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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlng & Econ Dev - 2000-01-10PED\2000-01-10 PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MINUTES JANUARY 10r 2000 CITY OF KITCHENER The Planning and Economic Development Committee met this date commencing at 3:31 p.m. under Councillor C. Weylie, Chair with the following members present: Councillors Jake Smola, M. Yantzi, J. Ziegler, G. Lorentz, B. Vrbanovic, T. Galloway, J. Haalboom and John Smola. Mayor C. Zehr entered the meeting shortly after its commencement Officials present: Messrs. J. Gazolla, B. Stanley, J. Witmer, D. Mansell, G. Melsanson and L. W. Neil. 1. BPS 99/151 361 VICTORIA STREET SOUTH ZONE CHANGE APPLICATION ZC 97/30/V/ZJ PAUL CHAREST - ROCKWAY-VICTORIA WARD The Committee was advised that the Department of Business and Planning Services was in receipt of an application from Paul Charest to change the zoning with respect to the property known municipally as 361 Victoria Street South. The purpose of the zoning change is to legalize an existing six unit multiple residential building. In this regard, the committee considered staff report BPS 99/151 dated December 16, 1999 and a proposed By-law dated December 16, 1999 attached to the report. It was pointed out that notice that the Committee would hold a public meeting this date to consider this matter had previously been given. Mr. B. Stanley provided a brief explanation summarizing the Department comments relative to this application as contained within the staff report. No delegations were registered with respect to this matter. On motion by Councillor J. Ziegler: It was resolved: "That Zone Change Application ZC 97/30N/ZJ (361 Victoria Street South - Paul Charest) requesting a change in zoning from Residential Five Zone (R-5) to Residential Six Zone (R-6) with a special regulation provision 290R on lands legally described as Lots 9 and 10, Registered Plan 266 and Part of Lot 115, Streets and Lanes, in the City of Kitchener, be approved, in the form shown in the attached "Proposed By-law", dated December 16, 1999, subject to the following conditions being satisfied prior to any readings of the By-law by Council: a) That a site plan application for the six-unit apartment building be submitted and approved by the Manager of Design and Development. b) The owner acknowledges that condition a) is required to be satisfied no later than seven months after Council having approved by resolution Zone Change Application 97/30N/ZJ. In the event this resolution is not fulfilled within the seven month period, Council shall consider rescinding its zone change approval. It is the opinion of this Committee that approval of this application is proper planning for the City and is in conformity with the City's Municipal Plan." BPS 99/199 WASHBURN DRIVE, HURON BUSINESS PARK OFFERS TO PURCHASE - SITE 138 UKCAN 11 INC. -AND - 1340418 ONTARIO INC. - SOUTH WARD Mr. G. Borovilos advised that staff report BPS 99/199 had not been finalized as both offers have not yet been signed and returned to the Economic and Development Division. He indicated that staff hope to conclude this matter and bring a report to the next Committe meeting. By general consent, it was agreed that consideration of offers to purchase site 138 on Washburn Drive in Huron Business Park be deferred and referred to the January 24, 2000 meeting. PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MINUTES JANUARY 10, 2000 3. PRESENTATION -2- CITY OF KITCHENER AIRPORT POSITION PAPER- THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF K- W MARK KRELLER, PRESIDENT, AND STEVEN GABIOS, CHAIR, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REGIONAL AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE The Committee was in receipt of an 'Airport Position Paper' document dated November 12, 1999 prepared by the Chamber of Commerce of Kitchener and Waterloo. Messrs. Mark Kreller, President of the Chamber and Steven Gabios, Chair of the Chamber's Regional Municipal Affairs Committee, appeared before the Committee to present an overview of the position paper. Councillor Jake Smola advised he had made the request for the Chamber to make this presentation and that he was not happy in the manner in which the paper had been released without notification to members of Kitchener City Council. Mr. Gabios commented the Chamber was involved with various task forces that had been struck with respect to the Waterloo Airport and that it had been the Chamber's position all along that they would be undertaking and releasing a position paper. Mr. M. Kreller stated that it was the Chamber's view that they were reporting to Regional Council through the release of the position paper and apologized for any oversight by not formally notifying Kitchener Council of the document release. The position paper was broken down into the following sections: Introduction, Noise Management Issue, Airport Management and Expansion and Mr. Gabios highlighted some of the aspects of each section. Firstly, under the Noise Management section he stated it was the position of the Chamber that unrestricted hours of Airport operation were absolutely critical as the customers of a number of local industries require immediate reaction when production is interrupted for any reason. In reference to the Airport Management section, he stressed that there was a need for competitive and fair fees to be charged by the Airport and he noted that the Chamber had a concern that such fees could be raised to discourage flights in order to achieve an objective of limiting flights in a round about way through the Airport operations being less competitive. He also noted that the Airport Management could ultimately be a cost saving mechanism to Regional taxpayers as the Airport is further developed and brought to a point of economic self-sufficiency. Mayor C. Zehr entered the meeting at this point. Mr. Gabios reviewed the Expansion section of the document and emphasized that it was the Chamber's position that a trigger point should be agreed to within the long term planning horizon that would allow for the next option of Airport development to automatically be implemented without re-hashing issues that were the subject of previous consideration in the past. Mr. Gabios then reviewed the summary of 10 key points outlined on page 2 of the introduction section and provided additional explanatory comment with respect to several points. On point number 2, he commented on the benefits of noise monitoring in that it would allow for tracking of planes that have exceeded noise limits and remedial action. In reference to point number 5, he noted that the area near the Airport was a logical place for industrial land development to take place and suggested that the ROPP ought to be used in this regard. Point number 6 refers to the extension of the existing runway and he advised that lengthening the existing runway would move the land threshold further from the City of Kitchener with the result that planes currently making a landing approach would do so at a higher elevation over the City. Point number 8 dealt with establishment of a new runway and he suggested that this should be incorporated as part of a triggering option in terms of development and also pointed out that a parallel runway would actually move planes further away from impacting Kitchener residential areas. For the information of the Committee, a copy of an April 3, 1999 newspaper advertisement placed by the Chamber of Commerce in respect to the Waterloo Regional Airport was distributed. Councillor C. Weylie questioned who would pay for Airport expansion and the delegation advised that the Federal Government would assume such costs once the present airline has been in place for a designated time frame. He further noted that there could be private funding as well. Concillor Jake Smola stated that when the Airport Position Paper was released he was taken back by the report given he was in the middle of consultation between various groups 3. PRESENTATION AIRPORT POSITION PAPER - THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MINUTES JANUARY 10, 2000 -3- CITY OF KITCHENER OF K-W MARK KRELLER, PRESIDENT, AND STEVEN GABIOS, CHAIR, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REGIONAL AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (CONT'D) involved in the Airport operations. He stated that he was concerned about the runway plans as well as the shift from a Code C to a Code D status. Further he pointed out that 95% of noise complaints pertaining to the Airport are as a result of late night operations and he suggested that the problem would be minimized if three other directions were left open to accommodate such flights. In summary, Councillor Jake Smola stated he was generally supportive of many of the recommendations in the Chamber report but that he was still trying to support the co-existence issue between the Airport and adjacent residents. He questioned what the Chamber of Commerce opinion was on the City's action to permit more residential dwellings closer to the Airport. Mr. Gabios stated that such planning action appears to be a future problem but he acknowledged that there had been an attempt to address it through requirements for signage and reference within property deeds. He also stated that during the past 20 years there had actually been a noise reduction, as planes have become quieter. Councillor Jake Smola then questioned the issue of NEF Contours listed on page 3 of the document and Mr. Gabios stated that it was the view of the Chamber that only objective criteria be used in evaluating standards. Mr. M. Kreller also commented that the Chamber position was that it line up with Transport Canada standards. Councillor Jake Smola questioned if the Chamber of Commerce would be willing to comment on the draft Grand River South Community Plan and Mr. Gabios indicated the Chamber would be pleased to receive the report and provide a response. Mr. B. Stanley advised that the community plan had already been circulated and was on a tight time line of consideration starting firstly with a review by the Planning and Economic Development Committee at its February 21 st meeting. In response to Concillor J. Haalboom, Mr. Gabios stated that the noise warning clause in property deeds serves to raise a red flag to potential home buyers who then must make their decision with respect to value of their proposed purchase in relation to possible noise disturbance. He did note that there has not been a significant increase in air traffic movements at the Airport. Councillor Haalboom then referred to the importance of industrial land to the Airport operations and questioned why the Chamber had supported housing proceeding near the Airport. She noted that Mr. David Leis had attended a Committee meeting at which the question was addressed as to whether long range planning of residential adjacent to the Airport should be revisited. Mr. Gabios indicated that he was not fully conversant with the issue raised by Councillor Haalboom but indicated the Chamber would certainly favor development of industrial land on the Breslau side of the river in close proximity to the Airport. He did comment that with implementation of some of the recommendations that had been put forward, the co-existence issue between the Airport and neighbouring Kitchener residents would improve. Councillor J. Haalboom commented that it was her view that there was a conflict between the Airport and neighbouring Kitchener residential communities over nighttime flight operations. It was suggested that noise abatement procedures if put in place could eleviate concerns and that use of newer jets would mitigate noise levels. Councillor C. Weylie commented that in Phoenix, Arizona the Government was actively purchasing land around the Airport to facilitate its future development and avoid conflict with its residential uses. In summary, Mr. Mark Kreller advised that the Chamber of Commerce had brought forth its position on the Airport on behalf of local businesses. He stated that it was their belief that the Airport infastructure is important to the vitality of the Region and that it was critically important to utilize the Airport asset. He noted that Trillium Air operations had exceeded their expectation and that the Chamber fully supported airport expansion as outlined in the report. 4. ADJOURNMENT On motion, the meeting adjourned at 4:12 p.m. L.W. Neil, AMCT Assistant City Clerk