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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDSD-2023-251 - Growing Together - Engagement Summary Report OverviewStaff Report r NJ :R Development Services Department www.kitchener.ca REPORT TO: Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee DATE OF MEETING: June 19, 2023 SUBMITTED BY: Garett Stevenson, Interim Director of Planning, 519-741-2200 Ext. 7070 PREPARED BY: Adam Clark, Senior Urban Designer, 519-741-2200 Ext. 7027 Richard Kelly-Ruetz, Senior Planner, 519-741-2200 Ext. 7110 John Zunic, Senior Planner, 519-741-2200 Ext. 7685 WARD(S) INVOLVED: Wards 9 & 10 DATE OF REPORT: May 19, 2023 REPORT NO.: DSD -2023-251 SUBJECT: Growing Together — Engagement Summary Report Overview RECOMMENDATION: That staff use the community input as summarized in the Growing Together Engagement Summary attached as Attachment A to report DSD -2023-251 to inform continued work on Growing Together. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS: • The purpose of this report is to update Council on the result of the Growing Together community engagement workshops held in March and April 2023. • Community engagement included 12 interactive workshops, including three targeted community workshops for residents of the Major Transit Station Areas (MTSA), three broad community workshops, and several other stakeholder workshops. • To inform of the Growing Together workshops, in March over 10,000 postcards were mailed to residents, an advertisement was placed in the WR Record, and an EngageWR project page launched. • Over the course of the workshop engagements, over 500 people participated and shared input on where low, mid-, and high-rise buildings should locate. Clear patterns emerged around where participants placed different built forms. The workshop engagement feedback will be used to inform, along with technical considerations, the development of draft land use and zoning direction to be released in early summer 2023. This will launch a 2 -month engagement process on draft land use and zoning. • This report supports the delivery of core services. BACKGROUND: The City of Kitchener is growing and faces many challenges. There is a housing affordability crisis and Council has declared a climate emergency. Land use policies and zoning regulations can play a role in addressing these challenges. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. Page 136 of 350 Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) have unique provincial and regional policies, and intensification around transit is a core fundamental principle of Ontario's planning framework. The City has launched Growing Together to implement these policies by updating the City's planning framework in MTSAs. Throughout 2023, the City is engaging on the Growing Together project, starting with a series of interactive workshops using a 3D -printed model of the Growing Together geography. This report summarizes and analyses the feedback collected at these community engagement workshops. REPORT: Growing Together is the continuation of the ongoing planning review process that began with Planning Around Rapid Transit Stations (PARTS) and advanced through the Neighbourhood Planning Review (NPR) project. Over 20 engagements were held during these projects to gather community input. Growing Together is among several housing - related studies and initiatives the City is currently undertaking. -_ f I ----I Municipal Housing Bill13, Sill 23, Bill 104 Shared Accommodations Evictions & DSsplacement Pledge Implementation Plan By-law (incl. Lodging House) Toolkit Implementation Growing Together Lower Doan Land Use Rental Replacement By-law Engagement summary study Implementation Implementation Missing Middle and Eviction &Displacement Eviction & Displacement Affordable Housing Study Welapage & Online Toolkit Options Update Reporting Update Inclusionary Zoning Direction Rental Replacement By-law Information Report Growing Together Implementation Inclusionary Zoning Implementation Details and timeline of ongoing City housing -related initiatives Growing Together focuses on the land use and zoning framework for seven of Kitchener's 10 MTSAs (west of the expressway), which include the Urban Growth Centre and Downtown Kitchener. The seven MTSAs are as follows: 1. Grand River Hospital 5. Kitchener Market 2. Central Station Innovation District 6. Borden 3. Victoria Park / Kitchener City Hall 7. Mill 4. Frederick / Queen Page 137 of 350 Victoria Pa Map of the 7 MTSAs within the Growing Together study area The final boundaries of the seven MTSAs have been established by the Region of Waterloo's Official Plan and approved by the Province in April 2023 (Regional Official Plan Amendment Number 6). An updated land use planning framework in the Growing Together MTSAs is needed to: • Meet the Municipal Housing Pledge target of 35,000 new units by the end of 2031 submitted to the Province by Council resolution on March 20, 2023; • Enable `Missing Middle' housing to increase housing choice and diversity. The Growing Together geography would be the first to see new `Missing Middle' permissions consistent with the recommendations of the Enabling Missing Middle and Affordable Housing Feasibility Study endorsed by Council on May 8, 2023; • Require affordable housing as part of new developments (Inclusionary Zoning). Inclusionary Zoning directions are being considered in a coordinated manner by Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge with next steps being advanced in each municipality in June 2023 (DSD -2023-239). Provincial policy dictates that MTSAs are the only geography where inclusionary zoning policies can be applied; and, • Consider the pursuit of a downtown District Energy System which is a key part in growing more sustainably, reducing building -related greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting a prosperous and resilient energy transition. As part of the public launch of Growing Together, staff ran several community workshops. The Growing Together workshop format was intentionally designed to be: • Equitable: To reach a more diverse and representative range of community members; • Educational: To create an intuitive exercise using realistic building types and quantities to simulate growth and set expectations for future change; and • Measurable: To collect community input that can be meaningfully analyzed and quantified. Page 138 of 350 Growing Together has won two awards to date: 1. A Smart50 award, an international award honouring the 50 most transformative smart projects of the year. Additionally, at the Smart Cities Connect conference in Denver in May 2023, Growing Together was announced as one of the top 3 projects overall. These awards were presented to Council on May 29, 2023. 2. A 2023 Excellence in Municipal Systems award by the Municipal Information Systems Association of Ontario. Community Workshop Overview The Growing Together workshop featured a 3D -printed physical model representing the seven MTSAs west of the expressway. Participants were asked to place yellow buildings representing 18,000 new housing units across the seven MTSAs, an amount consistent with the Housing Pledge target of 35,000 new units by the end of 2031. The yellow buildings included different building types represented by low, medium, and high-rise buildings, and consistent with the types of developments currently being built in the MTSAs and expected to be built in the future. White buildings on the physical model represent the existing context. Staff were engaged in discussion with participants about their priorities, concerns, and ambitions for what Kitchener's MTSAs could become. Community workshop at the Kitchener Market on March 25th (link to video) Six workshops were designed and organized to engage community members in two categories: three focused workshops for residents of specific dwelling types within the Growing Together MTSAs, and three community workshops that were open for anyone to attend. As part of advertising the three focused workshops, 10,598 postcards were mailed to property owners and residents for the following three categories: • Low-rise detached dwelling residents (3,013 postcards); • Low-rise apartment residents (2,937 postcards); • Mid -rise and high-rise apartment residents (4,648 postcards). Page 139 of 350 To date, staff have run six community workshops that form the core of this report. The following table details the community workshops that were held in March and April 2023. Date Group/Event March 21 2023 Focused Community Workshop Mid -rise and High-rise Residents Location Participants Kitchener City Hall 60 Rotunda March 23 2023 Focused Community Workshop: Kitchener Public 75 Low-rise Detached Residents Library March 25 2023 Community -Wide Workshop Kitchener Market 370 March 27 2023 Community -Wide Workshop Stanley Park 25 Community Centre March 30 2023 Community -Wide Workshop Forest Heights KPL 20 April 4 2023 Focused Workshop: Low-rise Downtown 12 Multiple Residents Total Communitv Centre Staff also held additional stakeholder workshops with the following groups: • Downtown Community Working Group (January 24); • City of Kitchener Planning Staff (March 1); 562 • City Council (April 17); • Waterloo Region District School Board Geography Teachers (April 21); • Waterloo Region Association of Realtors (May 2); and, • City of Cambridge, City of Waterloo, and Region of Waterloo planners (May 18). Key Takeaways from Community Workshops There were several consistent themes across all workshops; • Broad support for growth and intensification within the MTSAs, with participants highlighting favourable access to transit, services, and amenities. • Transit -oriented development contributes to a walkable and vibrant downtown Kitchener by bringing a greater and more diverse mix of people to the core. • Additional green space and parks is needed as the city grows. • Participants stated their concern for housing affordability and accessibility. • Some participants shared concerns with tall buildings, including impacts on shadows, wind, and urban design. • Some participants voiced their support for tall buildings as part of a vibrant city, citing enhanced visual interest and variety of streetscapes at the street -level. • There was support for a variety of housing styles and types across the MTSAs to serve the full range of needs in the community and to provide options for people who want to live here. An interest in larger residential units with multiple bedrooms was commonly expressed. • There was interest in seeing taller buildings developed on lands that are currently vacant, industrial, or underutilized. • Workshop participants placed the most and the highest growth in the Urban Growth Centre, particularly around Central Station, followed by Borden Station and Mill Station. Higher growth was also directed along King, Victoria, Charles, Ottawa, and Weber. Many participants noted the importance of community infrastructure keeping pace with new growth, particularly schools, hospitals, and grocery stores. Page 140 of 350 Growing Together Engagement Summary Report The Growing Together Engagement Summary Report is appended as Attachment A and contains a detailed summary of what was heard as part of the six workshops. The appended report also contains corresponding analysis of where people placed buildings and makes observations about growth opportunities in the MTSAs. The analysis is an integral part in the development of draft land use and zoning materials, which are currently planned to be released for consultation in early summer. Left: A close-up photo from the March 25th workshop. Right: The same area in an image from the subsequent smart model analysis. Next Steps At this time, the next steps and general timing for the Growing Together project are as follows.. • The engagement summary will be posted to the Growing Together engage page for the public and other stakeholders to review; • In early summer, a guide with draft direction on land use and zoning within Kitchener's MTSAs will be available; • Over the summer months, staff will continue to engage with the community on the draft direction on land use and zoning at several community events and will continue to solicit input through the EngageWR project webpage; • In late summer/early fall 2023, a full set of draft materials, including draft Official Plan policies and zoning regulations, will be available for review and comment; and • Council consideration of decision on amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By- law towards the end of 2023. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT: This report supports the delivery of core services. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Capital Budget — The recommendation has no impact on the Capital Budget. Operating Budget — The recommendation has no impact on the Operating Budget. Page 141 of 350 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM — This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of the council / committee meeting. CONSULT — See Attachment A — Growing Together Workshop Engagement Summary. PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES: • DSD -20-151 Downtown District Energy Pre -Feasibility Study and Business Case • DSD -2023-063 City of Kitchener Municipal Housing Pledge • DSD -2023-071 Inclusionary Zoning for Affordable Housing: Status Update • DSD -2023-197 Downtown Kitchener Vision and Growing Together - Council Strategy Session REVIEWED BY: Natalie Goss, Manager, Policy & Research APPROVED BY: Justin Readman, General Manager, Development Services Department ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A — Growing Together Workshop Engagement Summary Page 142 of 350 Growing Together What We Heard: Workshop Engagement Summary Detailing Public Workshop Engagements Held in March and April of 2023 Prepared by: LURA Consulting & City of Kitchener Page 143 of 350 Contents ProjectOverview........................................................................................................................ 1 Engagement and Communications Approach............................................................................ 1 Summary of Workshop Results.................................................................................................. 6 NextSteps................................................................................................................................14 Appendix A: Summary and Analysis of Community Workshops.................................................15 Appendix B: Engagement and Communications Materials........................................................58 Appendix C — City of Kitchener Downtown Community Working Group Meeting #7 Summary..62 Page 144 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Project Overview The City of Kitchener is growing and faces many challenges. There is a housing affordability crisis and Council has declared a climate emergency. Land use policies and zoning regulations can play a significant role in addressing these challenges. Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) have unique provincial and regional policies, and intensification around transit is a core fundamental principle of Ontario's planning structure. The City has launched Growing Together to implement these policies by updating the City's planning framework in MTSAs. Kitchener's MTSAs have been established through the approval of the Region of Waterloo's Official Plan. Growing Together is the continuation of the ongoing planning review process that began with Planning Around Rapid Transit Stations (PARTS) and advanced through the Neighbourhood Planning Review (NPR) project. Over 20 engagements were held through these projects to gather community input. These engagements are detailed in Appendix B of this report. Growing Together focuses on the land use and zoning framework for seven of Kitchener's ten MTSAs (the MTSAs west of the expressway), which include the Urban Growth Centre and Downtown Kitchener. The seven MTSAs are as follows: 1. Grand River Hospital 2. Central Station Innovation District 3. Victoria Park & Kitchener City Hall 4. Frederick & Queen 5. Kitchener Market 6. Borden 7. Mill Throughout 2023, the City is engaging on the Growing Together project, which began with a series of interactive workshops using a 3D -printed model of the Growing Together geography. This report summarizes and analyses the feedback collected at these community engagement workshops, which were held in March and April of this year. Engagement and Communications Approach The last few years have seen many changes to the provincial and regional planning frameworks. Several new City priorities have emerged as well. Due to these changes, it was important that staff meaningfully re-engage with the community to explore what these changes mean. An interactive workshop format was chosen to ensure that this re-engagement was accessible, represented realistic parameters for future change, and led to community feedback that is implementable within the current land use planning process. Those changes, how they have impacted the project, and how they led to the creation of the Growing Together Workshop can be found in the workshop presentation. The Growing Together workshop format was intentionally designed to be: • Equitable: To reach a more diverse and representative range of community members. • Educational: To create an intuitive exercise using realistic building types and quantities to simulate growth and set expectations for future change. • Measurable: To collect community input that can be meaningfully analyzed and quantified. 1 Page 145 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report An Award -Winning Process Growing Together has won two awards to date: • A Smart50 award, an international award honouring the 50 most transformative smart projects of the year. Additionally, at the Smart Cities Connect conference in Denver in May 2023, Growing Together was announced as one of the top 3 projects overall. • A 2023 Excellence in Municipal Systems award by the Municipal Information Systems Association of Ontario. Ontario Figure 1: The Logos for the Smart 50 Awards and MISA Ontario How the Workshops Were Organized The initial suite of 6 workshops were designed to engage community members in two categories; three focused workshops for residents of the Growing Together MTSAs, and three community -wide workshops that were broadly advertised for anyone to attend. How We Reached Out In March 2023, a project webpage and email address were launched to provide details about the project, workshop engagements, and information on ways to stay involved. A presentation detailing the workshop exercise and explaining the context around the exercise was posted on the project webpage. The Growing Together engage webpage received 1,400 total visits through April 19th, 2023. Postcard Notices As part of advertising the three targeted workshops, 10,598 postcards were mailed to property owners and tenants for the following three categories: 2 Page 146 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report fable 1: Target Audience of Postcards and Number of Postcards Mailed Target Audience Description # of Postcards Low-rise detached People who live in single detached, duplex, and 3,013 dwelling residents triplex dwellings. Low-rise apartment People who live in small apartments that are 4 2,937 residents storeys or less. Mid -rise and high- People who live in apartments in mid -rise and 4,648 rise apartment high-rise buildings. residents TOTAL 10,598 A sample postcard is in Appendix B. Growing Together Card Deck A card deck was prepared with key facts about growth, housing, and land development in the City of Kitchener. This card deck was meant to be informative for workshop participants and was made available at the individual sessions. A sample from the card deck is in Appendix B. A .pdf of the full card deck is available on the Growing Together engage page. Advertisement in The Record A notice (Appendix B) advertising the 3 community -wide workshops was posted in the Waterloo Region Record on March 17th, 2023, in printed and online formats. News Release A City of Kitchener news release was sent on March 9, 2023 that highlighted project information and invited the community to engage online or in person at the three community -wide workshops. Email Notification The Growing Together Engage page allows anyone interested in this project to sign up for e-mail subscriptions to receive updates and notices of events relating to the project. 80 community members are subscribed to the engage page. Additionally, email notification was sent to everyone on the notification list to update them on the project and direct them to the Growing Together Engage page. How the Workshop Works The Growing Together workshop is based around an accurate, 3D -printed physical model representing the 7 MTSAs west of the expressway, at a 1:1000 scale. White buildings represent the existing context. Yellow buildings represent 18,000 new housing units, an amount consistent with our Housing Pledge target of 35,000 units by the end of 2031. These units are represented by 6 different typical buildings in three broad categories of low, medium and high-rise development, consistent with the types of development the MTSAs are experiencing and are likely to experience moving forward. A detailed methodology is available here. 3 Page 147 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Figure 2: A photo from the April 17th Council Strategy Session Workshop. Each workshop asked participants to place the provided buildings within the Growing Together geography. Staff were in continuous discussion with participants about their priorities, concerns, and ambitions for what Kitchener's MTSAs will become. To date, staff have run 12 workshops in total, including a suite of 6 community workshops that form the core of this report and the analysis we have produced. The other workshops included groups such as City Staff, Waterloo Region District School Board teachers, the Waterloo Region Association of Realtors, and others. The full list can be found in Appendix B. Table 2: Location and Number of Participants at Engagement Events Date Group/Event Location March 21 2023 Focused Community Workshop, Kitchener City Hall Mid -rise and High-rise Residents Rotunda March 23 2023 Focused Community Workshop, Kitchener Public Low-rise Non -multiple Residents Library March 25 2023 Community Wide Workshop Kitchener Market March 27 2023 Community Wide Workshop Stanley Park Community Centre March 30 2023 Community Wide Workshop Forest Heights KPL April 4 2023 Focused Workshop, Low-rise Downtown Community Multiple Residents Centre Total Participants 60 75 370 25 20 12 The results of each workshop were captured at the end of each event. Each workshop was photographed in detail. Each building placed by a community member was recreated in a digital smart model unique to each workshop. 4 Page 148 of 350 City of Kitchener - Growing Together - Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Figure 3: Left: A close-up photo from the March 25th workshop. Right: The same area in an image from the smart model. The smart model contains information about every building within it; how many housing units it represents, and how many people and jobs are contained within. It provides instant access to data on station area density, people to job ratios, and more. What makes this so unique and valuable is that staff can directly align the community input received with various technical land use planning requirements, making direct comparisons possible, translating workshop results into mapping and datasets with real-world applicability. '- w Ere.�.siav nx=.R c1 Fila Teals Dara Dpkpns Help t e.,.a•==�. onr e, ,,,, cyrvxs our Whole Rat 41T/Bliek Land Use a- .......,... . Add F.W" Edt Lewd Use' E= w _Kohl J cd l KI Add Iles Land Use v*es Is the sum low E IAdd only Paddng vuluss to the sum natal urvI Primary Uric. Ppadmanl _ Bacandry unit:Rasidual rve1 Ei uoaaaF.NFA FaalarInlenlaC @p 94 NFA Re. 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Testing the Workshop Format Prior to the community workshops, the workshop format was trialed with the Downtown Community Working Group that was formed to guide the Downtown Vision project. Their feedback helped shape the final workshop format and served as an opportunity to hear from that group on how growth and change can be shaped from their perspective. The feedback received is detailed in Appendix C. 5 Page 149 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report The workshop was tested on a second occasion internally at the Planning Division Staff Meeting on March 1St, with the intention of evaluating the format for final improvements. Figure 5: Left: A photo from the January 24th workshop with the Downtown Community Working Group. Right, a photo from the March 1st Planning Division Staff Meeting workshop. Summary of Workshop Results Consolidated Results from the Six Public Workshops Through the 6 public workshops, staff consulted with 562 total participants. The following pages summarize the feedback received and document the smart modeling analysis across these 6 workshops combined. Following this broad summary are summaries and analyses for each workshop individually in Appendix A. A summary of the April 17th Council workshop is also available in Appendix A. Key Findings, Overall Summary There were several consistent themes across all workshops; • Broad support for growth and intensification within the MTSAs, with participants highlighting favourable access to transit, services, and amenities. • Transit -oriented development contributes to a walkable and vibrant downtown Kitchener by bringing a greater number of more diverse people to the city core. • Additional green space and parks needs to be considered as the city grows. 6 Page 150 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report • Participants stated their concern for housing affordability and accessibility. • Some community members shared concerns with tall buildings, including their impacts on shadows, wind, and urban design. Others supported tall buildings as part of a vibrant city, adding visual interest and variety to the architecture and urban design of the Kitchener. • Staff heard multiple perspectives supporting a greater variety of housing styles and types, to serve the full range of needs in the community and to provide options for people who want to live here. An interest in larger units was commonly expressed. • There was consistent interest in seeing high-rise development on currently vacant, industrial, or underutilized lands. • Workshop participants placed the most and the highest density growth in the Urban Growth Centre — particularly around the Central Station/Innovation District stop — and surrounding the Borden and Mill stops. Higher density growth was also directed along King Street, Victoria Street, Charles Street, Ottawa Street and Weber Street. • Many community members noted the importance of community infrastructure keeping pace with new growth, particularly schools, hospitals, and grocery stores. Mapping Summary The maps below show the combined results of the six community workshops. The first map demonstrates where low, medium, and high-rise buildings were placed by all 562 workshop participants combined. Key Findings, Overall Building Placement Low � Medium / High Figure 6: Map showing where all buildings were placed by workshop participants across the six public workshops. 7 Page 151 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report As seen in the image above; • Medium and high-density growth was focused at LRT stops, along the LRT corridor and also along major streets like Victoria Street, Charles Street, King Street, and Ottawa Street. • Significant growth was also focused on large "opportunity sites" such as various large surface parking lots and existing industrial lands around the Borden and Mill Stations. • Low-rise growth was generally placed in existing low-rise neighbourhoods. In some cases, low-rise buildings were placed in areas otherwise populated by mid and high-rise buildings. In other cases, mid and high-rise buildings were placed within existing low-rise neighbourhood contexts. However, broadly across the workshops, low-rise buildings were placed within low-rise existing neighbourhood contexts. • A large amount of new high-density growth was placed within the Urban Growth Centre (downtown). Workshop participants demonstrated significant "room to grow" within downtown Kitchener, and broadly indicated a preference for the continued build out of the downtown and other key areas over a more `even' distribution of high-rise forms across the Growing Together geography. Key Findings, Low-rise Building Placement Figure 7: Map showing where low-rise buildings were placed across the six public workshops. 8 Page 152 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report As seen in the image above; • A significant concentration of low-rise buildings was placed near the Kitchener Market, generally between Cedar Street, King Street East, Stirling Avenue, and Weber Street East. Other areas of focus include Victoria Park and the Mt. Hope/Breithaupt Neighbourhood. • Aside from these areas of focus, low rise buildings were broadly placed across the entire MTSA geography. • In general, low-rise buildings were placed further away from LRT stations than other forms of growth and within existing low-rise neighbourhoods. Key Findings, Mid -rise Building Placement Figure 8: Map showing where mid -rise buildings were placed across the six public workshops. • Mid -rise buildings were distributed fairly evenly throughout the MTSAs, with no obvious concentrations observed in one particular area. • These buildings were often placed on larger roads like Ottawa Street, King Street, Courtland Avenue, Weber Street, or Victoria Street. They usually lined these streets. • In general, mid -rise buildings were placed on the outside edges of low-rise neighbourhoods, appearing to serve as a "transition" between high and low-rise buildings. We can see this along Benton Street, Courtland Ave., Ottawa Street, and others. • Mid -rise buildings were often placed in the same areas as high-rise buildings, indicating that a mix of mid and high-rise forms was often preferred for larger opportunity sites, with multiple buildings at a range of heights. 9 Page 153 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Key Findings, High -Rise Building Placement High Figure 9: Map showing where high-rise buildings were placed across the six public workshops. • High rise buildings were generally clustered in the immediate vicinity of LRT stations. • The Urban Growth Centre (downtown) also saw a significant concentration of high-rise buildings placed there. This suggests capacity for continued growth. • Borden Station received a significant amount of new high-rise growth surrounding the station stop. • A few tall buildings were placed in the "Civic District" near Centre in the Square and the Kitchener Central Library. • The north-east side of King Street (opposite Grand River Hospital) saw a concentration of high-rise buildings. The hospital side did not receive many tall buildings, with the notable exception of the large parking lot at Union/King, which saw significant growth added. • Victoria Street, Mill/Stirling, and the Catalyst 137 property also saw tall buildings placed there, despite these areas being slightly further away from LRT stations. These areas were viewed as underutilized "opportunity sites" with large lots that are further away from low rise neighbourhoods and could be suitable for significant density. • Very few tall buildings were placed in the middle of an existing low-rise neighbourhood. 10 Page 154 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Key Findings, `Best Fit' of all Building Placement Figure 10: A map showing a broadly generalized `best fit' of all building placement. • This map removes the low/medium/high categories and shows a broadly generalized best fit of where all growth was placed throughout all six workshops combined. It shows that some form of growth can happen nearly everywhere within the Growing Together MTSAs. • The least amount of growth was placed within parks and cemeteries, followed by the existing low-rise residential areas the furthest away from ION stops, such as the far southwest of the Mill station and the westernmost extremes of the Grand River Hospital Station. However, some growth was placed in every part of each MTSA at one point or another. • Because this layers all 6 workshops together, areas of greater transparency indicate areas where fewer workshops concentrated buildings. Areas of greater opacity indicate areas where there was the most consensus around locating growth. These areas include the Urban Growth Centre boundary within the concentrated placement of buildings in the Central Station/Innovation District, Victoria Park/City Hall and Queen/Frederick MTSAs. This again shows strong community support for continued intensification of Downtown Kitchener. • Intensification can also be read strongly along the entirely of the LRT route; along King Street, Charles and Duke, and Borden and Ottawa. • Additional concentrations are clearly seen surrounding the Borden stop, including nearly all of the Borden MTSA (with the exception of the cemetery). The Mill stop sees a similar concentration around the station stop, but also extending along the rail corridor within underutilized industrial lands. 11 Page 155 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Key Findings, Aggregated Data Analysis A full quantitative analysis is available for each community workshop in Appendix A. An aggregated summary of that analysis covering all workshops combined is provided below. • On average, participants placed 16,116 of the 18,000 units, or 90% of the provided housing. This ranged from a low of 68% to a high of 98%, with higher turnout workshops generally placing more of the buildings (suggesting that more participants led to higher overall participation in the exercise). • People placed the most growth in the Central station (22% of all units). The fewest number of units were placed in the Market station (6%). Significant growth was placed in the Urban Growth Centre (35% of all units). The following table shows the average distribution of units across the six community workshops. Table 3: Number of Units Placed in MTSAs (Average of all Engagement Sessions) Ma'or Transit Station Areas Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC* MTSA Hall Units 16,116 1,731 3,947 1,968 1,326 1,066 3,527 2,550 6,211 Placed % of 90% 10% 22% 11% 7% 6% 20% 15% 35% 18k *The UGC boundary includes portions of the Central, City Hall, Queen, and Market MTSAs • Including existing buildings, the largest amount of total people, on average, would be living in the Central station (11.5k). The smallest populations are found in the Grand River Hospital (5.9k) and Market (5.0k) station areas. • Including existing buildings, the largest amount of total jobs, on average, would be located in the Central station (7.4k). The lowest job totals are found in the Borden (2.0k) and Market (2.0k) stations. • Including existing buildings, the lowest people -to -jobs ratio is found in the Grand River Hospital (1.13 people per job) and Frederick and Queen station areas (1.27 people per job). The highest ratio is found in the Borden station (3.28 people per job). A common best practice is to target a ratio of between 2:1 and 3:1, which is a mix of people and jobs that leads to a good balance of daytime and evening activity to support local businesses and other amenities. Generally speaking, an area with a ratio of less than 2:1 means we should consider ways to add additional housing. An area with a ratio of greater than 3:1 means we should consider ways to add additional employment. 12 Page 156 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Table 4: Number of New People and Jobs in MTSAs (Average of all Engagement Sessions) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC MTSA 154 125 201 Hall 209 115 146 84 341 Total People 51141 ' 5,854 11,520 8,707 6,801 5,049 6,696 6,513 19,608 Total Jobs 29,504 ' 5,164 7,351 5,295 5,334 1,972 2,041 2,346 16,146 Ppl/Job Ratio 1.73 1.13 1.57 1.64 1.27 2.56 3.28 2.78 1.21 • On average, the workshops met the provincial minimum density target of 160 people and jobs per hectare for Central Station, City Hall & Victoria Park and Queen & Frederick stations (green in map below). It did not reach the minimum density targets for Grand River Hospital, Kitchener Market, Borden or Mill stations (red in map below). • Significant capacity was demonstrated in the Urban Growth Centre, achieving an average density across the workshops of 341 people and jobs per hectare. Table 5: Density of People and Jobs per Hectare in MTSAs (Average of all Engagement Sessions) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Hall Queen Market Borden Mill UGC Density 154 125 201 250 209 115 146 84 341 13 Page 157 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Figure 11: A map showing whether, on average, each station was able to meet its minimum density target through the workshop exercise. Next Steps In early summer, draft land use and zoning direction will be available for review and comment. That overview will detail how the community input summarized here has been considered in the draft directions into the project moving forward. It will also summarize how the policies being developed through Growing Together are being designed to align with various City priorities and objectives. Community engagement on draft directions will occur in person at events and virtually through the Growing Together engage page. In late summer/early fall, a full set of draft materials, including draft Official Plan land uses and policies, and zoning regulations will be available for review and comment. Council consideration of a decision on amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law are expected towards the end of 2023. 