Report to: Development Services Committee Report Date:
SUBJECT: Comments on Proposed Final Built Boundary for the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe
PREPARED BY:
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the Report dated February 5, 2008 entitled “Comments on Proposed Final Built Boundary for the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe” be received;
AND WHEREAS the Provincial Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2006, requires municipalities to develop and implement through their Official Plans and other supporting documents, a strategy and policies to phase in and achieve intensification and the provincial intensification target within the settlement area;
AND WHEREAS the Growth Plan provides that municipalities shall identify locations for intensification to contribute to the intensification target;
AND WHEREAS both the Region of York and the Town of Markham regard Cornell Centre as one of the locations within the Highway 7 regional corridor intended to achieve intensification and the provincial intensification target within the settlement area;
AND WHEREAS Cornell Centre is by
definition an intensification area within an intensification corridor and the
policies of the Region of York and the Town of
AND WHEREAS intensification corridors such as the Highway 7 regional corridor in Markham and intensification areas such as Cornell Centre located within the settlement area form part of the Regional and Town strategies to implement the intensification objectives of the Growth Plan and these intensification areas should be recognized as contributing to those objectives;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Markham Council requests the Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal and Ontario Growth Secretariat staff to work together in a coordinated and collaborative way with the Region of York and the Town of Markham to develop a more inclusive approach to addressing municipal preferences for intensification and to properly recognize Cornell Centre as an intensification area on an intensification corridor;
AND THAT Council request the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal staff to further refine the built boundary in York Region to include Cornell Centre in its entirety before it is finalized, or alternatively, confirm a process to ensure that Cornell Centre projects are recognized as contributing towards the intensification target of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe;
AND THAT the Clerk be
requested to forward a copy of this report to the Minister of Public Infrastructure
Renewal, the Assistant Deputy Minister for the Ontario Growth Secretariat, and
the Region of York.
A key policy in the Provincial
Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe is the establishment of an
intensification target, which specifies that by 2015 and for each year
thereafter, a minimum of 40 per cent of
all new residential development will occur within the built-up area of an upper
tier municipality (ie.
As part of the implementation analysis required to support the implementation of the Growth Plan, the Minister of Public Infrastructure and Renewal and his staff from the Ontario Growth Secretariat are responsible for verification and finalization of the built boundary for York Region.
The Province has invited municipalities to provide any
questions or comments on the location of or refinements to the proposed final
built boundary for the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe to the attention
of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal. (See Appendix ‘A’). The final delineation of the built boundary
will determine the total built up area for the Town of
Staff have reviewed the Province’s November 2007 technical
paper on the Proposed Final Built Boundary for the Growth Plan for the Greater
Golden Horseshoe and find the methodology adopted by the Province to determine the location of
the built boundary continues to exclude large areas of land within the approved
settlement area for which development approvals have already largely determined
the form and density of the development that will occur. (See Appendix ‘B’
Staff are disappointed with the detailed technical approach being taken by the Ontario Growth Secretariat staff with respect to the use of the built boundary definition to establish how conformity with the policies of the Growth Plan regarding the intensification target may occur. The entire area of Cornell Centre is not included in the proposed final built boundary, and therefore, planned Cornell Centre projects, in the future, will not be recognized as contributing towards the intensification target of the Growth Plan.
Both the Region of York and the Town regard Cornell Centre as one of the Key Development Areas within the Highway 7 Regional Corridor intended for intensification. Cornell Centre is part of an intensification area (an intensification corridor) consistent with the Growth Plan, and the policies of the Region and the Town pertaining to Cornell Centre are structured to support achievement of the 40 per cent intensification target.
It is recommended that the Province either amend the proposed
built boundary to include Cornell Centre in its entirety before it is
finalized, or confirm a process to ensure that Cornell Centre projects are
recognized as contributing towards the intensification target of the Growth
Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. This might include amending the built
boundary in York Region at the time of the next Growth Plan review to ensure
that Cornell Centre is included and that intensification in Cornell Centre is counted
towards the intensification target of the Growth Plan.
1. Purpose 2.
Background 3. Discussion 4. Financial
5. Others
(Environmental, Accessibility,
Engage 21st, Affected Units) 6.
Attachment(s)
PURPOSE:
To provide
comments to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal on the location of,
or refinements to, the proposed final built boundary for the Growth Plan for
the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2006, as it relates to the built up area of the
Town of
BACKGROUND:
In November 2006, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal released a “Technical Paper on a Proposed Methodology for Developing a Built Boundary for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.” The paper described the steps taken to delineate the Built Boundary and the methodology to generate grid-cell mapping of the approximate built-up areas in single tier and upper tier municipalities such as York Region.
In January 2007, the Region of
York provided a coordinated response to the Province on the technical paper and
identified certain areas to be further investigated and addressed in the final
refinement of the built boundary including among other areas, Cornell Centre
the areas around the edges of the boundary.
