The Chair requested staff to advise on the manner of giving notice for the proposed zoning by-law amendment, official plan amendment, and proposed plan of subdivision. He also asked staff to briefly describe the proposal and summarize the correspondence, if any, received to date.
Mr. Walker confirmed that the required notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act and circulated to each owner of land within 120m, and two signs were posted the subject property. He summarized the application, explaining that it proposes to permit a mixed use residential and commercial plan of subdivision consisting of 809 residential units as follows: 413 lots for single detached dwellings; 26 blocks for 144 townhouse dwelling units; and 2 blocks for future mixed-use residential and commercial developments with up to 252 residential units. In addition, the subdivision will consist of: 2 commercial blocks; 4 blocks for stormwater management facilities; 4 blocks for parks; 1 institutional block; and 1 utility block. The lots and blocks will be serviced by full urban municipal services with access via an extension of St. Joseph Road and sixteen (16) new streets, including one new street (Street A) intersecting with Colborne Street West, and one new street (Street D) intersecting with Highway 35. He also noted that 2 commercial blocks at the southwest corner of the property are not subject to the proposed official plan and zoning by-law amendments. The application's conformity to the Growth Plan and consistency with the Provincial Policy Statement will be determined with appropriate review and revisions of the technical reports submitted by the applicant. Mr. Walker summarized the comments received to date, as detailed in his report, noting that subsequent to the writing of the report additional comments were received from the following individuals and agencies (and circulated to the members of the committee):
- City of Kawartha Lakes Parks Recreation and Culture
- City of Kawartha Lakes Engineering (Development Division)
- Bruce and Diana Rogers
- Gerard C. Borean (on behalf of Ibrans Development Ltd.)
- Martyn Stollar (on behalf of J. Stollar Construction Ltd.)
- Ministry of Transportation (relating to Traffic)
- Ministry of Transportation (relating to Stormwater Management)
- Peter Petrosoniak
- Jacquelyn Choi
- Pamela Marsales (on behalf of Toronto to Algonquin Greenways)
- Glenda Morris
Staff respectfully recommended the proposed Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications along with the Draft Plan of Subdivision application be referred back to staff for further review and processing until such time as all comments and concerns have been addressed. He responded to questions from Committee members.
The Chair inquired if the applicant wished to speak to the application.
Michael Fry, of D.G. Biddle and Associates, spoke on behalf of the applicant and thanked staff for their assistance in processing the applications. He noted that the commercial lands were located on the west side of the property in accordance with the Official Plan, and that reduced density residential lots are located on the east site to be consistent with the existing neighbourhoods. He stated that existing infrastructure such as the sanitary sewer, and transit along Colborne St will assist the development. He recognized the importance of cycling use plans, with connectivity to Highway 35, and is seeking to comply with the accessibility requests. He noted the applications meet the high-level policies for greenfield development, and required densities for the site by the Growth Plan. He emphasized the importance of connectivity in the Official Plan, and believes they have met these concerns. Finally, he noted safety concerns with fencing around stormwater management ponds, and connectivity with Walker Street would be addressed. He responded to questions from the committee members.
The Chair inquired if anyone wished to speak to the application.
Bruce Rogers of 8 Cedar Court, noted that the application requires careful and detailed review and summarized his concerns within a series of questions including:
- Whether the City will make a single decision on the applications, or make an item by item decision
- What is meant by the institutional designation
- Will the developer contribute to the ongoing maintenance costs of the new community?
- Is the amount of parkland sufficient
- Will there be an effort to protect the marshland at the west side of the property
- Is there a timeframe for completion of the project
Peter Petrosoniak, representing the Kawartha Lakes Green Trails Alliance, while commending the applicant for the inclusion of bike paths and trails, he noted some deficiencies. He noted that the developer should not be allowed to pay cash-in-lieu of parkland, and that cycling, and sidewalk facilities should be built for all types of active transportation. He promoted sidewalks on both sides of roads, where there is only one, and additional multi-use trails for connectivity to Highway 35, and along Street H. He submitted correspondence that was circulated to the committee members.
Rick Calvert, of Walker Street, expressed concern that the subdivision plan shows access to Walker Street, as this may increase traffic in the neighbourhood.
Carl Wong, spoke as the applicant's traffic consultant. He noted that Colborne Street is proposed to be widened to 4 lanes (with a multi-use trail), and that there will be improved signalization at Highway 35, St. Joseph Road, and Angeline Street to accommodate the additional capacity. He stated that they have reviewed the comments from the Ministry of Transportation, and are working to meeting their recommendations. He responded to questions from Committee members.
No other persons spoke to the application.
The committee recessed for a break at 2:03pm and reconvened at 2:06pm