AaenC:a Hem __ s ___ _ Land use planning & development 23 Foxwood Road. Thornhill, ON L4J 9C4 Tel: 905.889.15641 Fax: 905.889.6309 Website : ManeHplannlng.com April 12, 2016 Ana Bassios Commissioner of Planning and Regulatory Services Town of Richmond Hill Planning and Development Services P. O. Box 300 225 East Beaver Creek Road Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 4Y5 Dear Ms. Bassios: Re: Yonge Street and 16th Avenue Key Development Area Background Research and Analysis Report (SRPRS.16.059) File No. D11-SP-KDA 12 Submission to People Plan Task Force I act on behalf of Goldenville Development Inc. (Goldenville), the owner of 39 - 97 Carrville Road, located on the south side of Carrville Road, immediately west of 9218 Yonge Street, and across the road from Hillcrest Mall. On April 6, 2016, Goldenville filed a Request for Pre-Submission Meeting to discuss their proposed development of these lands. Representatives of Goldenville also met with Town staff as part of the initial KDA stakeholder discussions which occurred late in 2015. On behalf of Goldenville I have reviewed the Yonge Street and 16 1 h Avenue Key Development Area Background Research and Analysis Report, prepared by the Town's external consulting team and have the following general comments: 1. I note on page 04 7 of the report that the Background Study identifies a number of key components to be addressed in the Secondary Plan. What is missing from the list of components is confirmation and recognition that approved developments already establish the built form context for this KDA, in terms of established heights and densities and that the economic viability of future development must be factored into any additional land use policies. 2. On page 048 of the report, the study indicates that the report presents the findings of the research component of the Background Study and that it was the intent of the Study Team to obtain a better understanding of the perspectives of the landowners in the area. However, there is no summary of the input provided by the landowners in the area, including those of Goldenville, based upon the 1 .. l" n l . l .v
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AaenC:a Hem __ s ___ _
Land use planning &
development
23 Foxwood Road. Thornhill, ON L4J 9C4
Tel: 905.889.15641 Fax: 905.889.6309
Website : ManeHplannlng.com
April 12, 2016
Ana Bassios Commissioner of Planning and Regulatory Services Town of Richmond Hill Planning and Development Services P.O. Box 300 225 East Beaver Creek Road Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 4Y5
Dear Ms. Bassios:
Re: Yonge Street and 16th Avenue Key Development Area Background Research and Analysis Report (SRPRS.16.059) File No. D11-SP-KDA 12 Submission to People Plan Task Force
I act on behalf of Goldenville Development Inc. (Goldenville), the owner of 39 - 97 Carrville Road, located on the south side of Carrville Road, immediately west of 9218 Yonge Street, and across the road from Hillcrest Mall. On April 6, 2016, Goldenville filed a Request for Pre-Submission Meeting to discuss their proposed development of these lands. Representatives of Goldenville also met with Town staff as part of the initial KDA stakeholder discussions which occurred late in 2015.
On behalf of Goldenville I have reviewed the Yonge Street and 161h Avenue Key
Development Area Background Research and Analysis Report, prepared by the Town's external consulting team and have the following general comments:
1. I note on page 04 7 of the report that the Background Study identifies a number of key components to be addressed in the Secondary Plan. What is missing from the list of components is confirmation and recognition that approved developments already establish the built form context for this KDA, in terms of established heights and densities and that the economic viability of future development must be factored into any additional land use policies.
2. On page 048 of the report, the study indicates that the report presents the findings of the research component of the Background Study and that it was the intent of the Study Team to obtain a better understanding of the perspectives of the landowners in the area. However, there is no summary of the input provided by the landowners in the area, including those of Goldenville, based upon the
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stakeholder meetings that have taken place. My understanding is that the landowners in both the northwest and northeast quadrants will not be bringing forward intensification proposals in the near future.
3. On page 050 of the Report, we agree that it would be appropriate to consider adjustments to the southwest boundary of the KDA using Spruce Street as a buffer area.
4. On page 051 in paragraph 3 there is a reference to a "planned subway extension north of Yonge Street in the vicinity of the KDA". I expect that this reference must be an error since Yonge Street is a north/south road .
5. On page 052 it is not clearly stated that there are no current site-specific densities or block densities currently in force within the currently identified KDA boundary. There is an inference that a minimum of 2.5 FSI and a maximum of 3.0 FSI is currently in place but this will only come into effect once the KDA has identified development blocks. Given the challenges for development proceeding in the northwest and northeast quadrants, the implications for density targets should be revisited.
