Report to/Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de
l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
14 April 2005 / le 14 avril 2005
Submitted by/Soumis par : Ned Lathrop, Deputy City Manager/Directeur
municipal adjoint,
Planning and Growth Management / Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance
Contact Person/Personne
ressource : Karen Currie, Manager
Planning and Infrastructure Approvals/Approbation
des demandes d'aménagement et d'infrastructure
(613) 580-2424 x28310, Karen.Currie@ottawa.ca
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That
the Planning and Environment Committee recommend that Council:
1. Approve an amendment to the former City of Ottawa Official Plan for the lands as shown in Document 1 and detailed in Document 3.
2. Approve an amendment to the City Council Approved Official Plan for the lands as shown in Document 1 and detailed in Document 4.
3. Approve an amendment to the former City of Ottawa Zoning By-law to change the zoning from Industrial Business Park - IP F(1.0) and Employment Centre - CE[360] SCH. 58 to General Commercial - CG 13 H(12.0)[XXX] for the lands as shown in Document 1 and detailed in Document 5 .
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l'urbanisme et de
l'environnement recommande ce qui suit au Conseil :
1. Approuver une modification de l'ancien
Plan officiel de la Ville d'Ottawa pour les terrains illustrés dans le Document
1 et décrits en détail dans le Document 3.
2. Approuver une modification du Plan
officiel approuvé par le Conseil municipal pour les terrains illustrés dans le
Document 1 et décrits en détail dans le Document 4.
3. Approuver
une modification de l'ancien Règlement de zonage de la Ville d'Ottawa afin de
faire passer le zonage de Parc industriel commercial - IP F(1.0) et Centre
d'emploi - CE[360] SCH. 58 à Général commercial - CG 13 H(12.0)[XXX] pour les
terrains illustrés dans le Document 1 et décrits en détail dans le Document 5.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Assumptions
and Analysis:
The application deals with a 7.1 hectare parcel located at the southwest corner of Walkley Road and Conroy Road. The site is in the Ottawa Business Park at the northwesterly edge. Staff are recommending approval of two Official Plan Amendments and a Zoning By-law Amendment to permit the development of a large format retail food store, a smaller stand-alone retail building and a gas bar with a car wash. The applicant seeks to amend policies in both the former City of Ottawa Official Plan and the City Council Approved Official Plan and change the designation of the land in the Council Approved Official Plan from "Employment Area" to "General Urban Area" to permit the proposed development.
It is being recommended that the land be rezoned from IP F(1.0) and CE [360]Sch. 58. to CG13 (H12.0)[XXX]. The recommended zoning permits a range of commercial uses including retail food store, retail store uses, gas bar and car wash.. The exception attached to the proposed zone identifies a number of special provisions including required yard setbacks, a maximum building height of 12.0 metres, and a maximum floor area of 17,500 sq. metres for the retail food store.
Staff support the applications because it has been concluded that the proposed retail development will in no way undermine the integrity of the Ottawa Business Park. Studies have been submitted which further conclude the proposed development will be of benefit to the local community and business park and will meet some underlying objectives of the Official Plan.
Financial
Implications:
There are no financial implications from the approval of this report.
Public Consultation/Input:
A summary of the public notification and consultation, including the comments received, is detailed in Document 6. Comments received were both in support and opposed to the development.
RÉSUMÉ
Hypothèses et analyse :
La demande vise une parcelle de 7,1
hectares qui fait l'angle sud-ouest des chemins Walkley et Conroy. Elle se
trouve dans le Parc d'affaires d'Ottawa, à sa limite nord-ouest. Le personnel
municipal recommande que soient approuvées deux demandes de modification du
Plan officiel et une demande de modification du Règlement de zonage de façon à
permettre l'aménagement d'un magasin d'aliments au détail de grande surface,
d'un immeuble isolé plus petit de vente au détail et d'un poste d'essence avec
lave-auto. Le requérant demande que soient modifiées des politiques du Plan
directeur de l'ancienne Ville d'Ottawa et du Plan officiel approuvé par le
Conseil municipal et que soit changée de « Secteur d'emploi » à « Zone urbaine
générale » la désignation de zonage établie dans le Plan officiel pour le
terrain en question, afin de permettre l'aménagement projeté.
Il est recommandé que le terrain soit
rezoné de IP F(1.0) et CE [360]Sch. 58 à CG13 (H12.0)[XXX]. Le zonage
recommandé permet un certain éventail d'utilisations commerciales, y compris un
magasin d'aliments au détail, un magasin de détail, un poste d'essence et un
lave-auto. L'exception affectant le zonage proposé comporte un certain nombre
de dispositions spéciales précisant notamment les marges de recul, une hauteur
maximale de 12,0 mètres pour les immeubles et une superficie de plancher
maximale de 17 500 mètres carrés pour le magasin d'aliments au détail.
Le personnel municipal est favorable à ces
demandes, ayant conclu que l'aménagement projeté de magasins de détail ne
compromettra aucunement l'intégrité du Parc d'affaires d'Ottawa. Des études ont
été présentées qui concluent de plus que l'aménagement projeté sera avantageux
pour la communauté locale et le parc d'affaires et qu'il contribuera à
l'atteinte de certains des objectifs qui sous-tendent le Plan officiel.
Répercussions financières :
L'approbation du rapport n'aurait aucune
répercussion financière.
Consultation publique / commentaires :
Le processus d'avis au public et de
consultation publique, ainsi que les commentaires reçus, sont résumés dans le
document 6. Des commentaires favorables et défavorables à l'aménagement projeté
ont été reçus.
BACKGROUND
The applicant has submitted proposals to allow for the re-development of a parcel of land located southwest of the intersection of Walkley Road and Conroy Road. The site is 7.1 hectares and currently contains four separate, commercial and office buildings that will be demolished to allow for the proposed development. The site is near the northwesterly edge of the Ottawa Business Park and is bounded by Walkley Road to the north, Conroy Road to the east, St. Laurent Boulevard to the south and Don Reid Drive to the west. Surrounding lands to the east, south and west are existing and proposed business park uses. Immediately northeast of the site, at the southwest corner of Walkley Road and Conroy Road, is an existing and relatively new retail development which features a gas station, a Boston Pizza restaurant, and a Wendy's/Tim Horton's restaurant. Across Walkley Road to the north are residential uses and the proposed Alta Vista Corridor (see Document 1).
Development Proposal
The proposed development includes a 17,200 square metre retail food store, a 2332 sq. metre stand-alone retail building and a gas bar with a car wash. As illustrated in Document 2, the large format retail food store is proposed to be located in the south portion of the property adjacent to Conroy Road and St. Laurent Boulevard, while the gas bar and retail building will be located in the northwest portion adjacent to Walkley Road. An application for Site Plan Control has also been submitted along with the applications to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law. Details of the site's development will be dealt with through the Site Plan Control process at a later date.
The applications for the Official Plan Amendments and Zoning By-law Amendment were made on April 1, 2004. Thus the evaluation of these applications must consider the retail policy environment at that time being before Ministry approval of the City Approved Official Plan and approval of the forthcoming amendments to the Plan's commercial retail policies.
Purpose of the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment Proposal
The purpose of these applications are to amend the designation and policies of both the former City of Ottawa Official Plan and the Council Approved Official Plan, as well as amend the Zoning By-law to permit a large-format retail use on the subject property. Due to appeals that have been put forward regarding retail policies in the Council Approved Official Plan, it is not currently in full force and effect. Therefore, the former City of Ottawa Official Plan prevails and recommendations must deal with amending both the new Official Plan and the former local Official Plan.
The proponent seeks to amend policies of the former City of Ottawa Official Plan to allow for 100% of the gross floor area to be used for retail uses, and to amend policies of the Council Approved Official Plan to allow for a stand-alone retail store of up to 17,500 sq. metres. As well, with the amendment to the Council Approved Official Plan, the applicant is requesting that Schedule B be changed to redesignate the subject lands from “Employment Area” to "General Urban Area".
The current Zoning By-law zones the lands Industrial Business Park
(IP F1.0) and Employment Centre (CE[360] Sch. 58). The proponent has requested
that the Employment Centre zone be extended across the entire site, but with a
new exception to amend and add special provisions dealing with revised building
setbacks, height and maximum floor area.
DISCUSSION
Former City of Ottawa Official Plan
The former City of Ottawa Official Plan designates the subject property as "Business Employment Area". This designation promotes a wide range of business park type uses, but prohibits concentrations of retail activity with the exception of retail that is operating in association with a permitted use. The proponent has requested that the designation remain, but that Policy 4.4.2 c), Business Employment Areas, be amended such that 100% of the gross leasable floor area of the subject property, can be used for retail use.
Council Approved Official Plan
The Council Approved Official Plan designates the subject property as "Employment Area". The intent of this designation is to promote centres of employment, while supplying products and services that serve the city's office and commercial sectors. This category permits industrial and employment-generating uses such as warehousing and distribution, manufacturing, storage, construction, office, institutional and research and development. The plan also states that Employment Areas should maintain the primary character as industrial areas, although the designation also encourages complementary non-industrial uses in the area. These non-industrial uses include convenience retail, personal service businesses and recreational uses that will cater to the employees in this area, the general public and passing traffic.
The amendment to the Council Approved Official Plan seeks to redesignate the subject land from "Employment Area" to "General Urban Area" and to amend Policy 3.6.1.4 to permit a stand-alone retail store of up to 17,500 square metres. The proposed "General Urban Area" designation is appropriate as it permits a broad mix of uses including a range of retail uses. The proposal is an appropriate extension of the "General Urban Area" designation currently existing on the north side of Walkley Road. However, while "General Urban Area" permits most retail uses, Policies 7 through 9 of Subsection 3.6.8., places restrictions on the size of retail stores and requires large format retail stores to be part of a shopping centre, if located in a "General Urban Area". Since the proposed grocery store is a stand-alone building, an amendment is also required to exempt the subject lands from those policies.
All developments in the Ottawa Business Park are required to meet the "Ottawa Business Park Design Guidelines". These guidelines are an approved set of landscape and building design guidelines, which all new developments buildings must meet. The applicant has made a commitment to ensure that the development will effectively address the approved guidelines of the business park.
Former Regional Official Plan
The Regional Official Plan designation for this property is Business Park. The proposed development conforms to the plan as policies also allow for other non-residential uses, including retail, office, small-scale institutional, and recreational uses, all intended to provide the basic goods and services to the employees of the park within reasonable walking distance of their places of employment.
Planning Rational for Proposed Amendments
Prior to outlining the planning rational in support of the proposed amendments, it is important to note that the proposed Loblaws store would currently be permitted under the CE[360] zoning existing on a portion of the subject site and adjacent property. As shown in Document 1, the CE[360] zoning which covers the northeast corner of the subject property, as well as the property containing the existing three retail uses at the southwest corner of Walkley Road and Conroy Road, covers a large enough area to accommodate the proposed Loblaws store. Furthermore, the adjacent business park zoning on the remaining lands permits parking as a primary use, which would in effect allow for the Loblaws store and associated parking to be developed within existing zoning. Given this situation, allowing the Loblaws on the balance of the lands will have a similar impact to what could currently occur.
In support of the submitted applications, Loblaws has commissioned studies to address such matters as stormwater , traffic, market impact and the loss of business park lands. The findings of these reports range from no negative impacts, as is indicated in the stormwater management report, to insignificant or mitigatible impacts, as confirmed by the traffic, market, and business park land loss analysis.
Developments of this size must have direct access to at least one arterial road to accommodate the anticipated traffic generated by the proposed development. The subject proposal abuts two arterial roadways, Walkley Road and Conroy Road, both four lane divided arterials with turning lanes at their intersection. The traffic study concluded that increased traffic volumes, intersection impacts and cut-through traffic as a result of the proposed development, would be insignificant, with the exception of the Walkley/Don Reid intersection. The report recommends a new right-turn lane for the Walkley/Don Reid intersection and possibly some signal timing adjustments at adjacent intersections to address minor increases in traffic volumes. The location of the development also meets another Official Plan criterion, that being a location that has efficient, all-day frequency public transit.
A "Market Demand and Impact Analysis" completed by Kircher Research Associates Ltd. on behalf of the applicant, concluded that the scale of this development alone would not cause closures to nearby retailers and any impacts were predicted to be reasonably offset by projected population growth. This is further supported by the fact that owners and/or major tenants of existing retail facilities in the area, have not submitted any notice of objections to the proposed competitive development. Regarding the impact of the loss of employment lands, an Urbanmetrics study confirmed that the 7.1 hectare site, represents less than 0.4% of the available employment land stock in the City. The study concluded that there is a healthy supply of vacant employment land within the existing City limits and the proposed development will not undermine the ability of the local employment area to achieve the objective of maximizing business park development or to achieve desired employment levels.
The Urbanmetrics study also examined land absorption rates in the Ottawa Business Park and in adjacent business parks and determined that the rates have declined significantly in the last five years. This absorption decline is attributed to a larger trend in the City where employment demands have shifted to areas outside the greenbelt.
Staff support the conclusion that the proposed 100% retail development will in no way undermine the integrity of the existing landscape and streetscape quality of the Ottawa Business Park. Loblaws' representatives have made a commitment to ensure that the development will effectively address the approved Ottawa Business Park Design Guidelines in that the development will effectively comply with the intent and spirit of the approved guidelines. As such, adequate screening and buffering will be provided for all service areas and for the rear facade of the store structure along the business park boundaries. The landscaping buffer along St. Laurent Boulevard will closely follow the approved guidelines and result in a high quality streetscape and safe pedestrian environment along the Boulevard while ensuring screening of the store operations. Also, given the site's location at the periphery of business park and at a gateway location at the intersection of two major arterial roads, the development's proposed high standards of architectural and landscape design will enhance this intersection and entrance to the park and will neutralize the image of the park for prospective developers.
While consideration of the potential impacts has been undertaken in assessing the subject development proposal, consideration of the benefits that the community and local businesses might accrue must also be presented. It has been concluded that the development would address a void in services available to residents in the area. This has been demonstrated by submitted studies, as well as by the receipt of comments from adjacent residents who have indicated that they support the proposed development and welcome the addition of another grocery and other retail stores to the area. Although there are retail food and general merchandise stores in the area, the proposed development is expected to enhance and increase the variety of products and services available in the local area. It will provide the opportunity to service the residents in proximity to their homes, and reduce the need for longer automobile shopping trips. The same void in products and services presently exists for the employees within the business park area as well. It is expected that the development will offer local alternatives for lunch and offer park employees the ability to combine shopping and work trips. This meets a major underlying principle in the City Approved Official Plan of providing a mix of uses in an immediate area thereby allowing employees and residents to live, work and shop in the same general area.
Immediately northeast of the site, but still located on the same 'block' of land as the subject property, is an existing and relatively new retail development. This retail site features approximately 1800 sq. m of building area comprising of an Esso service station and convenience store, a Boston Pizza restaurant and a Wendy’s/Tim Horton’s restaurant. The development of these retail uses at the corner has limited the realistic potential for any significant new development or redevelopment for higher-level business park type uses on the balance of the 'block'.
The anticipated employment generated from the proposed retail development is expected to generate more overall employment than general industrial uses would have on this parcel. The proposed Loblaws' development would create approximately 450 new jobs that do not exist on the property today. While the type of employment to be generated is different from that which would be generated by industrial/office type development, nonetheless, 450 news jobs will be created in a relatively short time frame.
Zoning By-law Amendment
The site is currently zoned IP F(1.0) and CE [360]Sch. 58. The IP zone which affects the majority of the site, is an Industrial Business Park zone that permits light industrial and research uses as well as high-technology manufacturing uses in areas designated as Business Employment areas in the Official Plan. Retail uses and retail food stores are permitted in the IP zone only if each individual use does not exceed 280 sq. metres of gross floor area and the cumulative gross floor area occupied by these and any other conditional uses does not exceed 20% of the permitted floor space index. The CE zone, which affects only a small portion in the northeast corner of the subject property and the existing retail development on the corner, permits retail stores and retail food stores provided that they are located in the same building or on the same lot as one of the permitted uses, which are typically employment/office related. However, the suffix "[360]" attached to the CE zone is an exception to this provision which allows retail stores to be located on the site without having to be located in the same building or on the same lot as one of the zone's primary permitted uses. "Sch. 58", also attached to the CE [360], refers to a schedule of the by-law which outlines the applicable setback and maximum building height requirements.
Originally the applicant had requested that the CE[360] Sch. 58 zone
be extended over the entire site. Subsequently, it is being requested that the
land be rezoned to a General Commercial zone -
CG13 (H12.0)[XXX] which is more appropriate given the proposed Official
Plan redesignation of the property to General Urban area. The parent CG zone
permits a range of commercial uses including retail food store and retail store
uses. The CG13 is a subzone which in addition to the parent uses also permits
three additional uses: automobile
service station, car wash and gas bar.
The suffix "(H 12.0)" identifies a proposed maximum building
height of 12.0 metres. A site-specific exception, details of which are outlined
in Document 4, incorporate minimum yard setbacks, maximum floor areas and
identify that residential uses are prohibited.
CONSULTATION
Notice of this application was carried out in
accordance with the City’s Public Notification and Consultation Policy.
Information signs were posted on-site indicating the nature of the applications.
The Ward Councillor is aware of this application and the staff recommendation.
Correspondence and phone calls, both in support and against the proposal, were
received including from area residents, the Ottawa Hawthorne Business Park
Association and Canterbury Community Association. A community meeting in the Canterbury community was held on
August 12, 2004 and separate meetings were held with representativies of the
Business Park Association, Cornerstore Children's Centre, the applicant and the
City. A summary of the main issues
identified through letters, email and the community meeting, is attached in
Document 5.
APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS
The applications were not processed within the “On-Time Review”
timeframe established for the processing of Official Plan and Zoning By-law
Amendment applications due to the review of retail policies within Enterprise
and Employment Area designations.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
N/A
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 2
Conceptual Site Plan
Document 3 Draft Official Plan Amendment to the Former City of Ottawa Official Plan
Document 4 Draft Official Plan Amendment to the City Council Approved Official Plan
Document 5 Details of Recommended Zoning
Document
6 Consultation Details
DISPOSITION
Department of Corporate Services, Secretariat Services to notify the owner (Mario Fatica, Loblaws Properties Limited, 3563 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Etobicoke, ON M8W 1P4), applicant (Brian Casagrande, FoTenn Consultants Inc. 223 McLeod Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 0Z8) and the Manager of Assessment, Department of Corporate Services of the City Council’s decision.
Planning and Growth Management Department to prepare the implementing by-laws, forward to Legal Services Branch and undertake the statutory notification.
Department of Corporate Services, Legal Services Branch to forward the implementing by-laws to the City.
