updated planning report updated planning report - City of Guelph

Updated Planning Report September 2008
Proposed Lafarge/Silvercreek Development
2.0 SITE and REVISED PROPOSAL
2.1 The Subject Property
The site which is the subject of the applications under appeal remains the same as
constituted at the time of the original 2005 application. It has a gross area of about 22
ha (55.4 ac.), and is triangular in configuration.
The subject property is located approximately two kms from Guelph’s downtown core,
straddling Silvercreek Parkway, which is a two-lane north/south city street interrupted by
the CNR line at the north edge of the site. The property directly abuts the east side of
Hanlon Expressway, a four-lane, limited-access divided highway which is also
designated as Provincial Highway 6. The subject property is defined on its northeast
and southeast sides by rail lines, the former being a main CNR line, and the latter being
a secondary CNR line which is leased by the Goderich-Exeter Railway (GEXR.)
The site was formerly owned and used by Lafarge Canada as a gravel quarry (until the
mid-1970’s), and more recently, for a concrete block manufacturing operation, which
ceased in 1994. Today the lands remain vacant, bisected by Howitt Creek, which flows
from north to south in a relatively narrow and well-vegetated valley intended to be
protected from development with an appropriate buffer zone; the creek itself is
approximately 6 m (20 ft.) below the surrounding site elevation. Howitt Creek carries
substantial stormwater flow from the Alma Drain storm sewer system north of the site,
through the property and under the GEXR bridge culvert at the south edge of the site.
Apart from the creek valley, the overall topography of the site is generally flat, and it sits
lower than the adjacent rail lines and the neighbourhoods beyond, both to the north and
the south. There are embankments at both railways which vary in height between 3 m
(10 ft.) and 6 m (20 ft.), with trees along both embankments. Otherwise, site vegetation
is generally non-native, pioneering, shrubby and successional in nature, with some
specimen trees in evidence, including a large oak located immediately adjacent to
Silvercreek Parkway .
Adjacent uses to the north of the CNR main line are low density residential in nature,
and include: single and semi-detached dwellings either side of the existing stub-end of
Silvercreek Parkway at the northwest corner of the site; and, Goldie Park, a small
passive neighbourhood park which adjoins Paisley Road Public School to the northeast
of the site. Existing uses to the south of the GEXR rail line comprise a mix of low density
residential, Howitt Park (an active park with parking), the Guelph Bible Chapel and
Conference Centre, a mid-rise (5-storey) apartment building and the Manor Hotel.
2.2 Revised Redevelopment Concept
2.2.1 Original (2005) Scheme
As previously noted, the proposed redevelopment concept for the subject lands has
evolved from its original 2005 form.
That original scheme, as applied for in November 2005, revolved around a mixed
community commercial “campus”, with a total retail and service commercial floor space
3