RECOMMENDATION:
That a Public Meeting be held
to consider the applications submitted by Ninth Line Developments Limited and Humbold Properties
Limited for draft plan of subdivision approval and an implementing
zoning by-law
amendment to permit a residential plan of subdivision within Phase 2 of
the Greensborough community.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to provide
preliminary information regarding applications for draft plan of
subdivision approval and an implementing zoning by-law amendment, and to recommend that
the Committee authorize the scheduling of a public meeting.
BACKGROUND:
Property and Area Context
The subject lands have an area of 48.5
hectares (119.7 acres) and are located
west of the 9th Line, north of Bur Oak Avenue within Phase 2 of the
Greensborough community. The lands
contain a 2.5 hectare woodlot (Block 645), a smaller stand of trees (on Block
651) and a hedgerow straddling the northern property line. There are no
existing buildings.
To the south are lands within Phase 1 of the Greensborough
community which was draft approved and zoned in June, 2000, and is currently
under development. To the north and
east is the future Markham By-pass and rural residential lots fronting Major
Mackenzie Drive. To the west is the GO
Transit Stouffville rail line.
Proposal
The applicant has submitted applications for
draft plan of subdivision approval and an implementing zoning by-law amendment. The proposed plan of
subdivision is comprised of the following:
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Residential Units
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Frontage
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Area
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Single detached
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603
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9.15, 10.7, 12.5 and 13.7m (30, 35, 41 and
45ft.)
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22.2 ha. (55 acres)
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Semi-detached
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24
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minimum 12.5m (41ft.)
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0.5 ha. (1.2 acres)
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Townhouses
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12
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minimum 6.4m (21ft.)
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0.4 ha. (1.0 acre)
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Schools
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N/A
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8.0 ha. (19.9 acres)
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Parks
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N/A
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1.8 ha. (4.4 acres)
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Woodlot
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N/A
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2.5 ha. (6.3
acres)
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Total Area of Plan
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639
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48.5 ha. (119.7 acres)
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Density (Net)
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27.5 units/ha.
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Official Plan and Zoning By-law
The Official Plan designates the lands Urban
Residential and Environmental Protection Area (the existing woodlot). The Greensborough Secondary Plan designates
the lands Urban Residential – Low Density, Open Space – Environmentally
Significant Area (the existing woodlot), Open Space – Neighbourhood Parks and
identifies school site locations. The Secondary Plan permits a density (net) of
17 to 37 units/ha. The lands are currently zoned Agriculture (A1) by By-law
304-87.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF APPROVAL OF THE
PROPOSAL:
The proposed development of these lands is the
next phase of the orderly development of the Greensborough community northward
from 16th Avenue. The existing
woodlot (Block 645) would be conveyed to the Town as part of the parkland dedication
requirements of the Greensborough community. An elementary and a high school
site would be made available to the York Region District School Board.
CONCERNS/ISSUES
TO BE RESOLVED:
The
following is a brief summary of concerns/issues raised to date. These matters, and any others identified
through the circulation and detailed review of the proposal, will be addressed
in a final staff report to be presented to Committee at a later date. The location of the concerns/issues are
identified on Figure 4 - Proposed Plan of Subdivision.
Staff have discussed these concerns and issues
with the applicant. The applicant has
agreed to revise the plan of subdivision generally in accordance with staff’s
requests. The revised plan of
subdivision will be available for the Public Meeting.
1.
School Blocks
The York Region District School Board advises that the area of the
proposed elementary school block needs to be increased from 2 ha. (4.9 acres)
to 2.4 ha. (5.93 acres), and the high school block from 6 ha. (14.9 acres) to
7.2 ha. (17.71 acres). The Board is
also requesting that the school blocks be reconfigured as shown on Figure 5.
2.
Neighbourhood Focus (Schools and
Woodlot)
The Community Design Guidelines for the Greensborough Community
identify the block containing the two school sites and the woodlot as a
“Neighbourhood Focus. The proposed plan
surrounds this “Neighbourhood Focus” with primarily small lot single detached
units, most of which flank onto the block and which may not provide a
sufficiently strong built form. Staff
have requested that the plan be revised to surround this block with larger
single detached lots on which a stronger built form can be provided. The applicant has agreed to provide the
larger lots and replace the small lot single detached product fronting the high
school site with lane based semi-detached or townhouse product in order to
eliminate the need for residential driveways opposite the high school site.
3.
Markham By-Pass and Castlemore Avenue Gateway
The
cul-de-sac at the end of Street 26 is being reconfigured to minimize the rear
lotting at this prominent location, a main entrance into the community from the
Markham By-pass.
4.
Park Block 648 and Road Pattern
The park
block and surrounding road pattern is being reconfigured to improve vehicular
and pedestrian circulation in this area.
5.
Provision of A Future Development Block
Residential
lots 593 to 599, Blocks 603 to 606 and Block 655 at the northwest corner of
Streets 2 and 3 are being deleted and identified as a future development block
to be combined with the abutting lands to the north, which are currently under
separate ownership. This will ensure
that an appropriate land use and pattern of development can be determined for
this area adjacent to the Markham By-Pass when the adjacent landowners submit
development plans.
6.
Street
15 – Enhanced Landscape Treatment
The
approved Community Design Plan for the Greensborough Community identifies an
open space activity linkage along the alignment of the proposed Street 15 between
the Neighbourhood Focus (Schools and Woodlot) and the neighbourhood park to the
northwest. The applicant has agreed to
reinforce this linkage with enhanced landscaping.
7. Road and Lot Pattern Adjacent To The Rail Corridor
The plan
is being revised to introduce a window (single loaded) road parallel to the
rail corridor. This would allow the
homes exposed to the rail corridor to face, rather than flank, onto this noise
source, and thus protect the rear yard amenity areas from rail noise without the
need for extensive noise attenuation walls.
This revision would also improve road connectivity in the vicinity and
improve the aesthetics and safety of the planned pedestrian pathway along the
rail corridor.
8. Water Allocation
This proposed subdivision does
not currently have water allocation.
Draft approval of this plan cannot be granted until water allocation is
confirmed in accordance with Council’s policy adopted December 10, 2002.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
No
financial implications are to be considered in this report.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The
proposal is currently in circulation to other Town Departments and agencies.
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure
1 - Applicant/Agent & Location Map
Figure
2 - Area Context/Zoning
Figure
3 – Aerial Photo
Figure
4 – Proposed Plan of Subdivision
Figure
5 – Schools/Woodlot Block Reconfiguration
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Valerie
Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director
of Planning and Urban Design
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Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Commissioner
of Development Services
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FIGURE 1
DOCUMENT #
Q:\Development\Planning\APPL\SUBDIV\02
117632 Ninth Line Dev. Ltd\rdscgsMay20 - revision no. 2.doc
LOCATION MAP:
