HomeMy WebLinkAboutPD 11-04
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REPORT TO
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Report Number: PO 11-04
Date: February 10, 2004
From:
Neil Carroll
Director, Planning & Development
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Subject:
City of Pickering
Growth Management Study: Phase 2
Recommendations:
1.
That Council RECEIVE for information Report PO 11-04 respecting the City's
Growth Management Study;
That Council ENDORSE for consultation the following Phase 2 Reports attached
under separate cover to Report PO 11-04:
. "Phase 2: Preferred Growth Management Concept and Structure Plan",
prepared by Dillon Consulting Limited, Sorensen Gravely Lowes Planning
Associates Inc., Joseph Bogdan Associates Inc., and Enid Slack Consulting
Inc. dated February 2004,
. "Market Analysis Report" prepared by N. Barry Lyon Consulting Limited dated
January 2004; and
. "Water Budget Analysis" prepared by Clarifica Inc. dated November 2003;
2.
and DIRECT staff to circulate the Phase 2 Reports to the Ministry of Municipal
Affairs, Region of Durham, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, other
appropriate agencies and the public for review and comment; and then report
back to Council with their recommendations on the Phase 2 Reports; and
3.
That Council DEFER the Phase 3 of the Growth Management Study until such
time as it has considered the staff report on the Phase 2 Reports.
Executive Summary: In early 2002, Council initiated a Growth Management Study
to guide future urban growth for Pickering. The study area includes the Seaton lands in
the east, to the C.P. Rail line in the south, the York-Durham boundary on the west, and
Highway 7 to the north.
In early 2003, Council approved Dillon Consulting Limited as the lead consultant to
undertake the study. Over the past year, the consulting team has studied and analyzed
land use options for accommodating future urban growth. The consulting team has
completed two of the three phases of the GMS.
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Staff thanks and congratulates the consulting team on their work to-date and
acknowledges their commitment and dedication in completing the first two phases of
this comprehensive study within a year. Staff also appreciates the continuing
assistance and input from members of the Steering Committee.
Report PO 11-04
Date: February 10, 2004
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Subject: Growth Management Study: Phase 2
Page 2
Phase 1 established a natural/cultural/environmental system that protects and
enhances the natural heritage features and systems. Phase 2 identified and evaluated
the urban boundary options. Phase 2 also identified and evaluated urban structure
options including general land use designations for the entire study area.
Both phases have included extensive opportunities for community consultation
including public open house meetings, design charettes, Steering and Technical
Review Committee meetings and an on-going information program including notices
and web-based information. In addition to the above consultation events, meetings
have been held with a number of community organizations.
The consulting team has recently completed the Phase 2 Reports and it is now
appropriate that these reports be circulated for review and comment. While a report to
Council on Phase 2 was not originally contemplated as part of the study process, staff
considers it appropriate that Council be informed of the Phase 2 results at this time. It
is also appropriate for the consulting team to postpone Phase 3 of the
Growth Management Study until such time as Council has considered a staff report
respecting the Phase 2 Reports.
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Financial Implications: No direct financial cost to City as $620,000 was received
from major landowners from the area for the Study. Approximately $130,000 remains
for the completion of Phase 3. Indirect costs include staff time.
BACKGROUND:
1.0
Pickering's Growth Management Study
On February 4, 2002, Council initiated a Growth Management Study (GMS) to
identify Pickering's future urban growth options. The study area includes the
Seaton lands in the east, to the C.P. Rail line in the south, the York-Durham
boundary on the west, and Highway 7 to the north.
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Subsequently, Council established a Working Group that included representatives
of Council, City staff, the Region of Durham, the Toronto and Region Conservation
Authority, the Province of Ontario, landowners, and interested community groups.
The Working Group assisted in the preparation of the draft Terms of Reference
including the 10 Principles for the Growth Management Study. Two key principles
of the Study pertain to creating a significant number of jobs in the first phase of
development and maintaining the environmental integrity of the study area. On
December 10, 2002, Council approved the draft Terms of Reference.
On February 17, 2003, Council approved a proposal from a consulting team led
by Dillon Consulting Limited (the consulting team) to undertake a GMS for the
study area. Over the past year, the consulting team has undertaken a
comprehensive program to study and analyze land use options for
accommodating future urban growth. To this end, the consulting team has
completed two of the three phases of GMS.
Report PO 11-04
Date: February 10, 2004
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Subject: Growth Management Study: Phase 2
Page 3
2.0
Planning Process for the Growth Management Study
The Study was divided into the following three phases:
. Phase 1
~ An Environmental System of constraints and opportunities was prepared
and used as the backdrop in the study process. As well, several other
background reports were prepared on the following topics: Agricultural
Community Assessment; Parks, Recreation and Greenlands; Population
and Employment; Transportation; Sanitary Sewerage, Water Supply and
Stormwater; and Environmental Systems Analysis.
Completed in June 2003.
. Phase 2
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~ Five alternative Growth Management Options were prepared.
~ Options subsequently evaluated against an extensive set of criteria based
on the 10 Growth Management Principles established by Council. A
preferred Growth Management Option was selected from the evaluation
results with some modification.
~ A conceptual Structure Plan based on the preferred Growth Management
Option was prepared.
~ A number of reports were prepared with respect to the Transportation
System, an overall servicing and infrastructure phasing strategy, general
financial strategies to implement the Structure Plan and the Phase 2
Consultation Report.
Completed in February 2004.
. Phase 3
~ The preparation of detailed neighborhood plans for the first phase of
development.
~ The preparation of more detailed transportation and servicing plans as
well as a financial strategy report.
Not yet completed (recommended to be deferred until a staff report on
Phase 2 is considered by Council)
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Report PO 11-04
Date: February 10, 2004
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Subject: Growth Management Study: Phase 2
Page 4
2.1
Phase Two
A strong focus of the Growth Management Study from the outset has been
community consultation. For Phase 2, the consulting team undertook an
ambitious consultation program that included the following:
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Four Steering Committee meetings
Two public open houses
One Technical Advisory Committee meeting
One public design workshop
Numerous contacts with key agencies, community contacts and public
notices and information exchanges through letters, calls, and email.
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Public input was also received in response to the following key consultation
events:
June 24m, 2003
Public Open
House
Growth Management Options
- 5 growth options prepared
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September 9th, 2003
Public Open
House
Preferred Growth Management Option
- preferred urban/rural structure
identified
October 4th, 2003
Public Design
Workshop
Community Design
- design elements and principles for
communities, neighbourhoods. and
countryside areas discussed
In addition, the consulting team met with the Pickering-Ajax Citizens Together
(PACT), Liverpool West Community Association, the Toronto and Region
Conservation Authority, and Scugog First Nation. Meetings have also been held
with the GMS Steering and Technical Advisory Committees through Phases 1
and 2 of the Study. The specific comments on the growth options, the preferred
options and design principles received during Phase 2 of the Study are
documented in the Phase 2 Reports.
2.2
Recommended Structure Plan for the Study Area
The "Phase 2: Preferred Growth Management Concept and Structure Plan" report
describes the Structure Plan, which is being recommended by the consulting team
on the basis of the Growth Management Study work done to-date.
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Report PO 11-04
Date: February 10, 2004
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Subject: Growth Management Study: Phase 2
Page 5
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The report recommends a Structure Plan that maintains the environmental
integrity of the Study Area by identifying and protecting significant natural
features and linking them in key locations with wide natural corridors. The
remaining tableland areas are organized generally into two clusters of largely
residential, linked neighborhoods located on either side of the West Duffins
Creek valley system (the Cherrywood Community to the southwest and the
Seaton Community to the northeast). Employment lands are proposed along the
community's northern edge, to the north and south of Highway 407, and within
the mixed use corridor and nodes along Taunton Road and other main arterial
roads. A generalized Structure Plan and the consulting team's Recommended
Structure Plan are provided for Council's review (see Attachments #1 and #2).
The Structure Plan recommended by the consulting team can accommodate
approximately 76,900 persons with 24,800 dwelling units situated within
pedestrian scaled neighborhoods, having a range of housing types and densities
and offering a range of employment opportunities for 33,000 persons. Since this
population cannot be accommodated in Seaton alone, a portion of the
Agricultural Assembly lands is also proposed for urban development. This is
consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement, which requires local municipalities
in the GTA to designate sufficient land for urban uses. This Structure Plan would
provide sufficient urban land for a 20-year planning horizon.
