base. It is with this"pro-business" attitude that the merchants of the Community Improvement Project Area approached Council for assistance in addressing the anticipated shift that their retail businesses will experience in the next few years. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan Page 19 Marion 4.3 Building Conditions The building stock within the Community Improvement Project Area is generally in good repair and condition; however there are some notable exceptions. In addition, the building stock is older and in some cases does not meet the current standards for barrier-free accessibility, fire protection systems, energy efficiency and other aspects. Many of the property owners have indicated that due to the construction materials and techniques in these older buildings, repairs are often more costly than new construction. It has also been noted by the Community Focus Group and public that it is the older buildings in the Community Improvement Project Area that are the attraction for many tourists and customers. The continued maintenance of these structures is considered a worthwhile public investment. 4.4 Land Use Restrictions The Community Improvement Project Area is a mixed use area with commercial zoning along the entirety of King Street. In the historic downtown Church Street is also commercial; the remainder of Queen and Church Streets are predominantly zoned residential. The single most restrictive aspect of the land use regulations is the requirement for parking spaces in relation to use. Many of the historical uses in the Community Improvement Project Area rely on on- street parking and a combination of municipal and private parking lots. As such, any conversion of uses in the Community Improvement Project Area will have to address the parking situation. Policy areas that should be addressed by the Municipality are a cash-in-lieu of parking policy that would facilitate infill and intensification with the Community Improvement Project Area. With the introduction of the Provincial Policy Statements and policy changes recommended by the Places to Grow legislation the need to identify how intensification and infill can be accommodated within the existing urban framework needs to be articulated. The residents and community feel strongly about maintaining the existing built form but realize that there is room at the rear of properties or within the existing structures to accommodate additional units. Conversion from single family in accordance with the zone regulations for semi- detached and duplex dwellings is allowed in the R1-12 zoning which covers most of the residential lands in the Community Improvement Plan; however, it will be necessary to determine how the provincial intensification targets can be accommodated while maintaining the existing building fabric. The development of a set of guidelines for infill and intensification would assist with this policy shift. 4.5 Private Parking Areas The buildings along King Street are served by parking areas at the rear of the buildings. This is especially true in the Historic Downtown. Generally, these parking areas are privately owned and maintained. In discussion with the merchants and some of the property owners there is an opportunity for interconnection of these parking areas through a common back alley that could provide for servicing from the rear (e.g. utilities). 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 20 Glari-440j" /ieNeR M Nar In addition, reorganization of the parking areas to accommodate additional parking spots is feasible. If such an alley were developed it could provide for additional commercial opportunities at the rear facade of the King Street buildings and may provide for the opportunity of reducing parking requirements along King Street so that additional pedestrian amenities could be installed. There are a number of challenges when attempting to develop such a common private parking area. The first and most important criterion is the necessary co-operation of the owners of the property. Functional issues like the development of inter-parcel agreements, addressing the grade change, ongoing maintenance and enforcement are all secondary items that will have to be resolved to mutual satisfaction. For the functional issues the Municipality could facilitate and potentially participate to some degree in the overall cost of the improvements and ongoing operational aspects. 4.6 Focal Point and Civic Presence The four corners of Historic downtown, the Temperance and King intersection, is the focal point of the community. The Municipal Administrative Centre (MAC) and Clarington Public Library located at 40 Temperance Street just north of the 4 corners is a particularly important civic presence within the downtown that should be further enhanced. Some of the civic presence has been lost with the relocation of the main fire hall to the Bowmanville West Town Centre; however since the building at 132 Church is still municipally owned it could assist in strengthening the civic presence in the downtown. A number of the previous studies have "�►• ' mentioned the need for a functional "civic square"as part of the civic ° presence in the historic downtown. Currently the forecourt of the g' ` ° Municipal Administrative Centre is restricted by its size, visibility and ®- �•� - - memorial function. Rotary Park at � •-� = Queen and Temperance Street does not function as a "civic square"due to its distance from the 4 corners and lack of visibility (it sits below the horizon). There are opportunities for creating a more functional civic square through a iur. r joint use agreement with adjacent , 4 property owners or acquiring additional lands either adjacent to the MAC or directly across the street. Additional study of the four scenarios including — - their financial implications will be necessary prior to amending the Municipal Land Acquisition Study. It may be possible through the reconfiguration of some of the existing Municipal parking lots to create a more pedestrian friendly civic presence in the historic downtown that would contribute to the community's sense of pride. The functions that are currently being accommodated through street closures, shifting activities into parking lots or at Rotary Park could be accommodated in an expanded "civic square"that would also provide an informal gathering spot for community activities; much like Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 21 chwi gton 4.7 Additional Issues During the course of the Community Improvement Plan process the Community Focus Group raised a number of operational issues, some of which can be addressed by the Municipality and some of which will require the cooperation of the merchants and/or BIA. 4.7.1 Parking Meters The parking meters are currently programmed such that the maximum parking time is two hours. The municipal parking lots provide free parking for the first two hours and then require a ticket after this time period. The issue identified was that it will often take a shopper longer than two hours to shop and have lunch or have a hair cut and colour. Adjusting the maximum time on the parking meters on the side streets to three hours could assist some of the businesses. 4.7.2 Traffic calming and flow King Street is used as a main thoroughfare for many residents. As such, there have been efforts to ensure that traffic flows smoothly along King Street. In some ways this practice is counter-productive to the merchants. While it keeps the statistical count of drive-by viewing high, it is frustrating for drivers who have no intention of stopping. It means the street is busy and intimidating to pedestrians and not conducive to those drivers wishing to park along King Street. Measures to divert flow through traffic from the downtown could assist with creating a more calm traffic environment on King Street. The opening of Longworth Bridge and Avenue means that residents to the north will no longer have to cut through the Community Improvement Project Area to get to other major destinations. In addition, many residents have learned to use Queen Street to bypass the stop and go downtown traffic. To maintain the slower traffic in the downtown area, additional measures, such as on street parking in the estate retail area could be added along with streetscaping that would encourage pedestrians to use this portion of King Street. The addition of cycling lanes would also promote more of a pedestrian, human-scale to the street and slow the traffic throughout the length of King Street. 4.7.3 Signage The discussion surrounding signage can be divided into three aspects. The first is entry signage to the Bowmanville Community Improvement Project Area; this would be a type of landmark entry feature to the Bowmanville East Town Centre at Roenigk Drive and Mearns Avenue. This concept has significant support from the focus group and public. The second type of signage would be the addition of distinctive street signage in the different sections of the Community Improvement Project Area to identify the areas and provide pedestrians with immediate identifiers. While the underlying street signage must have uniformity providing an additional identifier will assist with wayfaring and marketing of the distinct areas in the Community Improvement Project Area. The remainder of the informational signage such as parking, by-law regulations, bus stops should be standardized. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 22 Clarig on /iaMq(IN•�� The third type of signage is the individual storefront signs. While the Orono Community Improvement Plan provided for a storefront signage grant program the need for such a program in Bowmanville was not identified. However, there was much discussion over the current restriction in the Sign By-law for T-bar (over sidewalk) signs. At the request of the Bowmanville BIA the municipality, when drafting the Sign By-law in 1997, grandfathered the existing T-bar signs and restricted the installation of new T-bar signs. Today, many merchants would like the opportunity to provide distinctive T-bar (over sidewalk) signs. An amendment to the Sign By-law is necessary to allow for these signs in the Bowmanville Community Improvement Project Area. The amendment will have to be carefully worded to ensure that what results is creative yet appropriate signage that supports and builds the image of the downtown as an interesting shopping precinct. The Municipality would prefer to amend the Sign By-law for the entire area rather than addressing each sign request on a piecemeal basis. 4.7.4 Store Hours A frequent comment made during the public review process was that it is beyond the ability of the Municipality to control is that of store hours and Sunday openings. Many residents requested that the stores be open for shopping after 6 p.m. on some evenings and open on the weekend. Some historic downtowns, through their business associations have created more uniform hours that the merchants have mutually agreed to. Sunday shopping appears to be benefiting the merchants of Port Hope, Port Perry and other historic downtowns. 4.7.5 Safety and Security One of the attractive qualities of the Community Improvement Project Area is the safety and security that residents feel. However, some residents are concerned that some changes may negatively impact the quality and character, and attract other societal elements. Surveillance is provided by"eyes on the street", essentially residents looking out. The policies supporting infill and intensification seek to bring additional residents into the town centre, thus providing additional surveillance. At the same time additional measures to provide opportunities for youth to gather and recreate need to be addressed. The cooperation of Police Services in monitoring the area and Community Services in providing alternative activities is appreciated. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 23 claringt(Hl bMia t.Pir 5 Programs It is recommended that the Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan consist of incentives that will assist developers, property owners and merchants with their initiatives, grant programs (as detailed below and in Appendix 5), capital funding for improvements on municipal lands (such as additional streetscape works, trail development, etc. — see Appendix 2 for conceptual sketches) and ongoing liaison with merchants groups, and the public. Sections 5.1 and 5.4 are intended to support and enhance the Community Improvement Plan's financial assistance programs offered within the Community Improvement Plan, but do not fall within the requirements of Section 28(7) of the Planning Act. As such, the programs do not require the approval of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. 5.1 Incentives 5.1.1 Development Charges The Municipality of Clarington is nearing the completion of a background study for Development Charges as per the Development Charges Act, 1997. Currently the existing Development Charges By-law expires in July 31, 2005. It does not provide for any incentives specifically for Community Improvement Plan areas. As part of the proposed Development Charges By-law, to be considered by Council at a public meeting on June 20th, 2005, recommendations regarding exemptions and reductions for the areas noted below have been included. The full detail of the policy area and applicability will be set out in the Development Charges By-law which is the implementing legislation for these incentives. Development Charges are payable at the time of building permit. Contaminated Sites Purpose: To provide an incentive for the redevelopment of brownfield sites. Reason: Providing this incentive will aid with the capital cost of bringing the site back to a useful productive state. The municipality benefits from the increase in taxes after a reassessment of the site. Policy. Where a development charge is payable for a development or re-development of lands which requires the clean up under the current"Guideline for Use at Contaminated Sites in Ontario", an amount will be created against the development charge otherwise payable equal to the amount of the costs of assessment and clean up of the property. Exemptions for intensification of existing housing Purpose: To provide an incentive for intensification within the existing footprint of housing stock. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 24 Clark 4011 Reason: Providing this incentive will aid with meeting the intensification policies of the Province and does not penalize residents who chose to have an in-home apartment or granny flat. Po/icy: No development charge shall be imposed with respect to developments or portions of developments that result in addition of a single unit within the existing footprint. Redevelopment in Historic Downtowns Purpose: To provide an incentive for conversion of existing floor space to mixed-use. Reason: Providing this incentive will aid with the conversion of existing building stock into mixed-use developments that helps maintain the commercial viability and vitality of the downtown areas and protect heritage resources. Policy.• Where, as a result of the redevelopment of land, a building or existing structure is to be converted to a residential use, in whole or in part, , the development charges otherwise payable with respect to such redevelopment shall be waived for the existing gross floor area. For greater clarity any addition to gross floor area development charges will be applicable. Implementation Development charges reductions or exemptions will be implemented through the Municipality of Clarington Development Charges By-law. General Terms Any Development Charge waiver will be provided on a one time basis to the registered owner of the property. The development charge reductions or exceptions will not be retroactively applied to developments where building permits were issued prior to approval of the Community Improvement Plan or where the appropriate planning approval has not been obtained. Other Programs Participation in the Development Charge reductions or exemptions does not preclude the owner from being eligible for other grant programs offered under the Community Improvement Plan. 5.1.2 Design Assistance The Municipality of Clarington will assist property owners within the Community Improvement Project Area with the development of design ideas and concepts that are in keeping with the overall intent of the Community Improvement Plan by providing design review services from an urban designer and other professionals that have been involved in the Community Improvement Project Area. This expertise can assist owners with: 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 25 • Alternative design ideas and solutions • Generating visualizations of design concepts • Advising on urban design and architectural control requirements of the Municipality • Advising on the technical matters such as shadow impact analysis, choice of colours, materials, finishes and textures that enhances the overall building/street character Such design concepts have to be fleshed out by the owner with their own architect, engineer or contractor. This service will be provided on a pre-consultation basis and will still be subject to any necessary applications or permits. 5.1.3 Design Guidelines The Municipality will prepare guidelines for infill, intensification, conversions and related parking requirements to address the mixed use scenario that is developing specifically in the Estate Retail Area of the Community Improvement Plan. The Municipality will draft the necessary staff report and by-law to enact an amendment to the Sign By-law to allow for T-bar (over sidewalk) signs upon request from the HBD. 5.1.4 Public Amenity Areas The Municipality of Clarington will consider on a case-by-case basis the provision of public amenities for the greater public good. In some cases the Municipality may assist with the funding of public amenities such as the development of trail systems that will be accessible to the public, interpretative areas, provision of public art and other such initiatives that have an overall benefit to the public. This public amenity area consideration is only applicable to the Bowmanville Community Improvement Project Area. 5.1.5 Facilitation The Municipality of Clarington will facilitate co-operative redevelopment of the private parking areas to the rear of the businesses along King Street. Facilitation will consist of assistance with the inter-parcel legal agreements, design development, parking regulation and other matters as Council may approve. The Municipality of Clarington and Clarington Board of Trade will assist where necessary and when possible with the formation of additional merchant groups for the Estate Retail and King Street East Corridor areas of the Community Improvement Project Area. The Municipality and Clarington Board of Trade will further assist in facilitation amongst the different merchants groups to develop cross-marketing brochures and strategies, "branding"of the distinct areas and niche markets being served. In addition to developing guidelines for infill and intensification along with companion parking policies, the Municipality will assist developers by expediting the development review process for infill and intensification projects. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 26 Clarill 401, 5.2 Grant Program (to be read in conjunction with Appendix 5) The total sum of grants available to a single property address is $26,000.00 if all the grant types are piggy-backed; however, at no time shall the total amount of grants provided to a property owner exceed $50,000.00. 5.2.1 Building Permit Fee Grant Program This grant is intended to assist property owners with financing the cost of the development process by providing a grant to offset the amount of the applicable Building Permit Fee to a maximum of$3,000. 5.2.2 Site Plan Control Fee Grant Program This grant is intended to assist commercial zone property owners with financing the cost of development process by providing a grant to offset the amount of the Site Plan Control Fee to a maximum of $3,000. 5.2.3 Heritage Building Fagade Improvement Grant Program This grant is intended to assist property owners with the financing of heritage building fagade improvements. It will provide up to $10,000 or one third of the cost of a heritage fagade refurbishment. 5.2.4 Upgrade to Building Code Grant Program This grant is intended to assist property owners with the financing of building improvements required to bring existing older buildings into compliance with the current Ontario Building Code. It will provide up to $10,000 or one third of the cost of building improvements. 5.3 General Rules The provision of grants as described in Section 5.2 shall be administered on a first come first served basis to the limit of available funding. Specific details regarding the grants and administrative procedures are contained in Appendix 5. Terms and conditions of any grant program and administrative procedures may be changed, altered, amended or modified by the Municipality of Clarington without the necessity of an amendment to this Community Improvement Plan. The addition of a grant program, increase in the maximum grant value, or a change to the Community Improvement Project Area shall require an amendment to this Community Improvement Plan with approval from the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. If Council feels that the goals and objectives of the Community Improvement Plan are not being met or have been accomplished, they may discontinue any program or change the program terms without requiring an amendment to this Plan. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 27 QM tigton 5.4 Capital Improvements The Municipality budgets for the ongoing renewal of infrastructure and services through the capital budget, thus, some of the projects listed below many have already been identified in the capital budgeting process. The opportunity exists to enhance the capital budget to address the issues identified in the Community Improvement Plan as part of the existing capital project, or in other cases where they have not been identified to queue the request as part of the overall allocation. 5.4.1 Entry Gateway Features As noted previously in this document the need to strongly identify the entry points to the Community Improvement Plan has been endorsed including identification of the east and west entry points; what remains to be determined is the actual design of the landmark feature and cost estimate. 5.4.2 King Street Bridge Refurbishment King Street Bridge has been identified in the capital budget as requiring refurbishment work. As part of this refurbishment additional funds should be included in the budget to provide for the addition of pedestrian amenities and viewing platforms along the bridge. 5.4.3 Roenigk Drive Planter The area from Roenigk Drive to the CPR bridge has a middle lane that is not used for traffic and could be developed as a planter/entry feature; a design concept and cost estimate need to be determined. 5.4.4 Civic Square Development of the town square concept in proximity to the Municipal Administrative Centre will require either land acquisition or a joint-use agreement with adjacent property owners. While the exact layout of the Square cannot be determined until the location is better defined it was generally agreed that having a well defined town square for public gatherings, would benefit the downtown. As such appropriate steps should be taken to determine the feasibility of expansion including any amendments required to the property acquisition strategy. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 28 G'lariWon Mn 5.4.5 20 King Street Fagade One of the hotly debated topics at the Open House was the development of a street facade at 20 King Street. While many agreed with the concept of providing a continuous street facade the architectural style, and its function were interesting discussions. Many wish to see the area more open so that views into the parking area are not obstructed. Regardless, there is consensus that the edge between the parking area and the sidewalk needs to be better defined than it currently is. To proceed with this development an overall design and cost estimate is required. i 17 5.4.6 Streetscaping The streetscaping treatment that has been implemented in 2004 for the downtown should be carried over to the other sections of the King Street. The type of features may take on a different style in the different segments of the Community Improvement Plan but the pedestrian amenities (benches, garbage cans, lighting) should be carried throughout. An overall Masterplan for the streetscape enhancements should be prepared and adopted in advance of additional segments of the streetscaping being implemented. The existing street character evident in the more easterly sections of Queen and Church Streets should be carried into the downtown through a street tree planting program. 5.4.7 Off-street Parking Opportunities for creation of off-street parking should be examined for a number of locations and in co-operation with private owners. These off-street parking opportunities can be created through the development of an alley or private lane and re- organization of existing parking or creation of additional spaces. The specific areas to be examined include, Liberty Street to service the historic townhomes on the west side and the areas at the rear of the business along King Street. Assistance in providing these opportunities will be as per section 5.1.4. The Municipality owns and operates a number of off-street parking lots. Every opportunity to improve the aesthetics of these lots so that they contribute to the character and quality of the area should be taken — they should meet or exceed the standards for surfacing, landscaping and lighting that private developers must meet. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 29 CIXJW oil fMae U.Nu The coordination of the fees on private parking lots and municipal lots should be mutually beneficial such that the vehicle operator is afforded a choice in location and not deterred from any specific lot. The implementation of residential parking permits may be a consideration in accommodating the infill and intensification parking needs. 