Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-09-081 - KGMS Implementation Program - Phase I - Draft 2009-2010 and Post 2010 Growth Management Plan~~~~~~ Development & Technical Services REPORT T0: Development and Technical Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: May 25, 2009 SUBMITTED BY: Jeff vvillmer, Interim General Manager, D.T.S. (741-2325) PREPARED BY: Alain Pinard, Interim Director of Planning (741-2319) Brandon Sloan, Senior Planner (741-2648) WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: May 20, 2009 REPORT NO.: DTS-09-081 SUBJECT: KGMS IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM -PHASE I DRAFT 2009-2010 AND POST 2010 GROWTH MANAGEMENT PLAN RECOMMENDATION: 1. That the 2009-2010 and Post 2010 Kitchener Growth Management Plan, as attached to Development and Technical Services Report DTS-09-081 as Appendix "A", be approved subject to the following: • That upon approval of the Development Charges Background Study (2009), the timelines of the capital projects be revised to align with the timelines identified in the final Development Charges Background Study (2009). 2. That the City of Kitchener process amendments to Kitchener's Official Plan to redesignate the west side lands identified in Appendix "B" of report DTS 09-081 to urban land uses in accordance with approved studies, if not completed through the Official Plan Review, by June 16, 2011. BACKGROUND: Staff presented a draft of the 2009-2010 and Post 2010 Kitchener Growth Management Plan (KGMP) at the Development and Technical Services (DTS) Committee meeting of February gtn 2009. Following additional stakeholder input through meetings and written comments, an updated version of the KGMP was recommended for approval at the DTS Committee meeting of March 30, 2009. This matter was subsequently deferred and referred to special meetings of the DTS Committee and Council on May 25, 2009 to allow more time for the review of stakeholder input. The KGMP attached to this report is now ready for consideration. REPORT: Following the March 30, 2009 DTS Committee meeting, staff undertook additional review of stakeholder comments and held meetings to obtain clarification on some of the comments. As a result of the additional review and consultations with the greenfield development industry, staff are able to report as provided below. KGMP Scope and Format Through the consultations it became apparent that some of the concerns are related to the format of the document. The format of the KGMP is quite different than previous Kitchener documents and the linkages between some of the components were misunderstood by some of the stakeholders. The additional consultations provided an opportunity to elaborate on the KGMP's structure and the scope of the projects. Stakeholders appeared to be largely satisfied with the explanations. Staff note that it was necessary to develop a new report format because growth management is complex and includes many more linkages than the previous Staging of Development process. Staff will try and improve the format and the communication surrounding the process in subsequent years. "Macro-level" Planning and "Micro-level" Planning The consultations provided the opportunity to clarify the fundamental KGMP objective of doing the "macro-level" planning (e.g. community planning and transportation network studies) in advance of the "micro-level" planning (e.g. plans of subdivision and site-specific impact studies). There was much discussion of how a sequential approach leads to better planning, is more strategic, and how trying to do both levels of planning concurrently leads to inefficiencies. Many greenfield developers expressed support for this principle provided that all landowners are treated equally. Staff are aware that many site-specific studies have been completed in support of development applications on lands identify as Priority C. Staff agree with the comment from developers that some of these studies have the potential to inform and assist with the macro-level planning initiatives. Clarification of the Different Priority Levels The consultations also provided the opportunity to clarify the meaning of the different priority levels. Staff confirmed that the City of Kitchener would be actively processing plans of subdivision for all priority A and B lands and it was explained that priority B lands cannot be advanced to Priority level A if there are outstanding items such as a servicing connection. Many greenfield developers were happy to have it confirmed that the planning process will not be idle for lands assigned a Priority C. There was much discussion on the scope of the macro- level planning projects that need to be completed before progressing to a Priority B or A level. Detailed terms of reference for each project would have been helpful but many of the landowners appear to accept that this was not possible in advance of the KGMP approval. Other Areas of Clarification and/or Consensus Through the stakeholder discussions it was also possible to clarify and/or reach agreement on the following points: • Stakeholders generally agree and understand that the City of Kitchener can only do so much work in a given year and not all land parcels can be assigned a high priority. It thus follows that many stakeholders generally agree and understand that advancing the priority level on one property usually means assigning a lower priority to another property. • It is a fundamental principle of growth management to plan for intensification opportunities and greenfield development together, in a holistic and comprehensive manner. Stakeholders generally agree and understand that the KGMP is broader in scope than the previous staging of development process. It is recognized that some components of the KGMP are not relevant to some greenfield developers. • The consultations provided the opportunity to clarify that the KGMP will be updated every two years. It was also clarified that when a Priority C property progresses to Priority B it is given equal standing to other properties already assigned Priority B. That is, a past ranking does not influence the relative timing of development between two properties with the same ranking. • The consultations provided the opportunity to clarify that the capital projects and macro-level initiatives identified in the KGMP correspond with projects identified in the City's Capital Forecast and Development Charges Background Study. This clarification appeared to give comfort to some greenfield developers as it underscores a level of commitment. Greenfield Land Supply and "Roadblocks" A few comments of clarification are provided on the issue of greenfield land supply because it did generate questions and discussion at previous DTS Committee meetings. • There is widespread agreement that the KGMP identifies the entire greenfield land supply in the City of Kitchener until 2031 and possibly forever if the countryside line is never expanded as proposed in the draft Regional Official Plan. • There is also widespread agreement that the KGMP proposes that the entire existing greenfield land supply can be developed by the year 2031. • The KGMP is entirely consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement which directs municipalities to make land available through intensification and redevelopment, and if necessary, designated growth areas, for a time horizon of up to 20 years. Furthermore, planning authorities are required to establish and implement phasing policies to ensure that specified targets for intensification are achieved prior to, or concurrent with, new development within designated growth areas. • Staff agree that there is presently a consumer preference for low-rise housing, especially detached dwellings, and that the supply of land for these housing forms is likely to deplete the fastest in each new community that is developed. • There is widespread agreement that housing in the form of multiple dwellings will account for a greater percentage of housing in future greenfield communities in order to achieve Places to Grow density targets and other growth management objectives such as complete communities and critical thresholds of residents and jobs to support transit. • Staff agree that many greenfield parcels identified as Priority A and B may not move forward to draft plan approval during the next two years for a variety of reasons. However, there are ample Priority A and B lands to enable a level of greenfield development that is equal to or greater than past levels. • Staff agree and understand that inactivity or "roadblocks' by one greenfield developer sometimes frustrates another greenfield developer's interest. In these cases staff will promote and facilitate co-operation wherever possible. More direct City involvement will be explored if it is determined that a community objective is compromised. West Side Lands The West Side Lands, as shown in Appendix "B", have been a major focus of the KGMP discussions because they collectively represent the largest remaining greenfield area in Kitchener and because several community-scale (macro-level) planning studies are required. Staff acknowledge that some macro-level studies were identified only during the last year. The consultations provided the opportunity to clarify the scope and sequencing of the projects, and how they relate to the objective of creating a focal point (mixed use corridor and/or mixed use node), something that was identified as missing in this area during the development of the KGMS. Although many affected landowners in the area would prefer a faster timing of subdivision approvals, most have indicated that they would cooperate with the process and many have provided detailed technical studies to assist staff. The macro-level studies will help determine the appropriate land uses before amending the Official Plan to redesignate the lands from "Agricultural" to different land uses. The KGMP and the recommendation of this report commit to having this work completed within two years. Amore detailed explanation is provided below. Overview of the Recommendation The attached Growth Management Plan is essentially the same as the updated KGMP presented on March 30, 2009. The updates address many of the comments and concerns that were expressed since the original draft was presented on February 9, 2009. Many additional concerns were addressed through additional consultation and explanation rather than revisions. Opportunities for significant revisions were limited by two factors described above. First is the fact that the City of Kitchener can only do so much work in a given year and advancing the priority level on one property usually means assigning a lower priority to another property. The second factor is that many Priority C lands are subject to the same macro-level initiatives and there is increasing consensus that it is not appropriate to advance one property ahead of others in the same situation. That being said there is merit for one notable revision and one statement of clarification that are reflected in the recommendation. It is recommended that the timelines of the capital projects be revised to align with the timelines identified in the Development Charges Background Study which will be considered by Council in a few weeks. Alignment with the Development Charges Background Study not only fulfills a goal that is outlined in Kitchener's Growth Management Strategy (KGMS) but also implies a strong level of commitment to the work program which is comforting to some developers. The item that requires clarification is the proposed amendment to Kitchener's Official Plan to redesignate the west side land identified in Appendix "B" to urban land uses. The KGMP proposes to accomplish this as part of the Official Plan Review and this remains the preferred option. However, staff agree that the Official Plan review could be delayed for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with these lands. Therefore it is recommended that the City of Kitchener process official plan amendments to redesignate the subject lands to appropriate uses in accordance with approved land use studies, if not completed through the Official Plan Review by June 16, 2011. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: There are no new financial impacts to be identified in this report. As noted in previous reports there are significant costs associated with constructing, maintaining and replacing infrastructure and community facilities to support growth, and the KGMP is a tool to help the City of Kitchener manage those costs along with Development Charges and the City's Capital Budget program. It is recommended that the growth-related projects identified in the KGMP be aligned with the Development Charges Background Study (2009) and the Capital Budget program that will be updated in the fall of 2009. COMMUNICATIONS: There is no formal public notice requirement. A copy of the report will be posted on the City's website and distributed to the KGMP contact list. CONCLUSION: The KGMP implements one of the action items of Kitchener's Growth Management Strategy (KGMS) that was approved by Council on January 26, 2009. More specifically, Goal 6: Action 1 directs the City to establish an ongoing growth management program that includes preparing a biannual growth management plan that evolves Kitchener's staging of development process. The KGMP is a comprehensive plan for the future growth of the City that coordinates the financing and construction of infrastructure and community facilities with planning studies and development approvals. The KGMP is a city-wide plan that supports our Plan for a Healthy Kitchener and addresses the fact that it is not possible for all growth areas to be a priority. The timing of projects set out in the KGMP best addresses community objectives and growth management principles, and is linked with the Development Charges and Capital Budget processes. The KGMP will result in greater efficiencies by providing direction on where to focus development review efforts and where to focus on long-range planning and capital projects. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, Interim General Manager Development and Technical Services Appendix "A" -Kitchener Growth Management Plan -March 30, 2009 (www.kitchener.calkgms) Appendix "B" -West Side Lands - ROPP #16 Appendix "B" West Side Lands (commonly referred to as ROPP #16 lands) .~~ 6 ~k$4:: .. ,. .. ~~~ West Side LandS o~~~ - 2g 29 ~ ' ~2