The Structure Plan recommended by the consulting team is composed of five
structural components:
. natural heritage system;
. countryside;
. residential areas;
. mixed use areas;
. employment areas; and
. transportation and transit.
Natural Heritage System
The natural heritage system identified in Phase 1 is proposed for protection and
will form the fundamental structural element in the Plan. A large natural open
space corridor is proposed along the southern boundary of the study area
enhancing the existing Rouge Duffins Corridor that exists on the south side of
the railway.
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Through the Seaton portion, a large natural open space corridor also extends
from the Urfe ESA along the northern boundary of the community to
Whitevale Creek and along Whitevale Creek to the Whitevale Golf and Country
Club and the Duffins Creek valley. The natural open space corridor not only
serves as a natural linkage for wildlife but also serves a critical function of
increasing groundwater infiltration. A third large corridor extends from the
Duffins Creek to the Rouge Park along the northern edge of the Cherrywåod
Community.
Report PO 11-04
Date: February 10, 2004
Page 6
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Subject: Growth Management Study: Phase 2
Smaller corridors are also shown along the two tributaries of the Ganatsekiagon.
Due to the sensitivity of this stream and its aquatic habitat, wide corridor buffers
have been proposed to protect it.
Countryside
The rural agricultural lands in the northwest part of the Study Area are maintained
for existing farm operations and future countryside uses. These uses include retail
agricultural operations, agri-tourism and non-agricultural countryside uses. This
proposed Countryside Area directly abuts the countryside area within the
Town of Markham creating a more substantial entity and augments the
Rouge Park North corridor. The proposed natural heritage system and corridors
buffer the Countryside Area from the proposed new urban areas. Whitevale
Creek to the east provides a strong logical eastern boundary to the countryside
areas. As a result, the Hamlet of Whitevale and the length of Whitevale Road to
the east branch of the Whitevale Creek will remain rural in character protecting
the significant heritage resources in this area.
Residential Areas
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The proposed natural heritage system acts as a green edge to the community
and creates highly defined residential neighbourhoods. It is intended that the
residential neighbourhoods will contain a range of housing types and densities at
a more compact pedestrian scale than previous neighbourhoods in Pickering.
Neighbourhood Nodes and larger Local Nodes will define the neighbourhood
cores and provide for a mix of uses, which support day-to-day activities.
Mixed Use Areas
A key element of the Plan is the hierarchy of mixed use nodes and corridors.
These include community nodes designed for community wide facilities, and
smaller neighbourhood corridors or nodes that accommodate more local
amenities. These mixed use areas are intended to evolve and intensify over the
long term. In the interim, they will permit a range of office, retail and higher
density residential uses.
Employment Areas
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The Structure Plan identifies a Major Institutional Node at the intersection of
Whites Road and Taunton Road, which is part of the Mixed Corridor Area along
Taunton Road. This Node is intended to accommodate a major institutional use
such as a college campus and other supporting uses. Another area for more
traditional employment use is located at the northern edge of the lands adjacent
to Highway 407. The area is generally intended for high quality prestige
employment, light manufacturing and office uses in a business park setting.
There is potential to create a higher density prestige office/hotel/commercial
node in the vicinity of the Sideline 26 interchange particularly if Sideline 26 was
extended to become an access into the future airport lands.
Report PO 11-04
Date: February 10, 2004
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Subject: Growth Management Study: Phase 2
Page 7
Transportation and Transit
The Plan also identifies a modified grid network of Type A, B, and C arterial
roads. Taunton Road, Brock Road, Highway 7 and Whites Road/Sideline 26 are
key arterial roads, which would serve the Cherrywood and Seaton communities.
Also, a higher order Transit Spine connecting the new communities with south
Pickering is envisioned. This Transit Spine, consisting of the key arterial roads,
in the initial phase would accommodate bus service that would connect to the
existing GO Station at Liverpool Road, as well as potential future GO stations
located along the C.P. Rail Line and Highway 407.
Local transit service would be provided through the residential neighbourhoods
and out to the higher order Transit Spines. The community's connected street
system and neighbourhood structure would be designed with focal points of
increased residential density and mixed uses that are transit supportive.
2.3
Other sections of the Phase 2: Preferred Growth Management Concept and
Structure Plan Report
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The Phase 2 Report also presents information on the following:
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public input during Phase 2;
design principles for the recommended Structure Plan;
urban sustainability approaches to implement the recommended Structure
Plan;
transportation and transit system analysis;
sanitary and water infrastructure analysis;
financial analysis;
phasing plan;
hydrogeological evaluation; and
public policy context.
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2.4
Other Phase 2 Reports
Market Analysis Report
This report focuses on the Pickering marketplace, in terms of its economy,
demographics, residential and employment land markets and inventory, as well
as its market strengths. Strategies in housing, servicing, employment lands,
office, retail planning and design area were recommended in the report.
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Report PO 11-04
Date: February 10, 2004
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Subject: Growth Management Study: Phase 2
Page 8
Water Budget Analysis
The Water Budget Analysis Report quantified the existing water budget
components in the area, and assessed the potential impacts of the proposed
growth management options on the water budget components. The
Water Balance Analysis found that the groundwater infiltration does not vary
significantly between development options. This is largely a result of maintaining
the integrity of natural heritage features within each development option and the
extensive natural heritage corridors.
3.0
Bill 27
In December 2003, the Province introduced Bill 27, an Act to establish a
greenbelt study area and to amend the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act,
2001 (the Greenbelt Protection Act, 2003).
The purpose of the Bill is to undertake a greenbelt study with the intent of
establishing a permanent greenbelt in the Golden Horseshoe. The City of
Pickering is within the greenbelt study area.
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As well, the proposed legislation establishes a one-year moratorium that prevents
new "urban uses" outside of existing "urban settlement areas" boundaries on rural
and agricultural lands within the study area. A Minister's Zoning Order was also
imposed on all lands in the Golden Horseshoe, with the exception of the lands in
the Niagara Escarpment Area, Oak Ridges Moraine Area, City of Toronto, and
certain lands already under a zoning order in the City of Pickering.
The proposed legislation does not preclude the City from proceeding with its
Growth Management Study. However, it would prevent the City from initiating an
application to amend its Official Plan to implement the Growth Management
Study results, on lands outside of the Seaton urban area, during the one-year
moratorium.
4.0
Next Steps in the GMS Process
It is recommended that Council receive for information Report PO 11-04 respecting
the City's Growth Management Study. It is further recommended that the Phase 2
Reports be endorsed for circulation, and that staff be directed to circulate the
Reports to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Region of Durham, Toronto and
Region Conservation Authority, other appropriate public agencies, and the public
for review and comment. Following this, staff would report back to Council with
their recommendation on the Phase 2 Reports.
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It is also recommended that Phase 3 of the Growth Management Study be
deferred until such time as Council has considered the staff report on the
Phase 2 Reports.
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Report PO 11-04
Date: February 10, 2004
Subject: Growth Management Study: Phase 2
Page 9
Attachments:
1.
2.
Map 1 - Generalized Structure Plan
Map 2 - Recommended Structure Plan
Prepared By:
Approved / Endorsed By:
Grant McGregor, MCIP, R P
Principal Planner - Policy
Neil Carroll, PP
Director, Planning & Development
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Catherine Rose
Manager, Policy
GM:ld
Attachments
Copy: Chief Administrative Officer
Division Head, Corporate Projects & Policy
Recommended for the consideration of
Pickering City Council
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"
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Generalized Structure Plan
ATTACHMENT 1 To
PD11-04
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Figure 4: Recommended Structure Plan
Map Features
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Specii! Reaidential
r..:.! Study Am>. Boundary
ActIve Recœadonal Ateaa
Open Space Syltem
- DiBtricr Park
- Community Parlr
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- GolfCowse
Natwol Heritagl' System
Natunù Heritagl' Corridors
MIxed Ute Ateaa
- Community Nodes
- Local Nodes
- Mixed Co.rridors
Neighbourhood Node
Employment Ateaa
- EmploymentAtea
- Major Insdtutional Node
Roads
Other Designationa
- Counttylide
- Hamkt Study Am>.
- Rw:I1 HamJeta
Hydro Corridor
- Type A Arterial
- - Type B Arteriol
. . .. Type C Arterial
- Collector
- Local
r.2§J Potential Future GO S..don
Proposed In~
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