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Updated Planning Report September 2008 Proposed Lafarge/Silvercreek Development o its proximity to Hanlon Expressway/Highway 6 and Wellington Street/Highway 7, thus affording access to entire City and surrounding communities; and, o it would be the preferred central Guelph location for a WMC, from a market demand perspective. • The C.B.D. represents the largest node of retail and service space (25.8% of the City’s total of 6.3 million sq. ft.). The City-wide commercial space vacancy rate is 4.8%, while the C.B.D. has a vacancy rate of 4.5%. Vacancy rates below 5% “…are often indicative of a market that is underserved.” • The site is seen to be complementary to the Mixed Use Nodes, which are dispersed through the City, given its central location, its superior overall accessibility due to proximity to a highway interchange (unique among Guelph’s commercial nodes), and its closer proximity to the C.B.D. than the designated mixed use nodes, which offers cross-shopping opportunities. • Although not included in the CPR, the site potential for redevelopment as a retail commercial centre was recognized. • The CPR’s indicated demand for 2.2 million sq. ft. of additional retail and service space by the year 2021 may be understated, based on several considerations: o because the underlying CPR population growth assumption was 157,000 by 2027, while City staff’s subsequent recommendation was 165,000 by the year 2031, and Guelph’s population target under Places to Grow is actually 183,000 by the year 2031; [NOTE: the City’s Growth Management Strategy targets a population of 169,000 by 2031, although it is not known whether the Province has approved that alternative to the above-noted Places to grow target.] o the basis of the space demand calculated in the CPR was the residual approach (assuming no impact on existing retailers), which does not reflect the actual operation of the competitive marketplace; and, o the Clayton peer review of TER’s 2005 market study acknowledged sales transfers of up to 7.5 to 10 percent as being “…an acceptable range of impact”, which TER equates to a further 470,000 to 630,000 sq. ft. of warranted retail and service space. • The subject commercial development, at 400,000 sq. ft., is warranted on the basis of market demand, given Guelph’s continued growth, and TER’s related future population estimates. • The subject proposal will not produce significant impacts on existing or proposed designated commercial centres or mixed use nodes, on the following basis: 26
Updated Planning Report September 2008 Proposed Lafarge/Silvercreek Development o TER’s analysis accounted for the full retail build-out of the four designated mixed use nodes, and any active retail applications, including the proposed redevelopment of Willow West Mall (calculated by TER to represent a net floor space increase of 46,600 sq. ft. of non food-oriented retail space); Willow West Mall represents an important component of the designated “Intensification Area” in the northwest part of the City (closest to the site) at Silvercreek Parkway and Willow Road; o in the opinion of TER, the components of the proposal “…can be justified without detriment to the overall function or economic vitality of the C.B.D.”; and, o in TER’s view, the proposal will not compromise the Official Plan’s policy objectives for Commercial and Mixed Use development, nor will it “…compromise the ability of existing designated commercial or mixed use lands, including Intensification Areas, to achieve their planned function.” 5.2 Traffic Impact Study The proponent’s traffic consultant, BA Consulting Group, produced an updated traffic impact assessment, with a revision date of May 2008. This update relates to the evolution of the proposed redevelopment since its 2005 origins, and also reflects continuing dialogue with the public agencies regarding technical traffic issues arising from the redevelopment scheme. This updated report specifically addresses the revised concept, on the basis of a scale of 38,000 sq. m (409,030 sq. ft.) of retail and service commercial space. The key study parameters were as follows: • traffic forecasts related to planning horizons of five and ten years, starting from the original base year of 2005; • peak hours of weekday afternoons (street) and Saturday afternoon (site); • a study area which included the following intersections: - Silvercreek Parkway intersections between Paisley Road on the north and Wellington Street on the south; - Wellington Street intersections between Imperial Road on the west and Edinburgh Road on the east; - Waterloo Avenue intersections between Silvercreek Parkway on the west and Edinburgh Road on the east; and, - Paisley Road intersection between Hanlon Expressway and Silvercreek Parkway. 27
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updated planning report updated planning report - City of Guelph

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