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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-17-033 - Zone Change - 11 Pioneer Tower Road - Addendum Report to CSD-17-002 REPORT TO: Planning & Strategic Initiatives Committee DATE OF MEETING: April 3, 2017 SUBMITTED BY: Alain Pinard, Director of Planning PREPARED BY: Katie Anderl, Senior Planner, 519-741-2200 ext. 7987 WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward 3 DATE OF REPORT: March 15, 2017 REPORT NO.: CSD-17-033 SUBJECT: UPDATE REPORT ZONE CHANGE APPLICATION ZC16/003/P/ATP 11 Pioneer Tower Road Marisol Teijeiro ___________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION: For Information. BACKGROUND: At the Planning and Strategic Initiatives Meeting of March 6, 2017, Committee requested that Staff work with the applicant to examine ways to reconfigure the recommended site design for 11 Pioneer Tower Road to lessen the impact on neighbouring properties. The owner of the subject lands is seeking a zone change to permit the lands to be used as a Natural Health Clinic. REPORT: As directed by Committee, City Staff met with the applicant. At this meeting staff and the applicant revisited earlier site design concepts, discussed new variations of the concepts, and examined how site features such as the parking lot location impact neighbouring properties. Consideration was also given to how the various site layouts impact matters of importance to the larger community. A number of goals and requirements were considered by staff in evaluating the site design concepts including: · Preserving the residential character of the building and ensuring any additions were designed in a consistent and complementary residential style, · Maintaining the residential character of the lot at the intersection of Baxter Place and Pioneer Tower Road, · Protecting and preserving vegetation on neighbouring lands, and on the subject lands. 2 · Accommodating a building of about 300 m to meet the space needs of the applicant, · Achieving 20 on-site parking spaces to meet the expected requirements of the health clinic and avoid on-street parking, and · Limiting and mitigating impacts to neighbouring property owners by incorporating appropriate screening, buffers and setbacks. 2 - 1 In developing the preferred site design, staff seriously considered impacts to neighbouring properties, as well as impacts to the overall community. There are design options that may lessen impacts to two or three neighbouring properties to the rear, however, such designs shift impacts to other neighbouring properties and/or to the overall community. Alternative Parking Lot Configurations – Impacts to Character and Vegetation Various parking lot configurations have been explored and each impacts neighbours and the community in different ways. If parking is located in the front yard or the side yard abutting Baxter Place, impacts of the parking area are shifted away from the private property owners, to the greater community. Parking near the intersection significantly impacts the character of the neighbourhood because the terminating view from King Street East and Pioneer Tower Road would no longer appear to be a house and front yard, but would be a parking lot. The parking lot in this location would also result in many of the existing trees being removed. While new landscaping would be required, it would take many years for it to reach the current level of maturity. This neighbourhood is unique and it is important to the City and to residents that this character be retained. However, as discussed in the Planning Report CSD17-002 the subject lot is highly impacted by the busy intersection and adjoining commercial uses. The proposed natural health clinic would be more tolerant of these impacts than a residential use may be. While staff are of the opinion that it is appropriate for the use change to a non-residential complementary use which is more tolerant, it is important for the residential character to be retained. Locating the parking in the internal side yard shifts the impact of the parking lot to 23 Pioneer Tower Road and away from 248 and 258 Edgehill Drive. This site design would require the complete demolition of the existing dwelling and reconstruction near the intersection of Baxter Place and Pioneer Tower Road. This scenario would require removal of most of the trees from the subject lands, and would likely result in a development with a much more commercial character. While staff would require that the building be designed in a residential style, is unlikely that this would be as successfully achieved with new construction as with retaining the existing house. A full redevelopment of the site would have impacts to all neighbouring properties as well as on the community character. The original concept places parking in the rear yard, in proximity to 248 and 258 Edgehill Drive, with minimal impact to existing vegetation in the front yard and near the intersection. The proposed setbacks allow appropriate space for new perimeter, buffer and screening plantings to be added. There are not significant changes to the front yard or the view of the site from the entrance to the community as a result of this option. Staff are of the opinion that this option allows the residential character to be maintained for the greater community, and that impacts to neighbours are minimal with the recommended setback, buffering and screening requirements. Driveway Location Transportation Services staff prefer connecting the driveway to Baxter Place rather than to Pioneer Tower Road. Baxter Place is a Local Road which is projected to have low levels of traffic volume and lower speeds than what is projected for Pioneer Tower Road which is classified as a Major Community Collector, creating a safer driving environment. The right-turn movement into the site from Baxter Place is located well away from the intersection of Pioneer Tower Road and is considered safer than the left-turn movement into the site from Pioneer Tower Road. Left-turn movements into the site from Pioneer Tower Road have the potential to be blocked by traffic queuing back from the Pioneer Tower Road/Baxter Place intersection, delaying and blocking westbound traffic on Pioneer Tower Road. Any driveway access to Pioneer Tower Road would need to be located well away from the Pioneer Tower Road/Baxter 2 - 2 Place intersection. Transportation Services staff prefer a driveway connection to Baxter Place, and as discussed in CSD17-002, are of the opinion that traffic generated by this site will not impact the neighbourhood via the local street network. Increased Setbacks, Screening and Buffering Staff are of the opinion that the proposed combination of a visual barrier (fence) together with a landscaped buffer will provide appropriate space for landscaping between the parking lot and the neighbouring dwellings, to effectively buffer and screen the parking area. Similar setbacks and screening requirements (i.e. 3 metre setback plus a fence between parking and internal lot lines, and a 4.5 metre setback to a street) would be contemplated for any site design concept. There is also existing dense vegetation and accessory buildings on neighbouring parcels which further screens the subject lands from view. Increasing the setback from the parking lot (rear yard location) to 23 Pioneer Tower Road (internal side lot line), will allow for the retention of one Norway Maple and one Silver Maple, both of which are in good health and fairly large. Staff have discussed this with the applicant who finds that a setback of about 6 metres from the side lot line will be sufficient to preserve these trees. This is shown in the revised Illustrative Concept attached as Appendix “A” and can be achieved while still providing 20 parking spaces and meeting current Zoning By-law requirements. Parking Reduction A small reduction in the number of spaces, from 20 to 18 for example, would allow some additional landscaped space between the rear lot line and the parking area allowing for some additional separation and landscaping. A reduction of this scale would likely meet on-site parking demands of the proposed natural health clinic and is consistent with parking rates being considered through the Comprehensive Review of the Zoning By-law. However, a significant reduction to the amount of parking may result in an undersized parking lot. Staff are of the opinion that a small reduction to the number of spaces will not result in a significant reduction in perceived impacts by neighbouring property owners, but it would result in an increased separation distance. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: This report supports the achievement of the city’s strategic vision through the delivery of core service. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: There are no financial implications associated with this recommendation. CONCLUSION: Having reconsidered a number of site designs, and considered new variations, staff are of the opinion that it is most appropriate to locate the parking lot in the rear yard with the driveway access to Baxter Place, as has been provided for in the Concept Plan, attached to CSD17-002. Staff suggest that a side yard setback of about 6.0 metres to parking could be provided in order to save two additional trees, generally as shown on the revised Illustrative Concept attached as Appendix A, and that parking could be reduced by two spaces without significant implications. While there are other layouts that would achieve a functional site design, each has drawbacks associated with it. As discussed is CSD17-002 the proposed natural health clinic use, site layout and implementing zoning regulations limit the scale and scope of the practise so that it is compatible with neighbouring dwellings and that the site design will mitigate the perceived negative impacts to neighbouring properties. 2 - 3 REVIEWED BY: Della Ross, Manager of Development Review ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Michael May, Deputy CAO (Community Services) Appendices A – Updated Illustrative Concept Plan & Tree Preservation Plan 2 - 4 Updated Illustrative Concept Plan (showing relocation of 1 parking space to preserve trees) Tree Preservation Plan ADDITIONAL TREES TO BE SAVED 2 - 5