6. On page 053 there is reference to the Haulover development exception approved by the OMB which provides for a height of 28 storeys and a density of 5.4 FSI. The OMB clearly indicated in its decision that there was no basis for the "arbitrary 20 storey height limit" in the Official Plan. The decision also clearly indicated that the Great Lands Development, with its 24 storey height was not a corner property within the KDA and that the highest height and density is intended to be at a corner of arterial roads within the KDA. Therefore, the Background Research and Analysis Report should be clearly stating this in its findings. Being clear about these findings should help establish the starting point for future land use considerations and visioning within the KDA quadrants for which there are intensification development proposals.
7. On page 054 there is a Figure 3 that is titled Yonge Street and 161h Avenue Key
Development Area: Land Use. However, this map does not identify land uses. It appears to illustrate Regional Land Use designations only. There is a reference to a Planned Local Street on the map as well which is further noted later in the report.
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8. On page 056 the chart references 20 storeys with the tallest height at the intersection. However, as noted above, this height limit has already been exceeded/superseded by existing approvals in the southeast quadrant, and there is no reason why similar heights and densities would not be appropriate at the southwest corner of the intersection. Heights and densities would then scale down to the south and west of the corner. This is especially relevant since it is unlikely that the lands on the north side of 16th Avenue/Carrville Road will be developed with similar heights or densities, either in the near or long term, since these large properties are clearly established as major retail centres at both the local and regional level. The southeast and southwest corners of the 16th Avenue/ Carrville Road and Yonge Street intersection are well served by public transit and proposed public transit infrastructure improvements and high density development approved and proposed, are clearly mixed use and transit supportive. This has not been clearly identified in the Background Report.
9. On page 058 there is an illustration of potential development for the South Hill Shopping Centre lands at the northeast corner of 16th Avenue and Yonge Street. Do the landowner's support this concept? Is the illustration economically feasible?
10. On pages 064 to 067 there is a brief review of existing conditions at the four quadrants that make up the KDA. This analysis does not properly characterize the existing approvals, submitted applications and identified proposed developments by landowners/stakeholders in the area. There is no clear identification of the approved heights and densities in the southeast quadrant that clearly are different than the Official Plan policies, including the Council approved Great Lands development and the OMB approved Haulover development, along with the stated OMB findings related to the Official Plan policies. This information should be clearly identified and considered in the Background Report.
11 . On page 069 there is a reference to the planned local street connection (conceptual) with a note that "This study will consider the alignment and character of a future street connection along the west side of Yonge Street related to redevelopment potential and public realm experience which is discussed further in Section 5 of the report". It is important that appropriate criteria be established for this road and that the proper transportation requirements are incorporated into the location of the future road, if it is determined to be necessary. Currently there is no justification for a proposed
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road or its conceptual location. Based on regional requirements this potential road, if it is to be a full movement signalized intersection, must be at a minimum 215m west of the intersection of Carrville Road and Yonge Street. There is also no basis for assuming a need for a 20m right-of-way.
12. On page 071 there is reference to potential development scenarios based on parcel sizes but not the reality of the long term existing uses or proposed future development identified by the land owners/stakeholders.
13. On page 075 there is reference to the existing built form within the KDA including "a strip of single family homes lines the south west quadrant. This is not accurate since the property at the southwest corner of Yonge and Carrville Road, at 9218 Yonge Street is an existing commercial development that has not been identified as such in the report. In the last sentence on the page there is reference to buildings responding in a "well mannered fashion" to the existing and planned context. It is not clear what this term means and how it is intended to be implemented.
14. I also note that in the examples utilized in Section 6 of the report there is reference to the Shops at Don Mills in Toronto being located at the intersection of the Don Valley Parkway and 401 Highway. This is an error since the proper location is the southwest corner of Lawrence Avenue East and Don Mills Road. I am not sure how the examples identified are helpful to the KDA planning when the Hillcrest Mall is an established Regional Shopping Centre in the process of expanding. There does not appear to be any realistic short or long term potential for the type of redevelopment identified in the examples provided that would be likely be implemented in the KDA, at least for the northwest quadrant and no indication from the owners of the northeast quadrant of any interest in noncommercial development.
15. Under Section 7, Next Steps there should be a clear recognition of approved development, filed applications and the clearly identified development scenarios of existing landowner/stakeholders for their short and long term intentions in at least one of the three draft scenarios.
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We look forward to further input and dialogue as the preparation of the KDA Secondary Plan proceeds and request that we be notified with respect to any matters, reports or meetings related to the process.
