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 Co-ordinator, East Development District

 

 

 

 

DATE OF MEETING:

2003-Dec-09

 

 

 

 

SUBJECT:

Cornell Community, Development Phasing Plan Update

 

 

 

 

 

RECOMMENDATION:

 

That the Planning and Urban Design Department report dated December 9, 2003 entitled “Cornell Community, Development Phasing Plan Update” be received;

 

And that the “Cornell Community, Development Phasing Plan Update” be approved;

 

And that the Commissioner of Development Services be authorized to approve minor modifications to the updated development phasing plan, provided they are in keeping with the intent of the Plan;

 

And that Council be kept appraised of any modifications to the development phasing plan that would have a significant effect on the overall delivery or allocation of services, roads or facilities, or the timing of approval of development;

 

And further that the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute a phasing agreement with the Cornell Landowners Group outlining the phasing requirements and associated implementation measures.

 

PURPOSE

 

The purpose of this report is to recommend approval of an updated development phasing plan for the Cornell Community and to seek authorization for the Mayor and Clerk to execute a phasing agreement with the Cornell Developers Group, to secure the key phasing requirements. 

 

 

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

The Cornell Community Development Phasing Plan was approved in 1997

In 1997 the majority of the land in the Cornell Community was under the control of one major landowner (The Law Development Group) and was planned to be developed in 6 sequential phases as shown on Figure 2, attached.   Phase 1 has been constructed by the Law Development Group in accordance with the approved development phasing plan.

 

Subsequent changes in land ownership have resulted in revisions to the sequencing of development

Since construction of Phase 1, the remaining lands, which were originally under the control of the Law Development Group, have been conveyed to four landowners – Mattamy Homes (Phase 2/3),  H and R Developments (Phase 4), Madison Homes (Phase 5), and Metrus Properties (Phase 6).   These landowners propose to develop their holdings concurrently, whereas the 1997 development phasing plan assumed that the phases would be developed sequentially.   The phasing plan therefore needs to be updated to reflect the revised timing of development.

 

The development of Cornell has also been impacted by additional infrastructure and other new developments in the vicinity

The impact of additional infrastructure, constructed subsequent to the preparation of the original development phasing plan needs to be addressed in the development phasing plan.  This new infrastructure includes Highway 407, the 9th Line sanitary sewer and the Markham By-pass.  As well, the development of the Greensborough Community and the anticipated development in the Box Grove area needs to be included in the phasing plan.

 

Council has draft approved plans of subdivision for the four major Cornell landowners,   subject to a development phasing plan update and phasing agreement 

The Metrus and H and R plans were draft approved in June 2002; the Mattamy and Madison plans in July 2003. The conditions of draft approval for each of these draft plans includes the following clause, requiring the development phasing plan to be updated and the developers group to enter into a phasing agreement with the Town, prior to final approval (registration):

 

“The Owner covenants and agrees to prepare, in consultation with the Owners of the other urban lands within the Cornell Planning District, an update to the Development Phasing Plan for the Cornell Community. 

 

The Cornell Developers Group shall enter into a legal agreement with the Town with respect to the implementation of the Updated Development Phasing Plan referred to in Condition 9.1.  Such agreement shall document the Group’s commitment regarding the following items:

·                    Completion of Bur Oak from Highway 7 to 9th Line.

·                    Provision of an east-west road connection between Bur Oak Avenue and (existing) Markham By-pass.

·                    Assistance to the Region of York, if required, for provision of external road infrastructure in accordance with the time frames outlined in the Region’s 10 year capital works program.

 

The updated Development Phasing Plan shall be approved by Council and the Development Phasing Agreement shall have been executed by the Owner and the Town prior to final approval of the draft plan of subdivision.”

 

Council granted additional water allocation to Cornell subject to the completion of Bur Oak Avenue

On October 21, 2003, Council granted an additional 480 units of water allocation to the Cornell community, subject to a commitment from the Cornell Developers Group to extend Bur Oak Avenue from its current terminus at Riverlands Avenue (one block north of Church Street) to Highway 7, by no later than December 2005. This commitment along with the completion of Bur Oak Avenue through the approved draft plans will complete Bur Oak Avenue through the Cornell area and make it continuous from Highway 7 to Kennedy Road. This commitment needs to be reflected in the development phasing plan and secured in a phasing agreement.  .

                                                                                                                                              

The Cornell Developers Group has submitted a development phasing plan update which proposes three stages of development.

