DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE

 

 

 

 

 

TO:

Mayor and Members of Council

 

 

 

 

FROM:

Jim Baird, Commissioner of Development Services

Valerie Shuttleworth, Director of Planning & Urban Design

 

 

 

 

PREPARED BY:

Scott Heaslip, Project Coordinator, East District

 

 

 

 

DATE OF MEETING:

October 5, 2004

 

 

 

 

SUBJECT:

Retail Impact and Urban Design Studies

Highway 48 from 16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie Drive

 

 

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the staff report dated October 5, 2004 entitled “Retail Impact and Urban Design Studies– Highway 48 from 16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie Drive,” be received;

AND THAT staff be authorized to retain John Winter and Associates to study the potential impact of the anticipated retail development in the study area on Main Street Markham and other nearby retail areas, and to recommend appropriate mitigating measures to address any identified detrimental impacts;

AND THAT staff be authorized to retain a qualified retail market consultant to undertake a peer review of the above referenced study and the April, 2004 study by John Winter and Associates entitled “Review of Markham’s Commercial Policies;”

AND THAT staff be authorized to retain a consultant to undertake an urban design and streetscape study of the study area;  

AND THAT staff be authorized to retain the aforementioned consultants as provided for in the Town’s purchasing by-law;

AND THAT the projects be approved with upset limits of:

·        commercial impact study - $20,000 (excluding GST);

·        peer review of the commercial impact study and the April, 2004 “Review of Markham’s Commercial Policies” study - $15,000 (excluding GST);

·        urban design and landscape study -  $25,000 (excluding GST).

AND THAT the projects be funded from the Development Charges Reserve fund (90%), in the amount of $54,000, and from Capital Account # 80-5399-3515-005 Markham Village Transition Zone Design Guideline (10%), in the amount of $6,000.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to address the need  for retail impact and urban design studies for the portion of Highway 48 between 16th Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive.

 

BACKGROUND:

Area is designated in Official Plan for commercial use

The subject lands of this report are located on the east and west sides of Highway 48 between 16th Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive, as shown on Figure 1, attached.  The lands on the west side of Highway 48 are largely vacant and generally comprise larger parcels in the ownership of major developers.  The lands on the east side of Highway generally comprise smaller parcels, many of which are occupied by existing industrial buildings.  The largest parcel on the east side of Highway 48 is the Emerson Electric property at the south-east corner of Highway 48 and Major Mackenzie Drive. 

 

As shown on Figure 2, the majority of the study area - approximately 66 hectares (164 acres) - is designated “Major Commercial Area” in the Official Plan. A smaller portion - approximately 16 hectares (40 acres)  - primarily in the area east of Highway 48 and south of Bur Oak Avenue,  is designated “Community Amenity Area.”   These designations permit a broad range of retail, office, service, community, institutional, entertainment and recreational uses as well as medium and high density housing at appropriate locations. 

 

The study area was designated for commercial and mixed uses 10 years ago by Official Plan Amendment No.26, which implemented the recommendations of a study of commercial requirements to meet the needs of  the Town’s then recently approved urban expansion lands (OPA 5). 

 

Design Guidelines have been approved for area on the west side Highway 48

The Wismer Commons Secondary Plan includes the majority of the commercial lands fronting on the west side of Highway 48. The Wismer Commons Community Design Plan requires the developers group to prepare and submit Urban Design Guidelines for the commercial lands fronting on the west side of Highway 48, prior to proceeding with site plan approval for any of the commercial lands.  The required guidelines were prepared by MBTW Group and were endorsed by Council on July 8, 2003. 

 

Majority of land on west side of Highway 48 has been zoned for commercial use

As shown on Figure 3, the majority of the “Major Commercial” lands on the west side of Highway 48, primarily north of Bur Oak Avenue, have been zoned “Major Commercial Area” in accordance with the Official Plan. 

 

Commercial Policy Review is ongoing

In the spring of this year the Town retained John Winter and Associates, who were part of the team of staff and consultants that formulated Official Plan No. 26, to review the performance of the OPA 26 policies and to comment on future directions.  The review focussed on certain key challenges being faced by the Town including:

§         lack of predictability in the delivery of retail services (in particular mixed use designations tending to be develop with residential rather than commercial uses);

§         pressure on the Business Corridor Area, Community Amenity Area and Retail Warehouse Area categories of designation for development contrary to their planned function; 

§         the lack of new local retail and service development within newly developing communities in the Official Plan Amendment No. 5 area; and,

§         the advisability of encouraging sustainable,  local service rather than commercial development oriented to longer distance travel.

 

On June 1, 2004, Development Services Committee received the final consultant’s report and established a subcommittee to further consider and identify possible responses to the issues identified by the consultant and by staff. The subcommittee continues to be engaged in its review.  A number of public meetings are upcoming re commercial development proposals.

 

John Winter and Associates is currently undertaking a Town wide inventory of commercial floor area and land to determine the availability and adequacy to serve current and future commercial needs in Markham.  We anticipate that this component of the review will be completed and submitted to the Town shortly.

 

Concerns expressed at community information meeting regarding the anticipated commercial development in the Markham Road area, north of 16th Avenue

In response to concerns expressed to him by a number of groups and individuals including the Markham Village Conservancy, Ward Councillor McKelvey held a community information meeting on the evening of Thursday, September 16 to inform the public of the background and status of the planning approvals in the area.  The meeting was attended by approximately 80 residents and business owners, primarily from the Main Street Markham area south of 16th Avenue.  A number of residents and business owners spoke at the meeting to express concern regarding the impact of the anticipated commercial development, as follows:

  • too much land designated in this area for commercial use;
  • potential traffic impact on Main Street Markham and nearby residential streets;
  • Main Street will be sandwiched between “big box” retail developments to the north and south;
  • impact on viability of Main Street businesses;
  • generally don’t like/want “big box” retail;
  • “big box” retail not transit supportive;
  • should have higher density residential uses around Mount Joy Go Station.

