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Updated Planning Report September 2008 Proposed Lafarge/Silvercreek Development market-related concerns about implications for the planned functions and economic viability of existing and designated commercial and mixed use lands, and the Clayton peer review concerns about consequences for the West Hills mixed use node and the Willow West Mall (and vicinity) intensification area. In our opinion, all of those matters and related policy tests have now been appropriately addressed and satisfactorily answered, both in the subsequent updated market study by TER, and in this updated planning report. As previously noted, the scope of the updated market analysis was driven, in part, by an expressed intent to address the original Clayton market peer review concerns. The outstanding technical concerns listed by staff at the time of their June staff report included the following: the acceptability of BA Group’s recommended road improvements; unresolved issues related to the proposed Silvercreek/CNR underpass; the need for updated comments from MTO, and lingering issues with the EIS and stormwater management study. All of the foregoing subject matters have been the subject of subsequent technical updates/submissions by respective members of the Silvercreek project team, and in all cases, that further technical information remains under consideration and/or in discussions with the respective agencies with the intent of seeking a mutuallysatisfactory resolution of any remaining issues, and the identification of any appropriate resulting conditions. Staff’s June report also made particular mention of the City’s reluctance to accept the proposed public parkland dedication of the lands east of Howitt Creek, for a variety of reasons including public access and liability, and the stormwater detention role played by a portion of that easterly site area. As documented in this updated planning report, Silvercreek’s previous intention to dedicate those lands east of the creek for public park purposes has now been essentially abandoned, in anticipation that the City will ultimately find that proposed parkland dedication unacceptable. That expectation stems from the updated stormwater management analysis and related changes to the SWM detention concept, coupled with the site constraints in providing functional and safe public access for this prospective park from adjacent neighbourhoods to the north and south – and related concerns expressed by both City staff and the CNR in these latter regards. Accordingly, that previous park dedication proposal is no longer a component of the refined (2008) development concept now proposed. In summary, it is our opinion that all of the key concerns and outstanding technical issues discussed in City staff’s June 3, 2008 staff report have either been satisfactorily addressed by subsequent updated reports and technical submissions by the Silvercreek project team, or remain under active review and discussions with the respective affected agencies. 6.4 Summary and Recommendations In summary, based on the analysis and conclusions of this updated planning report, and supported by the related technical studies, including the updated ones summarized 46
Updated Planning Report September 2008 Proposed Lafarge/Silvercreek Development herein, it is our professional opinion that the revised development proposal and related applications for Official Plan amendment and rezoning warrant approval on appropriate and relevant land use planning grounds, subject to a number of appropriate implementation recommendations. Those recommendations are as follows: • that any implementing amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law incorporate the following policy and regulatory provisions: ‣ limit the number of large-format (“big-box”) retail uses permitted on the subject lands to a maximum of two (2); and, ‣ restrict the maximum aggregate retail and service commercial gross floor area on the subject site to 37,200 sq. m (400,000 sq. ft.); • that the implementing Official Plan amendment also include the following policy provisions: ‣ Council’s specific endorsement of the central “village square” concept as a key component of this commercial development, and related policy direction to reinforce that through appropriate implementing zoning provisions to be discussed with City staff; ‣ Council’s strong encouragement that one of the two permitted “big-box” retail uses on this site be a warehouse membership club; ‣ site-specific policy recognition of the importance of the Silvercreek Parkway connection to Paisley Road via a new underpass of the CNR main rail line north of the site, and the consequent policy direction that the holding provisions under the Planning Act be used to ensure that no development can be approved on the site until that vital underpass is approved and committed; ‣ site-specific policy direction that, at the site plan approval stage, the key internal roadways, both in the vicinity of the “village square” and the overall on-site roadway “grid” be identified and designed to an acceptable minimum width and standard which would facilitate their future dedication as public streets, at the City’s future discretion; • that we concur with City staff’s provisional list of suggested conditions which should apply to any approval by Council or the OMB of the subject development; those suggested conditions are found on page 9-10 of staff’s June 3, 2008 staff report, and are considered “provisional” because they are based on existing information (as of the preparation of that early June staff report), and will be supplemented as appropriate, upon completion of the remaining agency review of supplementary technical reports/information submitted by Silvercreek since early June; • that we support City staff’s recommendation that holding (“H”) powers be used in concert with the implementing zoning amendment, with an appropriate range of potential triggers for lifting the “H”, including the following: 47
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