Report
to/Rapport au :
Planning
Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme
and / et
Council / Conseil
15 March
2012 / le 15 mars 2012
Submitted by/Soumis
par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City
Manager
Directrice municipale
adjointe, Planning and Infrastructure/Urbanisme
et Infrastructure
Contact
Person/Personne-ressource : Derrick Moodie, Acting Manager/Gestionnaire
intérimaire, Development Review-Suburban Services/Examen des projets
d'aménagement-Services suburbains, Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et
Gestion de la croissance
(613)
580-2424, 15134 Derrick.Moodie@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
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OBJET : |
MODIFICATION AU PLAN OFFICIEL ET ZONAGE – 3311,
AVENUE WOODROFFE |
REPORT
RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Planning Committee recommend Council:
1.
Approve and adopt an amendment to Volume
2A of the Official Plan – Secondary Plan Nepean Areas 4, 5, and 6 to redesignate
3311 Woodroffe Avenue from Business Park to Business Park – Special Policy Area,
as detailed in Document 2; and
2.
Approve an amendment to the Zoning
By-law 2008-250 to change the zoning of 3311 Woodroffe Avenue from DR to GM5
[XXXX] and from DR to GM9 [XXXX] as shown in Document 1 and detailed in
Document 3.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU
RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l’urbanisme recommande au
Conseil :
1.
d’approuver et d’adopter une
modification au Volume 2A du Plan officiel – Plan secondaire, secteurs 4, 5 et
6 de Nepean, afin de changer la désignation de zonage du 3311, avenue Woodroffe
de Parc d’affaires à Parc d’affaires – zone de dérogation, comme il est expliqué
en détail dans le document 2; et
2.
d’approuver une modification au
Règlement de zonage 2008-250 afin de changer la désignation de zonage du 3311,
avenue Woodroffe de DR à GM5 [XXXX] et de DR à GM9 [XXXX], comme il est indiqué
dans le document 1 et expliqué en détail dans le document 3.
BACKGROUND
The subject property, 3311 Woodroffe Avenue, consists of approximately 5.3 hectares located in Barrhaven. The property is vacant and is a relatively flat and featureless site devoid of any significant vegetation. The property is located on the south west side of Strandherd Drive immediately north of the Transitway and a large City-owned woodlot (see Document 1). The area to the north is an established community made up of ground oriented single detached and street townhouse dwellings, a vacant site designated Business Park and Grovenhurst Park. The property to the west is the Strandherd Crossing commercial plaza. Properties situated generally south and southeast of the subject property are characterized by medium density stacked town houses and walk-up apartments – some under construction and at various stages of completion.
The Proposal
The entire property is currently owned by Minto.
The City is intending to acquire the south and east portions (Area B on
Document 1) of the subject lands to accommodate a park and ride facility
adjacent to the future transit station planned at the southern boundary of this
site. The lands to be acquired by the
City represent approximately 2/3 of the subject property. The proposed Official Plan Amendment would
apply to the lands being retained by Minto (Area A on Document 1). The proposed Zoning By-law Amendment would
apply to the entire property.
The
proposed development for the lands to be retained by Minto is a mixed-use
office and commercial development consisting of two single storey buildings. The two buildings would have an approximate
Gross Floor Area of 1,486 square meters and 1,695 square meters
respectively. The proposed development
would be subject to a site plan control application, which has not been
submitted at this time. The site plan is
attached as Document 5.
The Applications
Proposed
Official Plan Amendment
The
subject property is designated General Urban Area in the Official Plan. In addition to residential uses, the General
Urban Area designation permits a wide range of complementary uses such as
employment, retail, leisure, entertainment and cultural uses. The proposed use of the property complies
with the General Urban Area designation.
The property is also designated as “Business Park”
in the South Nepean Secondary Plan. Ancillary
retail / service uses and restaurants are permitted uses provided that they are
internally integrated as a component of an office building and clearly intended
for the use of local businesses and employees.
The proposed development does not include the retail
and commercial uses “within” an office building because the facilities would provide
service and amenities to transit station users and to the greater community. As such, the commercial retail and service
cannot be considered as ancillary.
Accordingly, a Secondary Plan amendment is required.
The
proposed Official Plan Amendment would be site specific and would amend the
South Nepean Secondary Plan to permit stand alone retail, service and
restaurant uses on the retained lands. A
provision is also proposed which would ensure that office remains the
predominant use of the site by restricting the retail uses to a maximum of 49%
of the constructed Gross Floor Area on the subject lands. It is proposed to include a Business Park –
Special Policy Area designation to cover these specific provisions.
Proposed Zoning By-law Amendment
The entire property is currently zoned
Development Reserve Zone (DR). The Development Reserve Zone is used to reserve
lands that are intended to accommodate future urban development.
An amendment to the Zoning By-law is required
to permit the development of the property.
This proposal would amend the lands to General Mixed-Use Zone (GM)
subzones. The General Mixed-Use Zones
permit a broad range of commercial and employment uses.
The park and ride facility (Area B) would be
amended to GM9 subzone to accommodate the long-term development with an
exception to permit a “parking lot” as a site specific permitted use. The retained parcel (Area A) is proposed to
be amended to GM5 subzone with exception to permit a “bank” as an additional
site specific permitted use and remove “hotel” from the list of existing
permitted uses.
Minto has revised their original application
and is now also requesting that the amendment include an exemption from the
maximum parking provision (Table 103) for properties situated within 600m of a
designated transit station. The existing
transit station is not yet designated on Schedule 2A of the Consolidated Zoning
By-law so Table 103 does not currently apply. The applicant is concerned that the transit
station could be designated on Schedule 2A prior to the final site plan being approved,
and they have decided to be pro-active and request this amendment now rather
than having to potentially address the matter at time of building permit or
site plan approval.
DISCUSSION
Provincial Policy Statement
The proposed development is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) which promotes efficient development within the urban boundary (settlement areas). Development is encouraged in appropriate locations particularly those on major roads, and those located in proximity to public transit stations. This site is an appropriate location for a small retail commercial/office development and a park and ride facility now, and a full office campus development in the future. In the shorter-term, the park and ride facility will encourage local transit ridership, and in the longer-term more intense office and employment development will occur in proximity to the transit station.
Official Plan
The site is designated General Urban Area in the Official Plan. This designation permits the development of a full range of housing types and employment, retail and service uses in order to support the development of sustainable communities. The uses as proposed are all permitted in the General Urban Area designation.
Compatibility
In addition, development applications are further evaluated in accordance with Policy 2.5.1 and Policy 4.11 of the Official Plan to ensure that proposed uses are compatible with and complement the surrounding land uses. The proposed development of the property will be subject to site plan approval and issues regarding landscaping and site integration will be dealt with through this process. The parking lot and the commercial/office buildings will be screened by street tree plantings and landscaping along Strandherd Drive and will be integrated into the existing transit station to the south. Appropriate landscaping is proposed to help screen the parking lot from the view of the adjacent residential development to the south.
The proposed use of the site for a park and ride facility is an interim use of the lands. The applicant has provided an Ultimate Development Concept Plan (see Document 6) that shows how the entire site could be developed in the longer term for an office campus in conformity with the General Urban Area designation and the Business Park Secondary Plan designation. The eventual redevelopment of the subject lands will require site plan approval and specific measures can be adopted to ensure the integration of the final development into the surrounding community.
Further, the applicant has submitted traffic, environmental, geotechnical and servicing studies in support of the proposed amendments. There are no technical impediments to the development of the property as proposed.
Secondary Plan
The site is subject to the South Nepean Secondary Plan (Areas 4, 5 and 6). The main purpose of the Secondary Plan is to facilitate the application of the general planning principles expressed in the Official Plan, and to provide a framework for addressing planning issues affecting or characterizing specific areas of the city.
The South Nepean Secondary Plan designated the site as Business Park in the mid 1990s. It permits a wide range of commercial uses including offices, hotels, institutional uses, health and fitness recreational uses, banks, gas bars, and community facilities such as places of worship. The proposed development of the site is consistent with the goals of the Business Park designation with the exception that the commercial uses will not be integrated within an office building and that the retail and services proposed will serve the surrounding community – hence the requested amendment.
At present, there is a very limited demand for office space in this area, but the owner has determined that there is a need for commercial and retail services. The proposed development will allow an interim mixed-use development of the lands without compromising the ability of the site to be fully developed for office uses at a later time. The proposal is to redesignate this site to a Business Park – Special Policy Area which will restrict the commercial and retail uses to 49% of the floor space to ensure that office remains the predominant use on site.
Ultimate Use of Lands
The
applicant has provided a concept plan demonstrating that the longer term office
campus development contemplated by the Business Park designation would not be
compromised by the current proposal (see Document 6). The proposal effectively allows for a first
phase of development on lands that are not currently marketable for any
significant office development. It also preserves the ability for future office
development when a viable office market has evolved in this location.
Proposed Zoning
The applicant is seeking an amendment to the Zoning By-law to rezone the property from DR- Development Reserve to a site-specific GM5 [XXXX] and GM9 [XXXX] zone. The GM5 [XXXX] zone would permit the proposed commercial/office development on the lands retained by Minto. It is proposed to restrict the retail/commercial uses to no more than 49% of the GFA, remove “hotel” as a permitted use and add “bank” as a permitted use. The GM9 [XXXX] zone would be site specific to the lands the City is acquiring and would permit the park and ride facility.
Rationale
Staff recommends approval of the requested amendments for the following reasons:
The proposed amendments are consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement. The property is within a settlement area and the proposal makes efficient use of the existing infrastructure. The proposal helps promote transit and protects for the ability of the site to be fully developed in a compact urban form in the future.
The proposed amendments are consistent with the Official Plan General Urban Area designation and they maintain the general purpose and intent of the Secondary Plan Business Park Designation. But for the facts that the retail and commercial uses are not being located within an office building and that they will service the surrounding community, no amendment would be needed to the Secondary Plan. The site will still be developed for a mixed-use development, but the retail uses will be in a standalone building. In the longer-term, when the office market matures, the site can be developed for an office campus – as depicted by the concept plan submitted by the applicant. The zoning will effectively limit the commercial/retail uses to ensure that the long term office use of the lands is protected for.
The City can ensure that the proposed development is consistent with the Secondary Plan, and that the streetscape and interface of the subject site are appropriately screened. The proposed development is subject to site plan approval.
The required geotechnical, traffic,
engineering, and environmental studies were completed in accordance with the
Official Plan requirements; the studies support the proposed development and demonstrate
that it is appropriate within this context.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no rural implications associated
with this report.
CONSULTATION
Notice of this application was carried out in accordance with the City's Public Notification and Consultation Policy.
The issues can be summarized as follows: Visibility and screening issues of the parking lot, removal of greenspace, increased traffic activity, loss of property value.
Detailed responses to the notification/circulation are provided in Document 5.
COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR
Councillor Desroches is aware of this
application and the staff recommendation.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no direct legal implications
associated with this report.
RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
There are no risk management implications
association with the recommendation in this report.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no direct financial implications.
ACCESSIBILITY IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no environment implications associated with the recommendations of this report.
TECHNOLOGY IMPLICATIONS
There are no direct technical implications associated with the recommendations of this report.
CITY STRATEGIC PLAN
The Council Strategic Priorities provide direction to meet the challenge of managing growth, providing infrastructure, maintaining environmental integrity and creating liveable communities within Ottawa. To meet these challenges, priorities are set out to pursue a mix of land uses and compact forms of development. The proposed rezoning will support this overall goal and can move forward the following priorities and objectives.
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TM2 |
Maximize density in and
around transit stations |
Plan well-designed, compact
neighbourhoods where residents can live, work, shop and play close by,
complete daily activities easily, access viable transit, and support local
businesses. |
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TM3 |
Provide infrastructure to
support mobility choices |
Improve residents’ mobility
choices by supporting initiatives related to routes, rapid transit, walking,
and cycling. |
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TM4 |
Promote alternative mobility
choices |
Promote alternative mobility
choices by emphasizing transit, cycling and walking as preferred ways of
getting around the City. Use education, promotion and incentives to encourage
alternatives to driving, and provide information that encourages responsible
travel. |
APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS
This application was not processed by the "On Time Decision Date" established for the processing of Official Plan amendments due to revisions to the application and planning rationale to add a zoning exemption for the maximum parking provisions for developments within 600m of a designated transit station.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Location Map and Zoning Key Plan
Document 2 Proposed Official Plan Amendment
Document 3 Details of the Recommended Zoning
Document 4 Consultation Details
Document 5 Site Plan
Document 6 Ultimate Development Concept Plan
DISPOSITION
City Clerk and Solicitor Department, Legislative Services to notify the owner, applicant, OttawaScene Canada Signs, 1565 Chatelain Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1Z 8B5, Ghislain Lamarche, Program Manager, Assessment, Financial Services Branch (Mail Code: 26-76) of City Council’s decision.
Planning and Growth Management to prepare the by-law adopting the Official Plan Amendment, forward to
Legal Services, and undertake the statutory notification.
Legal Services to forward the implementing by-law to City Council
LOCATION MAP AND ZONING KEY PLAN DOCUMENT 1
PROPOSED OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT DOCUMENT
2
Official Plan Amendment XX
To the Official Plan for the City of Ottawa
AMENDMENT NO. XX
Official Plan for the City of Ottawa
INDEX
THE STATEMENT OF COMPONENTS
PART A – THE PREAMBLE
Purpose……………………………………………………………………………………………...
Location…………………………………………………………………………………………….Basis………………………………………………………………………………………………...
PART B – THE AMENDMENT
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………
Details………………………………………………………………………………………………
Implementation……………………………………………………………………………………..
PART C – THE APPENDICES
N/A
THE STATEMENT
OF COMPONENTS
Part A – THE PREAMBLE introduces the actual
amendment, but does not constitute part of Amendment No. XX to the Official
Plan for the City of Ottawa.
Part B – THE AMENDMENT constitutes Amendment No. XX to the Official Plan for the City of Ottawa.
PART A – THE PREAMBLE
1.
Purpose
The purpose of this Official Plan Amendment No. XX is to redesignate 3311 Woodroffe Avenue from Business Park to Business Park – Special Policy Area in order to permit limited stand alone retail and commercial uses not otherwise integrated within a mixed-use office building.
2.
Location
The lands affected by the amendment are located on the southwest of Strandherd Drive. A schedule change is required to Schedule A – Land Use, Areas 4, 5 and 6, of the Official Plan, Volume 2A.
3.
Basis
Background
The applicant has submitted applications for an Official Plan Amendment, a Zoning By-law Amendment for the development of a single storey commercial development on a portion of the subject property. The remainder of the property is intended to be purchased by the City for use as a park and ride facility for the adjacent transit station.
Rationale
Official Plan
The subject lands are designated as “General Urban Area” in the Official Plan, and as “Business Park” in the Secondary Plan.
The proposal is responding to the need for limited retail and commercial services in this area of the south urban community. The existing Business Park designation in the Secondary Plan permits retail and service commercial provided it is integrated within an office building. There is currently a very limited market for office space in the south urban community and the applicant is seeking permission to develop a portion of the lands into a mixed-use, commercial and office development. The balance of the site is to be developed as a park and ride lot by the City.
In support of the applications Minto was required to submit concept plans that demonstrate how the site could ultimately be developed for office and employment uses consistent with the Business Park designation.
The demonstration plan submitted shows a plausible office campus development which integrates the proposed two buildings with the park and ride lot into a well planned and appropriate office development. In essence, the stand alone commercial/office buildings and the park and ride facility are interim land uses which will not preclude the eventual development of the property consistent with the Business Park designation.
PART B – THE AMENDMENT
1.
Introduction
All of this part of this document entitled Part B – The Amendment, consisting of the following text, constitutes Amendment No. XX to the Official Plan for the City of Ottawa.
2.
Details
a) Volume 2A- Secondary Plans of the Official Plan being Areas 4, 5, and 6 of the South Nepean Urban Area Secondary Plan is amended as follows:
1.
Subsection 2.1 of the Secondary Plan is
hereby amended by adding the following text immediately following the content
thereof:
“2.1.3
Special Policy Area – 3311 Woodroffe Avenue.
Notwithstanding
the provisions to the contrary of Subsection 2.1.1, for the lands designated as
Special Policy Area only, retail and commercial uses can be provided which are
not wholly integrated within an office building and which are intended to serve
more than just the local business and employees. The floor space devoted to retail and
commercial uses shall not exceed 1560 sq. m such that it represents less than
49% of the GFA of the floor space in the Special Policy Area.”
b) Volume 2A, South Nepean – Areas 4, 5 and 6 Secondary Plan of the Official Plan for the City of Ottawa will be amended by changing the land use designation on Schedule A– Land Use – Areas 4, 5 and 6 from “Business Park” to “Business Park – Special Policy Area”.
3.
Implementation
The implementation of this Amendment to the Official Plan shall be in accordance with the respective policies of the Official Plan for the City of Ottawa.
SCHEDULE A
- OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT
