RECOMMENDATION:
That the report entitled “Scheduling of a
Public Meeting to Consider an Official Plan Amendment for the Highway 404 North
Land Use Study Area (MI 459)” be received;
And That the Draft Official Plan Amendment
attached as Appendix ‘A’ be received;
And That Staff be authorized to make available
to interested parties the Background Reports prepared by the Consultant Team,
identified in the report;
And
Further That a Public Meeting be scheduled for June 17 2003 to consider the
Draft Official Plan Amendment.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this
report is to provide Development Services Committee with a copy of the draft Official
Plan Amendment (Appendix ‘A’) relating to the redesignation of lands in the
Highway 404 North Land Use Study Area, primarily for employment and residential
purposes, and to obtain the Committee’s authorization to schedule a Public
Meeting regarding the draft Amendment.
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY:
The necessary studies and consultation
comprising Stage One of the Highway 404 North Land Use Study are complete and
the Committee has directed staff and consultants to prepare a draft Official
Plan Amendment for further consideration. The draft Amendment establishes land
use designations and a policy framework for Stage Two of the Study. Stage Two
will include the preparation of a Secondary Plan. A Public Meeting must be
scheduled in order to complete the consultation process for Stage One and to
permit Council adoption of the proposed Amendment. If this Public Meeting can be held in June, and the Amendment is
adopted prior to the summer break of Council, staff and the consultant team may
proceed with further work and complete the study by the end of the year. This
timing would also permit Council to request the Region of York to initiate the
required amendment to the Regional Plan that must be approved before the Town’s
amendment can take effect. This report provides the Committee with the draft
Amendment and recommends that a Public Meeting be scheduled for June 17, 2003.
BACKGROUND:
Stage One of the Study
Following a report to the Development
Services Committee in May 2002, the Committee directed staff to prepare and
bring forward terms of reference for The Highway 404 North Land Use Study. As
approved, the Study has two stages, the first focussed on adoption of an
Official Plan Amendment and a request to amend the Regional Official Plan, and
the second on the adoption of an implementing Secondary Plan.
The Terms of Reference and Budget Proposal
for the Study were approved by Council on June 25 2002. The Committee received
updates and progress reports on the Study on September 10, 2002, and March 25,
2003. On March 25, 2003, Committee
directed staff to finalize the background reports and prepare the Official Plan
Amendment for this Study Area.
Staff and the Consulting Team held Study Information Meetings with
agencies in August and September 2002 and with landowners and the public in
August and December 2002, and in April 2003. At the time of preparing this
report a joint Town/Region Public Information Meeting regarding the Town’s Land
Use Study and the Environmental Assessment for the Woodbine Avenue Bypass, was
scheduled for May 14 2003.
Study Area
Boundaries and Existing Uses
The Study Area is located at the northwest
corner of the Town (Figure 1). It is
bounded by Highway 404 to the west, the northern Town boundary to the north,
Woodbine Avenue and a portion of the Hydro corridor east of Woodbine Avenue to
the east. The southern boundary was intended to coincide with the designated
north limits of the Cathedral and Victoria Square Planning Districts to the
south, but inadvertently excluded two properties immediately north of the
Hamlet. The boundary of the proposed Amendment has been revised accordingly to
include these properties. The land area
totals approximately 180 hectares.
The Study Area is located within the upper
reaches of the Rouge River Watershed; one tributary crosses the northeast
corner of the Study Area. Land use in the area is
comprised mainly of agriculture and other space extensive uses including
agricultural produce sales, rugby playing fields, a golf driving range and
industrial open storage. Several rural
residential lots and a Trans Canada Pipeline station are also located in the
study area.
Background Studies
The following Background
Studies, prepared by the Consultant Team, have provided information to support
the preparation of the Official Plan Amendment:
Background Report Highway 404 North Land Use
Study ( Meridian Planning Consultants)
The purpose of
this study is to establish the most appropriate location and extent of
employment lands within the Study Area in order to provide opportunity for
continued economic growth in the Town of Markham. This objective recognizes the intent of Council to maximize
employment opportunities as the primary purpose of extending the Town’s urban
boundary at this location and at this time.
This report includes a “justification for land requirements analysis”
which establishes and supports a change in the urban boundary to incorporate
additional employment lands within the Town of Markham and is based on the
previous Employment Lands Strategy Study completed in 2000.
Natural Environment/Stormwater Management Background Report (Ecoplans
Ltd.)
