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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-044-16 Planning Services Report If this information is required in an alternate accessible format, please contact the Municipal Clerk at 905-623-3379 ext. 2102. Report To: Planning and Development Committee Date of Meeting: June 6, 2016 Report Number: PSD-044-16 Resolution Number: File Number: PLN 8.6 By-law Number: Report Subject: Redevelopment and Infill in the Glenview Neighbourhood in Courtice Recommendations: 1. That Report PSD-044-16 be received; and 2. That Staff be authorized to undertake a neighbourhood study for the subject area and initiate an amendment to Zoning By-law 84-63 to address severance potential within the subject area, which may restrict future severances. Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-044-16 Page 2 Report Overview As a result of a motion approved at the April 25, 2016 Planning and Development Committee meeting concerning the southeast corner of the Glenview Neighbourhood in Courtice, Staff are reporting back regarding the appropriateness of a review or study of the subject area and the passing of an Interim Control By-law for the subject area. Staff recommend that an Interim Control By-law is not necessary but that it would be appropriate to undertake a study of the subject area reporting back to Committee and Council in the Fall. 1. Background 1.1. At the Planning and Development Committee meeting on April 25, 2016, following motion was passed: Be it resolved that, in consideration of recent severances on Westmore Street, staff be directed to report to Committee at the June 6, 2016 Planning and Development Committee meeting with regard to the appropriateness of Council directing a review or study be undertaken of the land use planning policies with respect to preserving the existing character in the area of Westmore Street, Jane Avenue, Glenview Road and Lynnwood Avenue and the passing an Interim Control By-law for such area. 1.2 Severances in the area of the streets named in the motion have been occurring for many years. In the past five years, four lots have been severed, potentially adding a total of nine additional dwellings to the neighbourhood. Most recently, an application was approved to sever a lot for linked dwellings at 4 Lynwood Avenue. In 2015, a lot was severed from 4 Jane Avenue. In 2013, two lots were severed from 12 Glenview Road and in 2012 and 2013, four lots were severed from 3068 Courtice Road. 1.3 Some residents in this neighbourhood have expressed concerns with some of the recent lot creation around them. Objections to the above noted severance were voiced while the various applications were in progress. In 2015, the decision of the Durham Region Land Division Committee to approve the severance of a lot at 4 Jane Avenue was appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board by neighbouring residents. The appeal was based on character of the neighbourhood. The decision of the Land Division Committee was upheld and the severance was allowed. 2. Land Characteristics and Surrounding Uses 2.1 The subject area (see Figure 1) is located in the southeast corner of the Glenview neighbourhood in Courtice. This area of the neighbourhood is characterized by many older homes on large lots by today’s urban standards. Over the past 15 years, new homes have been constructed in subdivisions at the periphery of the subject area on Fourth Avenue, Jane Avenue and Skinner Court. Between approximately 15 to 25 years ago, lots located on Nash Road and Courtice Road were severed creating redevelopment and infill opportunities. Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-044-16 Page 3 Figure 1: Subject Area 2.2 Typical lots towards the interior of the subject area have approximately 32 metres of frontage each with the range being from 20 metres to 49 metres. A few of these lots have a lot depth of up to 60 metres. The lots on the newer portion of Fourth Avenue within the Plan of Subdivision typically have 15 metres of frontage. Lots fronting on Courtice Road have approximately 26 metres of frontage with the exception of two 15 metre wide lots and one approximately 43 metre wide lot. Lots fronting on Nash Road range from less than 8 metres of frontage to 32 metres of frontage. 3. Provincial Policy 3.1 Provincial Policy Statement The Provincial Policy Statement encourages planning authorities to create healthy liveable and safe communities by accommodating an appropriate range and mix of residential dwelling types while being sensitive to the characteristics of the neighbourhood. Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-044-16 Page 4 3.2 Provincial Growth Plan The Provincial Growth Plan encourages municipalities to manage growth by directing population growth to settlement areas such as the Courtice Urban Area. Municipalities are encouraged to create complete communities that offer a mix of land uses, employment and housing options, high quality open space, and access to stores and services. The subject area is mainly within the Built-up Area of the Growth Plan, with the exception of the homes on the north and west sides of Fourth Avenue. The Growth Plan includes policies to direct development to settlement areas, and provides direction for intensification targets within Built-up Areas. 4. Official Plans 4.1 Durham Regional Official Plan The Durham Regional Official Plan designates the subject lands as Living Areas. Lands designated as Living Areas permit the development of communities with defined boundaries, incorporating the widest possible variety of housing types, sizes and tenure to provide living accommodations that address various socio-economic factors. 4.2 Clarington Official Plan The Clarington Official Plan designates this area Urban Residential. The lands are within the Glenview Neighbourhood, which has a population allocation of 3100 and a housing unit target of 1110, including 25 units for intensification. The Urban Residential designation allows a (low) density of 10 to 30 units per net hectare with the predominant form of housing being single and semi-detached dwellings. 5. Zoning By-law Zoning By-law 84-63 zones the subject lands Urban Residential Type One (R1) with exception of the homes on Fourth Avenue that are within plan of subdivision 40M-2213, and zoned Urban Residential Exception (R1-44) which permits single detached dwellings only on minimum 15 metre lots. The maximum frontage required in the R1 Zone is 15 metres for single detached dwellings and 18 metres for semi-detached or linked dwellings (9 metres for each dwelling). Many of the newer homes at the east end of Westmore Street and along Nash Road are linked dwellings. 6. Discussion 6.1 Current Infill and Redevelopment Opportunity Under the current R1 zoning for the subject area, all interior lots with the exception of a 49 metre wide lot on Glenview Road, would be eligible for a maximum of one severance each. In most cases, this would require the demolition of the existing dwelling to make way for two new dwellings. Lots within the subject area having less than 18 metres of frontage would not be eligible to be severed. Corner lots would be eligible to be severed into more than one lot given available frontage. Any application for severance must demonstrate how the new and existing lots will be serviced. Not all of the streets within Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-044-16 Page 5 the subject area have municipal services available. Extension of those services would be required as a condition of approval for any lot not currently having access to municipal water and sanitary sewer services. Further development on private services would not be permitted. 6.2 Interim Control By-law Section 38 of the Planning Act empowers a municipality to pass an Interim Control By-law for a period not exceeding one year to allow the Municipality to freeze development until it has had the opportunity to undertake a review or study of land use planning policies in a defined area. Extensions of the Interim Control by-law are possible up to a maximum time of 2 years total. It is the opinion of Staff that an Interim Control By-law is not needed in this case and that a scoped neighbourhood study can be undertaken expeditiously for the subject area. A Public Meeting can be scheduled for September should a Zoning By- law amendment be deemed appropriate for all or part of the subject area. 7. Concurrence Not Applicable 8. Conclusion Over the past number of decades, this corner of the Glenview neighbourhood has slowly evolved. The original large lots were located in a then rural area based on private services. With Provincial Policy directives for intensification and full municipal services either existing or nearby, there will continue to be pressure to further develop the subject area. In consideration of this and Council’s request for a report, it is respectfully recommended that Staff be authorized to undertake a neighbourhood study for the subject area and initiate an amendment to Zoning By-law 84-63 to address severance potential within the subject area, which may restrict future severances. Staff would report back to Committee and Council in the Fall. 9. Strategic Plan Application Not applicable.