Report to: Development Services Committee Report Date: June 15, 2010

SUBJECT: Application by Cathedral Town Limited for revisions to draft plan of subdivision 19TM-06003A, to delete Markland Street from the employment lands portion of subdivision 19TM-06003 located between Highway 404 and Woodbine By-pass, (Cathedral Town Phase III) Concession 3 Part Lots 23 and 24.

(File No. SU 06 105953 001)

PREPARED BY: Ron Blake

Development Manager, West District

RECOMMENDATION:

1. THAT the report entitled “Application by Cathedral Town Limited for revisions to draft plan of subdivision 19TM-06003A, to delete Markland Street from the employment lands portion of the Cathedral Town Phase III subdivision (19TM-06003) located between Highway 404 and Woodbine By-pass, Concession 3 Part Lots 23 and 24, (File SU 06 105953 001) be received;

2. THAT revisions to Draft Plan of Subdivision 19TM-06003A prepared by MMM Group, identified as Job Number 10-08202-001-P01, dated July 8, 2008, be approved subject to the conditions of draft plan approval set out in Appendix ‘A’ to this report;

3. AND THAT Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Not applicable

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Not applicable

1. Purpose 2. Background 3. Discussion 4. Financial 5. Environmental

6. Accessibility 7. Engage ^21st 8. Affected Units 9. Attachment(s)

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to provide background and recommendations regarding an application by Cathedral Town Limited to delete Markland Street from draft plan of subdivision 19TM-06003A. The report recommends that the application be approved, subject to conditions.

BACKGROUND:

Site location and area context

The subject lands cover 18.43 ha (45.53 ac) and are located between the Woodbine Avenue By-pass and Highway 404 in the West Cathedral Community employment corridor. Surrounding uses include currently vacant employment lands to the north and south, low density residential subdivisions under development on the east side of the Woodbine By-pass and currently vacant lands on the west side Highway 404 in the Town of Richmond Hill (See Figures 2 and 3).

Proposed Development

Application for draft plan of subdivision approval and zoning by-law amendment were submitted to the Town in March 2005 and a public meeting was held in May 2005. The original subdivision, comprising the employment lands between Highway 404 and the Woodbine By-pass and 119 residential units on the east side of the Woodbine By-pass south of Betty Roman Boulevard, received draft plan approval in August 2006. (See Figure 4. Note that Street ‘G’ from the southern boundary of the draft plan to the intersection with Street ‘A’ is the portion of Markland Street to be deleted.) Cathedral Town Limited subsequently severed and sold the residential portion of the subdivision (east of Woodbine By-pass) to another developer, but retained ownership of the employment lands west of the By-pass.

In August 2008, Cathedral Town Limited applied for extension to the draft plan approval, and revisions to the approved subdivision plan, to delete Markland Street from the subdivision (see Figure 5). A short section of Markland Street will be retained and connected to Betty Roman Boulevard as Street ‘A’, to provide future access to lots north of the boundary of the draft plan of subdivision.

The table below provides a summary of the revised draft plan of subdivision:

Land Use	Blocks	Area (ha)	Area (ac)
Business Park	1 – 4	16.85	41.64
Open Space	5	0.93	2.29
0.3 m Road Reserves (subject to further revisions)	6 – 7	nil	Nil
Public Roads	Street ‘A’	0.65	1.60
TOTAL:		18.43	45.53

Existing Official Plan and Zoning By-law

The Markham Official Plan (Revised 1987), as amended, designates the subject lands as Industrial in Schedule ‘A’ Land Use Plan; and Business Park Area in Schedule ‘H’ Commercial/Industrial Categories. Schedule “AA” Detailed Land Use Plan to the Cathedral Community Secondary Plan (OPA 42), as amended, also designates these lands as Business Park Area.

The subject lands are zoned Business Park [BP] by By-law 177-96, as amended. The zoning provisions comply with Official Plan provisions.

In addition, a holding zone provision is in place on Block 4 (See Figures 5 and 2). The conditions of removal of this holding provision relate to the completion of an Environmental Assessment study of a Highway 404 crossover to the south, contemplated at the time of approval of the original zoning and draft plan of subdivision in 2006.

At the present time, the Region of York is about to initiate the Environmental Assessment Study. Town staff have been invited to participate on a Working Group with the Region of York and Town of Richmond Hill to develop a framework to protect, fund and construct mid-block crossings of Highway 404 and Highway 7. On December 1, 2009, Markham Council authorized staff to participate on the Working Group, but also reiterated its opposition to any flyover in the Cathedral Community immediately north of Major Mackenzie Drive.

DISCUSSION:

A Traffic Impact Study has been prepared

The applicant prepared a Traffic Assessment Study in support of the deletion of Markland Street in September 2009, and submitted an addendum report in December 2009. These reports conclude that the elimination of the section of Markland Street through the subject lands is not expected to have any noticeable traffic impacts during the weekday peak hours. The reports also conclude that the intersection of Woodbine By-pass/Collinson Drive, located south of the subject lands, is expected to operate at an acceptable level of service during weekday peak periods. The report recommends signalization of the High Street/Woodbine By-pass intersection at the boundary of Blocks 3 and 4 (See Figure 5).

No direct full movement access from development blocks to Woodbine By-pass permitted

The Region of York has stipulated that direct, full movement access to the Woodbine By-pass from the development blocks will not be permitted. In this regard, the Region has requested revisions to the draft plan to show a 0.3 metre wide reserve (to be conveyed to the Region of York) along the west side of the By-pass from Street A to the southern boundary of the draft plan. The 0.3 metre reserve along the west side of the By-pass will be discontinuous where the driveway between Blocks 3 and 4 intersects Woodbine By-pass.

Indirect access to Blocks 3 and 4 will be permitted from the Woodbine By-pass, over a future extension of High Street as a private driveway west of the By-pass (see Figure 5). A public right of way easement over this driveway extension will be required as a condition of draft plan approval. The Region will require the Woodbine By-pass/High Street intersection to be signalized, at the expense of the applicant.

Access to Blocks 1 and 2 will be from Street ‘A’.

York Region and Town Engineering Department have proposed an integrated system of private driveways as an alternative to Markland Street

During the review of this application, both the Region and the Town’s Engineering Department requested that the applicant either:

· incorporate an integrated system of linked private driveways across development blocks through the draft plan approval process, as a substitute for Markland Street, or;

· undertake a more comprehensive Traffic Impact Study, addressing the impacts of the deletion of Markland Street on a larger number of Regional intersections in the surrounding area.

The applicant is not in favour of these options.

Internal system of linked private driveways may be required

As an alternative to the requirement for a continuous linked system of private driveways or further traffic analysis noted above, senior Town staff proposed that provisions for an internal system of private driveways should be considered in more detail at the time of site plan approval for individual Blocks.

Accordingly, draft plan approval conditions establish that the Region or the Town may require a traffic circulation study as a condition of each site plan approval. The traffic study would assess, among other matters, whether or not a public right of way easement across the subject development blocks is required. If required by the Town or the Region, a provision for a cross easement between blocks would be included as a condition of site plan approval.

The draft plan conditions set out in Appendix ‘A’ to this report require that these matters be addressed through warning clauses in both the Subdivision Agreement and in agreements of purchase and sale for individual blocks, to ensure that future purchasers are aware that these requirements may be incorporated into the site plan approval process.

This alternative is acceptable to the applicant.

Further revisions to draft plan are required.

As noted above, the Region of York has requested that the draft plan of subdivision be revised to incorporate the 0.3 metre reserve on the west side of the Woodbine By-pass. The draft plan of subdivision must be revised to reflect this change.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION AND TEMPLATE:

Not Applicable

HUMAN RESOURCES CONSIDERATIONS:

Not Applicable

ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

The proposed development promotes compact urban form and promotes employment opportunities within walking distance of adjacent residential areas.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

All relevant Town departments and external agencies have been circulated.

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 Map

Figure 3 – Air Photo

Figure 4 – 2006 Draft Plan of Subdivision

Figure 5 – Revised Draft Plan of Subdivision

File path: Amanda\File 06 105953\Documents\Recommendation Report

OWNER: Helen Roman-Barber

Cathedral Town Limited

200 King Street Suite 1315

Toronto ON M5H 3T4

Tel 416-971-3323

Fax 416-620-6665

AGENT: Ms. Diana Santo

MMM Group

50 McIntosh Drive, Unit 225

Markham ON L3R 9T3

Tel 905-695-1101

Fax 905-882-7289

LOCATION MAP: