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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-016-20Clarftwn Staff Report If this information is required in an alternate accessible format, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131. Report To: Planning and Development Committee Date of Meeting: June 8, 2020 Report Number: PSD-016-20 Submitted By: Reviewed By: File Number: Report Subject: Faye Langmaid, Acting Director of Planning Services Andrew C. Allison, CAO S-C-2019-0004 & ZBA2019-0017 Resolution#: PD-078-20, PD-080-20 By-law Number: PM- Draft Plan of Subdivision and Rezoning to Permit a Block of 17 Townhouse Units at 1668 Nash Road in Courtice Recommendations: 1. That Report PSD-016-20 be received; 2. That the proposed Draft Plan of Subdivision and Zoning By-law Amendment applications, submitted by LCJ Thomas Estates Inc. c/o Sakmet Developments, continue to be processed and that a subsequent recommendation report be prepared; and 3. That all interested parties listed in Report PSD-016-20 and any delegations be advised of Council's decision. Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-016-20 Report Overview Page 2 The Municipality is seeking public input on applications for a Draft Plan of Subdivision and a Rezoning to permit 17 townhouse units. The subject lands are located at 1668 Nash Road in Courtice. The block of townhouses is proposed to be a Common Elements Condominium. The site plan details will be addressed as part of a future Site Plan application. The Draft Plan of Condominium and Site Plan applications are anticipated to be submitted should the application for Draft Plan of Subdivision and Rezoning be approved. 1. Background 1.1 Owner/Applicant 1.2 Proposal: 1.3 Area: 1.4 Location: 1.5 Roll Number: 1.6 Within Built Boundary: 2. Background LCJ Thomas Estates Inc. c/o Sakmet Developments Draft Plan of Subdivision The proposed draft plan of subdivision would permit the development of a common elements condominium townhouse block. Zoning By-law Amendment Proposal is to rezone the property from "Urban Residential Type One (R1) Zone" to an appropriate zone that would permit 17 condominium townhouse units in Courtice. 1 acre (0.41 ha) 1668 Nash Road, Courtice 1817-010-090-23600 Yes 2.1 On October 30, 2019, LCJ Thomas Estates Inc. c/o Sakmet Developments submitted an application for a Draft Plan of Subdivision and Rezoning for 17 townhouse units. The proposal also includes common elements such as an outdoor amenity space, a private street, an electrical metre room, and five visitor parking spaces. Municipality of Clarington Page 3 Report PSD-016-20 iN � •M JlAQ3 kKn 1 nos nm ra-+ raj tk4A OA U 1 _9 A .M I I I llJ I ' 2F%X7 0 aer, clrE I STREET A' � — C COLLEMN � mu") CAAI'AdN rsr ma ma EMI OUTOUCH MEN79McE NASH ROAD Figure 1 — Proposed Site Design 2.2 The applications were deemed incomplete due to the need for additional supporting documents. The applications continued to be processed and were circulated to agencies and departments for preliminary comments on January 14, 2020. Once all materials were submitted, the applications were deemed complete on March 17, 2020 and a Public Meeting was scheduled at the next available date. Due to unforeseen circumstances with the State of Emergency related to COVID-19, the Public Meeting could not be scheduled until a change in legislation in mid -April. Municipality of Clarington Page 4 Report PSD-016-20 a -- _17 i RDVPrLnF-n Figure 2 — Map showing the subject property and surrounding neighbourhood I Land Characteristics and Surrounding Uses 3.1 The subject property is located at 1668 Nash Road in Courtice, at the northeast corner of Nash Road and Richfield Square, near the main intersection of Nash and Trulls Road. The site currently contains a single detached dwelling on a large lot with accessory structures. The lot area is 0.41 ha (1 acre) and has lot frontage of 63 metres (206 ft). Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-016-20 3.2 The surrounding uses are as follows: Page 5 North - A channelized water course, which is piped underground and ultimately connects to the Black Creek tributary to the west of Trulls and south of Nash. Further north, residential freehold townhouse units and detached residential dwellings. East - Detached residential dwellings on relatively larger lots. South - Courtice North Public Elementary School and Parkview Village, a stacked townhouse condominium block ranging from two to three storeys. The units face internally to the site. The site also contains several amenities, such as a separate amenity building, car wash, courtyard, and tennis courts. West - A neighbourhood commercial plaza and detached residential dwellings. 4. Provincial Policy Provincial Policy Statement 4.1 The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) policies direct growth to settlement areas and promote compact development forms. Planning authorities are to facilitate a variety of housing forms and promote residential intensification to achieve efficient development patterns, especially along public transit and active transportation routes. The definition of `intensification' includes the development of underutilized lots within previously developed areas and infill development among other things. Recent changes to the PPS policies state that planning authorities shall also consider market demands when evaluating proposals. 4.2 The subject lands are located within a settlement area, known as Courtice, which is to be a focus of growth and development. It is also adjacent to a public transit route and bike and pedestrian route. Development proposals are to appropriately use infrastructure and public services while also respecting the surrounding context. Provincial Growth Plan 4.3 The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Growth Plan) is a long-term planning framework that manages growth, mainly within the urban areas of the Greater Golden Horseshoe. It provides policies to encourage complete communities, which includes a diverse mix of land uses, a mix of employment and housing types, high quality public open spaces, and convenient access to local stores and services. New transit -supportive and pedestrian -friendly developments will be concentrated along existing and future transit routes. The objective is to protect the natural environment, make use of existing public infrastructure, and encourage compact development within the already built up areas of the municipality. Municipality of Clarington Page 6 Report PSD-016-20 4.4 The subject lands are within the defined Built Boundary and within the Urban Boundary of Courtice. Growth is to be accommodated by directing development to the existing built up areas of Courtice through intensification. A minimum of 40 percent of all residential development occurring annually within each upper tier municipality will be within the built-up area. After the Regional Comprehensive Official Plan review is completed, the minimum target will increase to 50 percent. 5. Official Plans Durham Region Official Plan 5.1 The Durham Region Official Plan designates the subject property as "Living Areas". Living Areas shall be developed in a compact form through higher densities and by intensifying and redeveloping existing areas, particularly along arterial roads. Clarington Official Plan 5.2 The Clarington Official Plan designates the property "Urban Residential" and is located within the Built -Up Area of the Municipality. The proposal for 17 townhouse units would contribute towards the Municipality's Residential Intensification Target and utilize existing public services and infrastructure. Intensification within the Built-up Areas is encouraged and is to be given priority. 5.3 Table 4-3 of the Plan provides the Urban Structure Typologies for specific areas of the Municipality. These identified areas are where growth and higher intensity built forms are to be directed. The site is located at the edge of a neighbourhood and is adjacent to a Type B Arterial Road, Nash Road. The subject lands are required to meet a minimum net density of 19 units per hectare. The proposal is for approximately 40 units per hectare. The built form shall be between 1 to 3 storey and primarily used for ground related units including limited apartments, townhouses, semi-detached, or detached dwellings. 5.4 Any intensification or infill development, such as the one being proposed, must also consider and respect the surrounding context. Consideration will be given to: • Pattern of lots • Size and configuration of lots • Building types of nearby properties • Height and scale of buildings • Setback of buildings from the street • Rear and side yard setbacks Municipality of Clarington Page 7 Report PSD-016-20 6. Zoning By-law 6.1 The subject property is zoned "Urban Residential Type One (R1)", which recognizes the current land use of a detached dwelling. The R1 Zone does not permit the proposed townhouse development. The rezoning application proposes to rezone the property to an appropriate zone to permit the proposed plan of subdivision for 17 residential townhouse units. 7. Summary of Background Studies 7.1 The applicant has submitted several studies in support of the development application which have been circulated to various agencies and departments for review and comment. Staff will work with the applicant and/or their agent to ensure that supporting documents appropriately address all applicable provincial, regional and local policy prior to the preparation of a recommendation report. The submission materials can be found on the Municipality's website under current development proposals (www.clarington.net/developmentproposals). 7.2 The applicant has submitted the following supporting documents which have been circulated to other departments and agencies for review and comments: • Urban Design Brief • Sustainability Report • Traffic Impact Brief • Functional Servicing and Stormwater Management Report • Geotechnical & Hydrogeological Report • Noise Acoustic Report • Tree Arborist Report • Archaeological Assessment Stage 1 & 2 Report Urban Design Brief 7.3 An Urban Design Brief was submitted in support of the application to address the integration of the development with the existing neighbourhood context. It provides details about how the development will complement the existing built form including architectural details, landscaping at the entrances and corner features. The report concludes that the design of the site will be consistent with the surrounding neighbourhood and will provide a pedestrian -oriented presence along Nash Road, creating a gateway entrance to the neighbourhood. Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-016-20 Figure 3 — Proposed Elevation along Nash Road Sustainability Report Page 8 7.4 The report provides a high-level overview of conservation and sustainability measures to be implemented in the development of the land in order to achieve a healthy and sustainable development now and in the future. It includes recommendations for the construction of the dwellings to improve air and water quality, implementation measures to reduce energy and water consumption, and an educational component for new homeowners. It is worth noting that the applicant is proposing to provide a 6 month transit pass to each homeowner to encourage the use of public transit and to take advantage of the public transit route along Nash Road. Other features like bicycle parking and strong pedestrian connectivity are intended to help reduce the need for personal vehicle trips. Traffic Impact Brief 7.5 A Traffic impact brief was prepared to analyse the existing and future traffic conditions at the intersection of Nash Road and Richfield Square. It also examines the impacts of the proposed condominium townhouse block on the public road network. The report concludes that the traffic impacts from the proposed development of 17 townhouse units are minimal since the forecasted trips to and from the site are considered marginal. It is Municipality of Clarington Page 9 Report PSD-016-20 not expected to have any conflict with pedestrians. The units will be serviced with an internal private lane which eliminates direct vehicle access to the public roads from each unit and concentrates vehicle traffic to two points of access, one off Nash Road and one entrance off Richfield Square. Functional Servicing & Stormwater Management Report 7.6 A functional servicing report and stormwater management report has been prepared identifying how the site will be serviced and how the stormwater will be managed post development. The report demonstrates the following: • parts of the site will drain uncontrolled to the north and south (Nash Road to the south and the existing drainage channel to the north) • Quantity control will be provided with the use of underground oversized storm sewer system • Low Impact Development measures are proposed to minimize runoff and maximize on -site retention and quality control. • Sanitary sewer system will be constructed within the development's private lane and then outlet to the existing watermain along Richfield Square. Geotechnical & Hydrogeological Report 7.7 A geotechnical and hydrogeological report has been prepared. The report indicates that there will not be significant constraints for the proposed development from the seasonal variations of groundwater as the water can be handled with appropriate engineering techniques. It is anticipated that the groundwater will generally be lower than the depth of the future development. Minor impacts to groundwater and surface water is expected as a result of the development. Low Impact Development measures are recommended to be incorporated to mitigate the impacts. Noise Acoustic Report 7.8 A noise report was prepared to determine the sound levels for the future residents. The report examines noise levels for the proposed outdoor amenity space, and the indoor and outdoor living areas from the road traffic and stationary noises from the mechanical units on the commercial plaza. The study included noise mitigation measures, including warning clauses for home buyers affected by high noise exposure. Tree Arborist Report 7.9 The arborist report indicates that there is a total of 82 trees on and within six metres of the subject property. The report recommends removal of the hedgerow along the west side of the property to accommodate the development. This area will need to be graded and disturbed to accommodate the vehicle entrance off Richfield Square and to access water services. The trees to the north and east are proposed to be protected, provided the appropriate protection measures are installed prior to construction. Municipality of Clarington Page 10 Report PSD-016-20 Archaeological Assessment Stage 1 & 2 Report 7.10 The Stage 1 work concluded that the subject property had archaeological potential due to the proximity to water sources. The Stage 2 assessment was conducted using test pit surveys. It was determined that no further archaeological assessment of the property was required because the test pit survey did not identify any archeological resources on the property. 8. Public Notice and Submissions 8.1 Public notice was originally mailed to each landowner within 120 metres of the subject lands and two signs were posted on the property, advising of the complete application received by the Municipality. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the initial notice was mailed out to each landowner in advance of the municipality's ability to hold a virtual public meeting. Once a Public Meeting was scheduled, a subsequent notice was sent on May 4, 2020, to the same landowners informing them of the public meeting details. 