The report also discusses
the role and opportunity for the commercial block to function as the retail
mixed use focus for the greater Cornell community. The applicant’s proposal has
also been reviewed in the context of the emerging principles identifed in the
recent lifestyles centres tour and presentation to Development Services
Committee on June 7, 2005. A selection of photos that demonstrate
the principles on which lifestyle centres are based is attached to the report
as Figure 6 – Lifestyle Retail Photos. The report requests Council endorsement
of a set of general principles as the basis for further discussions with the
applicant and authorization for staff to schedule a Public Meeting to consider
the applications once the issues outlined in this report have been addresed to
staff’s satisfaction.
BACKGROUND:
Property and Area Context
The subject lands cover an area of
approximately 35.11 hectares (86.76 acres) and are bounded on the north by
Highway 7, on the south by Highway 407, on the east by the new Markham By-pass
connection to Highway 407, and on the west by a newly constructed stormwater
management channel (see Figures 2 and 3).
There are two existing residential
properties not owned by the applicant fronting on the south side of Highway 7,
west of the new by-pass.
The subject lands are flat table
land. Most of the land is currently
being farmed.
Official Plan, secondary plan and zoning
The subject lands are subject to a
number of land use designations in the current Secondary Plan including
“Commercial Corridor Area”, “Community Amenity Area”, “Neighbourhood General” and
“Open Space Reserve - West” and “Open Space – Environmentally Significant Area”
as shown on Figure 4, attached. The Secondary
Plan identifies the location for a possible community park within the subject
lands at the south-west corner of the Markham By-pass and Highway 7.
The secondary plan also includes
policies (Section 6.1.3 f) and 8.0 d) 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.
The lands are currently zoned Agricultural
(A1).
A Vision for Cornell Centre is Emerging
Over the past number of months, a
comprehensive vision for Cornell Centre has been emerging through the work of
staff and consultation with the various landowners. The vision has been built
on the new urbanism principles on which Cornell is based, supporting a mix of
uses, a central community focus, a grid of streets, integrated open space and pedestrian
oriented development. The vision is consistent with the policy directions of the
Region of York’s (Centres and Corridors) Official Plan Amendment OPA 43 and the
emerging policy framework of the Town’s Highway 7 Corridor study.
The Markham Stouffville Hospital Expansion
Master Plan concept incorporates extensive new hospital facilities as well a
new Library/ Community Centre and Wellness facility. The expanded facilities
will act as a community and regional destination for medical, recreation and
wellness activities and anchor the north west quadrant of the emerging Cornell Centre vision. A significant
concentration of business employment uses is oriented around the Highway 7 and
new Markham By-pass intersection. The employment area provides for a range of
business uses and formats including higher density office development adjacent
to the Highway 7 corridor supported by the Viva rapid transit system. The new
employment district acts as a gateway to east Markham and anchors the south east quadrant of the vision.
The emerging concept for Cornell
Centre builds on the original Cornell vision as a mixed use core and community
focus for the greater Cornell community. The concept provides an opportunity
for a wider range of higher density residential and mixed use building types
and broadens Cornell’s residential and commercial mix to meet the Cornell
vision as a significant live, work and play focus for east Markham. Higher density mixed use development is focussed
along the Highway 7 corridor to support rapid transit. Building heights are
gradated from the highest buildings of 8 – 10 storeys oriented to the Bur Oak
and Highway 7 intersection stepping down to 3 – 4 storeys to integrate with the
lower density residential neighbourhoods particularly to the north, south west
and west.
The retail zone south of Highway 7
between Bur Oak and the old by-pass has been identified as the primary community
destination and focus for community oriented retail activities, a food store,
pedestrian oriented amenities and mixed use development including residential
above ground floor retail. The location offers excellent access and visibility
to Highway 7 and to the extension of Cornell’s major main street spine, Bur Oak Avenue. The location is a primary focus of the emerging Cornell
Centre vision.
Proposed
Development
The most recent concept plan
submitted by the applicant in late May (Figure 5) includes the following:
- A community commercial block fronting onto
the south side of Highway 7 between the proposed extension Bur Oak Avenue
and the existing Markham By-pass.
- The commercial development is proposed to
be anchored at either end by larger format stores including a food store
at the west side of the site.
- The anchors are proposed to be connected
east west by a single sided private “Main Street”.
- The main street concept is indicated as potentially
extending eastward in a mixed use context over to the new by-pass.
- On the west portion of the main street,
three storey development is proposed with commercial uses at grade and
residential above.
- On the east portion of the street,
restaurants and cafes are proposed backing onto the woodlot.
- A small feature retail area is proposed
mid block.
- Parking is at-grade surface parking.
- The Highway 7 frontage is proposed for
future mixed use buildings however, the concept proposes one storey pad
type retail development as transition uses to be converted to mixed use,
overtime.
- “Higher density” residential uses are
proposed to the south of the commercial block to the storm water
facilities and to the east of the existing woodlot.
- Proposed building heights would vary but
could range up to 20 storeys adjacent to the woodlot.
- The higher density development east of the
woodlot proposes ‘live work’ units along the street edge to assist in
transitioning to the employment uses on the east side of the collector
road.
- Employment uses are proposed in the area between
the commercial block, woodlot and the new Markham By-pass.
- The concept plan shows a major cinema and
hotel complex on the south west corner of Highway 7 and the new by-pass in
the proposed employment area.
DISCUSSION
The overall direction of applicant’s concept plan has positive elements
The concept plan submitted by the
applicant proposes a mix of residential, retail and commercial office uses. The
uses and densities are generally consistent with the objectives of Region of
York Official Plan Amendment No. 43 (Centres and Corridors) and the policy
direction emerging from the Town of Markham’s Highway 7 Corridor Study and Cornell Secondary Plan
update. The proposed development
includes a significant component of employment uses to help establish a
commercial gateway to an East
Markham employment area.
The plan proposes a commercial core
with a component of three storey live work units incorporated into an east west
‘main street’ environment, anchored by large format retail stores. The retail
centre relies exclusively on surface parking and does not as yet exploit its
full potential to become a pedestrian-friendly mixed-use commercial focus for
the Cornell community. A significant component of transit supportive
residential development is proposed in close proximity to the Viva rapid
transit service along the Highway 7 corridor.
However, the higher density mixed use development along the corridor is
not planned to be developed until a much later phase and interim pad-type
development is proposed.
A number of concerns needs to be addressed.
In meetings with the applicant and
his consultants a number of challenges have been identified and changes and
refinements to the plan will need to be addressed through further discussions
with the applicant. Some of the specific concerns are as follows;
- The applicant is proposing free standing single
storey commercial buildings along the Highway 7 frontage of the commercial
block as a transition use since the applicant believes there will not be
demand for higher density mixed use in this location, in the near term. Free standing buildings in this location would defer the development
of the Highway 7 frontage for higher density transit supportive uses for
many years, potentially decades.
- The proposed residential and mixed
residential-commercial area to the east of the woodlot can detract from
the viability of the adjoining lands to the east for employment use.
- The concept plan shows a cinema and hotel complex
within the employment area. Staff are concerned that the cinema and hotel
uses in the locations shown in the proposal may not be supportive of the
primary employment use in this area and may reduce the land base for
business uses.
- The concept plan shows a potential
extension of retail type activities through the employment area, eastward
toward the new by-pass, as a continuation of the commercial block. Staff are concerned that the additional
retail may dilute the role of the commercial block as a primary community
retail focus and erode the viability of the employment lands.
- The concept plan proposes a range of
residential building heights of up to 20 storeys adjacent to the woodlot.
Staff are concerned that some of the proposed heights are not consistent
with the vision for the Cornell community.
- The concept plan shows the commercial
block as relying exclusively on surface parking. Structured parking is
only proposed at the later stages of development along the Highway 7
corridor in association with the higher density mixed use development.
Staff are concerned that a structured parking strategy is not in place and
that the potential for mixed use development will be compromised if
commitments to structured parking are not made from the outset.
- The concept plan shows single sided retail
along the internal ‘main street’ Staff are concerned that one sided retail will not support pedestrian activity
and pedestrian circulation along and through the retail environment. The
retail frontages are exposed to surface parking lots and the amenity of
the retail street environment is potentially compromised. The retail
layout as shown does not include the types of pedestrian oriented
amenities that will support this location as a community focus and retail
destination.
A number of principles should guide the development of a mixed use
development concept
The emerging concept for Cornell
Centre should be guided by a clear set of principles that are consistent with
the new urbanism principles the Cornell is based on and reflective of the
policy directions for the Region and Town for transit supportive development
adjacent to the Highway 7 corridor. The following are principles that staff
support to guide the development and response to the applicant’s submissions.
- Preserve the frontage along Highway 7 for
higher density mixed use development and of seeking higher order
development sooner than later. To ensure that the opportunity for higher
order uses is not lost, staff recommend that a corridor be reserved along
the Highway 7 frontage for higher order development and a restriction on
single storey pad development be implemented.
- Consolidate employment uses east of the
woodlot over to the new Markham
by-pass to preserve the greatest opportunity for a range of business uses
and formats. In staff’s opinion, permitting residential in this area
especially early in the development phasing can provide an impediment to
the development of business uses on adjacent lands.
- Locate the cinema and hotel uses in a location within or immediately
adjacent to the commercial retail block in order to provide a destination
attraction and anchor to draw people into the centre and to provide
synergies with the retail and restaurant facilities in the commercial
block.
- Concentrate and reinforce retail activities
within the commercial block to act as the primary pedestrian oriented
community retail focus for the east end of Markham.
Staff support the principle of mixed use development with residential and
office above ground floor retail to act as a catalyst for the commercial
block to become a community focal point and destination.
- Develop an urban ‘main street’ as the
pedestrian oriented spine encouraging pedestrian movement and circulation
along both sides of the ‘street’. Staff support
the development of the main street on private property. Staff
believe that “main street” retail activities should be supported by
adjacent on street curb side or angled parking.
- Incorporate green amenities and urban open
space features into the retail plan as well as develop programmable
facilities to provide opportunities for on site community events and activities.
- Support the general principle of a
gradation of height from Highway 7 and the Highway 7/ Bur Oak
intersection, stepping down to the existing and proposed lower density
communities particularly to the north and west. Maximum building heights
should be in the range of eight to ten storeys at the Highway 7/ Bur Oak intersection.
- Support the principle of compact urban
form and mixed use development based on structured parking. Staff believe
that structured parking locations should be identified and a phasing strategy should be in place
as part of the development concept. Parking structures should be
constructed from the outset.
An additional elementary school site is likely required
Staff have met with the Public and
Separate School Boards to discuss school site requirements. The Public Board advised
that they will likely require an elementary school site within the subject
lands. Additional discussions are required
to finalize a location.
Council
endorsement of principles requested
The applicant’s proposal is a key component of the
emerging Cornell Centre vision. While a number of components of the submission
are consistent with the emerging vision, the role of the subject lands to
anchor business opportunities in the east end of Markham should be
strengthened and preserved in the plan. As well, the retail precinct does not
as yet capture the role and opportunity for the applicant’s lands to perform as
a true pedestrian oriented mixed use communtiy focus consistent with the new
urbanism principles on which Cornell is based.
Staff are therefore requesting that Council
endorse the principles outlined in this report as the basis of further
discussions with the applicant regarding refinement and changes to their plans,
and that Council authorize staff to schedule a Public Meeting consider the
applications as soon as the issues outlined in this report
have been addressed to staff’s satisfaction.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
None at this
time.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:
None at this time.
ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:
There are no accessibility considerations associated with this proposal at
the present time.
ENGAGE 21ST CONSIDERATIONS:
The proposed development
would assist with the implementation of the following key Town of Markham Corporate
Goals: Managed Growth, Quality Community and Infrastructure
Management.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The
application has been circulated to all relevant departments and outside
agencies. Comments and requirements will
be addressed during the review process.
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure 1 – Location Map
Figure 2 – Air Photo
Figure 3 – Zoning and Area Context
Figure 4 – Secondary Plan
Figure 5 – Proposed Concept Plan
Figure 6 – Lifestyle Retail Photos
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Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director of Planning & Urban Design
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Jim
Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Commissioner of Development Services
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Q:\Development\Planning\APPL\CORNELL\PH4\preliminary
report -
Grand Cornell East.doc
LOCATION MAP:
