Report to: Development Services Committee                               Report Date: March 24, 2009

 

 

SUBJECT:                          PRELIMINARY REPORT                                                  Cornell Rouge Development Corporation

                                            North of Highway 7, west of Donald Cousens Parkway

                                            Applications for draft plan of subdivision approval and implementing zoning by-law amendments

                                            File No.’s: SU 08 131556 (19TM-08002) and ZA 08 131562

 

PREPARED BY:               Gary Sellars, Senior Planner - East District, ext. 2960

 

 

RECOMMENDATION:

 

1)                  That the report entitled “Preliminary Report, Cornell Rouge Development Corporation, North of Highway 7, west of Donald Cousens Parkway, Applications for draft plan of subdivision approval  and implementing zoning by-law amendments, File No.’s: SU 08 131556 (19TM-08002) and ZA 08 131562”, dated March 24, 2009 be received;

 

2)         That Staff be authorized to schedule a statutory Public Meeting to consider the applications for draft plan of subdivision approval and implementing zoning by-law amendments;

 

3)         And that Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution. 

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Not Applicable

 

1. Purpose                     2. Background                      3. Discussion                        4. Financial        

 

5. Others (HR, Strategic, Affected Units)                                   6. Attachment(s)

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to provide preliminary information regarding applications for draft plan of subdivision approval and implementing zoning by-law amendments within the Cornell community.   The report also seeks authorization to hold a statutory Public Meeting with respect to the proposed applications.

 

BACKGROUND:

Property and Area Context

The subject lands consist of 65 hectares (160 acres) located north of Highway 7, west of Donald Cousens Parkway.  The majority of the lands are currently being used for agricultural and rural residential purposes. Portions of the lands south of 16th Avenue are vacant and have been cleared and graded as part of the earlier phases of the Cornell Rouge development. Existing features on the lands include: a 4 ha. (10 acre) woodlot, a heritage house (William Forster House) and a storm water management channel that serves existing urban development to the north.  


The surrounding context is as follows:

 

  • To the northwest is existing residential development (previous phases of Cornell Rouge)
  • To the south, across Highway 7, are agricultural lands (future Cornell Centre Business Park area). 
  • To the east, across Donald Cousens Parkway and Reesor Road, are agricultural lands which form part of the Rouge Park
  • To the west, across Cornell Centre Boulevard, are agricultural lands (future residential lands)

 

(see Figures 1, 2 and 3)

 

Proposal

Applications have been submitted for draft plan of subdivision approval and implementing zoning by-law amendments.  The proposed plan consists of 980 residential units and various blocks as follows:

 

·   686 single detached units (8m, 9m, 11m and 12m frontages)

·   67 semi-detached units (7m frontage)

·   226 townhouse units (4.5m frontage)

·   one heritage house lot (William Forster House)

·   one public elementary school block and one Catholic elementary school block

·   one place of worship block

·   one woodlot block

·   eight park blocks

·   two storm water management blocks

·   medium and high density residential and commercial blocks in the Cornell Centre and Avenue 7 corridor

 

All of the residential units are lane based product. The majority of the proposed townhouse units front Donald Cousens Parkway. Open space blocks that are used for snow storage, visitor parking, and mailbox locations separate the townhouse units.  This is consistent with other arterial road frontages in the Cornell community.  The heritage house is to be retained in its existing location on a residential lot fronting onto a neighbourhood park.  The two elementary school blocks and the place of worship block are located on the central collector road that connects with Donald Cousens Parkway.  The neighbourhood park blocks are dispersed throughout the plan.  There is a central open space (storm water management channel and adjacent parkland) that connects to open space (park and woodlot) in the previous phase of the Cornell Rouge development to the north.  Medium and high density residential and commercial blocks are located in the Cornell Centre and Avenue 7 corridor on the southern portion of the plan. The woodlot on the southern portion of the lands will be conveyed to the Town (see Figure 4).

 

 

 

Official Plan and Zoning By-law

The Cornell Secondary Plan designates the majority of the lands Residential Neighbourhood.  Other designations include Open Space (storm water management channel), Environmental Protection Area (woodlot), Community Amenity Area – Cornell North Centre, Residential Neighbourhood – Cornell Centre, Avenue 7 Corridor – Mixed Residential and Avenue 7 Corridor – Business Park Area.

 

The lands are currently zoned Agricultural One (A1) and Open Space 02 (woodlot on southern portion of lands) under By-law 304-87, as amended. 

 

OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:

 

The proposed plan of subdivision is generally consistent with the Cornell Secondary Plan.

 

The land use distribution within the proposed plan of subdivision is generally consistent with the Cornell Secondary Plan land use designations and community structure.

Town policies now allow draft plan approval in advance of servicing allocation.

On February 12, 2008 Council adopted policies for draft plan of subdivision approval with conditional 2011 servicing allocation and/or no servicing allocation, and granted conditional 2011 allocation for 2,978 units (10,185 population) across the Town. The Cornell Landowners Group received conditional 2011 allocation for 418 units (1,332 population).  The Trustee for the Cornell Landowners Group has distributed the conditional 2011 allocation amongst the Cornell Developers; Cornell Rouge Development Corporation received allocation for 82 single detached units (301.8 population).  In addition, for the funding of the 9th Line storm sewer additional allocation was granted to the Cornell Landowners Group and Cornell Rouge’s share of that allocation is 76 single detached units.  Further conditional 2011 servicing allocation may be available for this plan shortly, subject to Council Approval.

 

The following are the requirements for approval of draft plans of subdivisions with conditional servicing allocation and/or no servicing allocation:

 

  • the owner must enter into an agreement with the Town of Markham not to pre-sell units within the draft plan until a specified date (one year prior to the required Regional servicing infrastructure being available);
  • the owner must enter into an indemnity agreement with the Region.  The intent of the indemnity agreement is to protect the Region from possible lawsuits if the servicing infrastructure is not delivered in the anticipated timeframe;
  • both of the above-noted agreements must be executed prior to draft plan approval;
  • the draft plan must be subject to hold provisions in the zoning by-law which are not to be removed until servicing allocation is confirmed by the Region.

 

The portion of the draft plan with confirmed servicing allocation would be released for registration after hold provisions are removed.

Potential Benefits of the Proposal

This proposed plan of subdivision will complete the urban fabric within the eastern area of the Cornell Community between Donald Cousens Parkway and Cornell Centre Boulevard.

 

Concerns/Issues

No concerns/issues have been identified to date.  Any concerns/issues identified through the circulation and detailed review of the proposed development will be addressed in a final staff report to be presented to Committee at a later date. 

 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Not applicable

 

HUMAN RESOURCES CONSIDERATIONS:

Not applicable

 

ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

The proposed applications will align with the Town’s strategic priorities of Growth Management and Municipal Services by implementing the proposed development in phases in coordination with available servicing allocation.

 

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

The applications have been circulated to various Town departments and external agencies and are currently under review.  Requirements of the Town and external agencies will be reflected in the conditions of draft approval and in the final report.

 

CONCLUSION:

Staff recommend that a statutory public meeting be held to consider the applications for draft plan of subdivision approval and implementing zoning by-law amendments.

 

RECOMMENDED BY:

 

 

 

_____________________________                    ______________________________

Biju Karumanchery, M.C.I.P, R.P.P                       Jim Baird, M.C.I.P, R.P.P

Senior Development Manager                                 Commissioner, Development Services


ATTACHMENTS:

Figure 1 – Location Map

Figure 2 – Area Context and Zoning

Figure 3 – Air Photo 2007

Figure 4 – Proposed Plan of Subdivision

 

 

APPLICANT:

Niomie Massey

Cornell Rouge Development Corp.

369 Rimrock Rd.                                 

Toronto, ON  M3J 3G2

Telephone:  (416) 661-4000    

Fax:  (416) 661-4229

 

 

 

 

File path: Amanda\File 08 131556\Documents\Recommendation Report