The development phasing plan update (Appendix ‘A’) outlines how development will progress over time, and identifies the servicing infrastructure and road network to be provided with each stage of development. The three stages (Figure 3) are comprised of the following:

 

                Stage 1    -  consists of the four draft approved plans 

                                -  1914 residential units                                                                                    

                                -  utilizes a large portion of the existing water allocation

-  preliminary servicing has commenced, substantial build out anticipated

    in 2005

 

               Stage 2     - 2227 residential units

- community commercial block on south side of Highway 7 at Bur Oak

  Avenue

- 27.6 hectares of employment lands located south of Highway 7 and west

  of the future Markham By-pass.

- assuming confirmation from Region of additional water allocation to

  allow servicing in 2005,  first occupancies in 2006. 

 

Stage 3     - 2312 residential units

                 - first occupancies 2007/08.   

 

Total Community

 

                 7705 residential units

                 41.2 hectares of commercial and employment land.   

               The development phasing plan update includes the following key components:

 

·     A commitment to construct, and convey to the Town, Bur Oak Avenue from Riverlands Avenue to Highway 7 by December of 2005. The construction of this  last  remaining section of Bur Oak Avenue will complete this important collector road which commences at Highway 7 and runs north across 16th Avenue, turning to the west through the Greensborough, Wismer and Berczy Village communities to Kennedy Road.  

·     A commitment to size the sanitary sewer and water systems to accommodate a potential increase in density along the Highway 7 corridor to bring the total number of residential units up to 10,000, provided for by the Cornell Secondary Plan. This will ensure that sufficient servicing capacity is available to accommodate transit supportive development along the Highway 7 corridor in support of the Highway 7 Corridor Study and the York Rapid Transit Plan. 

 

The delivery of parks, schools and place of worship sites is not specifically addressed in the development phasing plan update because the location of these uses is not yet finalized.  These items will be addressed through an updated Secondary Plan for Cornell.  The Secondary Plan update is currently being prepared for consideration by Council in the first quarter of 2004.   An additional update to the phasing plan may be required, following completion of the Cornell Secondary Plan update. 

 

COMMENT

 

Development Phasing Plan Update recommended for approval

The Cornell Development Phasing Plan Update provides the framework for the logical, sequential buildout of the Cornell Community and outlines the required infrastructure and public facilities to support each of three stages of development.  The proposed sequencing of development will provide adequate community connectivity at each stage of development while minimizing the exposure of occupied homes to construction activity and traffic. The Development Services Commission will monitor the development phasing plan and implementation mechanisms to ensure development proceeds in an orderly manner.

 

Phasing Agreement required to secure phasing requirements

It has been the Town’s practice to require developers groups to enter into a development phasing agreement with the Town, to secure the recommendations of the approved development phasing plan.  To date, the Town has secured such agreements for the Wismer Commons, Greensborough and Berzcy communities. The phasing agreement for Cornell would include, among other items, the following:

 

·        Requirement to extend Bur Oak Avenue to Highway 7 by December 2005.

·        Requirement of an east-west road connection between Bur Oak Avenue and (existing) Markham By-Pass

·        An acknowledgement by the Landowners Group that completion of the Region’s infrastructure improvements within the prescribed time limits is required to support development phasing as set out in the phasing plan.

·        An acknowledgement from the Landowners Group that should there be any delay in the completion of the Region’s infrastructure improvements, the Landowners Group will consider options, financial and otherwise, to ensure the delivery of required infrastructure keeps pace with the development objectives outlined in the Phasing Plan, or to adjust their development schedule accordingly.

·        An acknowledgement from the Landowners Group that the Town reserves the right to update the phasing plan to reflect any changes to existing and projected conditions

 

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

                                                                                                                                                          

The development phasing plan has been prepared in consultation with various Town departments and external agencies.

 

ATTACHMENTS:

 

Figure 1 - Applicant/Agent and Location Map

Figure 2 – Development sequencing  - 1997 Phasing Plan

Figure 3 -  Proposed Development Sequencing

 

Appendix ‘A’ – Development Phasing Plan Update

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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\appl\cornell\phasing\Dec 9 03 report                                           

 

 

APPLICANT/AGENT:    Al Bishop                                                                    Tel: (905) 624-1250

                                         ReDevco Management                                               Fax: (905) 624-1257

                                         4339 Garnetwood Chase

                                         Mississauga, Ontario

                                         L4W 2H1                                       

 

 

LOCATION MAP: