Report
to/Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de
l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
Submitted by/Soumis par : Ned Lathrop, Deputy City Manager/
Directeur municipal adjoint,
Planning and Growth Management /
Service de l'urbanisme et de la gestion de la croissance
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Karen Currie,
Manager / Gestionnaire
Development Approvals / Approbation des
demandes d'aménagement
(613) 580-2424 x28310,
Karen.Currie@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
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OBJET : |
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning and Environment
Committee recommend Council approve an amendment to the former City of Ottawa
Zoning By-law to change the zoning of 1501 Hunt Club Road from R1D and L2 to
R3F and L2 as shown in Document 2.
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
recommande au Conseil d'approuver une modification au Règlement de zonage de
l'ancienne Ville d'Ottawa, de façon à faire passer la désignation de zonage de
la propriété située au 1501, chemin Hunt Club, de R1D et L2 à R3F et L2, comme
l'illustre le document 2.
BACKGROUND
This
property is located on the northwest corner of Cahill Drive and Hunt Club Road,
on the southerly edge of a residential community known as Greenboro. The property is currently a vacant parcel of
land having an area of approximately 7.4 hectares. Surrounding area uses consists of detached and townhouse
dwellings to the east and to the west, a City pathway along the northerly
property line and car dealerships and other related industrial uses on the
south side of Hunt Club Road.
The
property is currently zoned R1D, Detached House Zone, and L2, Leisure Linkage
Zone. The L2 zone is occurring on the
north side of the property, adjacent to a City pathway system, and is wedge
shaped
A
subdivision application is being processed concurrently with the zoning
application. The applications to rezone and subdivide this property have been
made to accommodate the construction of 58 semi-detached and 64 detached
dwelling units on 93 proposed lots (Document 3). These dwelling units will front onto three public streets. One street will intersect east side Cahill
Drive with the other intersecting the north side of Hunt Club Road. The Hunt Club Road intersection will be
limited to right-in and right-out only traffic movements. A continuous sound attenuation wall is being
proposed along the Hunt Club Road street frontage as per the recommendations of
the noise study’s findings submitted with the zoning and subdivision
applications. Additional studies submitted included a traffic assessment, and
water and sewer servicing proposal, and were under review at the time of
writing this report. The preliminary
staff review of these studies support in principle the residential development
proposal.
Proposed Zoning
The applicant is requesting to rezone the property to an R3F, Converted House/Townhouse Zone, which limits the residential unit types to detached, semi-detached and townhouse dwellings. The applicant is also requesting a portion of the R1D zoned lands be rezoned to L2 in order establish a pedestrian linkage from the proposed residential development to an existing east-west City pedestrian pathway system. Finally, a southerly sliver of the L2 lands are being rezoned to R3F which will form part of some of the northerly residential rear yards.
DISCUSSION
City Council Approved Official Plan
The City Council Approved Official Plan
designates this property as General Urban Area. This designation permits a full range of residential development
as well as permitting employment service, cultural, leisure, entertainment and
institutional uses with the goal to attain complete and sustainable communities. To ensure that land uses are appropriate
where proposed, the Official Plan contains polices indicating that development
should form an integral part of the community and be compatible with
surrounding neighbourhood uses. To
achieve this, the amendments to the Zoning By-law will regulate the location,
scale and type of land uses. The
Strategic Directions Section of the City Council Approved Official Plan for
development is to create livable communities that have a balance of facilities,
including commercial uses servicing neighbouring residential development.
The proposed development complies with the City
Council Approved Official Plan polices in that:
· The
proposal for detached and semi-detached dwellings represents a similar building
form found within the neighbouring community
· The
proposed zone designation that regulates the building height, setbacks, and lot
dimensions area are essentially the same of those residential developments to
the north and west of this property,
· The
development will be integrated with the pedestrian pathway system similar to
existing surrounding area residential housing developments, and
· Through
the plan of subdivision, a proposed sidewalk system will provide a desired
pedestrian linkage between Hunt Club Road and the neighbourhood pathway system.
Former Regional Official Plan
The Official Plan of the former Region
designates the subject property as General Urban Area. Lands having a General Urban Area
designation are intended to be used primarily for residential purposes, as well
as permitting supportive shopping, service and community facilities where
appropriate. The proposal to amend the
zoning designation of the subject property to permit detached and semi-detached
dwellings house conforms to the General Urban Area Designation. The proposed rezoning also complies with the
Regional Development Strategy which promotes sensitive intensification inside
the Greenbelt.
Former City of Ottawa Official Plan – Volume 1
Applicable Official Plan Policies dealing with
"Moderate Residential Development" state that City Council may
provide opportunities for moderate residential development along arterial
roadways, on under utilized sites adjacent to developments which have been
built at minor and moderate intensities, and adjacent to areas with existing
community and neighbourhood services.
The rezoning conforms with this policy statement in that Hunt Club Road
is an arterial road, the subject sites have significant large redevelopable lot
areas, and there is an adjacent similar residential developments. In addition, the rezoning will conform to
the Official Plan Policies dealing with "Factors to Assess Moderate
Residential Development Proposals" which consider such matters as adequate
transportation capacity, ability to accommodate outdoor amenity areas, hard
service capacity, and area availability of institutional, commercial and
recreational services.
Former City of Ottawa Official Plan – Volume 2
(Greenboro - Key Principles)
The subject property is located in the Greenboro
Neighbourhood. This neighbourhood plan
has a strong emphasis in the provision of Open Space including the development
and maintenance of a continuous pedestrian system around and through this
community. The development proposal
occurs on the south side of this pedestrian system and will extend it to
provide a combination pedestrian walkway and sidewalk connection to Hunt Club
Road. The plan contemplates a range of
types of ground orientated housing types from detached dwelling to
stacked-townhouse dwellings. The
development proposal conforms with this policy direction.
In summary, the proposal is consistent with the
policies of the former City of Ottawa and Regional Official Plans, as well as
with the policies of the City Council Approved Official Plan. Therefore, the requested Zoning By-law
amendment is recommended for approval.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
This property
was subject to a preliminary assessment as a potential Urban Natural Area
through the City's Urban Natural Environment Evaluation Study which concluded
that the vegetation on the site was not significant, and was ranked low for
protection. A Preliminary Tree Planting
and Conservation Plan Report was submitted with the development applications
recommending that a wooded area at the north westerly end of the site be
retained. This is being reviewed as part of the subdivision application.
CONSULTATION
Notice of this application was carried out in accordance with the City’s
Public Notification and Consultation Policy.
The Ward Councillor is aware of this application and the staff
recommendation.
Detailed responses to the notification/circulation are provided in Document 4.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
APPLICATION PROCESS
TIMELINE STATUS
This application was processed by the "On-Time
Decision Date" established for the processing of Zoning By-law Amendment
applications.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Location Map
Document 2 Zoning
Map
Document 3 Draft
Plan of Subdivision
Document 4 Consultation Details
DISPOSITION
Corporate Services Department, City Clerk's Branch to notify the owner
(Larco Corporation, 104 Centrepointe Drive, Suite 200, Ottawa, ON, K2G
6B1), applicant (D.G. Belfie Planning and Development Consulting Ltd, 21
Pinecone Tr., Stittsville, ON, K2S 1E1), Signs.ca, 866 Campbell Avenue,
Ottawa, ON K2A 2C5, and Ghislain
Lamarche, Program Manager, Assessment, Financial Services Branch
(Mail Code: 26-76) of City Council's decision.
Planning
and Growth Management Department to prepare the implementing by-law, forward to
Legal Services Branch and undertake the statutory notification.
Corporate
Services Department, Legal Services Branch to forward the implementing by-law
to City Council.
DOCUMENT 1
LOCATION MAP
ZONING MAP DOCUMENT
2
DOCUMENT 3
DRAFT PLAN OF
SUBDIVISION
DOCUMENT 4
CONSULTATION DETAILS
NOTIFICATION AND CONSULTATION PROCESS
Notification and public consultation was undertaken
in accordance with the Public Notification and Public Consultation Policy
approved by City Council for Zoning By-law Amendments. One statutory public meeting for the Plan of
Subdivision was also held in the community.
SUMMARY OF PUBLIC INPUT
The
following is summarized questions and comments received from a public meeting
for the proposed plan of subdivision held in accordance with the Planning Act
on April 18, 2006 at 14 Tapiola Crescent and through the City Council
approved public notification procedures for zoning and subdivision
applications.
1. There was a request that there be a
sidewalk constructed along Cahill Drive from Southport Drive to Hunt Club Road
citing numerous reasons for this, including safety.
Response: The construction of this sidewalk has
been requested as a condition in the Draft Plan of Subdivision.
2.
What is the anticipated timing for
the subdivision’s build out raising concerns about unwanted dust migrating to
adjacent residential properties?
Response: This will largely depend on market
demand but the developer expects that the final build out for the subdivision
will be in about three years.
3.
A request for clarification of the
precise location for the proposed subdivision’s westerly fence, material of
fence and who’s responsibility to maintain it.
Response: The fence will be located six inches
within the subject site and it will be the responsibility of the individual
purchaser to maintain the fence. To
date the material of the fencing has yet to be determined.
4.
There was a question regarding
whether or not the developer will be planting trees within the rear yards of
those lots.
Response: This in not a typical requirement for a
plan of subdivision and is typically left up to the discretion of the
individual property owner to landscape rear yard amenity area to suit their own
needs.
5.
Will there be on-street parking
within the subdivision given there is
not any on-street parking allowed along Cahill Drive?
Response: A typical local residential street
cross-section will allow for on-street parking in at least one direction.
6.
Will the lot dimensioning be
comparable to the surrounding area development?
Response:
The neighbouring area zonings are R3F having the same lot width and area requirements,
as well as building setback requirements.
7.
Safety concerns were raised with
respect to the Cahill Drive and Hunt Club Road intersection design. Suggestions include a dedicated east-bound
left-turn signal being install preventing dangerous U-turn movements, a wider
road width where Cahill drive interests Hunt Club Road and the need for merge
and deceleration lanes along Hunt Club Road.
Response: A dedicated left turning lane will be
required on Hunt Club Road as a condition of subdivision approval. The remaining road improvement suggestions
will be considered through the subdivision process.
8.
There was a suggestion that some
sort of traffic calming be considered where the pedestrian pathway system
crosses Cahill Drive particularly when there will be an increase in traffic
with the development of this subdivision.
Response:
This will be considered through
the subdivision process.
9.
The west bound 80 km/hr speed
limit sign along Hunt Club Road should be set back further east from Cahill
Drive.
Response:
This request will be forwarded to Public Works and Services for consideration.
10. A number of individuals wanted the wood
lot area to be preserved, indicating that it was a habitat for wildlife, and is
an important asset to the community.
Response: Through the City’s Urban Natural Area
Environmental Evaluation Study it was concluded that the wood lot had a low
rating primarily due to a significant presence of non-native, invasive species.
A Preliminary Tree Planting and Conservation Plan Report confirmed this
study’s findings with the exception of one area where there was a small
concentration of native trees. The
Report recommended that only the northerly strip of existing vegetation be
retained where the least amount of disturbance would be anticipated and
existing patterns of drainage may be maintained.
11.
A resident expressed a desire to
have the construction traffic access to the site limited to Hunt Club Road
only. This was followed by a question
with respect to street cleaning resulting from the construction activity and
the frequency of the cleaning.
Response: Construction vehicle access and street
cleaning requirements will be regulated through standard City conditions for
subdivision approval.
12.
Questions were raised with respect
to the timing of the installation of the westerly privacy fence and sound
attenuation wall.
Response: The completion of the sound attenuation fence is required prior to the first dwelling unit being occupied. This timing for the installation of the westerly privacy fence would partially be dependent on when that area of the site will be regraded as a condition of subdivision approval.
COUNCILLOR’S COMMENTS
Councillor Diane Deans provided the following comments:
1. Considering
the increase of traffic that this development will likely bring to Cahill
Drive, please ask the developer to install a sidewalk on either side of Cahill
Drive between Southport Drive and Hunt Club Road to encourage pedestrian
safety.
2. Please
ensure that the fence to be installed between the existing homes on Royal Oak
Court and the new development is made of an appealing and durable material that
requires minimal maintenance by the existing homeowners on Royal Oak Court.
3. Will
there be on-street parking available in the new subdivision to avoid overflow
into the existing surrounding streets?
4. To
assist with the increase in traffic that will occur at the corner of Hunt Club
Road and Cahill Drive, please require that the developer install a deceleration
lane on Hunt Club Road (going west) to assist with vehicles turning right on
Cahill Drive.
5. Where
the pedestrian pathway crosses Cahill Drive to the east of the subdivision,
please require that the developer install a raised, textured crosswalk to help
ensure the safety of pedestrians using this pathway.
6. Please
address the community's concerns regarding the occurrence of U-turns at the
intersection of Hunt Club Road and Cahill Drive. Perhaps a prohibition of U-turns or the installation of a
left-turn signal would help to mitigate this situation.
7. Please
evaluate the need for intersection modifications on Cahill Drive at Hunt Club
Road, as raised by the residents at the public meeting on April 18th. They have expressed concerns for the
narrowness of Cahill Drive being problematic for the safe flow of traffic.
8. Please
ensure that any environmentally significant trees are identified and protected
throughout this development.
9. Please
require that the developer only allow their construction vehicles and supplies
to access the subdivision site from Hunt Club Road. Construction traffic should be restricted from the surrounding
neighbourhood roads.
10. Please
require that the developer construct the permanent privacy fencing along the
westerly perimeter of the site (near Royal Oak Court) before any further
development occurs on the site.
11. Please consider and address the traffic impact that this development will have on the vehicular speed and volume along Cahill Drive.
Councillor Diane Deans comments largely reflects the comments received though the public consultation process for the zoning and subdivision applications which have been responded to above.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE COMMENTS
Ottawa
Forests and Green Space Advisory Committee
The
Ottawa Forests and Green Space Advisory Committee reviewed the Tree Planting
and Conservation Plan report and indicated the following:
While
this would mean the loss of 0.7 hectares of green space, the area is vegetation
which is mostly degraded and of low environmental value. The developer has adequate plans for
mitigation and new plantings measures, including selection of native species
and variety of trees, shrubs and vines.
Recommendations:
That
the small woods in the Southeast corner of the proposed development (Unit 3 in
the Environmental Impact Statement) be retained.
The new planting of residential and other trees and shrubs be comprised of mainly native species, and as large-diameter trees as possible, so that the effects of the new trees on the local environment can accrue as soon as possible.
The question for the retention of the woods identified as Unit 3 has been forwarded to the developer for investigation and will be addressed through the plan of subdivision together with the species selection and size of plants to be planted within the subdivision.