Report to: Development Services Committee Report Date: April 13, 2010
SUBJECT: INFORMATION
REPORT
Proposed surface parking lot
expansion to the Mount Joy GO Station
1801 Bur Oak Avenue
File
Number SD 10 110660
PREPARED BY: Teema
Kanji, Senior Planner, ext. 4480
Planning
& Urban Design Department
RECOMMENDATION:
1)
That
the report entitled “Information Report. Proposed surface parking lot expansion
to the Mount Joy GO Station, 1801 Bur Oak Avenue”, be received;
2)
And
that this report be forwarded to Metrolinx along with
a request to work together toward a long term vision for the Mount Joy GO
Station and other Markham GO Stations;
3)
And
that this report be forwarded to York Region for their information and the
Region be requested to participate in discussions with Metrolinx;
4)
And
that Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect
to this resolution.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Metrolinx is proposing to expand the surface
parking lot of the Mount Joy GO Station into the abutting property to the south
and add an additional 499 parking spaces for a total of 1,320 spaces. This proposal is of concern to the Town.
There is a significant opportunity
to intensify and improve the mix of development along Markham Road and around the Mount Joy GO Station. In 2005, Council approved an Urban Design Study for Markham Road and staff is in the process of
finalizing an Official Plan Amendment for this area. Also, Markham Road is identified as a Major Corridor
within the Town’s intensification strategy. A key to creating a viable intensification
area involves increasing building coverage and reducing areas devoted to
parking and driveways. Therefore the
Town would encourage structured parking to accommodate GO Transit riders and
promote development opportunities consisting of high density uses and mixed use
buildings.
The Town appreciates Metrolinx’s commitment to improving the Mount Joy GO Station
to accommodate its riders. Some degree of expansion of surface parking lots may
be acceptable for the short term, but only as an interim use pending
redevelopment and structured parking. Staff
would like to continue to work with Metrolinx and
York Region to develop a better understanding and a long term strategy for how
Mount Joy GO Station and other GO Stations in Markham are to evolve over time. This is to ensure Metrolinx’s
plans are in line with the vision of the Town and the Region for these major
transit station areas, the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and
also with Metrolinx’s own stated policy objectives
for transit nodes.
The purpose
of this report is to provide Town comments on a proposed expansion to the Mount
Joy GO Station parking lot.
The Mount Joy
GO Station is located at the south east corner of Bur Oak
Avenue and Highway 48, municipally known as
1801 Bur Oak Avenue (Figure
1). Mount Joy GO Station
is served by three bus routes (YRT Routes 18 and 4A and TTC routes 102D). There are limited bicycle racks on site. There are approximately 821 surface parking
spaces currently on site. As discussed, Metrolinx is proposing to expand the parking facilities at
the Mount Joy GO Station to meet the current parking demand of its riders.
Proposal to expand west parking lot
Metrolinx recently acquired a 5 acre (2 ha) parcel of land
directly south of the GO Station at 9577 Highway 48 (Figure 2). These lands are currently owned by Metrolinx and leased to the Assinck
Bros. manufacturing firm. Metrolinx is proposing to demolish the existing industrial
building to expand the existing west parking lot to the south. Notwithstanding
the letter submitted by Metrolinx which identified an
expansion of 400 parking spaces, they have confirmed that in fact the parking
lot would be expanded by 499 spaces for a total supply of 1,320 parking spaces (Figure
2). A Traffic Study is being prepared by
RJ Burnside & Associates Limited for this site to assess the impact of the traffic
generated by the proposed additional parking spaces on the area road network.
Zoning and Official Plan
The Official
Plan designates the property acquired by Metrolinx as
COMMERCIAL – Community Amenity Area.
Staff is in the process of finalizing an Official Plan Amendment for Markham
Road between 16th
Avenue and Major
Mackenzie Drive.
