Background Report - Town of Georgina

TOWN OF GEORGINA, SUTTON SECONDARY PLAN REVIEW STUDY
BACKGROUND REPORT
2.5 EMPLOYMENT & COMMERCIAL LAND MARKET ANALYSIS SUMMARY
The Employment and Commercial Land Analysis of the Sutton Secondary Plan Area included the examination of
currently designated supply of employment land, a commercial retail analysis, and observations regarding future
retail land designations in Sutton.
The analysis notes that the Town of Georgina accounts for 127 hectares (314 acres) or 4.4% of York Region’s total
employment land inventory and that between 2001 and 2005 only 4.2 acres were absorbed wholly in Keswick
with none in Sutton. The analysis suggests that demand for employment land in Sutton will be limited and that
future demand will largely be fulfilled by the planned Keswick Business Park due to its proximity to established
employment areas to the south in York Region, as well as to future extensions of Highway 404. Furthermore, the
analysis points out that the currently designated employment lands in Sutton are not appropriately located from
a market perspective.
It also indicates that the need for additional employment land in Sutton is likely to be very limited but, over the
longer-term (20 years or more), some employment lands could be considered along or in direct proximity to
Highway 48, because it is the current transportation spine through Georgina and would be in close proximity to
the future Highway 404 extension near Sutton.
With respect to commercial / retail land, it is noted that Dalton Road and High Street provide retail and commercial
services to the local community, seasonal residents and visitors and that the retail service role and character
of these areas should be protected and enhanced. With this in mind, it is recommended that large scale retail
uses should be discouraged outside of the commercially designated areas and should only be considered in
commercial areas if they do not compromise the role and character of the existing commercial core areas.
Further details of the analysis are provided in Appendix E.
The Planning Partnership • LGL Limited • Poulos & Chung • SCS Consulting • Cushman & Wakefield LePage | July 2008
12