Report to/Rapport au :

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

and Council / et au Conseil

14 January 2006 / le 14 janvier 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 / Gestionnaire

Development Approvals / Approbation des demandes d'aménagement

(613) 580-2424 x28310, Karen.Currie@ottawa.ca

Gloucester-Southgate (10)

Ref N°: ACS2005-DEV-APR-0032

SUBJECT:	ZONING - 3201 Conroy Road (FILE NO. D02-02-03-0130)

OBJET :	ZONAGE - 3201, chemin conroy

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

[U1]

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 3201 Conroy Road for the northerly portion of the property from IL F(1.0) - Light Industrial to CG [XXX] - General Commercial as shown in Document 1 and detailed 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 en vue de remplacer la désignation de zonage IL F(1.0) – Industrie légère de la partie nord du 3201, chemin Conroy par la désignation CG [XXX] – Commercial général afin de permettre un centre commercial, comme il est représenté dans le document 1 et indiqué en détail dans le document 2.

BACKGROUND

[U2]

The 1.32 hectare property is located on the northeast corner of Conroy Road and Johnston Road. It is adjacent to residential development on the east, south and west, and to the north is a woodland.

The applicant wishes to amend the zoning to add a wider variety of retail and commercial uses to the property to permit the construction of a proposed 1 114.8 m² plaza and a 278.7 m² fast food restaurant with a drive-thru that would serve the local residents.

The southern portion of the property is currently occupied by a gas bar, convenience store and a car wash, and will remain zoned IL F(1.0) – Light Industrial.

Existing Zoning

The land is currently zoned IL (Light Industrial). This designation permits a limited number of commercial uses such as a bank, convenience store, laundromat, personal service business and restaurants. These uses are subject to a maximum gross floor area of 280 m² and the cumulative total must not exceed 20% of the floor space index or 20% of the lot area where there is no floor space index.

Proposed Zoning

The application is to rezone the land to CG [XXX] (General Commercial Subzone Exception No. XXX). The exception is that no residential uses will be permitted on this site and that a 3.0 metre wide landscaped strip will be required adjacent to the lands retaining a Light Industrial zone designation to the south. The purpose of the landscape strip is to prevent vehicular access between the proposed neighbourhood plaza and an existing gas bar and car wash at the northeast corner of Johnston Road and Conroy Road.

DISCUSSION

Council Approved Official Plan

The 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. This would include a wide range of retail commercial development from a corner store to a shopping centre, where appropriate. To ensure that land uses are appropriate where proposed, the Official Plan contains polices which indicate 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 Council Approved Official Plan for development is to create livable communities that have a balance of facilities, including commercial uses servicing neighbouring residential development. New developments are supported by the Official Plan where redevelopment optimizes underutilized land or vacant lands.

Former Regional Official Plan

The Official Plan of the former Region designates the subject property as General Urban Area. This designation, like that of the new Official Plan, anticipates a wide range of uses, including the proposed office use. Polices contained within that plan directs that commercial development only occur on roads with a planned capacity to accommodate additional traffic and that the commercial activity not have an adverse impact on neighbouring residential development. This development is sensitive to this criteria.

Former City of Ottawa Official Plan

The former City of Ottawa Official Plan designates this property as Residential. Non-residential uses are permitted in areas designated Residential Area, provided certain policy guidelines are adhered to. Some of these guidelines include that non-residential development occur in isolation from, or are on the periphery of existing residential development, that such uses are located along major collector or arterial roadways, and that the use be compatible with surrounding residential uses. In addition, non-residential uses are not to negatively impact adjacent residential uses in their generation of noise, fumes or lighting glare.

Conroy Road Study Area

The subject property lies within an area being reviewed in the Conroy Road Study. Which involves the industrially zoned lands. The study area is generally bounded by the Canadian National Rail Line to the north, the Hawthorne Business Park to the east, Johnston Road to the south and Conroy Road to the west. The study identifies the subject property as vacant industrial lands and contemplates either commercial or industrial uses on the property. The final recommendations of the Conroy Road Study are anticipated to be brought to Planning and Environment Committee on March 22, 2005.

The property does not directly impact any of the surrounding residential properties. The abutting residential units to the east are separated from the site by a sound barrier ranging in height from 7.4 metres to 2.4 metres. The barrier consists of a combination of earth berming at the bottom with sound fencing on top, which was installed to provide the necessary buffer to enable the residential units to develop while satisfying buffering from the rail lines. The balance of the residential community is south of Johnston Road. The site fronts Conroy Road, which is an arterial roadway. This location will provide for convenient access while not directly affecting the residential community.

Upon review of the application, it is the Department’s position that the proposed zoning amendment to allow a shopping plaza conforms with applicable criteria set out in the new and former Official Plans and is appropriately located in relation to the surrounding community.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

The Municipal Environmental Evaluation Process (MEEP) checklist indicates that there will be potential impacts on trees and shrubs as a result of this application. This will be reviewed as part of the site plan approval process.

The Ottawa Forests Advisory Committee advises that a Tree Preservation Plan will be required at the site plan stage highlighting existing trees and shrubs that are to be retained, relocated and/or removed. The Committee also recommends preserving the best mature trees along the northern edge of the subject property. This would allow for a buffer adjacent to the property, provide shade, and add some interest to the site.

CONSULTATION

[U3]

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 application. The Ward Councillor is aware of this application and the staff recommendation. Councillor Diane Deans expressed a concern regarding the potential impact development of this site will have onto Conroy Road. The base of this concern is centered on the fact that the vehicular access from Conroy Road will be limited to right-in and right-out vehicular movements only. The applicant is in the process of preparing a traffic impact statement to address this concern. Any recommendation from this impact statement will be implemented through the Site Plan Control process. The City did not receive any negative comments or opposition to this application.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS

The application was not processed within the timeframe established for the processing of Zoning By-Law amendments due to the application being placed on hold while the applicant explored vehicular access options.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

[U4]

Document 1 Location Map

Document 2 Details of Recommended Zoning

DISPOSITION

Department of Corporate Services, Secretariat Services to notify the owner Marcel Benjamin, Suncor Energy Products, 36 York Mill Road, North York, ON, M2P 2C5, applicant Gerry McGuinness, 600-700 Kerr Street, Oakville, ON, L6K 3E4, All Signs, 8692 Russell Road, Navan, ON K4B 1J1, and the Program Manager, Assessment, Department of Corporate Services 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.

Department of Corporate Services, Legal Services Branch to forward the implementing by-law to City Council.

LOCATION MAP Document 1

DETAILS OF RECOMMENDED ZONING Document 2

[U5]

Zoning Details for Zoning By-law, 1998

The following zoning change will be made to the property at 3201 Conroy Road shown on Document 1:

Change the Zoning from IL F(1.0) to CG[xxx] with the following exceptions:

1) Create a site specific exception zone to prohibit residential uses on the subject property, and to require a 3.0 metre wide landscaped strip of land adjacent to the lands to the south of the subject property that retain a Light Industrial zone designation.