The purpose of this study is to document natural
environmental conditions in the Study Area, identify environmental
opportunities and constraints to guide land use planning in the area, identify areas that would be included in the future Rouge Park North, identify appropriate minimum setbacks for
the protection of key features identified for retention including any
additional setbacks associated with the Rouge Park North Management Plan and to
develop and identify a preferred storm water management strategy for the
subject lands that is compatible with natural resource protection, water
quality and servicing standard objectives.
An intermittent watercourse, identified as the west
tributary of Berczy Creek, traverses the northeast section of the study area.
Berczy Creek is a cool-water mixed system with coldwater reaches upstream of
the Study Area. Aquatic resources and
fisheries as well as general riparian characteristics were examined for the creek and its tributaries. The
Ecoplans investigation also included an assessment of wildlife consisting of
birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies and survey and analysis of terrestrial and
wetland vegetation communities.
Seven potential habitat areas were identified within the Study Area with no provincially significant
vegetation communities or regionally or provincially rare plant species
located.
In order to protect the priority resource features, environmental
setbacks have been identified based on field observations and consideration of
setback guidelines and policies identified by the Ministry of Natural Resources
(MNR), Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and the Town of Markham
Official Plan. Additional setbacks
associated with the Rouge North Management Plan have also been reviewed for any
applicable features. This review will be used, in conjunction with detailed
floodplain mapping, in Stage Two of the Study to determine final setback requirements,
and appropriate implementing provisions in the Secondary Plan.
A number of smaller
watercourses and drainage features have also been identified in the Study Area.
The Town is currently undertaking a Small Streams Study to develop a strategy
to manage these drainage features and it is anticipated that the
recommendations of this study will be implemented, as appropriate, within this
area.
Three alternative
stormwater management strategies have been identified for application in this
area: large, centralized facilities under the ownership of the Town; smaller
neighbourhood facilities owed by either the Town or private property owners;
and on-site facilities such as swales, roof top storage or infiltration
trenches either alone or in combination with centralized management
facilities. Each strategy would address
baseflow maintenance, water quality, erosion potential and flood risk and each
alternative adheres to the stormwater management criteria of the Toronto Region
Conservation Authority and the Town.
Water and Sanitary Servicing Background Report ( MacViro Consultants Inc.)
The water
and sanitary servicing report identifies the potential municipal servicing
demands which will be produced by the Study Area lands, assesses the adequacy
of the existing sanitary sewer and water distribution systems to accommodate
these demands and provides conceptual servicing plans for the area.
The Study Area is
entirely within Pressure District (PD) 7 of the Region of York water supply
system. This system is currently
servicing the Richmond Hill area between Bathurst Street and Bayview Avenue
along Major Mackenzie Drive and Elgin Mills Road. The Region of York is
planning to expand the PD7 zone into Markham with a new watermain along Elgin
Mills Road, and the 404 North Study Area can be adequately serviced by
municipal water facilities once the necessary infrastructure is
constructed.
In
terms of the York Durham Sewerage System (YDSS), both the recently completed
Highway 404 trunk sewer and the 16th Avenue trunk sewer currently
under construction have sufficient capacity to service development in the Study
Area.
Transportation
Background Report ( iTRANS Consulting Inc.)
The
transportation background study reviewed the existing and proposed road
infrastructure in the study area, analysed existing traffic conditions,
identified the transportation infrastructure improvements required to provide
access to the lands within the study area and assessed the impact on the existing
and proposed road infrastructure of the projected traffic volumes generated by
the study lands.
The Study
Area is serviced by a number of major roadways including Highway 404, Woodbine
Avenue, Major Mackenzie Drive, Elgin Mills Road, Warden Avenue and 19th
Avenue. Of these roads, only 19th Avenue and the portion of Elgin
Mills Road lying to the east of Woodbine Avenue are under the jurisdiction of
the Town of Markham. The
north-south roadways (Highway 404, Woodbine Ave and Warden Ave) currently experience
traffic capacity deficiencies during the weekday afternoon peak hour. The
east-west roads, while experiencing fewer capacity deficiencies, are subject to
delays in the eastbound direction during the morning peak hour and westbound
during the afternoon peak.
A number
of road infrastructure improvements to address these capacity problems, and
which will impact traffic movements within and adjacent to the Study Area, are
currently proposed including the widening of Highway 404, the widening of Elgin
Mills Road from Highway 404 to the
westerly limit of Victoria Square, the construction of a new Highway 404
interchange at Elgin Mills Road, the widening of Major Mackenzie Drive and
improvements to Woodbine Avenue including the construction of a Victoria Square
Bypass. In addition to these previously planned improvements, the study
recommends the creation of a new east-west mid-block collector roadway
connecting to roads in Richmond Hill via a new Highway 404 overpass structure
and the construction of a new Highway 404 interchange at 19th Avenue
to promote access to the study area from an east-west direction thereby
reducing the reliance on the north-south Regional Road network where capacity
deficiencies currently exist.
To further reduce the demand on the road network, the provision of
direct connections from the Study Area to the proposed regional rapid transit
system will be pursued and businesses locating within the Study Area will be
encouraged to implement travel demand management strategies to reduce peak hour
traffic volumes. Participation by businesses in a Transportation Management
Association to address local transportation issues will also be encouraged.
Existing Policy Framework
Markham
Official Plan
The majority of the lands are currently designated
AGRICULTURE 2; the portion of the study area east of Woodbine Avenue is
designated AGRICULTURE 1. There is a
HAZARD LANDS designation associated with the tributary to the Rouge River and a
TRANSPORTATION AND UTILITIES designation applies to the Hydro Corridor. The
subject lands are within Planning District No.22 and are not within the Urban
Service Area. Woodbine Avenue is designated as a Region of York Arterial Road,
19th Avenue is designated as a Town of Markham Major Collector Road,
and Highway 404 is designated as a Provincial Freeway on Schedule ‘C’ –
TRANSPORTATION. The area is within the Rouge Watershed Boundary, however
because it is outside the Town’s Urban Development Boundary, Schedule ‘I’ –
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AREAS does not currently identify any features within
the Study Area.
Regional
Official Plan
The subject lands are outside the Urban Area
identified in the Regional Structure Map 5 of the Regional Plan. The lands west of Woodbine Avenue are within
the Rural Policy Area and the lands east of Woodbine Avenue are within the
Agriculture Policy Area. Woodbine Avenue is identified as a Regional Arterial
Road. Amendment No.31 to the Regional Plan, adopted in November 2001 proposes a
bypass of Woodbine Avenue around the Hamlet of Victoria Square.
An Environmental Assessment Study to identify a
route for this bypass is currently in progress. A presentation to the Town’s
Transportation Committee regarding the Environmental Assessment was made on
April 28 2003. If Council adopts the proposed amendment to incorporate the
Study Area lands into the Town’s Urban Area, an amendment to the Regional Plan
will need to be requested and approved before the Town’s amendment can take
effect. Town staff and the consultant team have been working with Regional
staff during Stage One of the Town’s Study and the Region’s Environmental
Assessment.
Provincial
Interests
The
boundary of the Oak Ridges Moraine Area, established by Provincial Regulation
in 2001, extends into a portion of Lot 31 at the northwest corner of the Study
Area. Lands within this boundary are subject to the Oak Ridges Moraine
Conservation Plan. The Town is required to amend the Official Plan to reflect
the requirements of this Provincial Regulation; this Amendment is in
preparation. The lands in Lot 31, defined by the Provincial Regulation as being
within the Moraine, do not form part of the draft Official Plan Amendment in
Appendix ‘A’.
Highway
404, adjoining the western limit of the Study Area, is a Provincial Highway.
OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:
The
Draft Official Plan Amendment
Amendment
Area
The
Amendment Area reflects the Study Area boundary with the exception of the lands
that are within the defined boundary of the Oak Ridges Moraine. As explained in
the section above relating to the Study Area boundary, the southern limit of
the Amendment Area will coincide with the north limit of the Cathedral and
Victoria Square Planning Districts to the south.
Land Use
Employment Lands
The lands intended for employment use are to be
designated INDUSTRIAL. The policies of the Official Plan will apply in regard
to this designation, but will be further defined, including categories of
designation, in the implementing Secondary Plan to be prepared in Stage Two.
The Amendment incorporates a policy reflecting Council’s intention that
development in the Study Area should “achieve an attractive, high quality
business park containing an appropriate mix of employment uses and
demonstrating appropriate standards of development”.
Residential
Lands
located east of the realigned Woodbine Avenue are designated URBAN RESIDENTIAL
as directed by the Development Services Committee. The Amendment provides that
the Secondary Plan will establish more detailed policies regarding the housing
mix and unit types, particularly adjoining the Hamlet of Victoria Square and
the realigned Woodbine Avenue. The Secondary Plan will also incorporate
provision for residential and other appropriate, compatible uses adjoining the
east side of realigned Woodbine Avenue.
