DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COMMISSION

 

 

 

 

 

TO:

Mayor and Members of Council

 

 

 

 

FROM:

Jim Baird, Commissioner of Development Services

Valerie Shuttleworth, Director of Planning & Urban Design

 

 

 

 

PREPARED BY:

Mavis Urquhart

Senior Planner

Markham Centre Team

 

 

 

 

DATE OF MEETING:

2004-Jun-15

 

 

 

 

SUBJECT:

East Precinct Plan and Principles  - Status Update

Markham Centre

 

 

 

 

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report entitled “Markham Centre East Precinct Plan” - Status Update”, dated June 15, 2004, be received for information.

 

PURPOSE:

This report is an update on the status of the Markham Centre East Precinct Plan and the anticipated process and timing for adoption of that Plan. The East Precinct Plan is a guideline intended to provide a graphic illustration of a redevelopment scenario and principles which shall be considered by the Town in reviewing all future development applications.

 

Figure 1 to this memorandum identifies the location of lands included in the East Precinct area.

 

BACKGROUND:

In February, 2004, Planning Staff retained the consulting firm of Urban Strategies Inc., to prepare a Precinct Plan for the area referred to as the “East Precinct” within Markham Centre. The “East Precinct”, as shown on Figure 2, consists of the all the lands contained in the Centre East District being approximately 50 hectares – 121 acres. The boundaries of this area are: GO Transit/CN rail line, Highway 407, Kennedy Road the Rouge River.

 

Development of the East Precinct Plan and principles is being undertaken by staff and a consultant, rather than the area landowners because:

  • the lands contain multiple properties and the landowners have not been able to develop their own plan to date;
  • this Plan will facilitate development and demonstrate municipal support for implementation of Markham Centre;

·        Planning for Markham Centre’s supporting infrastructure (design of Enterprise Drive, transit alignments) is well progressed;

·        there is a need to finalize stormwater management, parkland and transit requirements;

·        certain Owners in the area would like to proceed with development of their lands now; and,

·        applications have been received, including the site plan application for the YMCA and zoning and site plan applications for Cooperators Development Corporation Limited.

 

The Precinct Plan will identify the key elements of development in the area, notably: land uses, including parkland and a place of worship; density distribution; environmentally protected areas (woodlot); street, block and lot patterns; the location of the major and connecting roads; transit; the location of stormwater management facilities; pedestrian and bike connections; building orientation/placement; parking solutions; open space elements and linkages; and other important design elements. Preparation of a Precinct Plan is a requirement of the Markham Centre Secondary Plan (OPA 21) and is intended as a guideline for assessing development applications. The Precinct Plan is a non-statutory document, intended to complement policy and regulations. The East Precinct Plan and principles will identify the key elements of the Plan, which will be based upon engineering, planning and urban design input, with the assistance of the consultants. The Markham Centre Steering Committee, all landowners and the public will be consulted when formulating the final Plan as described in this report.

 

OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:

The study area is the Centre East District in the Secondary Plan (OPA 21) and is technically composed of two Precincts as shown on Figure 2 to this report. The subject lands are currently developed with low intensity commercial and industrial uses, the GO station, a heritage building, and the golf course. The ownership for much of the area is fragmented and the configuration of many of the land holdings is narrow and deep. Figure 3 identifies the study area parcel fabric and addresses.

 

The purpose of preparing this Precinct Plan is to provide guidance for the urbanization of the lands in a comprehensive manner, and sets out guidelines for development that is consistent with the vision for Markham Centre. Much of the direction for development of this Plan will be drawn from the work and principles done to date in planning for Markham Centre, including the Performance Measures.

 

Work Completed to Date

The Engineering components that have been undertaken/completed in the East Precinct are:

 

  • Enterprise Environmental Assessment, which establishes the alignment of major roads within the Precinct has been completed, filed, designed and is now proceeding to construction through the awarding of a recent contract;
  • Servicing requirements (stormwater management, storm and water servicing) for the Precinct are being examined;
  • Establishment of a general access location for the adjacent development blocks is being reviewed;
  • A Traffic Report prepared by McCormick Rankin has been submitted to the Town and circulated for comments, and
  • Drafting of Area Specific Development Charges for the Precinct is underway.

 

These components will form the underlying community structure to the Plan.

 

Several Options have been developed

                        To date, several options have been developed by the consultant to address issues surrounding the future high school. The York Region School Board has acquired the golf course lands with intention of constructing a high school building in the initial stage and an integrated sports complex in the second phase, with a projected construction start date in 2005. Staff and the consultant are working to ensure established criteria of the Secondary Plan are met by providing options/opportunities for the school to be:

 

  • highly visible and accessible
  • near a neighbourhood park
  • accessible to public transit
  • well served by a transportation network
  • designed to have good onsite traffic circulation.

 

Staff has met on several occasions to discuss the site layout and the school’s relationship to Enterprise Drive with school board representatives. The extension of Enterprise Drive will provide an opportunity for transit to be located in close proximity to the school site. The Precinct Plan should also support good access to the high school through the transportation network and good on-site circulation. On site circulation will also be addressed as part of site plan approval.

 

Finally, the consultant is also working on identifying a park location(s), place of worship and establishing the distribution of densities of development within the East Precinct. It is anticipated that a draft Precinct Plan should be ready for discussion and review in several weeks.

 

Next Steps:

Stage One in this study is the development of base mapping and project initiation. This involves background technical work and research, as well as meeting with Town staff and the School Board to discuss issues surrounding development of the future high school. Consultation with staff/agencies and development of background mapping (opportunities and constraints plan, massing assumption plan, street cross section plan, block plan, etc.) by the consultant will be a prerequisite to creation of the draft Precinct Plan and principles. This work is well underway.

 

Stage Two involves Town staff who will be undertaking consultation and addressing implementation issues including consultation with landowners, the public and a presentation to Development Services Committee and Council.

 

Final Plan and Principles

It is anticipated that landowner and public consultation will be undertaken during the summer and that staff will report further on the results of this consultation on the Precinct Plan in the fall.

 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

The consultant was retained to complete the development of the East Precinct Plan. Payment for the consultant will come from the 2004 operating budget, account 620-998-5603 (Planning Studies).

 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:

This application will be reviewed in light of environmental policies including small streams and protection requirements for the woodlot and input from the Metro Toronto Conservation Authority.

 

ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:

Accessibility considerations will be addressed at the site plan stage. 

 

ENGAGE 21ST CONSIDERATIONS:

The proposed Precinct Plan aligns with the following key Town of Markham Corporate Goals: Managed Growth, Quality Community and Infrastructure Management by providing guidance for development of the area.

 

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

Internal departments and external agencies will be contacted for input and comments in the formulation of the Precinct Plan and principles.

 

CONCLUSION:

The East Precinct Plan and principles will set out a community structure which implements and supports the vision of Markham Centre. It will provide an opportunity to unlock the potential of these lands and develop a mixed use community as part of Markham Centre. The road pattern, public services and facilities are intended to be delivered through a co-ordinated and cost-shared approach, through landowner contributions, Development Charges and Developer Group arrangements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

FIGURE 1

 

DOCUMENT:Q:\Development\Planning\Teams\Markham Centre\East Precinct\dsc0707mu.doc

 

ATTACHMENTS:

                        Figure 1            Location Plan

                        Figure 2            Excerpt from OPA 21 Districts and Precincts (Schedule”EE”)

                        Figure 3            Land parcels and addresses superimposed on Aerial Photo

 

 

APPLICANT/AGENT:          n/a

 

LOCATION PLAN: