Report to: Development
Services Committee Report
Date:
SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATION REPORT
Official Plan amendment, zoning amendment, plan of subdivision, and site plan applications by Lindvest Properties (Cornell) Limited to permit residential, commercial and employment uses south of Highway 7 in the Cornell Community
OP 04-028705,
ZA 04-028706, OP 05-011355, SU 06-114925 (19TM-06012), ZA 06-114935, SC
06-129543
PREPARED BY: Marg Wouters, Senior Planner, East District
RECOMMENDATION:
That
Official Plan amendment applications (OP 04-028705 and OP 05-011355) submitted by Lindvest Properties (Cornell) Limited
for lands south of Highway 7, east of 9th Line, be approved and the draft Official Plan amendment attached
as Appendix ‘A’ be finalized and adopted, and forwarded to the Region of York
for approval;
That Phase 1 of draft plan of subdivision 19TM-06012 (SU 06-114925) located south of Highway 7, east of 9th Line, proposed by Lindvest Properties (Cornell) Limited, be draft approved subject to the conditions outlined in Appendix ‘B’;
That
the zoning applications (ZA 04-028706 and ZA 06-114935), submitted by Lindvest
Properties (Cornell) Limited, to implement Phase 1
of draft plan of subdivision 19TM-06012
(SU 06-114925) south of Highway
7, east of 9th Line, be approved and the
draft Zoning By-laws attached as Appendix ‘C’ be finalized and enacted;
That servicing allocation for 50 townhouse units and 150 apartment
units (481.5 population) be granted to Lindvest
Properties (Cornell) Limited subject to written confirmation from the Trustee
of the Cornell Landowners Group that servicing allocation is available from the
total sewer and water allocation granted to the Cornell Community by the Town
and the Region;
That, prior to issuance of draft plan approval, the owner
shall enter into an agreement with the Town of
A. Not enter into any agreements of purchase and sale with end users (defined as the eventual homeowner who is purchasing a dwelling or an individual lot containing a dwelling for the purpose of occupancy), for units beyond the first 200 units, until such time as:
a) i) York Region has advised in writing that it
is no
earlier than twelve (12) months prior
to the expected completion of the Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant
expansion project and the Southeast Collector Trunk Sewer project; and
ii) The Council of the Town of
or
b) The Town
of
or
c) The Regional Commissioner of Transportation and
Works confirms servicing capacity for this development by a suitable
alternative method and the Town of
AND
B. Not enter into any agreements of purchase and sale with non end users for the subject lands unless the agreement of purchase and sale contains a condition that requires the purchaser and any subsequent purchasers to enter into a separate agreement with the Town of Markham, which agreement shall be registered on title, committing the owner to the same terms as set out in item A above.
That, prior
to draft plan approval, the Owner shall enter into an indemnity
agreement with York Region, which agreement shall be registered on title, agreeing to save harmless
York Region from any claim or action as a result of York Region granting draft
approval of Plan 19TM-06012 or any phase thereof (beyond the first 200 units),
including, but not limited to claims or actions resulting from, water or
sanitary sewer service not being available when anticipated. The agreement shall include a provision that
requires all subsequent purchasers of the subject lands, who are not end-users,
to enter into a separate agreement with York Region as a condition of the
agreement of purchase and sale, to indemnify York Region on the same terms and
conditions as the owner;
That the Town reserves the right to revoke or reallocate sewage allocation and water supply should the development not proceed in a timely manner;
That
the applicant agree to pay their proportionate share of the Highway 48 flow
control measures, to the satisfaction of the Director of
That the applicant provide
to the Town the required payment of 30% subdivision processing fees in
accordance with the Town’s Fee By-law (By-law 2007-15);
That
the Site Plan application (SC 06-129543) submitted by Lindvest Properties (Cornell) Limited to permit a mixed use retail centre on the south side of
Highway 7, east of Bur Oak Avenue, including
a long term Master Plan for the site, be endorsed in principle, subject
to the conditions attached as Appendix ‘D’;
That site plan approval be delegated to the
Director of
And that Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The purpose of this report is to recommend approval of Official Plan amendment, Phase 1 draft plan of subdivision, zoning amendment and site plan applications submitted by Lindvest Properties (Cornell) Limited, to permit residential and employment development, as well as a mixed use retail centre, on their lands south of Highway 7 in Cornell. The lands within the proposed plan of subdivision consist of approximately 62 hectares (153 acres) bounded by Highway 7 to the north, Highway 407 to the south, 9th Line to the west, and the Donald Cousens Parkway to the east (Figures 2 and 3).
