Development Services Committee

 

 

 

 

 

TO:

Mayor and Members of Council

 

 

 

 

FROM:

Valerie Shuttleworth, Director of Planning and Urban Design

Jim Baird, Commissioner of Development Services

 

 

 

 

PREPARED BY:

Nicole Volpe, Senior Planner, Markham Centre Team

 

 

 

 

DATE OF MEETING:

2004-Dec-07

 

 

 

 

SUBJECT:

Markham Centre Streetscape Standards

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECOMMENDATION:

 

That the report entitled “Markham Centre Streetscape Standards” dated December 7, 2004 be received;

 

That Council endorse the enhanced streetscape standards for the hierarchy of public streets in Markham Centre, attached as Appendix ‘A’ to the report.

 

And that staff be directed to report back in 2005 on offsetting operations, maintenance and capital replacement costs in the context of Markham Centre’s higher densities and higher property value assessments, as part of the Financial Strategy Study and Implementation Plan for Markham Centre.

 

 

PURPOSE:

 

To seek Council’s endorsement for the enhanced streetscape standards for Markham Centre.

 

 

BACKGROUND:

 

Markham Centre has been planned to have an enhanced streetscape package

Precinct Plan submissions within Markham Centre require upgraded streetscape improvements along all primary public streets.  The upgrading of the streetscape standards for Markham Centre has been a long-standing objective of the Town.

           

To date, Council has approved three major Precinct Plans within Markham Centre (Circa Tridel/Dorsay, Liberty and Remington) all indicating upgraded streetscapes. While the principle of upgrading has been adhered to, the actual design details needed to be further coordinated amongst the submissions to present a consistent design approach for the whole of the Markham Centre area.

           

The Town retained a consultant to coordinate the streetscape package.

In 2003, Urban Design staff requested that the three developers coordinate a Markham Centre streetscape design package for Council’s consideration.  Meetings were held and some results were achieved.  However a fully coordinated package was not finalized. In late 2003, P3D Consultants (Paul Nodwell) was retained by the Town to finalize the package including the application of streetscape enhancements to the different types of streets in the street hierarchy and associated implementation costs. PD3’s design and cost parameters were then used to support the Development Charge By-law update.

 

Council endorsed the new light standard for Markham Centre on October 12, 2004.

Staff intended to bring forward the comprehensive streetscape standards as a package to Committee and Council in the 3rd Quarter 2004.  As Council is aware, the construction programme for Enterprise required an early decision on streetlighting.  The Enterprise Drive contract is currently underway, with the Town beginning construction of the easterly component.  While most components of the streetscaping such as tree planting, boulevard treatments and sidewalk can be placed later in the construction, the infrastructure for the lighting could not be delayed without significant risk to claims for delay by the contractor.  With this in mind, staff brought forward a report on October 12, 2004 to seek endorsement of the new light standard for Markham Centre, which report was approved by Council.

 

Applying the new lighting standards to Enterprise Drive

The new lighting standards have been incorporated into ongoing design and construction programmes.  Council endorsed light standards were forwarded to:  Powerstream, Circa, Remington and the Town’s own contractor for incorporation into construction documents.  No significant issues regarding the new lighting standards have emerged.  Construction programmes are proceeding to implement the new lighting standard installations.

 

 

DISCUSSION:

 

The streetscape standards reflect the hierarchy of street types.

The streetscape standards have been developed to reflect the hierarchy of streets within Markham Centre.  Major civic streets such as Enterprise and Birchmount that act as formal activity spines are given the highest standards, retail mixed-use streets are the next highest, down through major residential streets to local streets.  The boulevard and lighting treatments are designed on an additive approach to upgrades, each upgrade level building on the next, adding features to the treatment to reflect each type of street’s significance and function within the plan.

 

There are six (6) upgrade levels within the proposed Streetscape Standards.  The upgrade levels are further described in the attached Appendix A.  Above the Bronze upgrade level, all sidewalks will be wider than the current Town standard at two (2) meters.  At the Silver level, a 60mm wide feature strip of unit pavers is added adjacent to the curb in both the boulevard and median treatments.  Medians gradually increase in their enhancement starting with a sodded and treed median at the bronze level, and graduating to a median at the platinum level that has raised planters and a paved feature strip.  A bike lane is optional in the Bronze level, and is added as a potential to all of the levels above. 