The draft Official Plan Amendment identifies the subject lands as
Community Amenity Area (Transition and Intensification) (Figure 2), which is to
consist of more intense development in the form of multi-storey residential buildings
with grade related retail, service and office uses.
The property
is zoned Select Industrial and Limited Commercial (MIC) under By-law 88-76, as
amended.
Markham is a growth
municipality
Both the
Provincial Growth Plan and Regional Official Plan identify Markham as a growth
municipality. According to the new
Regional Official Plan, Markham is forecast
to grow by 151,000 residents and 96,000 jobs from 2006 to 2031. The Town’s new Official Plan must conform
with the Regional Official Plan, which must also conform to Provincial
legislation and policy.
Markham is currently
in the process of finalizing a Growth Management Strategy to address this
forecast growth and as part of this work the Town is also updating its Markham
Transportation Strategic Plan (MTSP).
The MTSP takes into account the Metrolinx
Regional Transportation Plan and the York Region Transportation Master Plan in
establishing the Town’s transportation vision for the future. Much of the Town’s projected future growth to
2031 is to be in the form of intensification along transit nodes and corridors.
OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:
Alternative forms of transportation must be
encouraged
Markham’s growth is
placing increased pressure on our transportation infrastructure. As part of ‘Click with Markham’s public
consultation campaign in 2007, and through various community meetings,
residents have expressed concerns with transportation issues (traffic
congestion, crowded trains, need to expedite transit infrastructure, improved
bicycle facilities, etc.).
One of the
key challenges facing Markham as it
continues to grow will be to reduce growth in auto use, emissions, congestion and transportation costs. While road network improvements are being
planned by the Town and the Region, more emphasis is required on alternative
forms of transportation, in particular transit, walking and cycling. The Metrolinx
Regional Transportation Plan of 2008/2009 promises much new transit
infrastructure for Markham and the GTA, but the Plan remains to be fully funded
by senior levels of government.
Intensification enables various transportation modes
to be feasible
The current
GO Rail travel pattern serves a dispersed residential land use pattern in the
905 regions and a concentrated employment area in downtown Toronto. GO Transit offers an alternative to the car
for long distance trips, particularly to downtown Toronto.
The long term
vision for Markham is to
provide a greater variety of housing types and employment opportunities to
encourage residents to work and live in Markham. This will reduce trip length and commuting
time and enable various transportation modes to be feasible (walking, cycling,
transit etc.). A greater mix of uses and
intensification near GO Transit stations would also help to support service demand
of GO Transit’s proposed two-way service.
Major transit stations have the potential to become
mobility hubs
Although the
Mount Joy GO Station area has not been identified as an intermodal
Mobility Hub in the Metrolinx Regional Transportation
Plan (RTP), it is an important component of the Region’s transportation system and
provides a key connection to higher order transit and is the focus of the
height and density planned for the Markham
Road intensification corridor.
The Metrolinx RTP recommends that in planning for areas around
major transit stations and mobility hubs municipalities should establish
policies relating a number of items (density targets, transit oriented
development, parking etc.), some of which are highlighted below:
·
“set target modal splits for transit usage, single
occupancy vehicle trips and active transportation for each mobility hub, and an
anticipated schedule for their achievement;
·
establish a surface parking reduction strategy in
consultation with transit agencies, that is based on site-specific
redevelopment opportunities and the existing or planned availability of
alternative modes of access to the mobility hub, and that includes a scheduled
transition from free surface parking to a limited supply of fairly priced, structured
parking, and policies to set aside reserved parking for carpool and car-sharing
vehicles;
·
give priority to transit, pedestrian and bicycle
access over all modes, and identify a zone around mobility hubs that provides
priority measures for these modes on access roads;
·
provide secure,
conveniently located, weather protected bicycle storage facilities and
integrate bike-sharing where available…” (Metrolinx, The Big Move, 2008)
The Provincial
Growth Plan also directs that major transit stations be designated in official
plans to be planned to achieve greater height and densities.
Markham Road is
identified as an intensification area (Major Corridor)
The
Provincial Growth Plan and Regional Official Plan both emphasize intensification
as a means of encouraging the development of urban centres
and corridors at transit supportive densities.
Intensification within the Town’s current settlement area is a key
component of the Town’s Growth Management Strategy which focuses on containing as
much growth as possible within the current settlement area. Markham
Road is identified as a Major Corridor
within the Town’s intensification hierarchy.
Urban Design Guidelines approved for Markham Road
In 2005,
Council approved an Urban Design Study for Markham
Road between 16th
Avenue to Major
Mackenzie Drive.
The study establishes a number of key design principles for Highway
48. Some of the design principles are
highlighted below:
The intent is
to balance the higher-order transportation function of Markham
Road with the need for a pedestrian scale
environment. Blank commercial facades
and large parking lots fronting onto Markham
Road are intended to be discouraged in favour of active uses and attractive facades.
Opportunity to intensify
and improve GO Transit sites
There is a
significant opportunity to intensify and improve the mix of development along Markham
Road and around the Mount Joy GO
Station. A key to creating a viable
intensification area involves increasing building coverage and reducing areas
devoted to parking and driveways.
Therefore, consistent with Urban Design Guidelines approved for Markham
Road, as discussed, the Town would
encourage structured parking to accommodate GO Transit riders and promote
development opportunities on current surface parking lots, to consist of high
density uses and mixed use buildings.
The proposed
parking lot expansion is not in keeping with the Town’s vision nor is it
consistent with the stated policy objectives of Metrolinx,
the Province and the Region of York. Large
surface parking lots will not achieve the desired transit oriented development
for this important transit node.
Metrolinx (Provincial
Crown Agency) is willing to consult, but not enter into a site plan agreement
with the Town
Metrolinx is a Provincial Crown Agency and is not subject to
the Ontario Municipal Act, the Planning Act or the
Development Charges Act. Metrolinx has advised that although they are not required
to obtain site plan approval, they will be submitting a formal site plan
application and supporting studies for staff review. Metrolinx has
indicated that they will consult with staff on site plan matters but will not
be entering into a site plan agreement with the Town.
Staff will be
bringing forward a report to Development Services Committee on the proposed
Mount Joy GO Station before the summer recess.
Items discussed with Metrolinx
On March 25, 2010, staff met
with representatives of Metrolinx and the following
items were discussed:
The Town
appreciates Metrolinx’s commitment to improving the Mount
Joy GO Station to accommodate its riders.
Some degree of expansion of surface parking lots may be acceptable for
the short term, but these parking areas need to evolve and redevelop over
time. Staff would like to continue to work
with Metrolinx and the Region of York to develop a better
understanding and a long term strategy for how Mount Joy GO Station and other
GO Stations in Markham are to evolve. This is to ensure Metrolinx’s
plans are in line with the vision of the Town and the Region for these major
transit nodes, the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and also with Metrolinx’s own stated policy objectives for transit nodes.
Not
applicable at this time.
Not
applicable at this time.
Markham staff
comments on the proposed parking lot expansion at the Mount Joy GO Station
align with Growth Management, Transportation and Environmental components of
the ‘Building Markham’s Future Together’ process.
The proposed
site plan has been reviewed by the Engineering Department and the Sustainability
Office and their comments have been incorporated in this report.
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
Figure 1 – Location Map
Figure 2 – Schedule from Draft Official
Plan Amendment for Markham Road
Appendix A – Letter received from Metrolinx – Proposed Expansion to Mount Joy GO Station
APPLICANT/AGENT:
Metrolinx
c/o Alan Dick, Project Coordinator Tel: (416) 869-3600, ext.
5616
20 Bay Street, Suite 600 Fax: (416)
869-1563
Toronto, ON
M5J 2W3
FILE PATH: Amanda\File SU 02 111460 002\Documents\Recommandation Report