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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-07-039 - Growth Management, Staging of Development and Public Engagement in Kitchener~~IT~~N~ Development & Technical Services Report To: Development and Technical Services Committee Date of Meeting: March 5, 2007 Submitted By: Jeff Willmer, Director of Planning, 741-2325 Prepared By: Alain Pinard, Mgr. of Long Range & Policy Planning 741-2319 Brandon Sloan, Senior Planner, 741-2648 Ward(s) Involved: All Date of Report: February 28, 2007 Report No.: DTS-07-039 Subject: Growth Management, Staging of Development and Public Engagement in Kitchener RECOMMENDATION: A. That staff proceed with preparing a Growth Management Strategy for the City of Kitchener that would be developed in consultation with a Task Force; and B. That staff report back to Development & Technical Services Committee with a Terms of Reference for the Task Force; and further, C. That staff proceed with preparing the typical Staging of Development Report to prioritize potential Greenfield draft approvals for the remainder of 2007, and report back to Development & Technical Services Committee. BACKGROUND: The Province's "Places to Grow" Growth Plan came into effect on June 16, 2006. This Growth Plan contains policies and strategies to manage expected high levels of growth in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, which includes Waterloo Region. One of the key elements is to mandate compact urban development by requiring municipalities to comply with intensification and density targets. By 2015 and every year after, 40% of all new growth must be accommodated within existing built up areas. Downtown Kitchener is a designated Urban Growth Centre that is targeted to have a minimum density of 200 residents and jobs combined per hectare. New "greenfield" areas are required to have a minimum density of 50 residents and jobs combined per hectare. Municipalities have until June 2009 to amend their Official Plans so that they conform to "Places to Grow". Kitchener does not have a comprehensive "Growth Management Strategy" that is city- specific. Kitchener currently manages growth through the implementation of related Municipal Plan provisions, incentive programs and the annual "Staging of Development Report". The Staging Report identifies greenfield lands that have been designated within the City's Municipal Plan and the potential timing of draft approval for the subdivision of those lands. This tool helps to plan for greenfield developments but does not address intensification opportunities and targets, and it is not directly linked to the Capital Budget, Development Charge expenditures and other social, environmental and economic objectives. A growth management strategy would ensure proper coordination, appropriate timing, wise investment and that Kitchener continues to grow smartly. REPORT: Why Growth Management ? Kitchener is a leader. The City of Kitchener has taken measures to understand, plan and manage `outward' growth since at least 1968, through the early versions of the Staging of Development report Lot Levy Report}. Kitchener also has an excellent track record at promoting a compact urban form through financial incentives for the downtown and Municipal Plan policies that created mixed use nodes and transit corridors. However, the City does not measure how much growth is accommodated through intensification, and it does not set greenfield/intensification targets in order to manage where development should occur. There are numerous initiatives happening in all geographic areas of the City that impact where and how fast we grow and the quality of life in new communities. Such initiatives include intensification projects, Environmental Assessments for roads and Rapid Transit, engineering infrastructure projects such as trunk sewers and pumping stations, parkland development, the construction of community facilities, the preparation of subwatershed plans, and community and neighbourhood master plans. However, there is no strategy to coordinate and prioritize these projects in relation to development objectives. A city- specificgrowth management strategy would do this. Other key factors prompting Kitchener to develop a comprehensive growth management strategy include: High levels of residential growth ~5-year average of 1672 residential units built/yr} are expected to continue. Kitchener's population is forecasted to grow by about 100,000 people over the next 25 years. Current development interests represent a land supply of 10-20 years. The City does not have the capacity to bring all of the lands on stream immediately. There are at least 10 growth areas and each is considered a viable option for development in 1 to 4 years if considered individually. However, the development lands require varying levels of capital investment, technical studies and approvals that will take several years to complete at current resource levels. What are the tradeoffs between candidate areas? What is the most strategic sequencing to ensure the wise use of engineering and social infrastructure and staff resources? What is the plan to ensure that development is staged in such a way to ensure the health of the Development Charges fund ? There is a need to understand what the Provincial and Regional growth initiatives mean specifically to Kitchener. Where is Kitchener's built area? What is the supply of greenfield development land relative to intensification opportunities? How different is the Province's 40/60% intensification/greenfield target from past trends in Kitchener? There is a need to assess the ongoing maintenance and servicing requirements associated with different development options. 