 

Staff directed to report on scope and cost of Retail Impact Study

On September 21, Development Services Committee passed the following resolution:

“That the correspondence from Elizabeth Plashkes of the Markham Village Conservancy, Jocelyn de La Fontaine of Josey Designs, and Peter Ross of the Vinegar Hill Ratepayers Association with concerns for the Big Box development on Markham Road, north of 16th  Avenue, be received;

 

And that the deputations by Elizabeth Plashkes of the Markham Village Conservancy, Amy Pialagitis of the Markham Village BIA, and Myra Chepak, with concerns for potential for Big Box development on Markham Road, north of 16th Avenue, be received;

 

And that staff be directed to report on the scope and cost of preparing a Retail Impact Study, to examine the potential impacts of proposed retail on Main Street Markham, north of 16th Avenue and south of Highway 7, including Sherway Plaza and plazas along Highway 48;

 

And that Legal staff be directed to report on implementing Interim Control while the Retail Impact Study is being prepared.” 

 

Development Services Committee to provide direction regarding the inclusion of impact on Main Street Unionville in terms of the Retail Impact Study

At the Commercial Policy Review Subcommittee on September 29, 2004, the subcommittee received a submission from Mr Sid Ridgley representing the Markham Village BIA. The subcommittee referred the submission to the October 5th meeting of the Development Services Committee. Mr Ridgley expressed support for a retail impact study focussed on Markham Main Street and for an interim control bylaw applying to lands north of 16th Avenue. In response to a proposal from the subcommittee that the impact study should also address Main Street Unionville, Mr Ridgley suggested that the primary impact will be on Main Street Markham and that this should be the principal focus of the study. 

 

It was agreed by the subcommittee that the inclusion of Main Street Unionville in the proposed retail impact study should be discussed further at the October 5th meeting of the Development Services Committee and that staff should provide information regarding the additional study budget that would be required. The Development Services Committee will need to amend the resolution on page 1 if this additional work is to be included and budgeted for.

 

OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:

 

Retail Impact Study

Staff has requested a proposal from John Winter and Associates for an analysis of potential impact of the anticipated commercial developments within the study area on Markham Main Street.  Staff recommend retaining John Winter for this analysis because he has extensive and current knowledge of Markham’s overall commercial structure and “Main Street” type commercial uses and functions (including a recent study of Main Street Unionville), and  is able to complete this analysis promptly and cost effectively.

 

Staff also recommend that the Town retain another qualified retail market consultant to undertake a peer review of the retail impact study referred to above and the and the April, 2004 “Review of Markham’s Commercial Policies” study, also by John Winter and Associates.  This will provide another perspective on this issue given the Town’s past and current reliance on Mr. Winter in retail policy matters.

 

It should be noted that the Official Plan includes a policy allowing Council to require the preparation of a study to address the impact of large scale retail development on the capability of the Town’s planned commercial structure to provide a full range of retailing activity at convenient locations.  The policy provides that the impact on existing retail development is to be considered only to the extent that it affects the capability of the Town’s commercial structure to adequately and conveniently fulfil consumer needs, and not as it relates to the market share of individual businesses. The defensibility of any retail impact study prepared for the study area will need to take into account this policy and also that a significant portion of the area has already been zoned for commercial use.

 

Urban Design and Streetscape Study

Development Services capital budget currently includes $15,000 for the “Markham Village Transition Zone Design Guideline” project to explore  design and streetscape measures to ensure an appropriate transition between a suburban arterial character of Highway 48 north of 16th Avenue and the historic main street character to the south.

 

Staff have requested a proposal from the firm of Brook McIlroy Inc. Planning & Urban Design / Pace Architects for a study which would expand the mandate of the Highway 48 Transition Study along the lines of the work they did for the Town on Markham Road, south of 14th Avenue (Markham road Corridor Study).  They advise that they could complete such a study for approximately $25,000.

 

This study would build on the existing Wismer Common Commercial Design Guidelines, with specific focus on the following items:

  1. The transition to the historic main street, in particular an appropriate gateway character and fit with the finer scale of development parcels and buildings to the south of 16th Avenue;

2.      Current and emerging best practice - not just in the GTA, but throughout North America - for larger scale commercial development;

3.      The application of the principles of New Urbanism to the commercial development, including:

·  Opportunities to integrate residential development and mixed commercial-residential development into the study area

·  A more humane pedestrian supportive environment

·  Scaling, massing and heights that relate to human scale

·  A more intimate “framed” streetscape for Highway 48

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

The studies will have a maximum combined budget of $60,000, exclusive of GST.  The studies will be funded from the Development Charges Reserve fund (90%), in the amount of $54,000, and from Capital Account # 80-5399-3515-005 Markham Village Transition Zone Design Guideline (10%), in the amount of $6,000.

 

ENGAGE 21ST CONSIDERATIONS:

This project aligns with the corporate goal of achieving a Quality Community through recognizing, promoting and strengthening a sense of community.

 

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

Staff in the Development Services Commission will consult with the appropriate internal and external departments and agencies throughout the study process.

 

ATTACHMENTS:

Figure 1            Location

Figure 2            Official Plan designations

Figure 3            Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Director of Planning & Urban Design

 

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

Commissioner of Development Services

 

 

Q:\Development\Planning\Teams\EAST\Main Street Transition Study\DC October 5 2004 report.doc