8.2 At the time of writing this report, Staff have received four inquiries with respect to the application. Residents have expressed the following comments/concerns about the application: • Removal of the mature trees along the north and west side of the property; • The increase in units would further aggravate the existing traffic issues on Richfield Square, particularly during pick up and drop off times from the nearby school; • Increase in vehicles parking on Richfield Square from the new development would further aggravate the existing parking issues; • Safety of pedestrians, particularly students; • Negative impacts to quality of life and home value; • Dust from grading of the site; and • Worried that units may be rented, and properties may be unkept. 8.3 Comments received from the public at this Public Meeting will also be considered and included in the forthcoming recommendation report. 9. Agency and Department Comments 9.1 The application was circulated to several internal departments and external agencies for review and comment. A few agency and department comments remain outstanding, including the Region of Durham Planning Department comments. All comments will be summarized in the forthcoming recommendation report. Comments received from agencies and departments were generally supportive of the application and no major concerns were identified regarding the overall concept. Municipality of Clarington Page 11 Report PSD-016-20 9.2 The Engineering Department finds the overall volumes and levels of service in the Traffic Impact Study acceptable, however there are concerns with the existing traffic conditions and the additional conflict introduced by the second entrance on Nash Road, which have not been adequately addressed in the Traffic Impact Study. The Engineering Department has required that a right -in design for the entrance to the development from Nash Road be submitted. 9.3 The Clarington Fire and Emergency Services Department has no concerns with the overall proposal. Comments related to site plan details were provided requesting the installation of fire route signage and showing the fire hydrants on the site plan. 9.4 CLOCA has advised that the low impact development feature in the north section of the property encroaches into the tree preservation area. Development should not encroach into this area. There are also some outstanding comment pertaining to the low impact development feature proposed. However, these comments can be addressed through the conditions of draft approval should the development be approved. CLOCA is overall supportive of the development application. 9.5 Durham Region Works Department has requested that the site plan be revised to show a minimum of 6.5 m private road width from the edge of asphalt for waste collection service, as opposed to the 6.60 m width to the edge of the gutter line which is shown on the current drawings. The Region also has several technical comments related to the Functional Servicing Plan, in terms of methods used and detailed calculations and notes on drawings for connections. 10. Discussion 10.1 The applicant has been working with Staff and agencies in addressing comments and issues. The original submission of the application in December, proposed 20 townhouse units. The applicant has revised the application to 17 townhouse units in response to the technical issues and concerns from Staff. 10.2 The applicant has also proposed to protect the mature trees on the north and east side of the property to maintain privacy between the existing residential homes from the new development. This may address some of the concerns from residents. The tress on the west side are proposed to be removed to accommodate grading, an access off Richfield Square and connections to public infrastructure. 10.3 Municipal Staff are also aware of the existing traffic and parking issues on Richfield Square, further discussions with the applicant and his consultant in this regard will take place to address the issues. Nash Road is a Type B Arterial Road which carries a high volume of traffic. Private driveways are to be limited or avoided. One access is permitted every 80 metres. The frontage of this property is 60 metres, which means that only one access would be permitted off Nash Road. Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-016-20 Page 12 10.4 As for the parking requirements, the proposal provides 2 parking spaces per dwelling unit, one outdoor and one inside the garage, plus five visitor parking spaces which complies with the minimum required visitor parking spaces for linked townhouse dwellings in the Zoning By-law. 10.5 Planning Services Staff will continue to review and analyse the proposed applications for draft plan of subdivision and rezoning and will address all technical matters, along with the submitted public comments in a subsequent recommendation report to Committee and Council. It is anticipated that further site design details will be addressed through the Site Plan process. 11. Concurrence Not applicable. 12. Conclusion 12.1 The purpose of this report is to provide background information on the proposal for 17 townhouse units submitted by LCJ Thomas Estates Inc. c/o Sakmet Developments for the Public Meeting under the Planning Act. Staff will continue to review and process the application, including department, agency and public feedback and will prepare a subsequent recommendation report for Council's consideration. Comments received at this public meeting will be considered and included in the recommendation report. Staff Contact: Nicole Zambri, Planner, 905-623-3379 ext. 2422 or nzambri@clarington.net. Interested Parties: List of Interested Parties available from Department.