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TO: |
Mayor and Members of Council |
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FROM: |
Jim Baird, Commissioner of Development Services Valerie Shuttleworth, Director of
Planning & Urban Design |
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PREPARED BY: |
Margaret Wouters, ext. 2758 Senior Planner, South District |
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DATE OF MEETING: |
June 17, 2003 |
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SUBJECT: |
Final
Report. Markham Road Corridor Study |
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RECOMMENDATION:
That the Markham Road Corridor Study report from Brook McIlroy Inc., dated June, 2003, be received and endorsed;
That the land use and urban design vision and guidelines outlined in the Markham Road Corridor Study report from Brook McIlroy Inc., dated June, 2003 be used in the evaluation of development applications within the corridor;
That staff be
directed to prepare Official Plan, Secondary Plan and Zoning amendments to
implement the land use and urban design vision for the Markham Road Corridor,
and that a Public Meeting be held to consider these Official Plan, Secondary
Plan and Zoning amendments;
That Interim Control By-law 2002-215, in effect for certain properties
within the Markham Road Corridor Study area, be extended for an additional year
to September 15, 2004 to allow recommended amendments to land use designations
and zoning arising from the study, to be adopted by Council;
That the by-law to extend Interim Control By-law 2002-215 for certain properties within the Markham Road Corridor Study area, attached as Appendix ‘A’ to this report, be enacted.
And that staff enter into discussions with the Region of York regarding the implementation of the proposed design and streetscape improvements for the portion of Markham Road between 14th Avenue and Steeles Avenue, as part of the Region’s Streetscaping Policy review.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to endorse the land use and urban design vision for the Markham Road corridor between 14th Avenue and Steeles Avenue as proposed in the Markham Road Corridor Study report, attached under separate cover, and to provide recommendations for the implementation of this vision.
DISCUSSION:
Background
The
Markham Road Corridor between Steeles Avenue and 14th Avenue is an
important entry point to the Town of Markham, leading northwards from the City
of Toronto towards Old Markham Village.
Due to a considerable amount of vacant lands and its strategic location
near Highway 407, the area has become a prime location for development. While streetscape and landscaping treatments
have been considered in the site plans approved for recent developments, there
are no uniform design guidelines in place to give this portion of Markham Road
a unique identity and sense of place.
In
addition, the surrounding Armadale community in southeast Markham currently
lacks a community focus, and it has been Council’s objective to establish
identifiable community focus areas for its residential and business
communities. The availability of vacant
lands within this corridor provides the opportunity to develop a multi-use node
which would provide a focus for the Armadale community.
The
purpose of the Markham Road Corridor Study was to develop an urban design
vision for the Markham Road Corridor including streetscape guidelines for
development along Markham Road, and an urban design concept for a community
focus for the Armadale community.
Brook McIlroy Inc was retained to undertake the study in April, 2002. In June, 2002, the consultant held a workshop to obtain community input regarding the vision for the study area. Based on the emerging vision of a multi-use commercial, residential and institutional corridor and community focus area, Council, in September, 2002, enacted Interim Control By-law 2002-215 to freeze development in the study area until the completion of the study. In November, 2002 a preliminary land use and urban design vision for the area was presented to Development Services Committee. The final report, received in June, 2003, is provided under separate cover and summarized below.
The
Markham Road Corridor Study Area comprises the lands east and west of Markham
Road between 14th Avenue and Steeles Avenue as shown in Figure
1. The study area is within the
Armadale Planning District which is characterized primarily by low density
residential development.
The
lands within the study area are predominantly vacant but a considerable amount
of development is anticipated in the near future through a number of recent
approvals and current proposals. Existing land uses include pockets of low
density residential development, industrial and commercial development on the
west side of Markham Road and a golf driving range on the east side of Markham
Road. A substantial amount of large
format retail development has been recently completed, or is under
construction, on both sides of Markham Road north of Highglen Avenue/Kirkham
Drive.
Undeveloped
lands on the west side of Markham Road include a high density residential site
at the northwest corner of Markham Road and Steeles Avenue, a number of
commercial sites at major intersections, and an open space/school/place of
worship site near Highglen Avenue.