Draft plan approval is being sought for a 25.4 ha (62 ac) first phase of
draft plan of subdivision 19TM-06012, consisting of three medium density
residential blocks (Blocks 1, 2 and 3), a mixed use retail centre (Block 4), an
elementary school site (Block 5), and two mixed use office blocks (Blocks 10
and 11) as shown in Figure 4. The
remaining blocks, including high density residential blocks and two employment
blocks will be considered for draft approval once additional servicing
allocation is available and certain issues regarding densities and natural
features have been resolved.
A total of 1,349 residential units are proposed
within the residential and mixed use blocks included in the Phase 1 draft
approval. These units consist of approximately
149 medium density units along Highway 7 near 9th Line (Blocks 1
through 3), and approximately 1,200 medium and high density units within the
mixed use retail centre east of Bur Oak Avenue (Block 4). The 1,200 proposed units within the mixed use
retail centre consist of 50 live/work townhouses at the south limit of the centre
and 1,150 apartment units along Highway 7.
The Region of York has requested that a portion of one of the mixed use
office blocks be dedicated for a regional transit terminal.
An Official Plan amendment is required to the existing Secondary Plan to permit the proposed development. The proposed plan of subdivision is generally consistent with the 2007 draft updated Cornell Secondary Plan. The lands within the proposed plan of subdivision are entirely within the lands described as ‘Cornell Centre’ in the revised draft Secondary Plan. It is proposed that the existing Cornell Secondary Plan be amended to redesignate the lands within Phase 1 of the proposed plan of subdivision in accordance with the draft updated Secondary Plan, with modified policies to allow for the development within the proposed mixed use retail centre site plan to proceed as a first stage in the development of the more intensive mixed use centre.
Staff
recommend that the Official Plan Amendment attached as Appendix ‘A’ and the
zoning amendments attached as Appendix ‘C’ be finalized and approved. Staff further recommend draft approval of
Phase 1 of the proposed plan of subdivision and endorsement in principle of the
site plan for the mixed use retail centre (Block 4), subject to matters
outlined in this report and the conditions attached as Appendix ‘B’ and
Appendix ‘D’, respectively. Staff
further recommend that servicing allocation for 50 townhouse units and 150
apartment units (481.5 population) be approved for this development, including
the 150 units of allocation assigned to the Trustee of the Cornell Landowners
Group for high density development within the Highway 7 corridor.
1.
Purpose 2. Background 3. Discussion 4. Financial
5. Others
(Environmental, Accessibility,
Engage 21st, Affected Units) 6.
Attachment(s)
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to recommend approval of Official Plan amendment, draft plan of subdivision, zoning amendment and site plan applications submitted by Lindvest Properties (Cornell) Limited, to permit residential and employment development, as well as a mixed use retail centre, on their lands south of Highway 7 in Cornell.
BACKGROUND:
Property and Area Context
The lands within the proposed plan of subdivision consist of approximately 62 hectares (153 acres) of lands bounded by Highway 7 to the north, Highway 407 to the south, 9th Line to the west, and the Donald Cousens Parkway to the east (Figures 2 and 3). These lands represent the remaining Lindvest Properties land holdings south of Highway 7 in the Cornell planning district. It is noted that the applicant’s land holdings and the draft plan of subdivision do not include the 0.9 ha property at 7323 Highway 7.
The lands are generally flat tableland. A large woodlot
is situated approximately in the centre of the subject lands. A heritage
building is located on a small property municipally known as 7265 Highway 7
within the subject lands.
For
the purposes of this report, the term ‘Avenue Seven’ is used interchangeably
with ‘Highway 7’.
Proposed Plan of Subdivision
The
proposed plan of subdivision consists of 12 development blocks accessed by a
network of public roads, as detailed in Table
1 and shown in Figure 4. The primary north-south roads include the
extension of
Draft plan approval is being sought for a 25.4 ha (62 ac) first phase of
draft plan of subdivision 19TM-06012, consisting of three medium density
residential blocks (Blocks 1, 2 and 3) along Highway 7, a mixed use retail
centre (Block 4), an elementary school site (Block 5), and two mixed use office
blocks (Blocks 10 and 11). The remaining
blocks, consisting of high density residential blocks and two employment
blocks, will be considered for draft approval once additional servicing
allocation is available and certain issues regarding densities and natural
features (discussed in further detail below) have been resolved. The woodlot and woodlot expansion area have
been previously draft approved as part of the residential plan of subdivision
(19TM-02001) to the west.
Approximately 1,349 residential units are proposed
within the residential and mixed use blocks included in the Phase 1 draft
approval. These units consist of approximately
149 medium density units along Highway 7 near 9th Line (Blocks 1
through 3), and 1,200 medium and high density units within the mixed use retail
centre east of Bur Oak Avenue (Block 4).
The 1,200 proposed units within the mixed-use retail centre consist of 50
live/work townhouses at the south limit of the centre and 1,150 apartment units
along Highway 7. The mixed use office
block at the southeast corner of Highway 7 and Street ‘C’ provides for a
regional transit terminal.
The public roads to
be constructed as part of the Phase 1 approval include Street ‘A’ (extension of
Bur Oak Avenue south of Highway 7), a portion of Street ‘C’ (extension of old
Markham By-Pass south of Highway 7) and Street ‘D’ (new east-west road from old
Markham By-Pass to Donald Cousens Parkway).
Street ‘C’ is proposed to be constructed as
far south as the intersection with Street ‘D’,
providing access to the mixed use centre and providing a connection to
Highway 7 from Street ‘D’.
|
Table 1: Land Use Summary – 19TM-06012 |
||||
|
Block No. |
Location |
Area
(ha) |
Land Use |
No. of Units |
|
PHASE
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Residential |
|
|
|
|
|
1, 2, 3 |
South of Avenue Seven |
3.64 |
Stacked/deck townhouses |
149 |
|
Mixed-Use
Retail Centre |
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
South of Hwy 7 extending from Bur Oak
ext. (Street ‘A’) to Street ‘C’ |
9.25 |
Retail, Residential |
1,200 |
|
School
Block |
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
West of woodlot |
1.56 |
Elementary school |
-- |
|
Non
Residential Mixed Use |
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
South of Hwy 7, west of By-Pass |
3.40 |
Office, retail, transit terminal |
-- |
|
12 |
South of Hwy 7, west of By-Pass |
4.05 |
Hotel, office, retail |
-- |
|
Roads
& Widenings |
|
3.52 |
|
-- |
|
Subtotal
Phase 1 |
|
25.42 |
|
1,349 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PHASE
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
Residential |
|
|
|
|
|
6, 7 |
West of woodlot |
4.12 |
Medium and high density |
1,236 |
|
9 |
South of woodlot |
2.05 |
Medium and high density |
916 |
|
Employment
or Residential |
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
East of woodlot |
2.52 |
Employment & retail, or residential |
547 |
Employment
|
|
|
|
|
|
13 |
West of By-Pass |
11.49 |
Employment |
-- |
|
Open
Space |
|
|
|
|
|
8 14 16 |
South of Blocks 7 and 13 |
0.46 0.20 1.23 |
Open space |
-- |
Stormwater Pond
|
|
|
|
|
|
17 |
South of Block 13 |
3.76 |
|
-- |
|
Woodlot & Expansion Area (previously draft approved) |
|
|
|
|
|
15 16 |
South of Block 4 |
7.86 1.23 |
Woodlot including 10m buffer and woodlot expansion area |
-- |
|
Roads
& Widenings |
|
2.85 |
|
-- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subtotal
Phase 2 |
|
36.54 |
|
2,699 |
|
TOTAL |
|
61.96 |
|
4,048 |
Proposed Site Plan – Mixed Use
Retail Centre (Block 4)
The proposed site plan for the mixed-use retail centre in
Block 4 is attached as Figure 5, and site details are provided in Table 2.
The proposed development consists of:
·
A 12 storey, 150 unit apartment building at the
southeast corner of Highway 7 and Bur Oak Avenue
·
Future residential development blocks along the
remaining frontage of Highway 7
·
A two-lane east-west private ‘main street’ at
the south limit of the site, extending the entire length of the site
·
50 three storey townhouse live/work units
fronting the ‘main street’
·
8 commercial buildings fronting the north side
of the ‘main street’, ranging in size from 228m2 to 465m2 ,
equivalent in height to 2 storeys
·
Two single-storey larger commercial buildings in
the interior of the site (4,184m2 and 6,000m2)
·
Two additional single-storey retail buildings
(1,583m2 and 465m2) along a north-south private
road/driveway, which bisects the site and terminates at the ‘main street’
·
An urban
square at the intersection of the ‘main street’ and the north-south driveway.
The remaining approximately 1,000
apartment units anticipated in the future development area along Highway 7, are
not part of this site plan application and will be subject to future site plan
approval. Elevations for the residential and commercial buildings are shown in Figures
6 through 11.
Access to the mixed use
retail centre is from the mid-block access on Avenue Seven and from Streets ‘A’ and ‘C’ via the private
main street. Truck access is proposed
directly from Street ‘A’ and Street ‘C’ for the large commercial buildings
adjacent to these streets.
A total of 1,207
parking spaces are provided as follows:
· 242
residential spaces for the apartment building (211 underground spaces plus 31
surface spaces);
· 117
parking spaces for the residential portion of the townhouse live/work units
(one garage space and one driveway space per unit plus 17 additional driveway
spaces) plus 49 visitor spaces in lanes behind live/work units
· 706
surface parking spaces within the interior parking lot
· 33
parking spaces along the main street (on-street parking)
· 60
parking spaces within a temporary parking area on the south side of the main
street.
|
Table 2
– Site Statistics – Site Plan Application (Block 4) |
|||||
Building
|
No.