The Region also attached comments from
Based on the input received from Greater Golden Horseshoe municipalities, the Province has now finalized the methodology, refined the preliminary draft built boundary and delineated the proposed final built boundary.
On
Municipalities are invited to provide any questions or comments on the location of or refinements to the proposed final built boundary to the attention of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal.
DISCUSSION:
Refinement of the built boundary at the edge of the built up area
Staff have reviewed the Province’s November 2007 technical
paper on the Proposed Final Built Boundary for the Growth Plan for the Greater
Golden Horseshoe, 2006 and find the methodology adopted by the Province to determine the location of
the built boundary continues to exclude large areas of land within the approved
settlement area for which development approvals have already largely determined
the form and density of the development that will occur.
The form
and density of development in these areas is unlikely to change given the
advanced state of community design and infrastructure planning and
construction, plus the added restriction in
In all likelihood
the Growth Plan density target will be achieved on the lands planned and
approved for residential development in these excluded areas, however it is not
expected that lands already identified for schools, parks and for natural
heritage protection will contribute significantly to the target. The net effect
of showing the proposed final built boundary in the location identified by the
Province is to suggest that a much greater area of land will contribute to the designated
Cornell Centre is not
included in the Proposed Final Built Boundary
The final delineation of the built boundary will determine
the total built up area for the Town of
Staff are disappointed with the detailed technical approach being taken by the Ontario Growth Secretariat staff with respect to the use of the built boundary definition to establish how conformity with the policies of the Growth Plan regarding the intensification target may occur. The entire area of Cornell Centre is not included in the proposed final built boundary, and therefore, planned Cornell Centre projects, in the future, will not be recognized as contributing towards the intensification target of the Growth Plan.
Cornell Centre is planned as an
Intensification Area
Cornell
Centre is a planned mixed-use district functioning as a regional
sub-centre and integrating a balance and diversity of employment and housing at
transit supportive densities within a regional transit/intensification
corridor.
The policies for Cornell Centre provide that it will develop
as a high density, mixed use focus for eastern
The current Cornell Secondary Plan has a population estimate of 27,000 based on a max 10,000 units of which approximately 2,000 units were proposed in the mixed use district along Hwy 7.
The Town recently completed an update of the Cornell Secondary Plan to respond to, among other things, senior government policy initiatives including the Provincial Growth Plan and Greenbelt Plan, and the Region of York's approved Centres and Corridors Strategy, particularly as they relate to the planning of Cornell Centre.
The revised Cornell Secondary Plan contemplates an increase
of approximately 6700 higher density units in Cornell Centre resulting in an
estimated population of 18,000 in Cornell Centre
alone and 40,000 in the Cornell Planning District. Approximately
11,000-13,000 employment opportunities are provided for within the Planning
District boundaries with approximately 95% of those
opportunities occurring in the Cornell Centre mixed-use district.
Cornell Centre is now planned as an intensification area on
the Highway 7 intensification corridor within the settlement area of the Town
of
Cornell
Centre fulfills the intent and policy objectives of the Growth Plan
The Growth Plan establishes compact urban form, complete
communities and intensification as fundamental principles of managing future
growth. As with any policy document, the provisions of the Growth Plan relating
to these principles should be considered in their entirety, the relative significance
of an individual policy, being considered only within the context of the
collective intent of all policies.
The Growth Plan defines intensification areas, as:
· “lands identified by municipalities…within a settlement area” that are to be the focus
for accommodating intensification…” and that,
· “intensification areas include… intensification corridors…as a key focus for
development to accommodate intensification”.
The Growth Plan also confirms that intensification areas of all types,
· “…support achievement of the intensification target…” and that
· “intensification corridors [are]…areas along major roads, arterials or higher order transit corridors…”.
The Growth Plan intent is clear therefore:
·
in regard to the types of locations where
intensification is to be focused within the settlement area,
·
that intensification in these locations will
contribute to the achievement of the
intensification
target, and finally,
·
that it is a municipal responsibility to
identify locations within the settlement area
where this intensification
should occur.
Relative to the policy context established in the Growth
Plan, Cornell Centre is within an identified higher order transit and
intensification corridor, and has been identified by the Region of York and the
Town of
Cornell Centre is a
key component of
Region of York Official Plan Amendment No. 43 identifies
Regional Centres and Regional Corridors (ie. higher order transit corridors) as
intensification areas where intensification will occur and, with respect to achieving
intensification and the provincial intensification target, meets the intent of
the Growth Plan.
The provisions of ROPA 43 establish that Key Development
Areas (KDA’s), within Regional Corridors, will be the locations where the highest
concentrations of infill and intensification will occur. The Regional Corridors
are clearly intended to be “intensification corridors”, one of the types of
“intensification areas within the settlement area” contemplated in the Growth
Plan. Approximately 90% of the intensification identified by the Region to
occur in
The KDA’s are locations within the corridors where
intensification is to be specifically focused. Locating intensification within
the KDA’s forming part of the Regional Corridors is therefore, consistent with
the intent of the Growth Plan and with the provision that intensification, in
intensification areas, supports achievement of the intensification target.
In response to the Region’s Official Plan policies, the Town
of
In July 2007, York Region made a written request to the Province to include Cornell Centre as an intensification area within the built boundary. A copy of the letter from the Regional Commissioner of Planning and Development Services to the Ontario Growth Secretariat of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal is attached as Appendix ‘D’.
The Region believes Cornell Centre should be considered as an area within an Intensification Corridor as defined by the Growth Plan and should be included in the Final Built Boundary for York Region the following reasons:
· The Centre has been planned as a complete mixed-use community to meet the principles, objectives and intensification policies found in the Growth Plan;
· As a Regional gateway, the Centre will anchor the Highway 7 Regional Corridor ;
· The Centre functions as a Key Development Area on a high-order transit corridor with the VIVA transit terminus, consistent with the Regional Corridor policies found in the Regional Official Plan. It remains the only Key Development Area within the Region, not yet incorporated into the built boundary; and
·
The Centre is surrounded by a series of major
existing and emerging uses. The Box
Grove Community, Cornell Community,
The Region also identifies that the inclusion of Cornell Centre in the built boundary will help to achieve the implementation of compact, mixed-use and transit-supportive development in this area and contribute significantly to the achievement of the Growth Plan intensification target.
Provincial staff do
not recognize Cornell Centre as an Intensification Area
On
In spite of repeated requests by Committee members to include Cornell Centre in the built boundary and recognize Cornell Centre’s contribution towards the Growth Plan’s 40% residential intensification target requirement, Provincial staff argue that Cornell Centre cannot be included in the built boundary established as of June 2006 and that Cornell Centre should instead contribute towards the designated greenfield target of not less than 50 jobs and residents per hectare.
In a letter dated November 28, 2007, in response to the Region’s request to include Cornell Centre within the built boundary, the Province continues to recognize “Cornell Centre fulfills the intent and policy objectives of the Growth Plan in many ways including the achievement of a compact, mixed-use and transit-supportive greenfield development of high quality and character” and as such contributes to the greenfield density target instead of the 40 per cent intensification target. A copy of the letter from the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Ontario Growth Secretariat to the Region of York is attached as Appendix ‘F’.
Province needs to
recognize Cornell Centre as an Intensification Area
The response from the Provincial staff reflects a narrow and
unnecessarily “technical” approach to the interpretation of the intensification
policies of the Growth Plan, with successful implementation of the
intensification policies defined solely in terms of the definition of the built
boundary.
The Province needs to develop a more inclusive approach to
addressing municipal preferences for intensification and to properly recognize locations
like Cornell Centre as an intensification area on an intensification corridor.
As a tool for meeting the Growth Plan intensification density target, the interpretation of the built boundary by the Province works against supporting the 40 per cent intensification target in some scenarios (ie. Cornell Centre). For scenarios like Cornell Centre the Region and Town deserve a better and more inclusive measuring tool to more fully respond to the broader intensification objectives of the Growth Plan and to work in concert with Regional and Town policies.
The Province also needs to continue to work with its municipal partners to reach a consensus on conformity with the intensification target to provide a better indicator of the range of intensification that municipalities are delivering, and to better recognize the efforts of municipalities in delivering intensification between now and 2015.
CONCLUSION:
It is recommended that the Province either amend the
proposed built boundary to include Cornell Centre in its entirety before it is
finalized, or confirm a process to ensure that Cornell Centre projects are
recognized as contributing towards the intensification target of the Growth
Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. This might include amending the built
boundary in York Region at the time of the next Growth Plan review to ensure
that Cornell Centre is included and that intensification in Cornell Centre is counted
towards the intensification target of the Growth Plan.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
There are no immediate financial implications associated with the built boundary methodology proposed by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal.
RECOMMENDED BY:
_________________________________
________________________________
Jim Baird, M.C.I.P.,R.P.P. Valerie
Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Commissioner of Development Services Director of Planning and Urban Design
ATTACHMENTS:
Appendix ‘A’ - November 2007 Technical Paper on the Proposed Final Built Boundary
For the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2006
Appendix ‘B’ - Town
of
Appendix ‘C’ -
January 2007 Region of
Proposed Methodology for Developing a Built Boundary
Appendix ‘D’ - July
2007 Letter from
and the inclusion of Cornell Centre
Appendix ‘E’ - October 2007 DSC Extract and Planning Staff Notes re:Growth Plan
Appendix ‘F’ - November 2007 Letter from Province to
Boundary and the inclusion of Cornell Centre
Q:Development/