5.4.8 Other Public Amenities In addition to the public amenities that may be provided through Section 5.1.3, other public amenities that assist in the creation of the Community Improvement Project Area image and marketability are the day to day items that affect how we navigate around and within the community. Opportunities to improve the overall aesthetics by creating uniformity but with panache can be carried out through the development of decorative signage for each of the distinct areas within the Community Improvement Plan. The delineation and enhancement of bus shelters/stops, continued trail development, identification of parking areas and other such amenities all need to create a consistent and high quality visual experience. 5.5 Funding Sources All of the grant programs described in Section 5.2 and further detailed in Appendix 5 are funded solely by the Municipality of Clarington. Should funding for Community Improvement Plans become available from other levels of government they will be applied where applicable and in keeping with the recommendations of this Community Improvement Plan. Capital improvements on municipal property are the responsibility of the Municipality. The Municipality of Clarington will set aside, subject to annual budget approval, monies to fund the capital improvements outlined in Section 5.4. Should any improvements be eligible for funding from other levels of government, funding will be applied for. There are some projects, such as the streetscape facade development that could be a public/private initiative with a community organization and/or the private sector. Innovative ways of funding these capital improvements will be explored as the Community Improvement Plan is implemented. 5.6 implementation The Community Improvement Plan will be implemented through the provisions of Chapter 22 of the Clarington Official Plan and Section 28 of the Planning Act, 1990, R.S.O. The overall implementation of the grant programs shall be the responsibility of the Planning Services Department. All of the grants will be administered on a first come first served basis to the limit of available funding in accordance with the administrative rules governing this and other grant programs. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 30 Gar►ngton llal.R IAT...Interpretation nterpretation Sections 1 through 5 of this document, along with Exhibit 1 (map of Community Improvement Project Area on page 5) and Appendix 5 shall form the actual Community Improvement Plan for the Bowmanville Community Improvement project area. All other graphics and photos and Appendices 1 through 4 do not constitute part of the actual Community Improvement Plan. Changes to the Bowmanville Community Improvement Project Area, or the addition or increase in the value of grants shall require an amendment to this Community Improvement Plan by Council and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. This Plan has been prepared in accordance with and shall be deemed to conform to the Clarington Official Plan. This Plan shall be referred to as the Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan for Clarington. At such time as other Community Improvement Plans are prepared for this or other areas, this title may be modified for clarification purpose without requiring an amendment to this Plan. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 31 APPENDIX A C,mrnunity Update March 2005 What is Planned for Your Downtown Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan IN THIS ISSUE What is a CIP? CIP Visualizations p A community improvement plan (CIP) articulates a vision for the continued prosperity CIP OoundaryMap 4 of an area. It is based on an assessment of past experience and future prospects, Community Focus Group 4 along with a realistic "road map' of how to get there. CIPS are special types of stud- Steps in a CIP Process 4 ies identified in the Planning Act, Municipal Act, and official plans. They are special because upon completion and adoption, the give the municipality extra powers, such CF6 Mandate 4 y 9 P y p , Open House 4 as the ability to provide building incentive grant and loan programs, land assembly strategies, tax abatement for brownfields, development charge exemptions or imposi- tions for a specific portion of the municipality. In addition, they maybe eligible for fund- ing from other levels of government. r Why does Bowmanville need a CIP? Council has expressed concerns that the Bowmanville Business Improvement Association (Bowmanville Business Centre), the central core and eastern area are vul- nerable to decline due to competition from national chains that are locating outside the downtown core. Maintaining the downtown as the commercial core of Bowmanville, and indeed the whole municipality is a goal of the Official Plan. About CIPs... • A CIP articulates a vision for the continued prosperity of an area. • A CIP is based upon a vision statement, which is a broad statement of values to guide the listing of community goals. • Public involvement is crucial in the CIP process. Priorities • Historical building rehabilitation (incentives and designs) • Reorganize downtown parking (for greater efficiency) • Streetscape redevelopment • Entry Area development $ Guidelines for Infill along King Street • Development Charge Reductions Address parking needs for the Ion P 9 9 i term cash-in-lieu policy development • City/Square redevelopment Based on the vision statement and recommendations, the Municipality has prepared • Temperance Street entrance some sketches of how King Street could evolve over time. Vision Statement - What Is It? A Vision Statement for Bowmanville A vision statement is a description of an ideal state of being which community members believe is the desirable future for their community. It describes the qualities and characteristics of the area appreciated and valued by local people. Therefore, it is based on the knowledge of local communities, and their unique appreciation and understanding of their own local areas. Vision statements are concerned with how change and development can be carried out so that it is in harmony with its setting. VISION STATEMENT Bowmanvi/le's main street is much more than a historic Ontario downtown, itis nestled between two valleys, and provides shop- ping opportunities from the traditional to trendy. Bowmanville's merchants are open to change while promoting and delighting in their long established community values, stewardship and hospitality. c'larirl0011 APPENDIX 2: OPEN HOUSE PANELS AND COMMENTS ki e • . Vfv a3 • 4 t h i 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 34 clarify, oil IMUR 1.1z 11w1 �ijerr + ��'j r rrtr� ♦~r r • + . OIL i � z { Heritage Conservation CL vm Vft t AN a. k K� a. 4'M••• �� # ,:. Yfi� • 4r ;•j�' t.l +" F1` r rf l'f{f'it N vc • n A u • 44 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 35 t rovement Plan - Visualizatiolis 4. ak. N to C : a N L ', w s > W f itAll N 3 pd " W j rg� a f , J ` m k 'Possible bilk yard p e 1 � o V mafiv����e! Jmmunr mA61pt' i Alan V id-oati s } habffi["P[ �'Kcy Budtg TII mv - 0 n X 44ctition.l yy yj rIOVfCT[ lt _ ♦g Sli 7St�ei �/'�y IY+Prem,ao. 1 Q I�er rage D Ca Park ""�w C4CIOP t ToWnhall SqL ` .. cdns auonai�;; r- „F�'” Uwel, mpot-. IrPyrovemenis 1 �, Im r - tdB �jJ��upment of ImPorta cNoae -f''"k`✓=a.15 rk 9G-rrage ':.. p 1 tJ 3i .o yy Entry feamrn`- { Street 5 r PrOjOCts th a req• ,... Projects th We oth public refilm mp ovdm Its stingbf 1 4 t 'ab A'/1 '� n i♦r '1i-�.. �a ,'l! y rr'*r'W ....6t k'y r Care` k 'Elk YFe�tuY'e- W linCf, ConiRction` ,a, ~ 4-' +� ✓'• . .A x,} y � ....yyyyhhyy =T-�ifA ec§6ns i N jj'JJr �"� tamenif �� �1'AwlntiI� N74ioi1me{it rb n )"� • x prfff Chan. r,.,�+"'~ 1 ,y w Uj Iffi15FaYcr(icats tr(• ,J t�"' �'.. a `•- ,' '' .� n � ` •f.' 'tet ,,,"` ..: - / (,� s,. }. ,♦ Cl Ca a � P POTENT11jPRSJ 'f.S(P OGi2A1VIES G'har rlr ion Bowmanville Community Improvement Program —Design and Planning Ideas Comments from the public open house held on April 12, 2005 at Municipal Council Chambers: • Purpose of the public open house was to gather opinions and ideas from residents that showed interest in the overall Community Improvement Program, as well as more specific design-related projects and/or planning implementation programs. • Parking cooperation for private property, development charges reduction possibilities, grant programs, and so on were major topics, with each resident expressing their own opinion on the matters. Comments: o Interest expressed by some owners of property for development of a backyard car park/rear land connection —feelings are that existing structures cannot be demolished and those"in the way" should be incorporated into any design. o Further interest in what the impacts on businesses would be with the rear yard parking and questions about if businesses could add rear yard entrances into their businesses. o Cash-in-lieu parking — good idea as long term parking solution to the downtown —existing house conversions to small scale businesses and professional offices would need additional parking and need some kind of implementation program. o Design concepts like Heritage Facades and Entry Features are interesting ideas that may make the downtown a more attractive and unique experience—T signage also a welcome addition. o Civic Hall Square scenarios— most residents support but realize cooperation of Bank of Montreal is required. o Concern for lack of development on east side of town — on-going projects initiated by the private sector will make change —explanation that a lot of urban design commenting and public realm suggestions are made by the Planning Services Department. o Suitable location for east side entrance would be the Mearns/King East area. o Discussion with BIA— having their name on the entrance signage would require some funding support for construction of any such signage— BIA wants to ensure existing walls/facades be carefully reviewed to ensure no negative impacts. o Safety and security of the downtown is important to residents—additional surveillance by more eyes on the street would be welcome. Comments and Opinions from Maplefest on Bowmanville CIP Comments collected from local residents during Maplefest, May 7,2005; • Purpose was to inform and engage the public on the Bowmanville Community Improvement Project topic— Planning Staff were present at Town Hall to answer questions form residents, Planning Staff were also on the street speaking to people, providing them with copies of the newsletter and encouraging them to view the display in the library lobby. Comments: o Not enough pedestrian crossing-points exist in the downtown core— an individual feels strongly that part of Bowmanville's small town charm should include the ability to cross at many points— enhancing the pedestrian's experience. o Many residents expressed their realization that Bowmanville does not have enough parking BUT most also said that the on-street parking on King in the historic downtown should be eliminated. o Also quite a bit of interest about what plans are in store for the former Castle— people have read in papers and heard rumors — but want to ensure the new Community Improvement Plan will give some additional meaning and priority to this property. o Three local business owners— Einstein's, Kate's and the Billiard Room expressed interest and curiosity on design assistance for facade improvement. o Idea from one resident— launch a series of design competitions instead of developing our own entrances to the downtown historic area —why not have local school children design concepts? And don't do this just for the entrances—why not extend community design competitions to other projects as well (i.e. street planters, banners for T poles, etc. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 37 ClarWO11 'i A,a.r APPENDIX 3: STATUTORY PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE ^_ a CORPORATION F THE (l/J,Il•// MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING crrr�ran w7 PROPOSED SOWMANVILLE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN TAKE NOTICE that the Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of Clenngton wall consider a proposed Community Improvement Plan,under Semon 28 of the Pinning Act,199.as amended. The proposed Community Improvement Plan for Bownianville identities a Iwmber of actions to be undertaken by Ole Municipality and the community. Among other things,it will enable me Municipality to offer incentives to merchants and property owners to revitalize heritage buildings and provide for intensification of uses. This Community Improvement Plan applies to the area shown in the map below. I I I' a L � Planning File Nos.. PLN 37.2 PUBLIC MEETING The Municipality of Clanngtm will hold a public nreeing to provide interested parties the opportunity to make comments,klentify issues and provide additional information relative to the proposed community improvement plan. The public meeting will be held on DATE: Monday,Jurro 20,2006 TIME: 2:30 am. PLACE: Council Chambers,2m Floc,MUrIIC l Administrative Centro, 40 Ternia mine SL,SoamanvSle,Ontario ANY PERSON may attend the public meeting andlor make written or verbal representation either in support of or in opposition to the proposal. The sten time listed above reflects the time at which the General Purpose and Administration Committee Meeting commences. If you cannot attend the Public Meeting on this application you can make a deputation to Council at their meeting on Monday June 27°. 2005,commencing in 7:00 p no Should you wish to appear before Council,you must register with the Clacks Department by the Wednesday noon,June 22',2005 to have your name appear in me Agenda COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? If you wish to make a written submission or n you wish to be not of subsequent meetings or the adoption of the proposed Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan,you must submit a will request to the Clerk s Department, 2v°Floor,40 Temperance Street,Bowman lle,Comm LIC 3A6. A Community Improvement Plan adopted by the Municipality of Clarington is forwarded to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval. Additional information relating to One proposal is available for inspection between 8.00 a in and 5:00 p.m.at the Planning Services Deparmrent,3'Floor,40 Temperance Street,Bowmanville,Ontario LiC 3A6,or by telling Faye Langmaid at(905)623-3379 extension 216 or by e-mail at fiangmaid@mumcipalM danngton on ca APPEAL If a person or public body that files a nonce of appeal of a decision for the proposed Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan to cine Ont"Municipal Board does not make oral submissions m a public meeting or does not make wnnen submisskws before the proposed Community Improvement Plan is adapted cine Ontario Municipal Board may dismiss all or pad of the appeal Dated at the Municipality of Clanngron this 25' day of May, 2005. David Crome,M.C.I.P.,R.P.P. 40 Temperance Street Director of Planning Services Sowmarrvidle,Omand Municipality of Cler ington LIC 0A6 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 38 Cladigmi fM.M fM Fi APPENDIX 4 PREVIOUS STUDIES Summary of Bowmanville Studies Bowmanville Central Business District Study Proposal prepared for the Planning Department by George Baird Architect, January 1979 • Purpose to examine the CBD of the Bowmanville urban area, and to identify its roles, functions and potential for retail commercial activities, civic administration and amenity • Study was to form the basis of a section of the Community District Plan, identifying policies and strategies for the revitalization of the CBD • Main subject areas: o Delineation of CBD o Refinement of land use designations in CBD o Preservation and restoration of historic architectural character o Visual amenity and streetscape o Pedestrian circulation o Retail commercial function o Civic administration locational alternatives o Housing in core area o Need and location of open space and community facilities o Parking and traffic Market Impact Study of the Effects of the Proposed Pythbow Mall Development on Bowmanville's Downtown Core Prepared for Bowmanville Business Centra/Improvement Area by Carole Bunn and Catherine Denny,August 1983 • Impact study on proposed Pythbow development, including effects that it will have upon the downtown core in Bowmanville • Study included a questionnaire concerning shopping habits • General observations: o Main trade area is Bowmanville; secondary and tertiary areas include the rest of the municipality o The municipality has a large amount of people who work outside the area, and they tend to purchase impulse or food items on their way home o Population and industrial employment is growing faster than in Peel, Hamilton-Wentworth, Ontario and Canada • Relevant statistics: 0 9.7% of all money spent on department store type merchandise was in municipality(meaning all of Clarington) 0 55.7% of all money spent on other department store type merchandise was in municipality 0 89.32% of all money spent on supermarket merchandise was in municipality • Estimated impacts of the Pythbow development: o 20% loss in other department store type merchandise sales in downtown Bowmanville 0 36.4% decrease in supermarket sales o 51% loss in department store type merchandise sales in Bowmanville Mall • Conclusion: o If the new mall were to be built at the time of the study, there would not be enough of a population to support most of the store types, with the exception of"other food stores" o The proposed mall would have too great an impact on the existing merchants in the area o Such a mall will be necessary after 2000. • Recommendations: o Uniformity in store hours in downtown core, along with aesthetic improvements o Provision of stores to serve consumers between the ages of 12-24. o Provision of convenience and specialty food stores o Parking facilities should be well-publicized and easily accessible for downtown shoppers 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 39 C1arjIgon Background Report to Bowmanville Main Central Area Development Plan Providing a basis from which a Development Plan can be formulated,prepared by Town of Newcastle's Planning and Development Department, December,1985 • Reviews existing and proposed development within the Bowmanville Main Central Area and how this relates to Durham Region Official Plan and the Official Plan of the Bowmanville Major Urban Area. • Also summarizes existing retail and personal service floorspace and presents two development scenarios for the future development of Main Central Area. • Planning Considerations: o Durham Regional Official Plan o Bowmanville Major Urban Area Official Plan o George Baird Bowmanville Study • Focused on opportunities for retail/commercial expansion within Bowmanville's Main Central Area along with the objective of creating a modern and convenient shopping area for Bowmanville's citizens, but without disrupting historic character of the community. • Ten areas of discussion with accompanying recommendations included. o Community Improvement • Town of Newcastle currently preparing Community Improvement Policies to make the Town eligible for senior level government programs providing financing for improvement projects. • Existing Land Use and Development Proposals: o Commercial • Plate #3—existing gross retail and personal service floorspace calculations done by defined street blocks. • Plate #4—existing floorspace contrasted against allocated floorspace as defined within the Official Plan. • Summary of commercial development proposals(i.e. Bowmanville Mail Expansion Phase III and Pythbow Shopping Centre). o Residential • Existing—discussion of existing stock, King Street conversions to commercial uses, protection of neighbourhoods within Official Plans from incompatible uses, and brief population forecasting paragraph. • Proposals—two major development applications, heavily aimed at seniors housing (i.e. Veltri & Sons—Queen/Scugog Streets and J. Rice—Wellington/Scugog Streets). o Community Facilities • Existing—discussion of suitable concentrations and areas lacking sufficient concentration, also an overall lack of park space is expressed, etc. • Proposals—no formal proposals, but several studies on developing Civic Administrative Facility, a new arena, parks, relocating the Police and Fire departments. • Development Scenarios: o Two separate scenarios are examined based on the existing and proposed developments for Bowmanville Main Central area — each considers both OPA's and ZBLA's that would be needed to implement these scenarios. • Conclusions: o Providing a basis for which ONE scenario should be selected —section outlines ten factors that will influence the future development of the Main Central Area — highlights the overlap between Official Plans and so on. • Appendices: o Appendix A describes financial assistance programs available (probably somewhat dated in terms of what is available today) and Appendix B might be useful as a data source giving detailed retail and personal service floorspace inventory counts for the Main Central Area. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 40 ClariN4011 IxW�xR v�.Na. Bowmanville CAUSE (Community Assist for an Urban Study Effort) A program of the Ontario Association of Architects,Final Report,September 1991 • Purpose is stimulate analysis, provide focus for initiative, and make specific recommendations which should act as a catalyst for action in Bowmanville as the mixed use area in rapid transition encounters planning/design opportunities and pitfalls. • History and Identity discussion opens the report— most important is the point made that Bowmanville already possesses a strong image and sense of community and is in no need of having to invent or foist a`theme'(supporting evidence in these sections). o Issues of Note include architecture/urban identity(concern for destruction of existing building stock, disregard of new development for context, weak connections), natural character (decreased access to creeks and lake, loss of`natural gatewaysl, and social identity(influx of newcomers, providing appropriate services, perceived lack of programs and facilities for elderly and youth). o Recommendations follow for each issue of note. • Housing discussion —issues of note are fears over uniformity in future unit constructions (estate type lots, minimal housing on lots, expensive servicing is result, uneconomical use of land, and decay of agricultural land supply) with no resemblance or attachment to'Bowmanville.'Also fears over lack of housing for seniors, no assisted housing, and little community facilities. o Recommendations follow for each issue of note(most notably to increase density of downtown area through building additions and allowing additional apartments) • Core Growth &Change—issues of note are highly associated with high growth pressures and the effect this will have on the traditional core, evolution of retail and other services to meet growth needs, relationships between the new and the old, mixed use development needs, need for historic core theme, and how civic locations function in the core. o Recommendations follow— most notably are comments on infilling, heritage, establishing a new commercial corridor, the roles of BIAS. • Public Transportation (limited bicycle routes, pedestrian systems, need for regional routes and supporting facilities, services for elderly and disabled, local transit services),Vehicular Traffic('left turn'entry into parking lots,jaywalking, safety, poor signage in general) Parking (access, supply, effect on urban fabric, design),and Pedestrian Movement(general lack of pedestrian inclusion). o Recommendations follow but are dated -therefore mostly inapplicable today despite the obvious relevance and accuracy of the recommendations made at the time. Might be worthwhile to revisit though to refresh where we were and where have got to since 1991. • Recreational-Natural Environment— issues of note revolve around preserving, provision of access, and inclusion of green space in built environments. o Recommendations follow specifically—on greening the core, exploiting potential of natural environment, access to recreation centre from the core. • Civic Presence— largely irrelevant focus on Temperance and King'crossroads'— recommendations follow but are also probably not useful. • Appendices— useful only in the event that you would need to contact involved participants that contributed to the study. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 41 G'lari ,40B lmdan[�.•b Bowmanville Main Central Area Study- Phase I: Overview Transportation Analysis, 1992 • Purpose of this study is to collect, review and elaborate on the policies existing in the Town of Newcastle affecting the Bowmanville Main Central Area. From here, appropriate future policies concerning the expected growth levels for Bowmanville can be drafted and approved. • Urban Structure o Bowmanville's natural setting is important, along with the historic founding of the community— this is to be incorporated into the future direction of the community as it begins to growth much quicker. o Current urban structure— building footprint maps attached—as well a map of existing community facilities included — land use maps— historic buildings and parking map— development applications map (not relevant today) — urban districts map. o Western Gateway Area: • Vanstone Mills is the important'centerpiece'to this gateway—emphasis to be placed on pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular connections— preservation and enhancement of the creek and slopes important to maintain for natural setting purposes. • Only real development opportunity at the gateway is infilling on the Vanstone Mills property. o Historic Core: • Need to reinforce civic and community focus in this district, public square creation and identification of sites for required facilities for parking, a public library, seniors facility, and a youth centre. • Ensure redevelopment is respectful of existing scale and character of the contextual historic core. • Retain/strengthen continued variety of land uses through encouragement of mixed commercial/residential developments. • Emphasize/encourage preservation of historic/heritage buildings. • Create a program of streetscape improvements and pedestrian linkages throughout the entire area. o Important side-note is that new Main Central Area lands to the west will inevitably cause competition between the core and the new more suburban' retail uses that will increase— it is important to create opportunities for those in the core to remain competitive. o Transition Area: • now known as the Estate Retail part of the CIP—general objectives for the area as a Transition Area were to increase densities and ensure greater intensity of use, minimum and maximum height requirements to establish consistency of built form, improved pedestrian and streetscape elements along King Street. o Bowmanville Mall Area: • Opportunities exist to intensify and strengthen this area through redevelopment for residential, commercial and optimally mixed used development. • Outlines specific properties that would offer or help reach this objective. • Retail market study as part of this study already reveals that Bowmanville Mall serves as sub- regional function in attracting shoppers from outside of Bowmanville itself. o Stable Residential Areas: • Need to identify these areas and better address to which degree, or what limits, non- residential development should be permitted to'intrude'into the residentially stable areas of the Bowmanville Main Central Area. • Review of Existing Transportation Services o Parking Inventory—variety of needs in the historic commercial area (ie. retail/service businesses, employee parking, metered parking, public parking lots, residential parking) — accompanied by location map of existing on and off street parking. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 42 cla 114 Oil " .q.b qw o A description of each type of need above is summarized in the section — distinction between public and private parking also described. o Sensitivity of the parking inventory to new development—takes spots out of the inventory and replaced with not nearly as much parking once development occurs. o Table 5.1 —summarizes parking supply in October of 1991 (165 on-street and 865 private surface and 114 in municipal lots for a total of 1144). o Table 5.2—detailed block summary of private/public spaces (provides location context to the previous Table 5.1). o On-Street Parking— parking survey completed to observe usage of these metered spots by location, time of day, day of week, number of vehicles, percentage of spaces occupied, average stay times, turn over times, and so on. o Public Off-Street Parking—same as above but focus on two surface lots operated by the Municipality. o Off-street Private Parking — largest proportion of off-street sparking in the historic Central Area is under private ownership and providing parking to employees, customers and professionals occupying office spaces. General breakdown of these spots by civic offices, professional offices, retail/services and unknown are given. o Long-Stay(Employee Parking)— investigation of long-stay users and their effect on available parking during peak hours—survey of parking spaces available to determine approximate number of long-stay users versus number of vacant spots during these peak times. • Existing Roadway Operations o Roadway function —focus on physical and jurisdictional characteristics of roads in the historic Central Area — areas of focus are King Street, Hwy.2/King Street East, Wellington Street, Church Street, Queen Street, Silver, Temperance and Division Streets, Scugog Street, Liberty Street, o Signalized Intersections—consideration of intersection capacities in the historic downtown (both AM and PM peaks), examination of reasons for current congestion levels, recommendations to improve, lane configurations summarized. o Off-Street Parking Access and Bus Stops—concerns on King Street during peak hours because traffic operations are affected by bus stops and drivers accessing off-street parking lots —survey by block determined traffic impacts of this as well as the potentials that exist for removing these problems. o Relocation considerations for transit service stops— reconfiguration of traffic operations to ease impact of drivers accessing off-street parking is suggested as recommendations. o Pedestrian Activity and Crosswalks—survey on intersection/crosswalk locations to determine amount of foot traffic at noon and afternoon hours—dated though because it is 1991 figures. o Follows up on 1989 Traffic Report recommendations—explanation and rationalization of these changes are outlined —one span of 650m without a crosswalk exists. o Public Transit and Other Services • Existing and Proposed Transit Service • Dated information —on GO and the lack of public transit serving the Central Area. • Pedestrian and Bicycle Routes • Problems with creating an orderly pedestrian network—absence of crosswalks at certain locations, lack of pedestrian services (i.e. washrooms, benches, etc), no cycle facilities or route markings, no well defined pedestrian links between activity centres. • Recommendations in the CAUSE report are to be referred to. o Conclusions—summaries of the above subheadings... 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 43 Cla I�dr{rAe llar aoll Bowmanville East Main Central Area Secondary Plan Secondary Plan included within the Clarington Official Plan on pages 185-193. • Goal of the Plan is to retain and strengthen the role of the East Main Central Area as the focal point of economic, social and cultural activity, through the provision of vibrant shopping areas, housing, symbolic points of interest, and key institutional and cultural facilities. • Also to provide for ongoing redevelopment in the Downtown and the East Business District with emphasis on increased densities, heritage preservation and quality urban design. • General Land Use Policies o Maximum of 60,000 sq. metres retail and personal service floor space permitted (Downtown= 30,000 and East Business District= 30,000). o Planned population of East Main Central Area is 3,000 persons. o Maximum building height shall be six storeys, floor space index not exceeding 1.5. • Street Related Commercial Area o Historic street-related commercial area to be maintained, developments not wishing to follow the guidelines for development in the East Main Central Area will be encouraged to locate elsewhere. o No drive-through facilities are permitted in the Street-Related Commercial Area of Downtown. o Permitted uses explained in detail. o Those already existing but not compatible with the Plan will be encouraged to relocate outside of this Street Related Commercial Area. o Redevelopment role of the Municipality is explained —consolidation of smaller land parcels, encouragement of joint parking arrangements, etc. • Strip Commercial Area o Recognizes more recent development— encouraging future redevelopment to infill, as well as bringing structures back to the street instead of large setbacks. o Permitted uses listed. o Site development criteria • Maximum floor space index for commercial uses not exceed 0.40. • Combined floor space index for mixed use buildings shall not exceed 1.5 where there are residential uses located above the ground floor. • Consistency of setback with the established building line of abutting properties. • Official Plan compliance. o Bowmanville Mall encouraged to further redevelop with a wide variety of uses and shall include redevelopment along the King Street frontage. • Mixed Use Area o Permitted uses listed. o Site development criteria • Existing facade of residential structure retained, wherever possible. • Additions to the existing structure shall be to the side or rear of existing buildings. • Additions to complement historic character of building (materials, scale, massing and architectural style, etc). • Official Plan compliance. • Residential o Permitted uses listed. o Municipality encourages retention, adaptation, and reuse of buildings of historic or architectural significance. o Minimum of 30% of housing units within the East Main Central Area shall be affordable. • Parks o Municipality shall generally take cash-in-lieu of parkland for purposes of acquiring public land within the EMCA of parkland development in adjacent residential neighbourhoods. o Municipality will endeavour to provide more parkland in the Downtown —either by pocket parkettes or civic spaces. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 44 Clariwon • Community Facilities and Institutions o It is the Municipality's intent to maintain Downtown as the administrative and symbolic centre of Clarington through retention and expansion of existing municipal administration building and the provision of other services such as the library and the senior's activity centre. o Municipality investigating the establishment of a civic focus along Temperance Street with distinctive streetscape. o Recognition of important role of the Bowmanville Memorial Hospital • Environmental Protection Areas o Detailed explanation of where development and redevelopment is permitted near Environmental Protection Areas located in the Downtown and immediate surrounding area. • Urban Design guidelines to be generated— providing visual interpretation of the policies here in the Secondary Plan. • Transportation and Parking o Focus on improvement of traffic operations, including restricting on-street parking, optimizing traffic signal timing, and removing/relocating private accesses. o Existing street-grid to be maintained and expanded wherever possible. o Joint parking is encouraged wherever possible. o Public parking supply will be investigated and Municipality to consider expanding the current supply. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 45 CIaritgoin Retail Market Studies: A Planner's Guide (Ontario, Durham, Clarington, etc) Process guide outlining how to properly review retail markets from a planner's perspective, prepared by The Climans Group,June 16, 1995. • Provides municipalities with a process by which a retail market analysis should be followed, as well significant attention is paid to the'big box' retail development in a second accompanying section. • Attached to this process guide is a retail analysis conducted in 1995 using data that is not cited in terms of the source, but more than likely Statistics Canada. • Stages of Retail Analysis o Defining the Trade Area—purpose (population & inventory), license plate survey and consumer telephone survey. o Calculate Consumer Demand—population growth &distribution, consumer incomes, and consumer expenditures. o Inventory Competitive Supply—existing supply&planned/proposed space o Development Opportunity—space productivity&residual potential o Impact on Planned Function—loss of sales v. loss of business, business turnover v. impact, and concept of 15% over 3 years. o Big Box Retailers—function, format, size, trade area, characteristics, trends, and implications for regional policy. o For Clarington—statistical tables included in report on each of these topic areas using 1981- 1991 census data, accompanied by projections from 1991 onward to 2011. Each section contains Clarington statistics, usually with some form of comparison to the Region and to the Province of Ontario. o Conclusions or Recommendations—none as the report was purely statistical collection of data relevant to the five components of a retail analysis. Bowmanville Town Centre B.I.A. Streetscape Revitalization Study, prepared by J.R. Freethy Architect, September 1996 • Inventory of existing streetscape items (metered parking spaces, trees, lights, waste receptacles, etc.) • Urban design objectives: o Reinforce the historic theme of the downtown Bowmanville core area via: • Strong formal planting arrangements using a"downtown tree" • Creation of an icon/ logo to be carried throughout street signage • Use a theme colour for all street furniture, light standards, and pedestrian surface treatment • Clearly defined pedestrian routes • Redevelopment of major vehicular intersections to create a series of focal points • Enhancement of primary entry points to the core area • Expansion of the B.I.A. district to the east as commercial infill growth increases • Total estimated cost of improvements— $1, 337, 112 • To date some of the recommendations have been implemented (benches, waste receptacles) 6/23/2005 Bowmanville CommunityImprovement Plan page 46 clarirton x..e..x.x.x.. Attitudes Towards Bowmanville's Downtown Core Prepared for the Bowmanville BIA by Collis& Reed Research, 1997 New Residential Area Telephone Survey • Telephone survey of 419 residents of newer areas of Bowmanville, Courtice, and Wilmot Creek • Investigated: o Shopping, dining and service needs of Clarington residents o Familiarity of residents with the downtown core o Barriers to using the downtown core o Advertising strategies and the success of festivals to attract people to the downtown core • Results o Majority of respondents in Bowmanville and Wilmot Creek come to the downtown core at least once weekly o Respondents most often • dine at standard fare dining establishments • shop at craft and gift stores • use the services of banks o Respondents • most like the convenience and familiarity of the downtown core • find out about downtown events from newspaper ads and by word of mouth • most enjoy Applefest and the Fabulous Fifties Festival • at times feel discouraged from coming to the downtown core (lack of parking, lack of store variety, store hours, non-competitive prices, traffic) • most often shop, dine and use services in Oshawa Festival Questionnaires • 131 interviews conducted during Fabulous Fifties Festival • 393 interviews conducted during Applefest • Results o Majority of respondents • have attended previous festivals and special events • enjoy crafts, food, atmosphere and events at Applefest • find out about festivals and special events in the newspaper o Half of the respondents report being discouraged from using the downtown restaurants, services, and stores, most often because of parking, hours of operation, lack of store variety, prices of products General Observations from All Surveys • Similar attitudes concerning the downtown core between newer and longer term residents of Clarington (consistency of responses between the three surveys) • Word of mouth, newspapers and posters/banners appear to be the most effective methods of advertising downtown events Metroland 1999 Readership Study Prepared by Kubas Consultants,January 1999 • Highlights results from mail survey of all Metroland markets (7561 completed surveys) • 200 surveys from readers of Clarington This Week • Highlights key results of readership, use of other media, retail shopping preferences, purchase intentions, financial services, leisure activities, etc. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 47 Clarri gon LMxx �.Mar Memorandum: Main Street Ontario Funding Application Prepared by Planning and Development Department, October 12, 1999 • Summarizes the application made by Clarington for Main Street Ontario Millennium Funding -each recipient of the funds were asked to provide specific proposals to Staff which were then coordinated into one application. • Bowmanville BIA o Main Street Improvement- project to be located in the core of historic downtown Bowmanville- purpose is to enhance the streetscape and add to the charm of downtown Bowmanville, to provide and improve the quality of the festivals and events by installing an electric power centre for generating power for sound and lighting systems, food vendors, and so on. o Focused on implementing the recommendations of 1991 CAUSE study by installing 10 each of Old English style benches, planters, and waste receptacles-also one electric power centre is proposed. o Projected completion, critical paths to completion and description of partners. o Main Street Objectives met by this application: • Beautify Ontario-enhancement of the 1890s heritage features of the historic downtown and create a place where people can enjoy the small town charm, shop and eat. • Homecoming-electric power centre will service the 6 festivals and events held each year in the downtown, attracting people from the community as well as other parts of Ontario. o Expected Project Results: • Builds pride in Ontario community by showcasing local achievements(i.e. Heritage, culture, commerce and vitality). • Strengthens local economies-furniture to be purchased through local business and plants from local greenhouses. • Encourages the development of new partnerships(i.e. public and private sector groups working together). o Project Manager will be Municipality of Clarington (ordering and coordination of installation) in consultation with Bowmanville BIA. o Project evaluation measures included as well as budgetary information for the project. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 48 Clrit�ton /�d.ryib Nor Parking Inventory Prepared by Totten Sims Hubidd(TSH),2000 At the request of the Municipality of Clarington TSH was asked to prepare an inventory of the existing public and private formalized parking in Downtown Bowmanville in the area bounded by Queen Street, Scugog Street, Church Street and Division Street. In addition the Municipality requested that opportunities to provide additional parking in the downtown be reviewed and various alternatives be provided for increasing available parking within the study area. The following is a summary of the existing available parking from the inventory: NUMBER OF SPACES SURFACE GRAVEL PAVED ON-STREET TOTAL PAINTED STALLS NO YES NO YES PRIVATE OWNERSHIP 203 238 213 0 654 PUBLIC OWNERSHIP 0 206 0 181 387 TOTAL 203 444 213 181 1041 Upon completion of the inventory an analysis of existing parking patterns and vacant lands was completed to determine potential sites for additional parking in which four locations were identified as follow: Site Additional Estimated Cost(in 2000 $) Parking Spaces excludin landpurchase) 1-Area south of King Street between 27 $293,000 Temperance and Scugog Street 2-20 King Street, Former Service Station 45 $52,000 3-11 Temperance Street, Green Space South of 29 $103,000 St. John's Anglican Church 4-134 Queen Street, Lawn Bowling Club 36 $96,000 The inventory report concluded that a large portion of the downtown core is designated for parking. Only a few locations exist where additional parking spaces can be created as noted in the above table. If parking demands continue to increase the feasibility of constructing a parking garage in an existing municipal lot should be investigated. Since the preparation of the report the Municipality has moved forward with one of the recommended site improvements and have constructed a parking lot on the 20 King Street site which included 44 public stalls and 8 private stalls. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 49 C1art"19 On Bowmanville King Street East Corridor Study Prepared by Urban Strategies as a Fina/Report with findings and recommendations resulting from study,September, 2003 • Purpose was to assess the appropriateness of the land use policies in study area and make recommendations for changes, to develop transportation and property access management plan with strategy to accommodate traffic, and prepare urban design plan to guide future development. • Recommendations: o Prioritization of Actions and Capital Initiatives—cooperation between numerous private land owners, residents and businesses, as well the Municipality. • Capital Improvements diagram on page 27—priority initiatives should be achieved within the next five years while longer-term initiatives extend beyond the five year shorter-term priorities (see pages 28-29 for detailed recommendations). o Official Plan Revisions—existing policies of the OP are generally appropriate and should be retained— it is not recommended that any specific amendments in the main body are made— note however that some amendments to the maps within should occur (to keep East Main Central Secondary Plan in check with broader policy). o East Main Central Area Secondary Plan — much of existing Plan is useful but several sections where policy changes are necessary to reflect and achieve the objectives outlined in this report (recommendations on pages 30-32). o Revisions to the Zoning By-law—substantial number of amendments needed to implement the recommendations of the report— some are generally and apply to the entire area, while some will need to be site-specific amendments—as a result some legal non- conforming uses will be created (pages 34-37 cover these off in detail). o Regulation of Drive-Through Recommendations—drive-throughs should be permitted as a land use, subject to zoning criteria and other policies—desirable and popular land use to members of the community BUT care must be taken to minimize negative impacts. • Zoning by-law is the most appropriate instrument for regulating drive-throughs— recommend creation of new land use category for drive-throughs rather than relying on existing categories(example definition is provided on pages 38-39). • Recommended zoning requirements of this new zone (page 39-40). o Transportation Recommendations—seven recommendations coming out of the transportation analysis conducted (pages 40-41). • Developing new signalized access points for Bowmanville Mall and restricting turning movements at the King/Galbraith Court-Mall access intersection. • King/St. George should also be signalized in the near future and properties developed here should be developed with limited access to King and full access to St. George. • Proposed extensions of Church, Queen, and Simpson should be supported. • Functional classification of Simpson in next Official Plan review should be revisited. • Design modifications to improve transition from four basic lane and two basic lane road sections on each side of Simpson Avenue—construction to four basic lanes between Liberty and Frank not recommended. • Traffic impact studies should be required as new developments are proposed to assess new road and traffic requirements in the future. • Municipality should consider powers in Part III of Municipal Act, 2001 to regulate private accesses. • Urban Design Plan —pages 42-57 cover: o The Street System —creation of linked network of streets composed of primary, secondary and local streets—this would require amendment of OP (discussion of specific areas of Study area streets and accompanying sketches available here). o Guidelines—for Building Heights, Building Orientation, Built Form, Site Landscaping, Parking and Access, and Loading and Storage are provided. • Demonstration Plans— illustrations of two concepts of what the Study area might look like in 20 years if the recommendations outlined above were implemented —only private lands these are just suggestions since no legal authority exists to bind property owners (pages 54-57). 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 50 clarlr 'ton ... Clarington Business Retention and Expansion Review Prepared by the Clarington Board of Trade in Aprii 2004 • Goals of the review were to identify and remedy common business challenges, stimulate growth and job creation opportunities within existing businesses and to assist in facilitating long-range strategies for growth. • Factors considered: o Profile of the businesses types, times in operation and number of employees. o Future plans o Factors impacting operations o HR issues, current and future o Technology needs, current and future o Rating of local services and organizations o Information assistance requirements 0 Expansion, retention and relocation needs and assistance • Overall Clarington Profile: o 34% been in business 3-10 years, 25% at 10-25 years, and 23% over 35 years— indicative of well-established business base but few startups(only 11% less than 3 years). o 49% plan to expand in next 2 years and 40% expect to increase workforce. 0 60% of businesses were started in the community o 61%are satisfied with current location and 63% of businesses own their facility/property o 70%of businesses total dollar sales have increased in past 2 years and 77% believe sales will continue to be higher in the next year o 85%of businesses are non-unionized o 61% are planning on capital investments within the next 3 years • Observations: o Quality of life is an anchor for Clarington's business development—strong indicators highlighting the support of local residents, positive municipal support and access to a variety of markets = Clarington being and remaining an advantageous location for business. o Over 50% of businesses surveyed have acknowledges the importance of building partnerships and sharing resources to enhance economic stability of their business. o Most important long term benefit—to build the capacity of the community to attract economic development through retention and expansion of its existing businesses and fostering of"pro- business attitude." 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 51 Claranon I ve@�xR iRv pad Clarington Commercial Policy Review: Recommended Policy Changes Draft Final Report prepared by Meridian Planning Consultants concluding their analysis of the current policies and commercial structure, December of 2004 • Purpose was to review and study/analyze existing commercial policy and recommend changes to better accommodate growth that has occurs and is forecasted to occur into the future. • Relevance to Bowmanville CIP: o Key Findings • Two main commercial areas are Bowmanville East Main Central Area and Bowmanville West Main Central Area—should be combined for purpose of the Official Plan to be described as one main central area with two distinct functions— both should maintain Secondary Plans. • There is a need to recognize the functional distinction between the east and west areas—this provided through land use, urban design, and transportation policies. • Market impacts and planning considerations should be related to the health of the downtown— lands should be designated and phased in relation to market demand. • Commercial activity corridor is Durham Highway 2/King Street and should remain the focus of commercial activity. • Importance of downtown Bowmanville should mean that broader downtown policies and initiatives are needed—establish flexible policies to allow intensification and redevelopment opportunities. • Transportation infrastructure—grid road system function is important to maintain goals and objectives for Bowmanville West Central Area. o Detailed Information: • Approaches to Commercial Planning—OP context, other issues/contexts • Market Impacts—includes a detailed'additional warranted space analysis' • Transportation —must be expanded and grow with commercial growth. • Urban design principles—summary from report issued under separate cover'Urban Design Issues and Opportunities' • Preferred Approach to Commercial Planning —general description, structure recommendations, market impacts, how the downtowns fit into it, etc—Tables summarizing proposed changes. • Current Applications— summary of current development applications which will have an effect on the commercial structure of the Municipality. 6/23/2005 Bowmanville Community Improvement Plan page 52 APPENDIX 5: GRANT PROGRAMS 1.1 Building Permit Fee Grant Program This grant program is intended to assist property owners with financing the cost of the development process by providing a grant to offset the amount of the applicable Building Permit Fee to a maximum of$2,000. Area of Application The Building Permit Fee Grant Program is available to all registered property owners or commercial tenants that have a minimum of a 5-year lease and are within the Community Improvement Project Area, except for greenfield development areas as shown in Schedule A. Eligibility for Grant The applicants for a Building Permit Fee Grant must be the registered owner(s) or commercial tenants with a signed consent form and must submit a building permit application for property within the Community Improvement Project Area. Municipal staff will conduct a title search of the property and review property tax records. Properties where the property owner is in arrears of taxes are not eligible to receive the Building Permit Fee Grant. The provision of any Building Permit Fee Grant will be administered on a first come first served basis to the limit of available funding in accordance with any administrative rules governing this and other grant programs. General Terms of Grant Any Building Permit Fee Grant will be provided as a one-time grant to the registered owner or long-term tenant of the property and represents an amount equivalent only to the Building Permit Fees of the Municipality of Clarington to the upset limit of$3,000.00. At the time of building permit application, the applicant will pay all applicable Building Permit Fees. Grants will be in the amount of the lesser of the following: 1 . 100% of the eligible Building Permit Fees; or 2. A maximum of $2,000 per building permit application. Other Programs Provided all eligibility criteria and conditions are met for this program, participation in the Building Permit Fee Grant Program does not preclude the owner from being eligible for other grant programs offered under the Community Improvement plan. However, at no time shall the total amount of grants provided to a property owner or for an individual property exceed $50,000. However, lands that are developed by means of registered plans of condominium or are developed by successive phases of a comprehensive site plan agreement are eligible to receive a maximum of $50,000 in grants per registered plan of condominium or per phase of a site plan agreement. Work Already Commenced The Grant Program will not be retroactively applied to development where building permits were issued prior to the commencement of the program. Procedures 1. Grant Application Submitted at Time of Building Permit Application. The applicant is required to submit a completed Grant application form to the Director of Planning Services for approval prior to commencing construction. The application will include a copy of the Building Permit application including drawings detailing the proposed work. This may require drawings to be prepared by a Professional Engineer or Architect. 2. Provision of Grant Following the completion of the work and final building inspection by the Building Services Division of the Engineering Services Department, the Building Permit Fee Grant will be provided for approved projects providing the property owner is not in tax arrears. 1.2 Site Plan Control Fee Grant Program This grant program is intended to assist commercial zone property owners with financing the cost of development process by providing a grant to offset the amount of the Site Plan Control Fee to a maximum of$3,000. Area of Application The Site Plan Control Fee Grant Program is available to all registered property owners within the Community Improvement Project Area, except for greenfield development areas as shown on Schedule A. Eligibility for Grant The applicants for a Site Plan Control Fee Grant must be the registered owner(s) of the property and must receive SPC approval and submit a building permit application for property in compliance with the approved site plan within the any commercial zone of the Community Improvement Project Area. Municipal staff will conduct a title search of the property and review property tax records. Property owners who are in arrears of property taxes are not eligible to receive the Grant. The provision of any Site Plan Control Fee Grant will be administered on a first come first served basis to the limit of available funding in accordance with any administrative rules governing this and other grant programs. General Terms of Grant Any Site Plan Control Fee Grant will be provided as a one-time grant to the registered owner of the property. Grants will be in the amount of 100% of the eligible fees in accordance with Municipality's schedule of fees to the upset of $3,000. Other Programs Provided all eligibility criteria and conditions are met for this program, participation in the Site Plan Control Fee Grant Program does not preclude the owner from being eligible for other grant programs offered under the Community Improvement plan. However, at no time shall the total amount of grants provided to a property owner or for an individual property exceed $50,000. However, lands that are developed by means of registered plans of condominium or are developed by successive phases of a comprehensive site plan agreement are eligible to receive a maximum of$50,000 in grants or loans per registered plan of subdivision or per phase of a site plan agreement. Procedures 1. Grant Application Submitted at Time of Site Plan Control Application The applicant is required to submit a completed Site Plan Control Fee Grant application form to the Director of Planning Services for approval prior to commencing construction. The application will include a copy of the Site Plan Control. This may require drawings to be prepared by a Professional Engineer or Architect. 2. Provision of Grant Following the completion of the work and final inspection by the Planning Services and Engineering Services Department, the grant will be provided for approved projects and providing that the property owner is not in tax arrears. 1.3 Heritage Building Fagade Improvement Grant Program This grant program is intended to assist property owners with financing the cost of the development process by providing a grant to offset the amount of the applicable Building Permit Fee, for projects initiated under and complying with the community improvement plan, to facilitate the rehabilitation or improvement of a property in the community improvement project area, to a maximum of$10000. Area of Application The Heritage Fagade Improvement Grant program is available to all registered property owners within the Community Improvement Project Area for the Municipality of Clarington as shown in Schedule A. A heritage building is determined by the Heritage Resource Inventory of the Municipality. Eligible works include: ➢ Repainting or cleaning of the fagade and those parts of the building visible from adjacent streets or public areas; ➢ Restoration of fagade masonry, brickwork or wood and metal cladding ➢ Replacement, repair or restoration of cornices, eaves, parapets and other architectural features; ➢ Replacement, repair or restoration of original windows or replacement with similar reproduction windows; ➢ Entranceway modifications including provisions to improve accessibility for the physically challenged; ➢ Redesign of the store front, in keeping with the originally identified heritage features or pictorial evidence; ➢ Removal of inappropriate signage and installation of appropriate new signage, in keeping with the heritage theme; ➢ Restoration of original fagade appearance; ➢ Replacement or repair of canopies and awnings; ➢ Installation or repair of exterior lighting, in compliance with municipal guidelines; and ➢ Such other similar improvements to the building exterior as may be approved by the Director of Planning Services. Eligibility for Grant The applicants for a Heritage Fagade Improvement Grant must be the registered owner(s) of the property. Municipal staff will conduct a title search of the property and review property tax records. Property owners who are in arrears of property taxes are not eligible to receive the Heritage Fagade Improvement Grant. The provision of any Heritage Fagade Improvement Grant will be administered on first come first served basis to the limit of available funding in accordance with any administrative rule governing this and other grant programs. The proposed improvements will require review and comments from the LACAC; unless the building is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, LACAC approval will not be required. However, the LACAC comments will be considered by the Director of Planning Services in determining if the fagade improvements are in keeping with the architectural character of the building and qualify for the heritage fagade improvement grant. General Terms of Grant The grant covers up to one third of the costs of the eligible work per building to a maximum of$10,000 per municipal street address or storefront, subject to an overall maximum of$50,000 per property owner for a building with multiple street addresses or storefronts. Other Programs Provided all eligibility criteria and conditions are met for this program, participation in the Heritage Fagade Improvement Grant Program does not preclude the owner from being eligible for other grant programs offered under the Community Improvement Plan. However, at no time shall the total amount of grants provided to a property owner exceed $50,000. Work Already Commenced The Heritage Fagade Improvement Grant Program can be retroactively applied to works started prior to the commencement of the program providing the works are not complete and meet the criteria of the program. Procedures 1. Grant Application Submitted at Time of Building or Street Occupancy Permit Application The applicant is required to submit a completed Heritage Fagade Improvement Grant application form to the Director of Planning Services for approval. The application will include a copy of the Street Occupancy and/or Building Permit application including drawings detailing the proposed improvement works. This may require drawings to be prepared by a Professional Engineer or Architect. 2. Description of Eligible Works and Submission of Quotations The Heritage Fagade Improvement Grant application will include a description of the eligible works and an estimate of the works to be undertaken in order to rehabilitate the fagade. The estimate shall be supported by a minimum of two estimates from qualified contractors for undertaking the eligible works and shall be consistent with the cost estimate indicated on the accompanying building permit application. The cost estimate should indicate a breakdown of items, description of works to be performed, etc. The grant will be provided on the basis of the cost of the actual works not to exceed the one third limitation and the maximum of$10,000. 3. Inspection of Fagade Prior to approving a Heritage Fagade Improvement Grant, Municipal staff may inspect the building to review the condition of the fagade and the proposed improvement. A subsequent inspection may be done during the work. 4. Decision of Director of Planning Services The final decision as to how much of the proposed work, if any, is eligible for funding under the Heritage Fagade Improvement grant program will be made by the Director of Planning Services or designate. Prior to issuing a decision, the Director may request further drawings, cost estimates or other information. 5. Expiry of Approval If all eligibility criteria and conditions are met and funds are available in the grant fund, the Director of Planning Services or designate will approve the Heritage Fagade Improvement grant. A letter from the Director to the applicant will represent a commitment and will be valid for a period of 6 months. The Director at his discretion may provide an extension of 6 months. However, if the heritage fagade improvements do not match the drawings, materials or intent of the original approval, approval may be withdrawn without appeal. 6. Inspection of Completed Work Staff from the Building Services Division of the Engineering Services Department will conduct an inspection of the completed work. Staff from the Planning Services Department will conduct an inspection to ensure the works are in keeping with the intent of the drawings and materials as originally approved. 7. Provision of Grant Following satisfactory inspections of the work and the receipt of invoices from the applicant the grant cheque will be issued providing that the property owner is not in tax arrears. The grant will be advanced to the applicant only upon completion of works and progress payment will not be made. 8. Maintenance The property owner is obligated to take proper actions to maintain the improved and finished facades to the satisfaction of the Municipality. Future modifications that change the integrity of the architectural appearance are subject to the approval of the Municipality (at building permit time) and may be denied if they diminish the investment made by the Municipality in the fagade. 9. Heritage Designation Depending on the improvements made to the building and the investment by the Municipality the owner may be required to designate the building under the Ontario Heritage Act as a condition to receive the grant. 1.4 Upgrade to Building Code Grant Program This grant program is intended to assist commercial zone property owners with financing the cost of the development process by providing a grant to offset the amount of the Site Plan Control Fee, for projects initiated under and complying with the community improvement plan, to facilitate the rehabilitation or improvement of a property in the community improvement project area, to a maximum of$5000. Area of Application The Upgrade to Building Code Grant Program is available to all registered property owners or commercial tenants with a signed consent form for the improvements within the historic downtown and estate retail portions of the Community Improvement Project Area for the Municipality of Clarington as shown on Schedule A. Eligible works include: ➢ Installation of fire protection systems; ➢ Relocation or installation of fire escapes; ➢ Reinforcement of floors, ceilings and/or walls; ➢ Required improvements to ventilation system; ➢ Improvements for barrier-free accessibility; ➢ Construction or alteration of required window opening for upper storey residential units; and ➢ Other improvements, at the discretion of the Director of Planning Services, related to Building Code upgrades that address health and safety issues. Eligibility for Grant The applicants for the Upgrade to Building Code Grant Program must be the registered owner(s) of the property or long term commercial tenants with at least a 5 year lease agreement. Municipal staff will conduct a title search of the property and review property tax records. Property owners who are in arrears of property taxes are not eligible to receive the Grant. The provision of any Upgrade to Building Code Grant Program will be administered on first come first served basis to the limit of available funding in accordance with any administrative rule governing this and other grant or loan programs. General Terms of Grant The grant covers up to 50% of the costs of the eligible work per building to a maximum of $10,000 per municipal street address or storefront, subject to an overall maximum of $50,000 per property owner for a building with multiple street addresses or storefronts. Other Programs Provided all eligibility criteria and conditions are met for this program, participation in the Upgrade to Building Code Grant Program does not preclude the owner from being eligible for other grant programs offered under the Community Improvement Plan. However, at no time shall the total amount of grants provided to a property owner exceed $50,000. Work Already Commenced The Upgrade to Building Code Grant Program can be retroactively applied to works started prior to the commencement of the program providing the works are not complete, have already received a building permit and meet the criteria of this program. Procedures 1. Grant Application Submitted at Time of Building Permit Application The applicant is required to submit a completed application form to the Director of Planning Services for approval. The application will include a copy of the Building Permit application including drawings detailing the proposed improvement works. This may require drawings to be prepared by a Professional Engineer or Architect. 2. Description of Eligible Works and Submission of Quotations The Upgrade to Building Code Grant Program application will include a description of the eligible works and an estimate of the works to be undertaken in order to meet the requirements of the building code. The estimate shall be supported by a minimum of two estimates from qualified contractors for undertaking the eligible works and shall be consistent with the cost estimate indicated on the accompanying building permit application. The cost estimate should indicate a breakdown of items, description of works to be performed, etc. The grant will be provided on the basis of the cost of the actual works not to exceed the 50% limitation and the maximum of$10,000. 3. Inspection of Building Prior to approving an Upgrade to Building Code Grant, Municipal staff may inspect the building to review the conditions and the proposed improvement. A subsequent inspection may be done during the work. 4. Decision of Director of Planning Services The final decision as to how much of the proposed work, if any, is eligible for funding under the Upgrade to Building Code Grant program will be made by the Director of Planning Services or designate. Prior to issuing a decision, the Director may request further drawings, cost estimates or other information. 5. Expiry of Approval If all eligibility criteria and conditions are met and funds are available in the Upgrade to Building Code grant fund, the Director of Planning Services or designate will approve the grant. A letter from the Director to the applicant will represent a commitment and will be valid for a period of 6 months. The Director at his discretion may provide an extension of 6 months. However, if the building improvements do not match the drawings, materials or intent of the original approval, approval may be withdrawn without appeal. 6. Inspection of Completed Work Staff from the Building Services Division of the Engineering Services Department will conduct an inspection of the completed work. Staff from the Planning Services Department will conduct an inspection to ensure the works are in keeping with the intent of the drawings and materials as originally approved. 7. Provision of Grant Following satisfactory inspections of the work and the receipt of invoices from the applicant the grant cheque will be issued providing that the property owner is not in tax arrears. The grant will be advanced to the applicant only upon completion of works and progress payment will not be made. 8. Maintenance The property owner and grant recipient is obligated to take proper actions to maintain the improvements to the satisfaction of the Municipality. Future modifications that change the integrity of the improvements are subject to the approval of the Municipality (at building permit time) and may be denied if they diminish the investment made by the Municipality. 1.5 Reconstruction Grant Program This grant program is intended to assist property owners with financing the cost of the reconstruction process by providing a one-time grant to offset the amount of reconstruction to a maximum of$10,000. All reconstructed buildings are to be designed to be in keeping with the historical context of Bowmanville and in keeping with the heritage streetscape context. Area of Application The Reconstruction Grant Program is available to all registered property owners within the Community Improvement Project Area as shown on Schedule A. Eligibility for Grant Reconstruction projects will qualify for funding if they are being redeveloped as a result of fire or other natural disaster. This grant is intended to fund the redevelopment of a building or structure on the same land that has been destroyed in whole or in part by fire, explosion or Act of God and has to be in whole or part demolished and reconstructed for the same purpose. In a loss due to fire, the Ontario Fire Marshall has to have ruled "no malfeasance". The Reconstruction Grant is intended to provide the owner with additional funds to enhance the front fagade of the impacted building over and above the monies collected for functional replacement purposes through the insurance funding. The designer/owner shall involve the Planning Services staff in the design process to ensure that the front fagade meets the criteria. Individuals and/or corporations applying for a Reconstruction Grant must be the registered owner(s) of the property and must receive site plan approval and obtain a building permit for the property in compliance with the provisions of the approved site plan within the Community Improvement Project Area. Municipal staff will conduct a title search of the property and review property tax records. Property owners who are in arrears of property taxes are not eligible to receive the Reconstruction Grant. The property owner must consult with applicable utility companies as part of the application process to determine if there are concerns in regards to the potential proximity of overhead lines and/or underground utilities. The provision of any Reconstruction Grant will be administered on a first come first served basis to the limit of available funding and in accordance with any administrative rules governing this and other grant programs. General Terms of Grant Any Reconstruction Grant will be provided as a one-time grant to the registered owner of the property. Grants will be in the amount of up to $10,000 and will only apply to buildings constructed with an approved design. The grants will be provided at the discretion of the Director of Planning Services. This grant program is not intended to encourage the neglect or demolition of existing buildings. Other Programs Provided all eligibility criteria and conditions are met for this program, participation in the Reconstruction Grant Program does not preclude the owner from being eligible for other grant programs offered under the Community Improvement Plan. However, at no time shall the total amount of grants provided to a property owner or for an individual property exceed $45,000. However, lands that are developed by means of registered plans of condominium or are developed by successive phases of a comprehensive site plan agreement are eligible to receive a maximum of$45,000 in grants per phase of a site plan agreement. Procedures 1. Grant Application Submitted at Time of Site Plan Control Application The applicant is required to submit a completed Reconstruction Grant application form to the Director of Planning Services for approval prior to commencing construction. The application will include a copy of the Site Plan, the building permit application and the building permit drawings. This may require drawings to be prepared by a Professional Engineer or Architect. 2. Provision of Grant Following the completion of the work and final inspection by the Engineering Services Department, the grant will be provided for approved projects providing that the property owner is not in tax arrears. 3. Description of Eligible Works and Submission of Quotations The Reconstruction Grant application will include a description of the eligible works, elevation drawings, and an estimate of the works to be undertaken in order to construct the building. The grant will be provided up to a maximum of$10,000. 4. Decision of Director of Planning Services The final decision on whether a property is eligible for a Reconstruction Grant will be at the discretion of the Director of Planning Services. 5. Expiry of Approval If all eligibility criteria and conditions are met and funds are available in the grant fund, the Director of Planning Services or designate will approve the Reconstruction Grant. A letter from the Director to the applicant will represent a commitment and will be valid for a period of 6 months. The Director, at his discretion, may provide extensions. However, if the Reconstruction Grant does not match the drawings, materials or intent of the original approval, approval may be withdrawn. 6. Inspection of Completed Work Staff from the Planning Services Department will conduct an inspection to ensure the works are in keeping with the intent of the drawings and materials as originally approved. The applicant must finalize their building permit inspections with the Building Services Division prior to any funds being released. 7. Provision of Grant Following satisfactory inspections of the work the grant cheque will be issued providing that the property owner is not in tax arrears. 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