Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPD-141-83 4 CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF NEWCASTLE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT T.T.EDWARDS,M.C.I.P.,Director HAMPTON,ONTARIO LOB 1JO TEL.(416)263.2231 REPORT TO THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF OCTOBER 3, 1983 REPORT NO. : PD-141-83 SUBJECT: GANARASKA REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY INTERIM WATERSHED PLAN I RECOMMENDATION: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1 . That Report PD-141 -83 be received; and 2. That the recommendations contained within Report PD-141-83 be considered as the .Town of Newcastle's recommendations on the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority Interim Watershed Plan ; and 3. That a copy of Staff Report PD-141 -83 and i Council ' s decision be forwarded to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority. . . .2/ REPORT NO. : PD-141-83 Page 2 BACKGROUND: On June 7, 1983, the Planning Department received a copy of the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority Draft Watershed Plan along with a request for comments by the end of June. Staff had an opportunity to briefly review the Plan and, in Report PD-93-83 to the June 20, 1983 meeting of the General Purpose and Administration Committee, presented a brief summary of the Plan and some of the issues of concern to the Town. Report PD-93-83 recommended that the first draft of the Watershed Plan be submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources as an Interim Watershed Plan and that the Conservation Authority be advised that the Town would provide more detailed comments on the Plan after a more thorough review. These recommendations were adopted by Committee (Resolution #GPA-542-83) and subsequently endorsed by Council at its meeting of June 27, 1983 (Resolution #C-504-83) . Planning Department staff have been advised that the Conservation Authority submitted the draft Plan as an Interim Watershed Plan. As well , staff have had an opportunity to more thoroughly review the Watershed Plan and are now bringing this report forward to obtain Council 's position on the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority Interim Watershed Plan. COMMENTS: The Watershed Plan has a time frame of twenty (20) years and consists of five (5) program areas - Floodplain Management, Water Management, Water-related Land Management , Community Relations, and Recreation. This Report addresses each of these programs individually. . . .3/ REPORT NO. : PD-141-83 Page 3 Floodplain Management Program There are two components to this program - the Flood Warning and Forecasting System and Floodplain Management. The policies relating to the first component centre on maintain- ing, updating and modifying the Conservation Authority's Flood Warning System. Staff support this objective. The policies and objectives of the Floodplain Management Program primarily address the issue of controlling landuse within floodplains. Staff note that the Durham Region Official Plan defines hazard lands as including lands which are susceptible to flooding, and indicates that hazard lands shall be used primarily for the preservation and conservation of the natural environment. The Official Plan further provides that the extent and the exact location of such lands shall be determined in the respective zoning by-laws. To that end, the Town's draft Comprehensive Zoning By-law generally includes those lands within the Regional Storm Floodlines as being within an Environmental Protection Zone. The primary purpose of this zone is similar to the Official Plan' s hazard land designation. Staff therefore feel that the policies and objectives of the Floodplain Management Program relating to the control of landuse are compatible with the provisions of the Durham Region Official Plan and the draft Comprehensive Zoning By-law. Staff have a concern however, with policy (c) of the Flood- plain Management Program. This policy states that, for development proposals in areas not covered by floodplain mapping, the Conservation Authority may require floodplain Recommendation mapping to be provided. Staff recommend that this No. 1 . . .4/ i REPORT NO. : PD-141-83 Page 4 policy be clarified to indicate that the applicant would be required to provide this information, not the Municipality. As well , staff note that the Plan designates Newcastle Village as a flood damage centre based on the number of structures in the floodplain. The Plan states that a Floodplain Management Study for the Village could be prepared over the life of the Plan and that, depending on the results of the study, the Flood Damage Reduction Program Recommendation may be implemented. Staff recommend that the Town of No. 2 Newcastle be provided with an opportunity to participate in the Floodplain Management Study and any resulting Flood Damage Reduction Program. Water Management Program The Water Management Program has three (3) components - Storm Water Management, Flow Maintenance and Water Quality. It is with the Conservation Authority's policies and objectives related to Storm Water Management that staff are the most concerned. The Plan acknowledges that its Storm Water Management policies are largely dependent upon the municipalities since the implementation of Storm Water Management is their responsibility. However, the Plan proposes a number of very specific policies and objectives with respect to Storm Water Management. For example, the Plan proposes to encourage area municipalities to incorporate Storm Water Management Guidelines into their Official Plans and to prepare Master Drainage Plans. As well , the Plan indicates that a . . .5/ i REPORT NO. : PD-141 -83 Page 5 priority will be to ensure that Storm Water Management Guidelines are incorporated into all development Plans and that the use of storage and detention facilities for erosion control and water quality improvement will be encouraged. However, the Conservation Authority further indicates that the implementation of Storm Water Management Guidelines, based on the Master Drainage Plan , will be the responsibility of the municipality and that no Authority funds will be used in the preparation of Storm Water Management Plans. i Staff have a number of difficulties with the Plan 's approach to Storm Water Management. The Authority appears to be requiring or requesting its member municipalities , including the Town of Newcastle, to adopt Storm Water Management as a guiding principle. However, there are many financial and planning implications involved with such a commitment. Staff feel that the Authority's current position on Storm Water Management could create problems for the Town and conflicts between the Town and the Authority. Therefore, staff cannot at this time support the Watershed Plan 's policies with respect to Storm Water Management. However, Recommendation it is recommended that there be further dialogue between the No. 3 Town and the Conservation Authority on the matter of storm water management before a finalized Watershed Plan is submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources. With respect to the flow and maintenance component, Staff note that one of the priorities is to encourage municipalities to incorporate statements into Official Plans and zoning by-laws supporting the protection of source areas and recharge area. As well , the Conservation Authority suggests extending fill regulations to include source areas and selected recharge areas. .. .6/ REPORT NO. : PD-141-83 Page 6 / In the Town of Newcastle, the largest recharge area is located within the Oak Ridges Moraine, which is generally designated "Major Open Space" in the Durham Region Official Plan and "Agricultural " in the draft Comprehensive By-law. Therefore, specific policies and by-law provisions to protect this area are probably not required. However, staff feel that there is merit in extending fill regulations to cover source areas. Water Related Land Management Program This program is divided into five (5) components - Erosion and Sediment Control , Forest Management, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Management of Authority Owned Lands, and Environmentally Significant Areas. With respect to the Erosion and Sediment Control component, the Plan proposes to encourage municipalities to make the preparation of Erosion and Sediment Control Plans a condition of approval for draft plans of subdivision. Staff note that Erosion and Sediment Control is closely linked to Rat-ommendation Storm Water Management. It is therefore recommended that No. 4 erosion and sediment control requirements should be addressed by the Town and the Conservation Authority through any dialogue over Storm Water Management. The Plan also proposes a building setback from the top of stream valley slopes. Staff note that such a setback has been provided for in the draft Comprehensive By-law. As part of the Forest Management component, the Conservation Authority intends to encourage municipalities to adopt and enforce tree cutting by-laws with Ministry of Natural Resources Foresters being designated Enforcement Officers. Staff feel there is some merit in protecting forested areas, .. .7/ i REPORT NO. : PD-141-83 Page 7 especially with respect to erosion control and the protection of wildlife habitat. As well , staff note that tree cutting by-laws are provided for in the Durham Region Recommendation Official Plan. Staff therefore recommend that the Town No. 5 discuss the possibility of a Tree-cutting By-law with the Authority and the Ministry of Natural Resources. Under the component dealing with Environmentally Sensitive Areas, the Plan proposes to encourage municipalities to incorporate statements into their Official Plans and Zoning By-laws supporting the preservation of areas of biological and/or hydrologic significance for sensitivity. Staff note that the Durham Region Official Plan designates environmentally sensitive areas within the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority Watershed. Therefore, to designate environmentally sensitive lands within the Ganaraska Watershed would be in keeping with the intent of the Official Plan. Staff have no difficulty with the sections relating to Wildlife and Fisheries Management and Authority-Owned Lands. On the matter of funding for Conservation Authority programs the Watershed Plan indicates that some of the funds are raised through levies on member municipalities. Currently, the Region of Durham provides funding to the Conservation Authority; however, the Town of Newcastle is the only municipality within the Region located within the Ganaraska Region Watershed. Staff therefore feel that statements regarding funding should be clarified to indicate that funds will be made available through the Regional Government. . . .8/ REPORT NO. : PD-141-83 Page 8 In general , staff feel that the Interim Watershed Plan is based on sound principles on natural resource management. However, staff have difficulty with a number of the specific policies and objectives proposed by the Plan and feel that these concerns should be brought to the attention of the Conservation Authority. Staff therefore recommend that a copy of Report PD-141-83 be forwarded to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority as the Town' s comments on the Interim Watershed Plan. Staff also wish to address concerns raised by Mr. S. Rutherford and Mr. R. Forrester at the Council meeting of May 9, 1983. Mr. Rutherford indicated that the Conservation Authority was not pursuing acquisition of land recommended for acquisition in the Richardson Report prepared in 1944. Staff note that the Conservation Authority has indicated that it prefers to emphasize preventive measures rather than land acquisition to achieve its goals and objectives. Mr. Forrester indicated a concern with the deterioration of Orono Creek and indicated he wished that concrete plans had been prepared for Wilmot and Graham Creeks. He also stated that he thought the Authority should place greater emphasis on the control of fill and construction. Staff point out that, in the Watershed Plan, the Orono Creek Watershed and parts of the Graham Creek and Wilmot Creek Watershed units are on the priority list for the Conservation Authority's Extension Services Program. As well , staff note that the Conservation Authority has proposed that fill regulation be . . .9/ REPORT NO. : PD-141-83 Page 9 extended to include watercourses or watercourse segments not covered by floodline mapping, source areas and selected recharge areas. Respectfull , T.T. Edwards, M.C.I.P. Director of Planning JAS*TTE*jip /S'epttuber 22,1983