Undeveloped lands on the east side of Markham Road include low and
medium density residential sites and a large commercial site within the
Villages of Fairtree subdivision extending northward from Steeles Avenue, and
mixed industrial and commercial lands between Golden Avenue and Kirkham Drive.
Community amenities
within the study area include a Town park at the northwest corner of Markham
Road and Steeles Avenue, and planned school, park and place of worship
sites. The study area also includes a
stormwater management pond facility east of Markham Road in the area of Golden
Avenue, in close proximity to the valleylands of the Morningside Tributary.
Vision
for Markham Road
These two components of the vision are summarized below.
The streetscape
along Markham Road between Denison Street and Highglen Avenue should present a
more urban environment than elsewhere in the corridor to reflect the higher
intensity uses envisioned for the Community Focus Area described more fully
below. In addition, the intersection of
Markham Road with major east-west streets should be designed to mark the
‘gateways’ or entry points into the internal neighbourhoods.
To
enhance the role of Markham Road as a connective element of the various land
uses within the corridor, a new street cross-section between 14th
Avenue and Steeles Avenue is proposed which would accommodate four traffic
lanes (plus turning lanes at intersections) and a five metre wide landscaped
centre median. The landscaped centre
median would provide greenery, visual interest and a safe crossing area for
pedestrians and cyclists.
Pedestrian amenities
such as benches, landscaping, and human-scaled lighting are proposed to ensure
a pedestrian-scale environment even with a high-traffic condition. Sidewalks
and two rows of trees are proposed on either side of Markham Road and upgraded
intersection treatments are proposed to make major street crossings less
intimidating.
The
implementation of the proposed streetscape design will require collaboration
with the Region of York as the Region has jurisdiction over this portion of
Markham Road.
The
lands in the vicinity of Golden Avenue and Markham Road, as shown in the
Illustrative Plan in Figure 2, present
a unique opportunity for the development of a community focal point for the
Armadale Community. Anchored by the
Markham Road/Golden Avenue intersection, the proposed Community Focus Area
extends eastward to the rail line and includes the vacant industrial/commercial
lands between Kirkham Drive and the existing stormwater management ponds.
The
proposed Community Focus Area has the potential of developing with a mix of
commercial, community/recreational, and residential land uses. Three inter-related precincts are envisaged
as follows:
Commercial Area - commercial uses are envisioned along the
east side of Markham Road to take advantage of high accessibility and
visibility from the arterial road.
Buildings would be placed close to the street with most of the parking
located to the rear of the buildings.
Community/Recreational Area - Community/recreation uses, including a public square and
potentially a recreation facility are proposed between Markham Road and the
stormwater management ponds to the east to take advantage of this existing
water feature. A recreation centre,
with a strong presence on Markham Road, is proposed to anchor these
recreational uses, and could include facilities such as an aquatics centre,
meeting rooms and trailhead facilities to support use of trails around the
ponds and along the adjoining valleylands.
The recreation centre would front onto a public square, potentially at
the southeast corner of Markham Road and Golden Avenue. A community marker, reflecting the unique
qualities of the Armadale community, could be incorporated in the public
square, which might also provide a small informal stage for use by the general
community and school groups.
The vision also includes a large public park
directly north of the existing ponds, with frontage on an extension of Golden
Avenue. Outdoor facilities within this
park might include a skateboarding park, splash pad and picnic facilities. The park should be linked, if possible, to
the open space system along the Morningside Tributary to the south.
Mixed-Use Area - the development of the remainder of the
Community Focus Area (i.e., to the north of the ponds and to the east of the
commercial area) with higher intensity residential uses would provide the
population necessary to support retail and institutional uses in the Community
Focus Area and to enliven the area.
This area would consist largely of medium to high density residential
development, separated from the adjacent commercial development by a mixed-use
north-south ‘main street’. Buildings
along this street should be designed to address both the ‘main street’ and the
parking area of the commercial buildings on Markham Road, and provide an
interesting pedestrian streetscape.
Buildings along the ‘main street’ would be designed to accommodate
housing as well as small businesses serving the local neighbourhood, such as
restaurants, personal services, and professional offices.
The vision proposes residential development within
the interior of the mixed-use area clustered around ‘village greens’ which
provide shared recreation and leisure space for residents. In general, residential development should
consist of 4-6 storey mid-rise buildings.
Taller buildings (8-10 storeys) may be justified in certain areas where
their impact is limited. Graduation of
building heights should be considered, with the tallest buildings placed so as
to minimize shadowing on other buildings and on key public spaces. It is also proposed that pedestrian scale to
high-rise buildings be achieved by including a consistent base of two to three
storeys, occupied whenever possible by grade-access residential units, and by
requiring setbacks in the building mass after the second or third storey.
RECOMMENDED IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
The implementation strategy for the proposed urban design vision for the Markham Road Corridor between 14th Avenue and Steeles Avenue consists of the following components:
a) preparation of Official Plan, Secondary Plan and zoning amendments
b) collaboration with the Region of York regarding design and streetscape improvements within the Markham Road right-of-way;
c) identification of feasible community/recreational facilities for this area; and
d) financing strategy for beautification and other improvements.
Official
Plan, Secondary Plan and Zoning Amendments
The
proposed urban design vision requires changes to certain land uses within the
Corridor, particularly within the Community Focus Area, which is largely
designated Retail Warehouse Commercial in the Official Plan, and has mixed
industrial and commercial zoning permissions.
The benefits of the proposed residential, commercial and institutional
land uses must be weighed against the potential loss of employment lands. Council, in considering the Interim Control
By-law in September, 2002, directed staff to undertake a scoped land use study
to identify appropriate uses and zoning standards for lands within the Markham
Road Corridor Study area. This work
will form the basis of Official Plan and Secondary Plan amendments which will
also incorporate the urban design guidelines identified in the urban design
study.
Existing zoning will also
be examined to determine whether any inappropriate uses (e.g., industrial/manufacturing,
agricultural and automotive uses) should
be removed, and also to incorporate new standards with respect to setbacks,
build-to lines, lot frontages, lot areas, building height, coverage,
landscaping, etc. required to implement the proposed vision for the area.
Interim Control By-law 2002-215 will expire on September 16, 2003. The Interim Control By-law should be extended for a maximum of one year or until such time as appropriate zoning amendments are approved and appeal periods ended. A by-law to extend Interim Control By-law 2002-215 is attached as Appendix ‘A’.
As Markham Road
within this study area is under the jurisdiction of the Region of York, any
changes to right-of-way design will require Regional approval. The Region of York is currently reviewing
their Streetscape Policy and developing a policy on funding partnerships for
streetscape improvements on Regional roads.
Staff should enter into discussions with the Region regarding the
proposed design and streetscape improvements for this segment of Markham Road
as part of this process.
Identification
of feasible community/recreational facilities
The ultimate mix of recreational facilities in the Community Focus Area will be determined through the Town’s recreation facility master planning and parks planning processes. A review of the 1999 Master Plan has recently been initiated. It should be noted that the relative merits of expanding the existing Armadale Community Centre versus providing new facilities in the proposed Community Focus Area (e.g., expansion capability, impact on existing facilities, visibility within the community, etc.) will be assessed in this review.
Financing
strategy for streetscape improvements
A sum of $51,500 was approved in the 2002 Capital Budget
for the delivery of landscaping and structural initiatives arising from the
Markham Road Corridor Study.
Area-specific development charge by-laws in place for certain portions
of the study will expire in 2004. The
background studies leading to re-adoption of these by-laws should consider the
improvements recommended in the Markham Road Corridor Study.
An examination of financial tools available to encourage
development and redevelopment in the area of Old Kennedy Road and Steeles
Avenue is being undertaken in the next phases of the Milliken Mills Main Street
study. The applicability of these tools
to the Markham Road Corridor Study area will be assessed. The benefits of preparing a Community
Improvement Plan for the study area will also be assessed. However, it should be recognized that the main
purpose of a Community Improvement Plan is to assist in revitalizing existing
developed areas in decline, which is not the case within this study area.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
Internal departments have been involved
throughout the study to date and will continue to be involved as required.
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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 |
DOCUMENT: Q:\Development\Planning\Teams\South\Markham Road\Final DSC Markham Road
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure 1 Markham Road Corridor Study
Area
Figure 2 Illustrative
Plan
CONSULTANT: Brook McIlroy Inc.
51
Camden Street
Suite
300
Toronto,
ON
M5V
1V2