2 There is sound documentation through the recent Environics survey and other corporate initiatives that the Kitchener community supports a comprehensive and proactive approach to growth management. The recently adopted A Plan for a Healthy Kitchener prepared by Compass Kitchener gives direction to pursue growth management and to engage the public on growth management. Key excerpts are highlighted as follows: Excerpts from: A Plan for a Healthy Kitchener - Strcrte~ic Directioizs for Developyr7ent "That the City manages its growth and development...with aview to the critical elements of a healthy comlllunity. As such the Clty must consldel- the economic, social, culttu~al and environmental implications of all future development projects and initiatives. That the results of the community engagement process on growth management be used in the preparation of key quality of life indicators for the City. That, as part of its growth management strategy, the City maintains its balanced approach to replacing and/or expanding existing infrastructure and building new infrastructure, such as wateh, sewer capacity and roads, to support cul-rent and anticipated growth." Proposed Course of Action In response to the above, afour-step approach to advancing growth management in a balanced way is proposed as follows: ~1) Public Engagement Program (Starting April 2007} As a follow up to the recent Environics survey, staff has developed a public engagement program to introduce growth management to residents and raise awareness as to what it means for Kitchener and its future. The first phase is scheduled for March 26 -April 13. This program is primarily aimed at building public awareness although some focussed input will be requested on the long range vision for Kitchener's growth. The public engagement program will include an educational DVD, information on the City's website, a workbook, and a series of open houses. An overview of the Communications Plan is attached as Appendix "A". The public will continue to participate in growth management initiatives beyond this introductory phase. (2) Kitchener Growth Management Strategy (May -December 2007) It is proposed that staff develop aKitchener-specific growth management strategy in consultation with a Growth Management Task Force. In addition to prioritizing development areas the Growth Management Strategy (GMS) would: • update population and growth targets for inclusion in the new Municipal Plan; • calculate historical and potential demand for units by dwelling type; • identify greenfield and built area lot/unit supply; • identify/illustrate locations within the built area with capacity to intensify; • demonstrate how the "Places to Grow" 40% reurbanization / 60%greenfield targets can be achieved by 2015; • establish reurbanization targets beyond 2015 which in turn will establish a timeline for the City's buildout; • develop a methodology for monitoring and reporting the supply and demand of development land for both greenfield and reurbanization areas; 3 • establish dynamic information systems and new products deg. evolution of the Staging Report, Vacant Lot Inventory, website tools}; • provide a mechanism for coordinating and prioritizing capital projects and studies ingrowth areas; and • provide strategies that ensure that suburban areas are transit supportive and that they become complete communities with a full range of amenities as soon as possible also a "Places to Grow" requirement}. Scope of Work The summary chart attached as Appendix "B" identifies the growth areas of the City and the criteria that need to be considered when making decisions about prioritizing land for development. The purpose of presenting the chart at this time is to give examples of the key considerations and the scope of the work that needs to be done. The actual analysis would be done with the proposed Growth Management Task Force. Growth Management Task Force Growth management is a comprehensive undertaking. It requires the co-ordination of activities of several City Departments along with projects from the Province, the Region of Waterloo, GRCA and the school boards. It also requires input from several stakeholder groups and the community at large. To ensure proper input, it is recommended that the Growth Management Strategy be prepared in consultation with a Task Force that would include representation of all the stakeholders. Staff propose to report back on the actual composition and operation of the task force. One idea being considered is to divide the task force into two advisory groups: one that assists with the technical aspects of the strategy and a second that advises on broader public issues. Balanced Approach A growth management strategy does not mean that greenfield development will be abandoned. Instead, the growth management strategy will demonstrate how Greenfield development and intensification will be balanced. There will always be a need for new, well-designed, transit-supportive Greenfield neighbourhoods and compatible infill that utilizes existing infrastructure. The Grow Management Task Force will ensure that there is input from various stakeholders on how to balance growth from greenfield development and reurbanization and how to prioritize greenfield alternatives. (3) Transition Plan -Staging of Development 2007 (MaylJune 2007) For the balance of 2007, staff propose to proceed with the typical Staging of Development report. In 2006 there were no true Greenfield draft approvals, so the proposal is to carry over 8 plans that were previously identified for 2006 and prioritize as potential 2007 draft approval. A few additional plans may be proposed to move forward in timing. In this regard, staff will circulate a draft version of the Staging Report to affected property owners/consultants and report back to DISC in May/June of this year. It is expected that the Staging Report, which has been a tool used to manage growth with future engineering infrastructure, will evolve though the GMS process and for 2008 there may end up being a different product of how growth is managed in Kitchener. (4) New Official Plan (June 2009) The GMS would be an important component of the Official Plan review. It addition to updating population and growth forecasts, it would clarify the City's vision for reurbanization and demonstrate how the City will comply with "Places to Grow". 4 Municipalities are required to update their official/municipal plans so that they are in compliance with "Places to Grow" by June 2009. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Budget impacts of future growth should be considered as part of the Growth Management Strategy. COMMUNICATION: A formal public notice was not required. This is the first step in developing a growth management strategy for Kitchener. Consultations to date have included the Homebuilder's Liaison Committee, Corporate Management Team, and staff from Communications/marketing, Community Services, Financial Services and Engineering. The Communication Plan for the initial public awareness component is in Appendix "A". It is expected that throughout 2007 there will be significant additional communication about this project and involvement from key stakeholders on the Task Force. CONCLUSION: The relationship between growth management and specific corporate initiatives is illustrated in Appendix "C". Staff recommend proceeding with the development of a Growth Management Strategy for Kitchener. This strategy would help demonstrate how we are moving toward achieving the "Places to Grow" Growth Plan requirements, improve the data base on supply and demand of development land, update population and household forecasts, establish density and reurbanization targets, and create a monitoring program specifically for Kitchener. The GMS would be developed in consultation with a Task Force that would include various representatives and report back to DTSC at the end of the year. An update of the typical Staging of Development Report is proposed as a `transition plan' for the remainder of 2007. The final GMS may lead to an updated way of managing growth in 2008 and beyond; however it is expected that there will still be a balanced approach to providing new greenfield development and encouraging intensification. The strategy will lead into the initiation of an updated Official Plan. Kitchener will grow, we will need greenfield and infill development and we do need to ensure we are managing that growth wisely. Brandon Sloan, MCIP, RPP Senior Planner Jeff Willmer, MCIP, RPP Director of Planning Attarhmants• Alain Pinard, MCIP, RPP Manager of Long Range & Policy Planning Appendix "A" -Communications Plan for Growth Management Public Awareness Appendix "B" -Comparison Matrix of Kitchener Growth Districts Appendix "C" - Relationship to Specific Corporate Initiatives 5 Appendix A: Communications Plan for Growth Management Public Awareness Description: The City is proposing to develop a Growth Management Strategy as identified in the directions of "A Plan for a Healthy Kitchener". Municipalities must conform to the Provincial "Places to Grow Growth Plan" which projects Kitchener as a growth area. Kitchener needs to ensure that future growth is managed properly and Kitchener residents should be more aware and be more involved in what the future of our city holds. As a follow up to the Environics survey, a program has been developed for the initial phase of public awareness about the growth management. It is expected that during the development of a Strategy that there will continue to be public engagement. Timelines: 1. Development of Communications Plan/ DVD Production: Dec. -March 2. Public Awareness: March 26-April 13 ^ Council Notification -Report to DTSC March 5 ^ Launch -TBD ^ Open House -April 12 (to be confirmed} ^ Report back to Council -April 23 3. Follow up: April -Dec ^ Creation of a Growth Management Task Force to delve deeper into growth management plan including concentration on staging of development, etc. Target Audience: Kitchener Residents and taxpayers Community Activators -open house, interactive website and traveling open house Small Town Stallwarts -open house Small Town Protectors -open house Urban promoters -interactive webpages, Fringe Dwellers-TBD Suburban Stability Seekers -traveling open house, interactive webpages Neighbourhood Associations Advisory Councils ~KYAC, MACKS) Council Advisory Committees Real Estate industry agents, homebuilders) Communication Objectives: 1. Awareness: let residents know about Provincial "Places to Grow Growth Plan" and the Regional Growth Management Strategy. Identify what it may mean for Kitchener specifically and the City's future growth. 2. Education: understanding of what the changes between status quo and new requirements may mean, discuss the positive aspects of planning for growth. 3. Consultation /public input: -How do we start? How do we achieve 60/40? Do we stop at 60/40 or do we go to 50/50? Appendix A: A-2 Communication Tools: ^ DVD -overview ^ Public open house/workshop ^ Traveling Open house ^ Invitation letter to target groups ^ Media release ^ Potential for feature article/series in Record (meet with Editorial Board just prior to launch of consultations} ^ Your Kitchener insert ^ Website -video for download, resources, additional information ^ Workbook Key Messages: What is Growth Management? Why do we need to manage growth? What does new legislation mean to residents? 2 Appendix C: Relationship to Specific Corporate Initiatives {add flow chart-AP/communications}