Environment
Oak Ridges Moraine
The
Amendment recognizes that certain lands in the Study Area are within the
legislated boundary of the Oak Ridges Moraine and are therefore subject to the
Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan. These lands will therefore be subject to
the Official Plan Amendment that the Town is required to adopt to address the
requirements of the Provincial Plan. The Provincial Plan provides however, that
any lands within the legislated boundary that are demonstrated to be below the
245 metre contour of elevation, shall not be subject to the provisions of the
Plan.
To deal
with this potentiality, the draft Official Plan Amendment provides that in the
event that any of the excluded ‘moraine’ lands should be demonstrated to not be
subject to the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, that such lands may be
incorporated into the Secondary Plan required to implement the subject
Amendment, and may become subject to the policies established by this
Amendment, without further amendment to the Official Plan.
Environmental Features
Several hedgerow features were identified in the
background work and are identified in the Amendment. Further evaluation at the
Secondary Plan stage will determine the policies and requirements that will
apply to these features as subsequent development approvals proceed.
Hazard Lands
Lands associated with the tributary to the Rouge River will retain their
current designation of HAZARD LANDS within the floodplain. The boundary of the
designation is subject to further revision once detailed floodplain mapping is
completed. The TRCA should be requested
to approve updated floodplain mapping concurrent with the preparation of a
Secondary Plan. This will be addressed further if Council adopts an amendment
to the Official Plan.
Rouge North Management Plan
In accordance
with the direction of the Development Services Committee, the Amendment
provides for implementation of the Rouge North Management Plan (RNMP) through
an OPEN SPACE designation on the lands adjoining the defined floodplain (Hazard
Lands) of the tributary to the Berczy Creek. The HAZARD LANDS and OPEN SPACE
designations are intended to reflect the conservation and protection objectives
for this corridor. The boundaries of these designations are schematic and will
be further refined to reflect detailed floodplain mapping and the application
of the RNMP boundary delineation criteria as part of the work to prepare the
Secondary Plan.
Transportation
The Amendment is based on the preferred
realignment for Woodbine Avenue identified by Council in January 2003 and by
the Region of York in the Environmental Assessment for the Victoria Square
Bypass currently underway. Provisions
within the Amendment recognize that the Environmental Assessment for the Woodbine
Bypass is not yet finalized and that any change in the final alignment may be
incorporated into the Secondary Plan to be prepared in Stage Two.
Concurrent with the identification of the
preferred realignment and construction of a new portion of Woodbine Avenue, the
Amendment addresses the fact that the portion of existing Woodbine Avenue that
will no longer be used as an arterial road. This portion of Woodbine Avenue
will, in the future, become a Town road. The Amendment therefore deletes the
Regional Arterial Road designation for this portion. The appropriate designation and right-of-way for this new Town
road will be addressed at the Secondary Plan stage.
The realigned portion of Woodbine Avenue is
designated as Regional Arterial Road on Schedule ‘C’ – TRANSPORTATION with a
standard right-of-way requirement of 36 metres shown on Schedule ‘G’. A new east-west road leading to the proposed
mid-block “fly-over” of Highway 404 is designated as a Major Collector Road
with a right-of-way requirement of 26 metres identified on Schedule ‘G’. The location of the fly-over is schematic,
and will be subject to further study as part of a future Environmental
Assessment. 19th Avenue between the proposed new interchange with
Highway 404 and Woodbine Avenue is designated as a Major Arterial Road (Town of
Markham) with a right of way requirement of 36 metres identified on Schedule
‘G’. If further designation of roads or revisions to the right-of-way
requirements are required, this will be done at the secondary plan stage,
concurrent with more detailed traffic planning.
Conclusion
Subject to any revisions required by the
Committee, the draft Official Plan Amendment attached as Appendix ‘A’ is
suitable to be considered at a Public Meeting.
FINANCIAL
CONSIDERATIONS:
None, at this time. The
construction of the new collector roadways, the mid-block crossing of Highway
404, the oversizing of the Cathedral sewers and the construction of the some of
the major storm water management facilities will be funded from Development
Charges. This will require an update to the Town Wide Hard Development Charges
and the creation of a new Area Specific Development Charge
BUSINESS
UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The Highway 407/Rodick Road Land use Study is
jointly managed by the Planning and Engineering Departments. No other
Departments are affected by the background study and the preparation of an
Official Plan Amendment that is the focus of Stage One of the Study.
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure 1 Official
Plan Amendment Area
Appendix ‘A’ Draft Official Plan Amendment
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Allan Brown, C.E.T.
Director of Engineering
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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
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