Units
|
GFA (m2) |
Height
(storeys)
|
FSI
(approx) |
Parking
|
|
Apartment Bldg Units - residential Ground floor commercial Total |
150 -- 150 |
10,254 845 11,099 |
12 |
2.8 |
211 U/G; 31 surface -- 242 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Townhouse (live/work) (B,C,L,M,N,P,K,Z) Units – residential Ground floor (incl garage) Total |
50 -- 50 |
9,585 4,792 14,377 |
3 |
0.4 |
50 garage 67 driveway 49 visitor
166 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interior Commercial Bldgs (A,V) (G,H) Total |
-- |
10,184 2,047 12,231 |
1 |
706 |
|
|
‘ (D,E,F,J,R,S,T,U) |
-- |
2,534 |
2-storey equivalent |
33
|
|
|
Subtotal |
200 |
40,241 |
|
|
1,147 |
|
Temporary Parking |
|
|
|
|
60 |
|
Total |
|
|
|
|
1,207 |
OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:
The proposed plan of subdivision
and site plan are generally consistent with the draft updated Cornell Secondary
Plan but require an amendment to the existing Cornell Secondary Plan
The
1994 Cornell Secondary Plan, currently in effect, designates the lands within
the draft plan of subdivision as ‘Neighbourhood General’, ‘Community Amenity
Area-Corridor’, ‘Community Amenity Area-Central Core South’, Commercial
Corridor Area’ and ‘Open Space Reserve-West’.
The woodlot is designated as ‘Open Space–Environmentally Significant
Area’. A possible location for a community
park is identified at the southwest corner of the
A
large portion of the lands within the proposed plan of subdivision, including
the mixed use office and employment blocks, as well as a portion of the mixed use
retail centre block, are within the ‘Open Space Reserve –West’ designation in
the existing Secondary Plan. The
Secondary Plan contains policies identifying the possible future redesignation
of the ‘Open Space Reserve–West’ lands for employment purposes in the event
that employment targets for the Cornell community are not being met elsewhere
in the community. An Official Plan
amendment is required to the existing Secondary Plan to permit the proposed
development.
The
proposed plan of subdivision is generally consistent with the draft updated
Cornell Secondary Plan. The lands within the proposed plan of subdivision are
entirely within the lands described as ‘Cornell Centre’ in the revised draft
Cornell Secondary Plan, released in April, 2007 (Figure 12). Cornell Centre, encompassing lands on both
sides of Avenue Seven (Highway 7), is intended to function as the central
community focus for the Cornell community and eastern Markham. Building on the ‘Central Core’ designations
in the current Secondary Plan, the proposed Cornell Centre concept provides for
intensive residential and employment uses, served by a planned regional rapid
transit system along Avenue Seven. A
mixed use retail centre south of Avenue Seven is intended to provide the
primary community destination and focus for community retail activities.
Although
the draft updated Secondary Plan has not yet been adopted by Council, the
expanded Cornell Centre concept has been extensively deliberated by both
Council and the public. It is proposed
that the existing Cornell Secondary Plan be amended to redesignate the lands
within Phase 1 of the proposed plan of subdivision in accordance with the draft
updated Secondary Plan as follows, and as shown in Figure 12:
·
·
The
policies for the Community Amenity Area – Cornell Centre designation have been
modified to allow for the development proposed in the site plan application to
proceed as a first stage in the development of the more intensive mixed use
retail centre, as discussed in more detail below.
It
is recommended that the draft Official Plan
amendment attached
as Appendix ‘A’ be finalized and adopted, and
forwarded to the Region of York for approval.
Proposed Phase 1 plan of
subdivision is considered acceptable
The TRCA has identified an outstanding wetland issue within and to the south of the woodlot and has requested that draft approval of Blocks 6, 7, 9, 10 and 13 be deferred until this issue has been resolved. TRCA has agreed to the draft approval of the blocks included in the proposed Phase 1 draft approval (Blocks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11 and 12) on the condition that no grading should occur on Blocks 4, 5, 11 and 12 until a comprehensive study on the wetland issue has been completed. TRCA staff have requested an update to the Master Environmental Servicing Plan (MESP) to identify natural features within the proposed plan of subdivision. In particular, further hydrologic studies have been requested to determine the source of water within the woodlot, which flows southward through the residential Block 9 (future phase), as well as additional information on how the wetland functions, and how the habitats, forest and wetlands in this area can be protected. TRCA requirements for the plan of subdivision have been included in the conditions of draft approval attached as Appendix ‘B’.
The limits of the woodlot, 10m buffer and woodlot expansion area were determined as part of the draft approval and zoning of the subdivision to the west but were not registered and conveyed to the Town at that time as no public access was available to these lands. The woodlot is currently zoned for open space purposes and will be conveyed to the Town in a subsequent phase, once public access is available.
The
uses and building types proposed within Phase 1 of the draft plan of
subdivision are generally consistent with the land use designations and
policies within the draft Cornell Secondary Plan. The proposed Phase 1 plan
of subdivision would implement the following elements of the proposed vision
for Cornell Centre south of Avenue Seven:
·
Provision of medium and high density residential, office and mixed use
development within the Avenue Seven corridor which will support the proposed
rapid transit service along Avenue Seven;
·
Provision of a pedestrian-oriented commercial core south of Avenue
Seven;
·
Provision of 7.4 hectares (18 ac) of employment lands along Avenue Seven,
including the provision of lands for a regional transit terminal;
·
Provision
of a school site; and
·
Provision
of open space linkages.
It is recommended that Phase 1 be draft
approved subject to the conditions of draft approval outlined in Appendix ‘B’, including the following
red-line revisions:
·
Required widenings along Highway 7 as per the Region of York
requirements for the Highway 7 Transitway;
·
Deletion of ‘residential uses’ reference in Block 11 (employment block)
and deletion of the ‘hotel’ reference in Block 12 (hotels
are not considered appropriate along Hwy 7 but may be considered within the
employment area to the south);
·
Alignment of Street ‘D’ with the east-west private main street in Block
4;
·
Revisions required to include
open space linkages between Highway 7 and the woodlot (west side of Block 11),
and to complete the open space linkage west of the channel to Highway 7 (east
portion of Block 3);
·
Shifting the alignment of the new north-south
road between Blocks 11 and 12 to circumvent the heritage dwelling at 7323
Highway 7, and provide a more equitable sharing of the road right-of-way
between owners, if possible; and
·
Any revisions required as a
result of the recommendations of required technical studies (e.g., functional
servicing study, traffic impact study, noise study, etc).
All of the development blocks within the
proposed plan of subdivision are subject to site plan approval and the review
of comprehensive block plans. Conformity with the minimum density and maximum
height requirements of the Secondary Plan will be evaluated through these processes.
Zoning
Amendment is required
The
majority of the lands within the proposed plan of subdivision are currently
zoned Agricultural (A1) or Rural Residential (RR1) in By-law 304-87. A portion of the lands within Block 4, along
the east side of the Bur Oak Avenue extension, are zoned Community Amenity Area
One (CA1) in By-law 177-96, corresponding to the proposed configuration of the
commercial block at the time the residential subdivision to the west was draft
approved in 2002. The woodlot and woodlot
expansion area were also zoned, as Open Space One (OS1), as part of that draft
approval.
A zoning
by-law amendment is required to permit the proposed development within Phase 1
of the proposed plan of subdivision. It is proposed that the lands currently zoned CA1 within
residential Block 6, which is not included in the Phase 1 draft approval, be
rezoned to remove the permission for stand-alone non-residential uses and to
add a holding provision, as these lands are no longer intended for commercial
uses. A holding provision is also
proposed for residential Blocks 1, 2 and 3, and the future residential areas
within Block 4, pending further servicing allocation, as shown in the draft
zoning amendments attached as Appendix ‘C’.
It is recommended that the zoning
amendment applications be approved and the
draft Zoning By-laws attached as Appendix ‘C’ be finalized and enacted.
Site plan and building elevations
are considered acceptable
The
proposed site plan for the mixed use retail centre is generally consistent with
the proposed Cornell Centre concept.
Consistency with Cornell Centre vision
The
proposed site plan is the culmination of discussions with the applicant over a
number of years to achieve the mixed use retail centre, similar to a lifestyle
centre, envisioned in the draft Cornell Secondary Plan. In February, 2007, the applicant presented to
Development Services Committee, a long term Master Plan for the mixed use
retail centre which achieves this vision (Figure 13). The Master
Plan illustrates how additional development can be accommodated on the site
over time, in the form of approximately 850 additional apartment units within
the future residential areas fronting Highway 7, as well as approximately 51,100m2
(550,000 sf) of mixed residential/commercial built form along the north-south
driveway, and an additional apartment building with ground floor commercial
uses, on the south side of the private main street, where a temporary parking
lot is currently proposed. Staff are
working with the applicant to fine-tune the site plan and the Master Plan. It is recommended that the Master Plan be
endorsed along with the site plan, and once finalized, be included in the site
plan approval for Block 4.
The proposed site plan establishes the fundamentals of the
more intensive long term mixed-use centre, and ensures that the long term
vision can be achieved through partial redevelopment supported by underground
parking structures, when market conditions permit. The12 storey apartment building fronting Avenue Seven, and the large
retail stores within the interior of the site, comply with the height
requirements of the draft Secondary Plan, and achieve the minimum required
floor space index (FSI) of 2.5 and 0.45, respectively.
The
proposed development on the remainder of the site (i.e., commercial buildings
along the main street and along the north-south driveway), do not meet the
minimum requirement of 1.0 FSI in the draft Secondary Plan. In addition, the live/work units and
commercial units along the north-south driveway do not achieve the minimum 4
storey height requirement.
It is
proposed that policies be included in the Official Plan amendment to allow for
the less intensive commercial development as a first phase of the more
intensive long term development of the site.
Specifically, it is proposed that
the Secondary Plan policies provide that the minimum floor space index
requirement does not apply to the single-use non-residential gross
floor area (approximately 14,800 m2) of the first phase of
development within the designation, as defined in an approved site plan
application. In addition, it is proposed that a minimum
height requirement of 3 storeys shall apply to the live/work units identified
in the approved site plan application.
It is further proposed that the zoning for the development be consistent with the long term development of the site, providing maximum development standards consistent with the draft Secondary Plan.
Parking
The site plan does not meet the requirements of the parking by-law, having a deficiency of approximately 133 parking spaces (10% of total required spaces), as follows:
- Apartment
building (150 units) – sufficient parking is provided for the residential
component of the apartment building, but insufficient parking is provided
for the 844.7m2 of required at-grade commercial space within
the apartment building (deficiency of 20 spaces at a rate of 1 space/23m2);
- Live/work
units (50 units) – sufficient parking is provided for the residential
component of the live/work units (2 spaces per unit including garage and
driveway) but 120 additional spaces are required by the by-law (at a rate
of 1 space/30m2) to accommodate the mandated ground floor
commercial space, resulting in a deficiency of 54 spaces;
- Parking
provided for the commercial buildings in the interior of the site and
along the private main street falls short by 59 spaces (at a rate of 1
space/18.5m2) if the additional 60 temporary parking spaces being
provided along the private main street are not included.
Although the parking spaces provided do not meet the requirements
of the Town’s parking by-law, staff consider that the number of parking spaces
provided over the entire site is sufficient to meet the parking needs of the
proposed development. The parking
spaces provided for the commercial units in the interior of the site and along
the main street exceed (by 47 spaces) a reduced parking rate of 1 space per 22m2
which has been approved for similar shopping centres in
With respect to the
required commercial uses on the ground floor of the apartment building, a
reduced rate of 1 space per/30m2 is considered acceptable, given the
availability of commercial parking elsewhere in the mixed use centre, the
proximity to the proposed rapid transit service on Avenue Seven, and the
potential for future on-street parking on Avenue Seven (currently being
discussed with York Region).
With respect to the live/work units, a reduced parking rate for the
commercial component of the live/work units (2 additional spaces per unit) which
has been applied for live/work units elsewhere in Cornell, would reduce this shortfall
to 34 spaces. These spaces can be largely
accommodated by the surplus parking spaces in the commercial area, 33 of which
are located along the ‘main street’ adjacent to the live/work units. In order to ensure that the types of
commercial uses locating within the live/work units do not generate the need
for more than 2 additional spaces per unit, it is recommended that certain uses
such as medical offices, other similar health-related uses and restaurants, not
be permitted in the zoning for these units.
These restrictions are included in the proposed zoning by-law (Appendix
‘C’).
Given the
pedestrian-oriented, transit-supportive nature of the proposed development (in
the short term and long term) and the draft Cornell Secondary Plan in general,
staff recommend that reduced parking requirements apply to the proposed
development. Specifically, it is recommended
that the rates of 1 space/22m2 for the commercial development, 1
space/30m2 for commercial
uses on the ground floor of the apartment building, and 2 additional
spaces/unit for the commercial component of the live/work units (with
restricted use permissions) be included in the site-specific zoning by-law for
the proposed development.
Building elevations are considered acceptable
The building elevations for the various components of the mixed use
retail centre are considered acceptable.
The apartment building provides animation on the public streets by
providing direct pedestrian access to Avenue Seven and providing ground floor
commercial uses along the Avenue Seven and Bur
Oak Avenue
Conceptual building elevations have been provided for the commercial buildings in the interior of the site incorporating a common theme through a continuity of building materials, colours and detailing. This design approach will allow for a visually cohesive development even as individual buildings are modified to incorporate requirements specific to individual tenants. The key architectural elements that are expected to be carried throughout all of the buildings include: breaking longer building facades with vertical pilaster-like projections, vertical window treatment, consistent base material and also articulating entry points by providing features such as raised parapets, arches and projecting canopies. Other common elements will be provided through enhanced corner treatments and unique roof features. The public street (Bur Oak and Street ‘C’) facades for the larger retail buildings are required to provide hard screening as well as landscape screening for the loading areas along these streets.
The live/work elevations are consistent with the detailing of the commercial units and provide articulation of individual units through the use of accent banding and glazing details.
As a condition
of site plan approval the applicant will be required to submit actual
elevations of individual commercial buildings to the
Potential for transit service along private main street
Staff support the retention of the ‘main street’ in private ownership in order to achieve a better quality of streetscape design than would be achievable using Town standards for public roads.
Staff will pursue the use of the private ‘main street’ as a
possible transit route with York Region Transit staff. In the interim, the conditions of site plan
approval require the design and construction of the private ‘main street’ to
accommodate transit vehicles, and an easement over the ‘main street’ for the
use of transit vehicles in the event that YRT identifies this street as a
transit route in the future. These
requirements are included in the conditions of site plan approval attached as
Appendix ‘D’.
Issues identified in previous
reports and public meetings have been addressed
Issues
identified in the previous reports and public meetings regarding these lands
have been addressed as follows:
Mixed use retail centre
As
discussed above, although the site plan does not conform with the minimum
density and building height requirements of the draft updated Secondary Plan,
the site plan established the fundamentals of the more intensive long term
mixed use centre envisioned for Cornell Centre in the draft Secondary Plan, as
reflected in the Block 4 Master Plan.
Architectural Control
A concern
was raised by the public and Committee members about the aesthetics of future
buildings in Cornell Centre, and the importance of the more intensive
development proposed for Cornell Centre being visually compatible with the rest
of the Cornell community. A Community
Open space linkages
The
9th Line Jubilee Greenway lands abutting Block 1 were conveyed to
the Town when the residential subdivision to the south of Block 1 was
registered. Concern was expressed at the
public meeting that the lands north of Block 1 should also be shown as open
space. The lands in question are not
owned by the applicant and are not within the proposed plan of
subdivision. The Town owns lands immediately
abutting Block 1 to the north, which formed part of the old Highway 7
right-of-way. These lands are designated
Residential in the revised draft Secondary Plan, to allow the flexibility to be
combined with Block 1, if required. The
larger triangular parcel further north at the southeast corner of 9th
Line and Highway 7 is owned by the Province, and is designated Open Space in
the revised draft Secondary Plan.
As indicated previously, open space linkages will
be required from the woodlot to Highway 7 along the west side of Block 11, and to complete the open space linkage west of the channel to
Highway 7 (east portion of Block 3), as part of the Phase 1 draft
approval. These requirements are
included in the conditions of draft approval.
School site configuration
The
requirements of the York Region District School Board for the elementary school
site in Block 5 are included in the conditions of draft approval attached as Appendix ‘B’. The School Board has
requested that the applicant provide a minimum 2.4 ha (6 acre) elementary
school site within the Phase 1 plan of subdivision. The requested school site size is typical of
school sites in residential subdivisions in
Proposed rapid transit (VIVA) terminal location
York
Region Rapid Transit Corporation (YRRTC) has requested the dedication of lands
to a maximum of 1.44 hectares (3.5ac) within the mixed use employment Block 11
for the location of a rapid transit terminal.
The YRRTC’s requirements are included in the conditions of draft
approval attached as Appendix ‘B’.
Abraham Reesor House – 7265 Highway 7
Block
11 includes the Abraham Reesor heritage building which is in the process of
being designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. The potential for integration of this house
within the proposed development of the Block will be dealt with at the site plan
application stage. Requirements
regarding this heritage dwelling are included in the conditions of draft
approval attached as Appendix ‘B’.
Appropriate integration of 7323 Highway 7
A
privately owned 0.9 ha (2.3 acre) property at 7323 Highway 7 is bounded on
three sides by the proposed plan of subdivision. The dwelling on the property, known as the
Albert Reesor House, has been designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. A proposed new north-south road separating
Block 11 and Block 12 between Street D and Highway 7 is shown traversing the
property, arriving at Highway 7 at the point of intersection of a proposed new road
north of Highway 7. Prior to final
approval of Phase 1, the applicant will be required to adjust the alignment of
the new road to circumvent the heritage dwelling and to provide a more
equitable sharing of the road right-of-way between property owners, if
possible. It should be noted that
opportunities to move the point of intersection of the new road with Highway 7
further west may be constrained by the location of a woodlot north of Avenue
Seven.
The
applicant will be required to provide sanitary and water services to the
property line of 7323 Highway 7 for future connections. These requirements are included in the
conditions of draft approval attached as Appendix ‘B’.
Intersection spacing along Highway 7
The
implementation of Ministry of Transportation (MTO) standards for intersection
spacing and building setbacks along Highway 7 is no longer an issue, as Highway
7 is now under the jurisdiction of the Region of York. However, further discussions are required
with the Region to determine where restricted access is appropriate along
Highway 7 for rapid transit purposes.
Servicing allocation is available
for a portion of Phase 1
Servicing allocation is expected
to be available from the Trustee of the Cornell Landowners Group for 50 townhouse units and 150 apartment
units (481.5 population) within the draft plan of subdivision, including
the 150 units of allocation assigned to the Trustee specifically for high
density development along Highway 7.
Allocation for the remaining 1,149 residential units within the proposed
Phase 1 draft plan is not available.
Given that all development within the proposed Phase 1 plan requires
site plan approval, Town and York Region staff recommend that draft approval of
Phase 1 be allowed to proceed, subject to holding provisions being placed on
the zoning for development blocks without allocation, and the applicant
entering into a
No Pre Sale Agreement with the Town, to ensure that no units, beyond the first
200 units, are sold prior to obtaining sufficient servicing allocation. York Region conditions regarding holding
provision and pre-sale agreements are included in the conditions of draft
approval attached as Appendix ‘B’, and in the recommendations for this report.
A number of outstanding issues
remain to be resolved prior to draft approval of Phase 2
There are a number of issues to be resolved prior to draft approval of the remaining lands within the proposed plan of subdivision as follows:
·
Wetland
issue related to woodlot and abutting development blocks
As stated previously, prior to draft
approval of the remainder of the development blocks within the plan of
subdivision, TRCA concerns with respect to water issues related to the woodlot
must be addressed.
·
Densities in Phase 2 Residential Blocks - Approximately 2,700 units are proposed
within Blocks 6, 7, 9 and 10 within Phase 2 of the proposed plan of
subdivision. According to a Master Plan
for all of the Lindvest lands submitted in 2005 in support of the Official Plan
and zoning amendment applications, the proposed built form includes townhouse, multiple unit and apartment buildings,
with heights ranging from 2.5 to 25 storeys. The draft updated Secondary Plan anticipates
minimum heights of 4 storeys and maximum heights of 10 storeys on these
blocks.
·
Additional open space
linkages – additional open space linkages will be
provided as per the updated Open Space Master Plan which is currently being
finalized.
These issues are under review and will be resolved prior to draft approval and zoning of the
remainder of the plan of subdivision.
Conclusion
Staff
recommend that the Official Plan Amendment attached as Appendix ‘A’ and the
zoning amendments attached as Appendix ‘C’ be finalized and approved. Staff further recommend draft approval of
Phase 1 of the proposed plan of subdivision and endorsement in principle of the
site plan and accompanying Master Plan, subject to matters outlined in this
report and the conditions attached as Appendix ‘B’ and Appendix ‘D’. Staff also recommend that allocation for 50
townhouse units and 150 apartment units (481.5 population) be approved for a
portion of the Phase 1 subdivision, including the 150 units of allocation assigned
to the Cornell Landowners Group Trustee for high density development within the
Highway 7 corridor.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE: (external link)
Not applicable.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:
As indicated above, the TRCA is requesting further studies including an updated Master Environmental Servicing Plan (MESP) for the lands, and particularly further analysis of a watercourse/wetland area within the woodlot that flows in a southerly direction through the proposed residential block to the south. The affect development blocks are intended to be draft approved in a future phase. The woodlot is currently zoned for open space purposes and will be conveyed to the Town once public access is available through a subsequent phase. TRCA conditions regarding the plan of subdivision are included in the conditions of draft approval attached as Appendix B.
ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:
The site plan shows parking spaces for the physically disabled, located
generally close to the building entrances.
In addition, barrier free pedestrian connections from the building
entrances to the parking area and to municipal sidewalks will be provided.
ENGAGE 21ST CONSIDERATIONS:
The
proposed development will assist with the implementation of the following key
Town of
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The requirements of relevant departments and
external agencies have been incorporated into the draft plan of subdivision,
recommended conditions of draft approval, and site plan conditions.
RECOMMENDED
BY: ________________________ ________________________
Valerie Shuttleworth, MCIP, RPP Jim Baird, MCIP, RPP
Director of
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure 1 Location Map
Figure 2 Area Context/Zoning
Figure 3 Air Photo
Figure 4 Proposed Draft Plan of Subdivision
Figure 5 Proposed Site Plan
Figure 6 Elevations – Apartment Building
Figure 7-11 Elevations – Commercial Buildings
Figure 12 Schedule AA – Detailed Land Use - Draft Updated Cornell Secondary Plan, April, 2007
Figure 13 Long Term Master Plan – Mixed Use Retail Centre
Appendix ‘A’ Official Plan Amendment
Appendix ‘B’ Conditions of Draft Approval
Appendix ‘C’ Zoning By-law Amendments
Appendix ‘D’ Site Plan Conditions
APPLICANT/AGENT:
Daniel Leeming
The Planning Partnership
Tel: 416-975-1556
Fax: 416-975-1580
FIGURE 1 – Location Map
Q:\Development\Planning\APPL\SUBDIV\06 114925 Lindvest
Cornell Centre\Final DSC Report & Attachments\Lindvest Final Report
26jun07.doc