 

Levels

Bike Lanes

Crosswalk

Median

Boulevard

Sidewalk

Trees

Bronze

Optional

3m, Painted

Optional, sod, trees

Sodded

1.5m wide

Standard spacing

Silver

Yes

Extended curb-cut

Optional, enhanced planting + paver strip

Above + 60mm paver strip

2.0m wide

Spaced at 6-8m, dependant on lights

Gold

Residential

Above

Extended curb-cut + coloured concrete + bollards

Above

Above

Above

Above

Gold Commercial

Above

Above

Above

Unit Pavers

Above

Above + raised concrete planters

Platinum

Above

Above + unit pavers rather than concrete

Above + raised planters

Above + paired street lighting

Above

Above

 

 

The crosswalk treatment is a painted crosswalk in the Bronze level, graduating to a concrete crosswalk in Gold through to a unit paver crosswalk in at Platinum level intersections and pedestrian crossings.  The associated curb-cuts at the crosswalk are extended along the length of the intersection curve at the Silver level, and include bollards at the Gold and Platinum levels.  At the Silver level, trees are spaced more closely at between six (6) and eight (8) meters apart and at the Gold Commercial level they are planted in raised concrete planters.  All upgrade levels have the new streetlight fixture, and at the Platinum level streetlighting is paired along both sides of the street.  Materials include pre-cast concrete unit pavers, in a running bond pattern with inset contrasting pavers, both unit pavers and cast-in-place concrete for crosswalks, and pre-cast concrete planters.  The colours are neutral, from a warm colour palette.

 

The intent is to complete sections of the streets and plant trees on a comprehensive basis rather than piecemeal.  Design variation may occur in special areas:  along riverside drives or in the retail core. The streetscape design considers public transit and provides an allowance for Bus Loading Zones, locating a concrete pad for the bus-shelter to be built per the required specifications.  The streetscape design for Markham Centre provides a high level of design detail and quality of materials, reflective of the urban design proposed for this district.

 

Street furniture, benches, waste receptacles have not as yet been identified.  Recommendations for furniture will be coordinated with the Community Services department and brought forward for consideration at a later date. 

 

           

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

 

The streetscape standards for Markham Centre have been circulated internally to the Capital Works and Engineering Departments, and to the Finance Department for Development Charges implications.  No significant issues arose from these departments.  The standards were also circulated externally to Powerstream.

 

Urban Design staff met with Operations staff in regard to the Markham Centre Streetscape Standards application on Circa Boulevard currently under construction.  Operations staff identified that some of the elements of the higher level of streetscape design may have an impact on ongoing operations, maintenance standards and capital replacement over time.    

 

The impacts associated with operating and maintaining the higher levels of streetscape standards together with capital replacement will need to be assessed and quantified in the context of the higher densities, compact urban form and higher property value assessments associated with Markham Centre. An impact analysis will be undertaken and brought back to Committee and Council as part of the reporting out on the next stage of the Financial Strategy Study and Implementation Plan for Markham Centre in 2005.    

 

Financial Considerations

 

The Development Charges update, adopted by Council on August 30, 2004 includes funding for upgraded streetscapes in Markham Centre.  Under the new formula, costs are assigned as follows:  25% Local charges, 25% Town-Wide, 25% Area Specific, and 25% to tax rate.  The tax rate impact can in part be mitigated through phased implementation of streetscape improvements and through spreading the impact over the long term build out of the plan.  The tax impact  over the build out of the plan to incorporate the upgraded streetscape standards on all new streets in Markham Centre is approximately $5.5 million. 


 

ATTACHMENTS:

 

Appendix A:  Streetscape Standards for Markham Centre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Clark, B.Arch

Town Architect

 

Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.

Director of Planning and Urban Design

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________

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

Commissioner of Development Services

 

 

 

Q:\Development\Planning\Teams\Markham Centre\Reports\Markham Centre Streetscape.doc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix A:  Streetscape Standards for Markham Centre

 

(Refer to attached, stamped Appendix)