14 Page 158 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Appendix A: Summary and Analysis of Community Workshops Mid -Rise and High -Rise Resident Workshop (March 21, 2023) Engagement Event Overview • Focused engagement for residents of mid -rise and high-rise apartments living within the MTSAs. • 60 participants in the workshop. • 4,648 promotional postcards mailed to residents. • Held in the Kitchener City Hall Rotunda on March 21St, 2023, from 2pm-8pm Figure 12: Photo of the workshop in progress. Staff spoke with a former Forest Heights resident of 20+ years who moved downtown because his partner felt it would be better for their lifestyle. He was indifferent about the change at the time but now thinks it was a good fit for this stage of their life. Y 15 Page 159 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Figure 13: Image from the smart model of the workshop results. Several people expressed that they enjoyed the workshop exercise and that it helped them to visualize the amount of housing that the City needs to plan for. Where People Placed Growth "We need to develop in empty spaces that are widely underutilized like the Borden Station Area and Airboss factory." One person who recently moved from the GTA to the Kaufman Lofts discussed the need for more services, amenities, and events in the downtown core and major transit station areas. They stressed a need for greater growth as it will bring more of these services, amenities, and events to the Downtown and the MTSAs. The following "heat map" represents where workshop participants placed low, medium, and high- rise housing units through the workshop exercise. Concentrations of growth are found around ION LRT stops. Parts of Victoria Street and Ottawa Street also see significant growth potential identified. 16 Page 160 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report rr /f LOW `L�, ✓ Medium High ti�> Figure 14: A heat map of where participants placed low, medium and high-rise buildings. • 98% of the 18,000 total units were allocated during the workshop. • Growth was generally placed near MTSA station stops, along the ION route, and throughout the Downtown. • Low-rise growth was distributed widely. • Mid -rise growth was also placed broadly throughout, but more mid -rise buildings were placed closer to ION stops. "The ION is very convenient. Multiple participants stacked towers on top of Many stops are already very busy office buildings, expressing a desire for and have a lot of use. But Mill and vertical mixed use. Others stacked towers on Borden are not as busy as other top of towers, noting that specific locations stops. More development would (the hub, for example) could be density help fix that." carriers beyond the tallest building typology provided. High-rise growth was placed in closer proximity to station stops and on large opportunity sites. The placement of low, medium and high-rise buildings can be seen separated out in the maps below. A fourth map shows a continuous map zone capturing all growth, as placed by participants. 17 Page 161 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Low PW Figure 15: A series of four maps showing where participants placed low, medium, and rise growth, as well as a best fit map of all growth combined. • People placed the most growth in the Central station (24% of all units). The fewest number of units were placed in the City Hall/Victoria Park station (9%). Significant growth was placed in the Urban Growth Centre (39% of all units) Table 6: Number of Units Placed in MTSAs (Mid -Rise and High -Rise Resident Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC* MTSA Hall Units 17,571 2,352 4,297 1,682 1,534 1,739 3,255 2,711 6,947 Placed % of 98% 13% 24% 9% 9% 10% 18% 15% 39% 18k *The UGC boundary includes portions of the Central, City Hall, Queen, and Market MTSAs • Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total people living in the Central station (12.2k). The smallest populations are found in the Borden (6.2k) and Market (6.2k) station areas. However, the distribution of population among station areas is relatively even in this workshop scenario compared to some others. • Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total jobs being located in the Central (7.7k) station. The lowest job total is found in the Borden station area (1.4k). 18 Page 162 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report • Including existing buildings, the lowest people to jobs ratio is found in the Frederick and Queen station area (1.3 people per job). The highest ratio is found in the Borden station (4.4 people per job). Table 7: Number of New People and Jobs in MTSAs (Mid -Rise and High -Rise Resident Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC MTSA 161 130 212 Hall 219 136 127 97 359 Total People 53,619 ' 6,891 12,206 8,306 7,182 6,150 6,209 6,666 20,957 Total Jobs 30,572 ' 4,554 7,688 5,693 5,540 2,128 1,411 3,559 16,707 Ppl/Job Ratio 1.75 1.51 1.59 1.46 1.30 2.89 4.40 1.87 1.25 • This workshop met minimum density targets for Central Station, City Hall & Victoria Park, and Queen & Frederick stations (green in map below). It did not reach the minimum density targets for Grand River Hospital, Kitchener Market, Borden or Mill stations (red in map below). • Significant capacity was demonstrated in the Urban Growth Centre, achieving a density in this workshop of 359 people and jobs per hectare. Table 8: Density of People and Jobs per Hectare in MTSAs (Mid -Rise and High -Rise Resident Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Hall Queen Market Borden Mill UGC Density 161 130 212 250 219 136 127 97 359 19 Page 163 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Figure 16: A map showing which MTSAs would meet their minimum required density targets as a result of this workshop. I Multiple participants stacked towers on top of office buildings, expressing a desire for vertical mixed use. Others stacked towers on top of towers, noting that specific locations (the hub, for example) could be density carriers beyond the tallest building typology provided. What We Heard & What We Saw There is a significant amount of recurring interest in specific services and amenities; hospital access to serve a growing population was top of mind for many. More grocery stores were often noted as a need. Staff wanted to better understand the comments and asked for clarification, as there are many small grocery stores operating in our MTSAs; people generally meant larger -format, nationally branded grocers. Participants in this workshop generally agreed that growth and intensification is inevitable and would prefer to see high-rise buildings continue to be built along the LRT. Participants expressed that the city could accommodate the most growth near LRT stations such as Borden and Mill. Feedback expressed general satisfaction with the way Kitchener has been developing tall buildings over the last several years. One participant called for more interesting, `less boxy' architectural forms. One participant cautioned against creating `canyons' of too -similar towers. When discussing building height, participants noted that the downtown could accommodate high- rise developments in line with currently proposed developments. Participants in the workshop noted they would like to see architecturally significant building design and high-quality building materials in new developments. 20 Page 164 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Some participants expressed a need for more `family -sized' units in Kitchener's MTSAs. However, since `family' means many different things to many different people, staff wanted to better understand this concern. People generally meant that they did not believe there were large enough units being created within new developments to serve the needs of households with multiple children. One participant suggested that building height does not concern him, but unit size does. Participants commented on the housing affordability crisis and wanted to see the City encourage affordable housing. Participants had questions about the definitions of affordability and would like to see the definition broadened. It was expressed that larger units for larger household sizes should be provided through new development. be Several comments were made by participants indicating they enjoy living in high-rise buildings downtown and that they would be happy to see more tall buildings downtown. They noted this would bring vibrancy and life to the streets of downtown. More people living downtown would encourage new businesses, such as a downtown grocery store. Participants expressed interest in seeing mixed-use buildings hosting new companies and housing units. CParking/traffic was discussed thoughtfully; with some concerned about the impact of additional cars on existing roads, but with others talking through cycling, transit, and trail opportunities as ways to help people rely less often on personal vehicles. Some participants believe that a personal vehicle is still necessary, even downtown. Others feel the opposite, and rely on the ION, cycling, and other methods to get around. While participants generally supported more housing development downtown, concern about traffic management was expressed. Participants spoke about the need to ensure that City infrastructure and services such as water, transportation and fire can meet the needs of an increased population. Participants also spoke of the need for more green space to accommodate additional residents. Specifically, they mentioned the Iron Horse Trail/Schneider Creek as important opportunities for green space. 21 Page 165 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Figure 17: An additional photo of the workshop. 22 Page 166 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Low -Rise Non -Multiple Resident Workshop (March 23, 2023) Engagement Event Overview ➢ Focused engagement for residents of low-rise non -multiple homes within the MTSAs. ➢ 75 participants in the workshop. ➢ 3,013 promotional postcards mailed to residents. ➢ Held in the Central Branch Kitchener Public Library on March 23 d 2023 from 6pm-8pm Residents discussed the positive benefits that the MTSA geography has — walkability, access to transit, shops, grocery stores, entertainment. They discussed how it is important to protect these functions/activities and that growth should accommodate these positive 1 attributes. Figure 18: Photo from the workshop. Figure 19: Image from the smart model of the workshop results. 23 Page 167 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report r"Ottawa and Borden got a lot of density during the activity. It is a large area that is underutilized and right on the LRT. It is realistic for it to be taller here, adding office buildings, and a broader mixed of uses." �x Where People Placed Growth The following "heat map" represents where workshop participants placed low, medium, and high-rise housing units during the workshop exercise. Concentrations of growth are found around ION LRT stops, particularly the Grand River Hospital and Borden stations. Growth was also distributed throughout the Urban Growth Center and by the Mill station stop. Several comments noted "Mixed use development should be on King Street, near parking lots in the the LRT. It would make sense to see business on the downtown that could be ground floor and housing above." redeveloped. Figure 20: A heat map of where participants placed low, medium and high-rise buildings. 24 Page 168 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report "Stirling and Courtland could be redeveloped. It doesn't back onto many houses and it wouldn't be disruptive to develop. It is also close to a station and very convenient" "I think there should be more high-rises downtown. I want it to be more vibrant, give more life to the city, and attract business, restaurants, and places where people can walk to work". • 96% of the 18,000 total units were allocated during the workshop. Growth was generally placed near MTSA station stops, along the ION route, and throughout the west end of Downtown. Low-rise growth was distributed widely. Mid -rise growth was also placed broadly throughout but often placed closer to ION stops. High-rise growth on large opportunity sites and on lands in close proximity to station stops. • The placement of low, medium and high-rise buildings can be seen separated out in the maps below. Low High "Best Fit" of All Growth Figure 21: A series of four maps showing where participants placed low, medium, and rise growth, as well as a best fit map of all growth combined. • People placed the most growth in the Borden station (31 % of all units). The fewest number of units were placed in the Queen and Frederick and Market stations (3% in each). Significant growth was placed in the Urban Growth Centre (30% of all units) 25 Page 169 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Table 9: Number of New Units in MTSAs (Low -Rise Non -Multiple Resident Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC MTSA Hall Units 17,301 2,448 3,981 1,509 562 503 5,647 2,654 5,474 Placed 53,236 ' 7,012 11,602 7,958 5,516 4,128 10,294 6,726 18,242 % of 96% 14% 22% 8% 3% 3% 31% 15% 30% 18k 30,967 ' 6,229 7,275 4,864 5,109 1,679 3,123 2,687 15,457 • People placed the most new units in Central station. While this is the most populated MTSA today, this suggests that people see additional capacity for growth. • Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total people living in the Central station (11.6k) and Borden station (10.3k). The smallest population is found in the Market station area (4.1 k). • Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total jobs being located in the Central (7.3k). The lowestjob total is found in the Market station area (1.7k). • Including existing buildings, the lowest people to jobs ratio is found in the Frederick and Queen station area (1.08 people per job). The highest ratio is found in the Borden station (3.3 people per job). Table 10: Number of New People and Jobs in MTSAs (Low -Rise Non -Multiple Resident Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC MTSA Hall Total People 53,236 ' 7,012 11,602 7,958 5,516 4,128 10,294 6,726 18,242 Total Jobs 30,967 ' 6,229 7,275 4,864 5,109 1,679 3,123 2,687 15,457 Ppl/Job Ratio 1.72 1.13 1.59 1.64 1.08 2.46 3.30 2.50 1.18 • This workshop met minimum density targets for Central Station, City Hall & Victoria Park, Queen & Frederick and Borden stations (green in map below). It did not reach the minimum density targets for Grand River Hospital, Kitchener Market, or Mill stations (red in map below). • Significant capacity was demonstrated in the Urban Growth Centre, achieving a density in this workshop of 321 people and jobs per hectare. 26 Page 170 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Table 11: Density of People and Jobs per Hectare in MTSAs (Low -Rise Non -Multiple Resident Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Hall Queen Market Borden Mill UGC Density 16 1 150 201 229 183 95 224 90 321 Figure 22: A map showing which MTSAs would meet their minimum required density targets as a result of this workshop. "Mill and Ottawa can accommodate growth. The houses "The Market Squarearea is underutilized, there are getting to be around 70 years old and it could be and well -located along a great place to raise a family." transit." What We Heard & What We Saw Participants shared that housing near transit is necessary because it can allow more accessible connections to amenities, including shops and entertainment. Participants also spoke about the positive impact of more people living downtown, including more vibrant street life, foot traffic to support businesses, improved public realm and a more diverse community. Participants noted that mixed-use development would encourage walkability. Participants noted they would like the City to direct growth to the under-utilized areas of the MTSAs, including redeveloping factory spaces in and around Borden Station and behind the Metz development. Participants want the City and Region to facilitate the development of more affordable housing. 27 Page 171 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Participants discussed the importance of gradually transitioning building heights from high-rise buildings to low-rise neighbourhoods. Specific locations mentioned for high-rise buildings included: • Mill Street/Borden Parkway • Mill Street/Ottawa Street South • Stirling Ave South/Courtland Ave East • Charles Street West/Francis Street South. CAhis session there was some general opposition to growth among certain participants. Specific concerns noted include what they felt was an over -emphasis on high-rise buildings and the need to balance development with greenspace and community -building efforts. Concern was also noted regarding the potential for wind tunnels and shadowing. The need to plan for traffic considerations was also noted. Other participants expressed frustration with the anti -tower sentiment they heard from some others. They mentioned that they were excited about how Kitchener is growing. They believe that intensification brings great benefits with respect to local business and retail options, the quality of the public realm and the diversity of people occupying downtown, etc. Participants noted the need for green space within the MTSAs, especially park space near the new buildings. They also mentioned that all the new units need access to city services. Participants also noted the need to protect heritage buildings. 11 Figure 23: An additional photo of the workshop. 28 Page 172 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Low -Rise Multiple Resident Workshop (April 4, 2023) Engagement Event Overview • Focused engagement for residents of low-rise multiple homes within the MTSAs. • 12 participants in the workshop. • 2,937 promotional postcards mailed to residents. • Held in the Downtown Community Centre on April 4th, 2023, from 2pm-8pm "Not everyone can afford a detached house. We need to provide options. Apartments are way more affordable than houses these days." Figure 24: Photo from the workshop. 29 Page 173 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Figure 25: Image from the smart model of the workshop results. One resident noted that it would be nice to have intensification focused in close proximity to ION Stations without being directly at the stations themselves. Where People Placed Growth CMultiple participants indicated that they do not want to see all of the growth and intensification focused exclusively along King Street. Some residents mentioned that they would love to live closer to transit if the cost of those units were lower. The following "heat map" represents where workshop participants placed low, medium, and high- rise housing units through the workshop exercise. Concentrations of growth are found around ION LRT stops, particularly the Borden and Mill stations. Buildings were also distributed throughout the Urban Growth Centre. 30 Page 174 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report A couple noted that the Catalyst 137 site is massive and could be redeveloped to house a lot of people while having great access to the Iron Horse Trail. Some discussed a lack of safety when crossing Weber Street and would prefer to live on the City Hall side of Weber where they can better access transit, shops, and services they need. They said that Weber limits their housing choices in the MTSAs because of safety. • 68% of the 18,000 total units were allocated during the workshop. This is due to low overall turnout at the workshop. • Growth was generally placed near MTSA station stops, along the ION route, and throughout the west end and central Downtown. Overall, growth is distributed more evenly than other workshops, with taller buildings often located further away from ION stops. The placement of low, medium and high-rise buildings can be seen separated out in the maps below. A fourth map shows a continuous map zone capturing all growth, as placed by participants. 31 Page 175 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Figure 27: A series of four maps showing where participants placed low, medium, and rise growth, as well as a best fit map of all growth combined. • People placed the most growth in the Mill station (21% of all units). The fewest number of units were placed in the Queen and Frederick (4%) and Market stations (2%). Moderate growth was placed in the Urban Growth Centre (17% of all units) Table 12: Number of New Units in MTSAs (Low -Rise Multiple Resident Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC* MTSA Hall Units Placed 12,321 ' 21085 1,316 1,959 683 308 2,196 3,773 2,985 % of 18k 68% 12% 7% 11% 4% 2% 12% 21% 17% *The UGC boundary includes portions of the Central, City Hall, Queen, and Market MTSAs • Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total people living in the City Hall/Victoria Park station (8.6k) and Mill station (8.4k). The smallest population is found in the Market station area (3.8k). • Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total jobs being located in the Central (8.0k). The lowestjob total is found in the Borden station area (1.4k). • Including existing buildings, the lowest people to jobs ratio is found in the Central station area (0.9 people perjob). The highest ratio is found in the Mill station (3.6 people perjob). 32 Page 176 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Table 13: Number of New People and Jobs in MTSAs (Low -Rise Multiple Resident Workshop) Ma'or Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC MTSA 138 120 162 Hall 186 90 98 103 289 Total People 44,647 ' 6,378 7,199 8,600 5,701 3,828 4,492 8,449 14,120 Total Jobs 27,565 ' 4,141 8,039 4,893 5,113 1,669 1,382 2,328 16,225 Ppl/Jo b Ratio 1.62 1.54 0.90 1.76 1.12 2.29 3.25 3.63 0.87 • This workshop met minimum density targets for Central Station, City Hall & Victoria Park, and Queen & Frederick stations (green in map below). It did not reach the minimum density targets for Grand River Hospital, Kitchener Market, Borden or Mill stations (red in map below). • Even with so few buildings placed overall, significant capacity was again demonstrated in the Urban Growth Centre, achieving a density in this workshop of 289 people and jobs per hectare. Table 14: Density of People and Jobs per Hectare in MTSAs (Low -Rise Multiple Resident Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Hall Queen Market Borden Mill UGC Density 138 120 162 241 186 90 98 103 289 33 Page 177 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Figure 28: A map showing which MTSAs would meet their minimum required density targets as a result of this workshop. What We Heard & What We Saw Participants commented on the notion of walkability and expressed that connectivity and frequency of transit lines would benefit development within MTSAs. Many participants did question why there was so much anticipated growth for the MTSAs, but noted that if the City does need to grow, it would indeed make most sense along the LRT routes and within MTSAs where residents can easily access transit and amenities. Staff spoke with a participant who owns a small rental building. They generally like growth and are excited that Kitchener is growing and is in a better place now than it used to be. They think that older buildings should be preserved in some cases and that heritage is important. They think that there should be a grocery store and some more mixed use in the area. That would serve Kitchener well. There was a preference expressed for more growth to be accommodated within existing neighbourhoods surrounding the stations so that people feel a part of a neighbourhood. Specific mention was made to intensify near Mill Station, and numerous participants said the area of the Ottawa Street South corridor near Mill Street is a place which can accommodate growth. Mill Street and Stirling Ave were also noted as a specific location well-suited for growth. One participant expressed excitement about the growth and intensification of the downtown and the potential for more business and mixed-use commercial buildings to open. 34 Page 178 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Participants generally favoured a variety of housing sizes and affordability and encouraged a greater variety of housing choices in neighbourhoods. Participants discussed having neighbourhoods intensified by building more low and mid -rise units within them. Some people preferred to have more growth accommodated in neighbourhoods surrounding the stations so that people can still have denser housing options while living "in the neighbourhoods" themselves and not "along busy streets". Participants noted that high-rises should be well -integrated into neighbourhoods if they are to be built. Some concern was expressed regarding the amount of concrete used in high-rise buildings and the lack of open sky. Some participants noted wanting to see heritage buildings maintained. Participants expressed an interest in seeing green space accompanying new development. One resident was interested in hearing about district energy plans for the downtown and supported those initiatives. It was noted that most people find detached houses unaffordable, and more housing options should be provided. The Catalyst site was mentioned as a place which should be redeveloped for housing. 35 Page 179 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Community -Wide Workshop (March 25, 2023) Engagement Event Overview ➢ Community -wide engagement open to all. ➢ 370 participants in the workshop. ➢ Held at the Kitchener Market on March 25th, 2023, from 7am-2pm Several participants were interested in the ways we would report this exercise back to the public, as well as how we would translate this exercise into our digital model for analysis. Several participants expressed a great appreciation for being able to participate in a workshop that can more directly inform the planning process as compared to other methods of engaging. Figure 29: Photo from the workshop. 36 Page 180 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Figure 30: Image from the smart model of the workshop results. "Change and progress has negative impacts for a few people but many positive impacts for many people over the longer term." �1- Where People Placed Growth The following "heat map" represents where workshop participants placed low, medium, and high- rise housing units through the workshop exercise. Concentrations of higher densities are found around ION LRT stops, particularly the Central and Borden stations. Density was also distributed throughout the Urban Growth Center and along the ION route generally. Many participants noted how important downtown Kitchener is to them and how much better it will be with more people living there, particularly with respect to feeling safer and more comfortable downtown, especially at night. "The downtown is kind of quiet. It needs more life and businesses." 37 Page 181 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Several participants identified the Borden MTSA and King/Ottawa area as a key area for development, in order to create a cluster of `stuff' to serve the surrounding neighbourhoods. • 96% of the 18,000 total units were allocated during the workshop. • Growth was more strongly correlated to the ION line itself compared to other workshops, with buildings being distributed fairly linearly along the transit route between Grand River Hospital and Borden stations. Low-rise growth was distributed widely. Mid -rise and high-rise growth followed the ION route quite closely in this workshop. The placement of low, medium and high- rise buildings can be seen separated out in the maps below. A fourth map shows a continuous map zone capturing all growth, as placed by participants. 38 Page 182 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report LOW Major Transit Station Areas Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC MTSA Hall Units 17,264 3,192 4,814 1,981 1,164 950 3,819 1,343 7,099 Placed % of 96% 18% 27% 11% 6% 5% 21% 7% 40% 18k • Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total people living in the Central station (12.9k). The smallest population is found in the Mill station area (4.6k). • Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total jobs being located in the Central (6.9k) station area. The lowest job total is found in the Borden station area (1.4k). • Including existing buildings, the lowest people to jobs ratio is found in the Frederick and Queen station area (1.11 people per job). The highest ratio is found in the Borden station (4.98 people per job). 39 Page 183 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Table 16: Number of New People and Jobs in MTSAs (March 25th Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC MTSA 159 160 211 Hall 216 128 143 61 355 Total People 53117 ' 8,249 12,947 8,692 6,600 4,900 7,139 4,589 20,946 Total Jobs 29,729 ' 5,835 6,891 4,882 5,942 2,932 1,433 1,814 16,329 Ppl/Job Ratio 1.79 1.41 1.88 1.78 1.11 1.67 4.98 2.53 1.28 This workshop met minimum density targets for Grand River Hospital station, Central Station, City Hall & Victoria Park, and Queen & Frederick stations (green in map below). It did not reach the minimum density targets for Kitchener Market, Borden or Mill stations (red in map below). Significant capacity was demonstrated in the Urban Growth Centre, achieving a density in this workshop of 355 people and jobs per hectare. Table 17: Density of People and Jobs per Hectare (March 25th Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Hall Queen Market Borden Mill UGC Density 159 160 211 242 216 128 143 61 355 Figure 33 A map showing which MTSAs would meet their minimum required density targets as a result of this workshop. 40 Page 184 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report What We Heard & What We Saw A couple with a newborn who currently live in a 2 -bedroom apartment expressed that they love living in a walkable area and would like more options for larger units to serve their needs. Without those larger unit options, they are instead looking at small detached houses and townhouses instead. Participants noted that density is ideally achieved through a mix of mid and high-rise units and that low-rise units should be allowed everywhere within the MTSAs. Other community members expressed concerns about high-rises, noting increased traffic and lack of parking. Montreal was identified as an example of a city that has dense, low-rise neighbourhoods. Community members commented that they liked Montreal's dense neighbourhoods because they are walkable and diverse, with many amenities. Multiple participants, including one who had duplexed their home and a couple who lived in the Victoria Park neighbourhood, expressed that parking is a barrier to development and that the City should remove parking requirements, particularly near transit stations. Participants generally favour new housing developments along the LRT and pointed out that the transit hub should have nearby amenities such as shops and restaurants. Participants would like the City to encourage mixed-use buildings with mixed retail options at grade. Specifically, participants noted they would like to see lands near Borden Station, King/Victoria, and King/Ottawa developed with mixed -uses providing access to amenities for nearby neighbourhoods. Participants spoke about downtown's importance and would like to see it busier and more vibrant and noted that more people living downtown would contribute positively towards this. They expressed that they would like to see downtown become more activated, with a better pedestrian experience and an emphasis on walkability. Many participants indicated they would like more housing style variety in new developments, particularly larger unit sizes. Numerous participants noted they were looking for larger units to accommodate their families but were having issues with affordability. Parks and green space were noted numerous times as a necessary ingredient of a community. Participants would also like to see high-quality public realm and community space in the downtown area. Public services, such as schools, were important considerations for an increasing population. 41 Page 185 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report "It's very important that "All that low-rise (referring to "Our preference is we don't keep building the low-rise areas of the to not live above the h on our farmland." workshops model) sure takes 6 storey. That's too up a lot of space, doesn't it?" high for us." Figure 34: An additional photo from the workshop. 42 Page 186 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Community -Wide Workshop (March 27, 2023) Engagement Event Overview ➢ Community -wide engagement open to all. ➢ 25 participants in the workshop. ➢ Held at the Stanley Park Community Centre on March 27th 2023 from 2pm-8pm . p - Figure 35: Photo from the workshop. Figure 36: Image from the smart model of the workshop results. 43 Page 187 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Where People Placed Growth The following "heat map" represents where workshop participants placed low, medium, and high- rise housing units through the workshop exercise. Concentrations of growth are found along the ION LRT route, particularly in the MTSAs surrounding downtown. Low Medium High Figure 37: A heat map of where participants placed low, medium and high-rise buildings. A member of the Conestoga College Student Association discussed the importance of housing for a growing student population. "We moved to downtown to be in the downtown action. We'd love to continue to live downtown but find construction and parking to be a continuous issue." • 95% of the 18,000 total units were allocated during the workshop. • Very little growth was placed in the Grand River Hospital MTSA in this workshop. Most buildings were concentrated in the downtown along the ION route, along Victoria Street, and along Ottawa Street. The industrial areas on the west side of the Mill station were also allocated high-rise growth. The placement of low, medium and high-rise buildings can be seen separated out in the maps below. A fourth map shows a continuous map zone capturing all growth, as placed by participants. 44 Page 188 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report High Figure 38: A series of four maps showing where participants placed low, medium, and rise growth, as well as a best fit map of all growth combined. • People placed the most growth in the Mill station (23% of all units). The fewest number of units were placed in the Grand River Hospital station (0%). Significant growth was placed in the Urban Growth Centre (38% of all units) Table 18: Number of New Units in MTSAs (March 27th Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC MTSA Hall Units 17,123 6,796 Placed 0 3,554 1,758 2,374 2,577 2,761 4,098 % of 95% 0% 20% 10% 13% 14% 15% 23% 38% 18k • Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total people living in the Central station (10.9k). The smallest population is found in the Grand River Hospital station area (3.0k). • Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total jobs being located in the Central (6.9k) station area. The lowest job total is found in the Market station area (1.8k). • Including existing buildings, the lowest people to jobs ratio is found in the Grand River Hospital station area (0.57 people per job). The highest ratio is found in the Mill station (4.75 people per job). 45 Page 189 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Table 19: Number of New People and Jobs in MTSAs (March 27th Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC MTSA 159 95 189 Hall 235 151 141 104 356 Total People 52,810 ' 10,902 8,508 8,487 7,437 5,424 9,036 10,902 21,166 Total Jobs 30156 ' 6,852 6,098 5,167 1,755 3,062 1,901 6,852 16,186 Ppl/Job Ratio 1.75 0.57 1.59 1.40 1.64 4.24 1.77 4.75 1.31 • This workshop met minimum density targets for Central Station, City Hall & Victoria Park, and Queen & Frederick stations (green in map below). It did not reach the minimum density targets for Grand River Hospital, Kitchener Market, Borden or Mill stations (red in map below). • Significant capacity was demonstrated in the Urban Growth Centre, achieving a density in this workshop of 356 people and jobs per hectare. Table 20: Density of People and Jobs per Hectare (March 27th Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Hall Queen Market Borden Mill UGC Density 159 95 189 261 235 151 141 104 356 Figure 39 A map showing which MTSAs would meet their minimum required density targets as a result of this workshop. 46 Page 190 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report What We Heard & What We Saw Participants spoke about the benefits of living within an MTSA boundary, including walkable amenities and access to transit and other public services. Participants would like the City to continue establishing green space within MTSAs and noted the importance of playgrounds. Students from the nearby college noted that more student housing should be available, lessening the burden on affordable units in the area. Younger students recommended that housing be built near transit to access everything they need, including schools. A professor from the University of Waterloo discussed the importance of tower separation between tall buildings. A group of grade 7 and 8 students discussed how development should be near transit because they can access things they need more easily. The considered impacts from buildings such as shadows and wind to not be the most important issues when it comes to development. One community member expressed concern about living in high rises and would like to see bigger units and a better housing type mix considered. 47 Page 191 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Community -Wide Workshop (March 30, 2023) Engagement Event Overview ➢ Community -wide engagement open to all. ➢ 20 participants in the workshop. ➢ Held at the Forest Heights KPL on March 30th 2023 from 2pm-8pm. Figure 40: Photo from the workshop. Figure 41: Image from the smart model of the workshop results. 48 Page 192 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Where People Placed Growth The following "heat map" represents where workshop participants placed low, medium, and high- rise housing units through the workshop exercise. Concentrations of higher densities are found around ION LRT stops, particularly the Central and Borden stations. Density was also distributed throughout the Urban Growth Center and along the ION route generally. ,ure 42: A heat map of where nts placed low, medium and high-rise buildings. "Development should occur in Borden (the MTSA). It's underused, with a lot of factory space and open areas that could be filled with housing. There aren't enough services there now, and development would help provide direction." • 84% of the 18,000 total units were allocated during the workshop. • Growth was more strongly correlated to the ION line itself compared to other workshops, with buildings being distributed fairly linearly along the transit route, albeit with very few buildings places in the Grand River Hospital, Market and Mill Station Areas The placement of low, medium and high-rise buildings can be seen separated out in the maps below. A fourth map shows a continuous map zone capturing all growth, as placed by participants. 49 Page 193 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report High Figure 43: A series of four maps showing where participants placed low, medium, and rise growth, as well as a best fit map of all growth combined. People placed the most growth in the Central station (32% of all units). The fewest number of units were placed in the Grand River Hospital (2%) and Market stations (2%). Significant growth was placed in the Urban Growth Centre (44% of all units) Table 21: Number of New Units in MTSAs (March 30t' Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC MTSA Hall Units Placed 15114 ' 311 5,717 2,921 1,639 321 3,483 723 7,967 % of 18K 84% 2% 32% 16% 9% 2% 19% 4% 44% Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total people living in the Central station (14.3k). The smallest population is found in the Grand River Hospital (3.6k) and Mill station areas (3.6k). Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total jobs being located in the Central (7.4k) station area. The lowest job total is found in the Market station area (1.7k). Including existing buildings, the lowest people to jobs ratio is found in the Grand River Hospital station area (0.73 people perjob). The highest ratio is found in the Borden station (3.61 people per job). 50 Page 194 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Table 22: Number of New People and Jobs in MTSAs (March 30t'' Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC MTSA 148 96 230 Hall 215 91 141 51 364 Total People 49.417 3,576 14,265 10,176 7,318 3,852 6,620 3,609 22,217 Total Jobs 28,035 4,905 7,362 5,341 5,135 1,669 1,835 1,789 15,971 Ppl/Job Ratio 1.76 0.73 1.94 1.91 1.43 2.31 3.61 2.02 1.39 • This workshop met minimum density targets for Central Station, City Hall & Victoria Park, and Queen & Frederick stations (green in map below). It did not reach the minimum density targets for Grand River Hospital, Kitchener Market, Borden or Mill stations (red in map below). • Significant capacity was demonstrated in the Urban Growth Centre, achieving a density in this workshop of 364 people and jobs per hectare. Table 23: Density of People and Jobs per Hectare in MTSAs (March 30t' Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Hall Queen Market Borden Mill UGC Density 148 96 230 277 215 91 141 51 364 Figure 44 A map showing which MTSAs would meet their minimum required density targets as a result of this workshop. 51 Page 195 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report What We Heard & What We Saw One participant had recently experienced a disability and was looking to move closer to downtown to be closer to transit and other services that they need. This person was struggling to find options that were affordable and suited their needs. They preferred a smaller apartment in a low-rise form, such as a backyard home, multiplex or apartment building. They still valued their independence and didn't feel suited to a retirement home or the assisted living arrangements available to them. �w Community members agreed that new housing developments should be built along transit routes. They noted that housing should be developed near services and amenities. It was noted that areas around Borden Station could be developed into housing. Building housing would then attract other services and amenities to the site. Additional dwelling units (ADUs or backyard homes) were also cited as another way for the City to accommodate increased density. Community members spoke about the need for investment in transportation infrastructure, including buses, GO transit and cycling. Participants commented that focus should be placed on building spaces for children as the city grows. Affordability concerns were noted amongst participants, with one indicating that co-operative and non-profit style affordable housing is preferable when discussing affordability. Community members suggested the City mandate affordability targets. The City -owned property at Courtland and Borden was noted as having the potential for affordable housing and community space. 52 Page 196 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Council Workshop (April 17, 2023) Engagement Event Overview Focused engagement with members of Kitchener City Council. 11 participants in the workshop. Held in the Kitchener City Hall Learning Room on April 17th, 2023, from 3pm-4:30pm Through a council strategy session, Kitchener City Council participated in the Growing Together Workshop. This was an opportunity for Council to complete the same exercise as our public participants, provide feedback, and better understand the ways growth and change are shaping Kitchener's MTSAs. Figure 45: Photo from the workshop. 53 Page 197 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Figure 46: Image from the smart model of the workshop results. Where Council Placed Growth The following "heat map" represents where workshop participants placed low, medium, and high- rise housing units through the workshop exercise. This workshop demonstrates a very even mix of low, medium and high across each MTSA. Higher densities are placed in closer proximity to the ION route, particularly along Charles Street. LOW Medium High Figure 47: A heat map of where participants placed low, medium and high-rise buildings. 54 Page 198 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report • 92% of the 18,000 total units were allocated during the workshop. • Growth was generally placed very consistently across the geography, with fewer clusters of density as compared to other workshops. • Low-rise growth was distributed widely, predominately in existing low-rise areas. • Mid -rise growth was also placed broadly throughout, but more mid -rise buildings were placed closer to the ION route. • High-rise growth was placed in patterns that are very similar to mid -rise growth. The placement of low, medium and high-rise buildings can be seen separated out in the maps below. A fourth map shows a continuous map zone capturing all growth, as placed by participants. Medium Major Transit Station Areas Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC* MTSA Hall Units 16,647 3,687 4,439 913 1,231 1,894 2,659 1,824 4,666 Placed 55 Page 199 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC* MTSA 155 151 200 Hall 225 139 132 64 324 % of 92% 20% 25% 5% 7% 11% 15% 21% 26% 18k 52,058 ' 9,073 12,292 7,058 6,687 6,360 5,273 5,316 16,890 *The UGC boundary includes portions of the Central, City Hall, Queen, and Market MTSAs • Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total people living in the Central station (12.3k). The smallest populations are found in the Borden (5.3k) and Mill (5.3k) station areas. However, the distribution of population among station areas is relatively even in this workshop scenario compared to some others. • Including existing buildings, this workshop resulted in the largest amount of total jobs being located in the Central (6.5k) and Queen & Frederick (6.3k) stations. The lowest job total is found in the Mill station area (1.4k). • Including existing buildings, the lowest people to jobs ratio is found in the Frederick and Queen station area (1.05 people perjob). The highest ratio is found in the Mill station (3.74 people per job). Table 25: Number of New People and Jobs in MTSAs (City Council Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Queen Market Borden Mill UGC MTSA 155 151 200 Hall 225 139 132 64 324 Total People 52,058 ' 9,073 12,292 7,058 6,687 6,360 5,273 5,316 16,890 Total Jobs 28,886 ' 4,177 6,468 5,668 6,362 2,146 2,642 1,423 17,101 Ppl/Job Ratio 1.80 2.17 1.90 1.25 1.05 2.96 2.00 3.74 0.99 • This workshop met minimum density targets for Central Station, City Hall & Victoria Park, and Queen & Frederick stations (green in map below). It did not reach the minimum density targets for Grand River Hospital, Kitchener Market, Borden or Mill stations (red in map below). • Significant capacity was demonstrated in the Urban Growth Centre, achieving a density in this workshop of 324 people and jobs per hectare. Table 26: Density of People and Jobs per Hectare in MTSAs (City Council Workshop) Major Transit Station Areas MTSA Total GRH Central City Hall Queen Market Borden Mill UGC Density 155 151 200 227 225 139 132 64 324 56 Page 200 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Figure 49: A map showing which MTSAs would meet their minimum required density targets as a result of this workshop. What We Heard & What We Saw Council expressed the importance of staying consistent with the plan to build up around the ION LRT. They talked about the integration of green development standards and district energy. Members of council also spoke to the importance of providing for more opportunities to build missing middle housing supply, to create better connectivity and walkability in the MTSAs, and to plan for green space and parkettes. Council also spoke to the importance of built form transition between areas of low-rise and high- rise buildings, while continuing to build up along Kitchener's mixed-use corridors. Council identified opportunities for growth to be directed to Charles Street, Mill Street, Stirling Ave, Victoria Street and more, as well as on underutilized surface parking lots. There was also an interest in seeing more office and mixed-use in the Borden station area. One councilor noted a concern that some constituents had been in contact with them to express that the workshop format was not their preferred way to engage. 57 Page 201 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Appendix B: Engagement and Communications Materials Previous Engagements Over 20 engagements were held throughout the Planning Around Rapid Transit Stations (PARTS) and Neighbourhood Planning Review (NPR) projects that continue to inform the Growing Together work. Those engagements included; • Planning Around Rapid Transit Stations (PARTS) Central Plan o Community Engagement Session 1, November 19th 2014. A feedback report was produced for this engagement. Stakeholder and Landowner Interviews held December 9th and 10th, 2014. A feedback report was produces for these engagements. o Attendance at the Downtown Neighbourhood Alliance General Meeting, May 23 2015, to engage with the neighbourhood associations in and around the PARTS geography and encourage their participation in the process moving forward. o Community Engagement Session 2, May 26th 2015 • Planning Around Rapid Transit Stations (PARTS) PARTS Midtown & Rockway Plans o Public Information Centre 1, May 5th 2016. o Public Information Centre 2, September 29th 2016 o Stakeholder Workshop, December 14th & 15th, 2016 o Public Information Centre 3, May 18th, 2017 • Neighbourhood Planning Review (NPR) o A series of seven open houses were held for residents of each existing secondary plan neighbourhood area in the MTSAs. These were held between May 29th 2018 and April 18th 2019. ■ Midtown Secondary Plan ■ Victoria Park Secondary Plan ■ Cedar Hill & Schneider Creek Secondary Plan ■ Former Victoria Street Secondary Plan ■ Rockway Secondary Plan ■ King Street East Secondary Plan ■ Civic Centre Secondary Plan o A series of six urban design charrettes were also held in this time period to develop urban design guidelines specific to each neighbourhood. These were approved in 2019. o A statutory public meeting was held in December 2019, with a follow up report presented to council in June 2021. While the workshop summary details the feedback and analysis received at the 6 community workshops, 12 workshops in total have been run to date with a variety of groups and stakeholders. That full list is provided below: Table 27: History of Growing Together Engagement Workshops Date Group/Event Location Participants January 24 Downtown Community Working Downtown Community 19 2023 Group Centre March 1 2023 City of Kitchener Planning Staff Kitchener City Hall 30 March 21 2023 Focused Community Workshop, Kitchener City Hall 60 Mid -rise and Hiah-rise Residents Rotunda 58 Page 202 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Date Group/Event Location Participants March 23 2023 Focused Community Workshop, Kitchener Public 75 Housing Low-rise Non -multiple Residents Library Mobility March 25 2023 Community Wide Workshop Kitchener Market 370 March 27 2023 Community Wide Workshop Stanley Park 25 Community Centre March 30 2023 Community Wide Workshop Forest Heights KPL 20 April 4 2023 Focused Workshop, Low-rise Downtown Community 12 Multiple Residents Centre April 17 2023 Council Strategy Session Kitchener City Hall 11 April 21 2023 WRDSB Geography Teachers Downtown Community 28 Centre May 2 2023 Waterloo Region Association of Bingemans 30 Realtors Conference Centre May 18 2023 Cambridge/Kitchener/Waterloo Kitchener City Hall 10 Planners Total Growing Together Engagement Materials 690 The engagement and communications process included a variety of engagement materials, as shown below. Sample Postcard Notice Krr�lvER GROWIN TOGETHER) PLANNING FOR KITCHENERS MAJOR TRANSIT STATION AREAS To team mote about the project and see additional availabledates and mimes, visit wwwxngagewr WVvwinVogelher YOU'RE INVITED TO A WORKSHOP ON: March 23 2023 Begin ting at Spm at IGldt�rer Public library, 85 Queen S, N. Meeting Roan D w FIA& as Land Use a Zoning Growth 8 Change Housing Sas,ts Mobility Submit comrnent5to. Additlonolinformatiort City of Kitchener Join us for a hands -an workshop where we will use a 3D printed Adam Clark Senior Urban designer model of Kitchener to explore how growth and change are 514.741-2206 x 7027 shaping the areas around the ION light-rail system. Paricipate in growingtogethercHitcherecca aguldedworkshop heginningat6ptn 200 King St W. Kitchener ON, N2G 4G7 Current status: r Communityworkshopsinspring PuhlishdraItpok Broad mmmunityarduakeholderengagementon Remmmendation reporthrought 1 2623 to explore themes of growth, docunenuineady 3 draft materiatsinorder tofinalize arecommendation 4 tocouncil lardedsion drange.housing. andmure, summer2023. to be considered by Planning Committee andCouncil Figure 50: A sample of one of the postcards that were mailed out to residents. 59 Page 203 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Newspaper Article (left) and Flyer Handout (right) NOTICE OFA PLANNING STUDY Growing Together Workshops 1,` E NER Join Us At These Events! Dare: Mamh25,2023 Time: 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Location: Kitchener Market 300 King Street East Date: Mamh27,2023 Time: 2'00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Location: Stanley Park Comm unity Centre 505 Franklin St N. AM 0 0 Date: March 30, 2023 ©f"I i © Time: 2'00 March p.m. 30, 2 :00 p.m. IILocation: Forest Heights Library RP 251 Fischer -Hallman Rd. Land Use I& Growth it Housing Zoning Change To learn moreaboutthrs pmieet,visit Oremailusat www.kitchenecea/gruwingtogether growingtogether@ itchener.ca City planning staffare engagingwith the communitythrough a series ofworkshops that explore. in a hands-on way. how growth and change are occurring in the areas surrounding the ION light rail system in Kitchener. Through the Growing Together project we will be updating our policies to address issues concerning housing and growth. The workshop is centered around a 31) -printed model of the city where participants can explore these issues together with staff In a fun, all -ages and abllities exercise. You can drop-in at anytime and stay as briefly or as long as yorid like[ Figure 51: The Record Ad published to advertise the Growing Together workshops. � GROWING K R TOGETHER low 00 ��_ 0 0 Land Use Growth& Housing Sustainability Built Fo Zoning Change Figure 52 The flyer handout made available at the workshops to direct people to the engage page. 60 Page 204 of 350 Visit us online! am� w .rengagewcca/growinglogethergmwinglogelher(Mkitchener.ca Learn more, give us your feedback and participate in other online activities. Check back regularly for project updates and more! low 00 ��_ 0 0 Land Use Growth& Housing Sustainability Built Fo Zoning Change Figure 52 The flyer handout made available at the workshops to direct people to the engage page. 60 Page 204 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Sample of Growing Together Card Deck Growing Together Net Housing Gain For every residential unit lost to demolition, 47 are built in Kitchener. 0 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 000000 Saurce: City of Kitchener Figure 53 Left; A sample of the front of the Growing Together card deck. Right; A sample of the back of one of the cards from the Growing Together card deck. 61 Page 205 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report Appendix C: City of Kitchener Downtown Community Working Group Meeting #7 Summary The seventh Downtown Community Working Group (DCWG) meeting was held on January 24, 2023, from 4:30 to 7:00 pm at the Downtown Community Centre. 19 of 29 members were in attendance. Discussions at the meeting are summarized below. Growth and Housing Activity The following input was collected during the activity as the group worked through two different considerations in a hands-on growth and housing activity: 1. Adding 18,000 units of housing to provide more housing choice. 2. Adding an additional 13,500 units to provide housing affordability. Consideration 1 Input following the first consideration included the following: • Important to have low-rise units to make it feel like a neighbourhood — to allow for a transition from existing lower density neighbourhoods to higher density development. • Want to see additional housing units near transit stations. • Want to see mid -rise units over the old police station and other business. • Add low-rise units to support the population of people experiencing homelessness, near to where they are staying now. • Use former industrial lands for housing. • Develop housing on the parking lot at Charles and Water Streets. • There is underutilized land near the square. Consideration 2 Input following the second consideration included the following: • Density can be a good thing if done in a mixed way. • This is a good visual reminder that density does not mean the entire city gets demolished; we can intensify but still retain our identity. • It is really amazing that we can add this much density and the city remains vibrant. • If there is this much density, there needs to be schools and other supports in place. • Need to include how traffic will work with and around this new growth. • The corridors can handle the density we need to add. Roundtable Discussions — Growth and Housing Following the activity, DCWG members were asked to engage in small roundtable discussions on growth and housing in DTK. Discussions from each roundtable are summarized below. What locations are suitable for low, medium, or high-density growth? Why? Group 1 • It is important for all areas to have a mix of density and types of housing. 62 Page 206 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report • Density should be concentrated near the LRT line. • Medium and higher density areas need supports and amenities such as schools, shops, and parks. • All areas need to include green space. • Medium and high density should be concentrated along transit lines. • Important to examine opportunities for additional units in laneways, backyards etc. • Need to disperse density across the City of Kitchener and not just downtown. • Necessary to protect green space and build around it. • Proximity to the LRT should determine the density. • Growth should occur in corridors such as Queen and Ottawa. • Have low and medium density as buffer areas for established neighbourhoods. • Use underutilized land like parking lots; avoid demolition for environmental reasons. • Important to protect green space. • Limit sprawl of growth outside of the city. • Distribute the higher density, have transition zones, options for families. • Ensure higher density is livable (i.e., people, excitement, parks, and green space.) • Medium and high density along the corridors. How would you organize and distribute intensification? Group 1 • Close to ION stations and other transit, across from hospital. • Creation of destinations near amenities. • Clustering in a way that makes sense. • Mixed use is important. Group 2 • Ensure that space is left for businesses, arts, and culture. • Integrate the new construction into the existing fabric of the city. • Proximity to shops, restaurants, and groceries. • Organize in an integrated fashion, services need to be present before density. Group 3 • Intensification near the transit routes. • Understand what is enticing people to move to Kitchener. • Mixed use is important. • We need to encourage the public's understanding of this topic. 63 Page 207 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report • Organized alongside schools, parks, daycares, and businesses. • Mixed use and distributed, not all in the same spot. • Development that works across socio-economic spectrum. • Growth should be across the city. How important are housing choice and affordability to you and is this reflected in this exercise? Group 1 • Diversity in housing choice and supply mix i.e.: deeply affordable units. • Rent control should be considered. • Variety of housing types is very important. • Expansion of housing types, not just single units. Group 2 • Housing choice and affordability are incredibly important. • Supply is not enough to drive affordability. • City needs to look at other options to encourage affordability and housing type diversity. • Encourage people to move through the housing spectrum. Group 3 • Variety of housing is very important, mix needs to include the missing middle. • Need to have more medium sized dwelling units. • Encouragement of co-op housing. • Density can be achieved without relying on high rises (i.e.: multigenerational housing). Group 4 • Encourage affordable housing across the city; this is currently lacking. • Choice of housing form is important, range of unit sizes. • City could incentivize missing housing types. • Important to destigmatize rental units. Based on our discussion today, how would you summarize the future of growth and housing in downtown Kitchener in a single statement? Group 1 • Intentionally planned neighbourhoods with a diversity of housing types and densities including affordable and accessible housing. Welcoming to everyone and a diversity of transportation types. Group 2 • Intentional, thoughtful, livable, diverse, and unique. 64 Page 208 of 350 City of Kitchener — Growing Together — Phase 1 Engagement Summary Report • Communities should feel unique and `not cookie cutter'. Group 3 • Well designed, intentional, integrated. • Livable, transit -oriented, mix of housing types. • Downtown Kitchener is well designed, intensified core neighbourhood, where housing is integrated with commercial retail, arts, culture, and green space. Group 4 • Livable, variety, mixed income. • The future of growth and housing in DTK offers well thought out, livable housing, with a variety of choices and walkable amenities. Growth and Housing Activity Input The group also provided input on the growth and housing activity, summarized below: • Low-density foam blocks do not stay in place. • A delight to be in an optimistic attitude in the group — excited to envision more buildings. • Having the ability to make some of the housing unit pieces modular, so that they can be stacked. • Label more streets, trails, and green spaces. • Show the rail lines more clearly. • Addition of transit terminals would be good. • The model shows that there is still a lot of white space — the city has not been erased even when we add the density. • Actively encourage participants to be creative and to dive into the exercise. 65 Page 209 of 350