PLANNING RATIONALE - Oakville

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Planning Rationale - Nautical Boulevard & Great Lakes Boulevard May 2011 5.0 ANALYSIS 5.1 Land Use The proposed redesignation and rezoning of the site to permit medium density residential use is consistent with the policy framework established in the Official Plan. The historic designation of the site for non-residential was in large part a reflection of the one kilometer Nuisance Buffer from the Petro-Canada Refinery. In fact, prior to the current Neighbouhood Commercial Centre designation, the site was designated Place of Worship/Daycare. Policy 1.2.1 e) of the former Oakville Official Plan provided that vacant sites designated for place of worship or day care centres may be used for low density residential purposes without amendment to the former Official Plan. Policy 1.2.1(h) of the former Bronte Community Plan provided that no new residential development was to be permitted within the buffer until such time as the refinery ceased operation and the necessary amendments were made to delete the buffer from the Plan. Commercial uses were seen as a logical alternative to Place of Worship/ Daycare given the residential restriction. As noted, the Official Plan no longer contains a buffer area restricting consideration of residential uses on this site. As noted in Section 4.5 of this report, Policy 1.2.1(a)(vi) of the former Bronte Community Plan provided that a Neighbourhood Commercial Centre would be permitted for the lands south of Rebecca Street, east of Burloak Drive to serve the adjacent residential areas and reflect its position as a major entrance to the neighbourhood. The existing commercial plaza located north of the site satisfies the intent of the policy to locate commercial uses serving the adjacent residential areas. The introduction of a medium density townhouse development would be complementary to the commercial plaza and the intent to mark the location as an entrance to the community. The proposed housing form would be compatible with the existing residential neighbourhood to the south and west which contains a mix of townhouse and single detached dwellings. The surrounding residential community is well served by existing and approved retail uses. In addition to the commercial plaza at the Rebecca Street and Great Lakes Boulevard intersection, a commercial development has been recently approved at the northeast corner of Rebecca Street and Burloak Drive and will provide up to 7,600 square metres of convenience retail and commercial service uses. 5.2 Intensification Residential intensification on the subject site is consistent with the policy directions articulated in the Provincial Policy Statement, the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the Halton Region Official Plan and the Livable Oakville Official Plan, all of which support intensification on sites located within built-up areas which are wellserved by existing municipal infrastructure. 19
Planning Rationale - Nautical Boulevard & Great Lakes Boulevard May 2011 The site is currently vacant and therefore underutilized. Intensification of the subject site is desirable to complete the build-out of the community south of Rebecca Street and to establish the lands as an entrance to the neighbourhood in conjunction with the commercial plaza to the north. In that regard, it is noted that, while the commercial plaza to the north has been developed in accordance with the Neighbourhood Commercial designation, the subject site has yet to develop for the designated and zoned commercial uses. The new Livable Oakville Official Plan requires that the Town of Oakville accommodate a population of 255,000 by 2031. The Plan further provides that the required population growth is to occur primarily within the Growth Areas defined by the Plan. In this regard, the Plan notes that lands outside of Growth Areas are predominantly stable residential communities which consist of established neighbourhoods. Therefore, while the Plan recognizes that some growth and change may occur in these areas, the intent is to clearly define the limits of such intensification in order to ensure the character of these areas is preserved. To the extent that the proposed development would develop a vacant site with a residential use that is compatible with the existing residential neighbourhood surrounding the site, the proposal represents an appropriate form of intensification outside of the Growth Areas. 5.3 Urban Design The former Town of Oakville Official Plan, Part D contains site design considerations where medium or high density housing abuts development of a lower density. In terms of the subject proposal, the lower density housing is located across the street to the south and is not therefore directly abutting the site. The scale of the development, a 3 metres setback provided to the south, privacy screening, and landscaping nevertheless are efforts to maintain the amenity of the lower density area. The Livable Oakville Official Plan includes a number of policies encouraging good urban design in new development. These are discussed in detail in the accompanying Urban Design Brief prepared by Bousfields Inc. The urban design goals of the proposal are summarized below: • Compatibility with the existing community; • Supporting attractive and safe streetscapes with walkable blocks; • Variation of façade articulation and details; and • Placement of principle building entrances facing the street. 20
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PLANNING RATIONALE - Oakville

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