HomeMy WebLinkAboutDSD-2024-237 - Growing Together East (Major Transit Station Area Land Use and Zoning Framework) - Project Launch
Development Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: Committee of the Whole
DATE OF MEETING: June 24, 2024
SUBMITTED BY: Rosa Bustamante, Director of Planning & Housing Policy/City Planner,
519-741-2200 ext. 7319
PREPARED BY: Matt Rodrigues, Senior Planner, 519-741-2200 ext. 7685
Adam Clark, Senior Urban Designer, 519-741-2200 ext. 7027
WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward 3
DATE OF REPORT: May 30, 2024
REPORT NO.: DSD-2024-237
SUBJECT: Growing Together East (Major Transit Station Area Land Use and
Zoning Framework) Project Launch
RECOMMENDATION:
For information.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
The purpose of this report is to formally launch the project
which will develop a land use and zoning framework for the three remaining Protected
Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSAs) in Kitchener :
o Block Line
o Fairway
o Sportsworld
This report provides the background to Growing Together East and outlines the
approach to community engagement and technical analyses that will be undertaken.
Growing Together East will culminate with amendments to the Official Plan and
Zoning By-law to implement the proposed land use and zoning framework.
There are no financial implications associated with this report.
Community engagement is being planned to include in-person workshops, pop-ups,
and walk-ins, as well as regular updates and virtual engagement methods on the
EngageWR page, alongside communications to those within the Study Area.
This Report is one of many housing-
as shown on Figure 1. The City
has committed to completing Growing Together East by Q1 2025 as part of its Housing
Accelerator Fund application.
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
Figure 1
BACKGROUND:
On March 18, 2024, City Council unanimously approved the first phase of Growing
Together, referred to in this report as . This phase included
Official Plan Amendments and Zoning By-law Amendments that established three new
Strategic Growth Area land use designations and four new Strategic Growth Area zones
and applied them PMTSAs.
The study area for Growing Together West was guided by the original Planning Around Rapid
The boundaries for the 3 remaining PMTSAs (Block Line, Fairway, and Sportsworld) have
now been delineated by the Region of Waterloo through Regional Official Plan Amendment 6
(ROPA 6) and through Growing Together West. These PMTSAs require an updated land use
and zoning framework to shape future growth and development (Figure 2). Growing Together
East will complete the work begun by Growing Together West .
Figure 2 Growing Together East Study Area
In addition to PMTSA boundaries, ROPA 6 has identified a minimum density target of 160
persons and jobs per hectare in the Sportsworld and Fairway PMTSAs (consistent with that
for Growing Together West), while the Block Line PMTSA has a minimum density target of
80 persons and jobs per hectare. A reduced minimum density target for Block Line PMTSA
has been established as development opportunities are constrained by natural heritage
features, floodplain, and railway lands.
REPORT:
Growing Together East will continue and -based
and data driven process. Growth scenarios for these PMTSAs will be tested, analyzed,
and modelled together with community input, to ensure a broad range of perspectives
are captured when guiding growth and change in these areas.
While the policy framework approved through Growing Together West (i.e., SGA land uses
and zones) forms the foundation of Growing Together East, staff will evaluate the unique
attributes and needs of the Block Line, Fairway and Sportsworld PMTSAs to inform
specific policy recommendations or modifications.
Community and Collaborator Engagement
The award-winning approach to community and collaborator engagement developed
through Growing Together West will be leveraged for Growing Together East. Community
engagement will begin in Summer 2024, with additional community and collaborator
engagement planned in Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 following release of draft materials.
Staff are currently planning to be out in the community to create awareness, introduce
Growing Together East, and seek input through workshop activities to inform where
growth may occur at the following times (subject to additions and changes):
General / City-Wide Events
o Multicultural Festival (Saturday, June 22) Workshop Session
o Kitchener Market (Saturday, July 13) Workshop Session
Station Area-Specific Communications and Events
o Owner and Tenant Post Card Mailout
o Fairway Station Area Workshop Session (July 2024)
o Workshop Session (June 2024)
Growing Together East does not benefit from the decade of community, staff, and industry
engagement that informed the PARTS plans or the subsequent Neighbourhood Planning
Reviews in Growing Together West. Additional materials, outreach methods, expectation
setting, and education for this Study Area are being planned to engage the community
through this process. This will also help address areas where greater equity
considerations may be needed.
Although consideration of site or area-specific requests are more appropriately considered
through application-initiated development applications, City staff expect that there may be
merit in considering these types of requests based on a set of consistent criteria. It is
expected that any development industry or collaborator requests will be considered using
the same approach used in Growing Together West after the release of draft materials.
Technical Studies
The Study Area also presents unique considerations, which may differ from those existing
conditions within Growing Together West, including:
Redevelopment of existing large-format commercial buildings and large sites;
In the Block Line Station area, significant natural heritage, floodplain, and railway
lands constraints which limit redevelopment opportunities;
An emerging mixed-use development context and missing elements of complete
communities (such as parks and community facilities) and complete streets;
Retention and creation of jobs which support population growth; and
Land use compatibility with employment areas and major transportation facilities,
including Regional Roads, Provincial Highways, and rail facilities.
Technical studies will therefore be completed for the Study Area which reflect the local
contexts, which at a minimum include a:
Noise and Transportation Analysis Study
Market Analysis Study
The outcomes of these studies will inform updates policies and zoning regulations which
are applied within the PMTSAs.
Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments
(),
the City has committed to bring forward changes to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law by
the end of Q1 2025.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports Building a Connected City Together: Focuses on
neighbourhoods; housing and ensuring secure, affordable homes; getting around
easily, sustainably, and safely to the places and spaces that matter.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Capital Budget This project is funded from Planning Growth Studies and as part of
450,000. There are
sufficient funds to complete this work.
Operating Budget The report has no impact on the Operating Budget.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P. 13
Provincial Policy Statement, 2020
A Place to Grow: A Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2020
Regional Official Plan
City of Kitchener Official Plan, 2014
City of Kitchener Zoning By-law 2019-051
Growing Together Protected Major Transit Station Area Land Use and Zoning
Framework (DSD-2024-005 and DSD-2024-128)
REVIEWED BY: Natalie Goss, Manager, Policy & Research
APPROVED BY: Justin Readman, General Manager, Development Services