Report to/Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager /
Directrice municipale adjointe,
Planning, Transit and the Environment / Urbanisme,
Transport en commun
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Karen Currie,
Manager / Gestionnaire, Development Approvals / Approbation des demandes
d'aménagement
(613) 580-2424, 28310 Karen.Currie@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
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OBJET : |
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the recommend Council approve an amendment to the former City of Nepean Zoning By-law to change the zoning of 2 Valley Stream Drive as shown in Document 1 and as detailed in Document 2.
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
recommande au Conseil d’approuver une modification au Règlement de zonage de
l’ancienne Ville de Nepean visant à modifier la désignation de zonage de la
propriété située au 2, promenade Valley Stream, comme l’illustre le document 1
et le décrit en détail le document 2.
BACKGROUND
The site is located on the south side of Valley Stream Drive, south of the intersection of Baseline Road and Valley Stream Drive. The property is vacant.
Lands owned by the National Capital Commission (NCC) are located to the west and a railway line owned by Ottawa Central Railway Inc. is located to the south of the site.
To the east and north of the subject site, there is residential development consisting of single dwellings, townhouses and apartments.
Purpose of Zoning Amendment
The applicant wishes to construct a five-storey retirement home in three phases. The facility will have 188 rooms and a total of 47 parking spaces. The proposed building will have a 2049 m² footprint, a gross floor area of 10244 m² and is to be 15.7 metres in height.
The lands that are the subject of this Zoning By-law amendment are zoned Residential Seventh Density (R7). This existing zone permits multiple attached dwellings and apartment dwellings. In 1998, a 60-unit, 12-storey apartment condominium was given site plan approval.
The applicant is requesting that the zoning of the subject lands be changed to Institutional Special zone – I Block X to permit a retirement home. The special zone provisions proposed will allow a front yard of 8.5 metres, an easterly side yard of 20 metres and the special yard requirements for an institutional use abutting a residential use will not apply to a retirement home.
DISCUSSION
The Official Plan places the site in the
General Urban Area. This designation
permits the development of a full range of housing types in combination with
conveniently located uses such as, but not limited to, employment, service and
institutional uses. The property’s
location provides an ideal setting for an institutional use that will service
the broader needs of the community while being at the edge of the Valley Stream
neighbourhood. This site is also on the
south side of Baseline Road directly across from the Queensway Carleton
Hospital.
Since the property abuts an active rail line
along its south property line, there is a need to set aside a 15-metre strip of
land to construct a berm along the rear lot line. This requirement has an impact on the applicant to provide the
11.92-metre front yard. Therefore a
change in the front yard requirement to 8.5 metres has been requested.
The applicant has also requested that the east
side yard requirement be 20.0 metres instead of the required 22.1 metres to
provide flexibility in the placement of the building. The site plan under review at this time show the applicant is
providing a 21.98 metres easterly side yard.
The proposed site specific Zoning By-law
amendment meets the intent of the General Urban Area policies which permits all
types and densities of housing as well as other uses such as an institutional
use. The location is suitable for the
retirement home as it is on the perimeter of an established residential
community.
The proposed building orientation does respect
the nearby residential areas and the size and scale will not result in a large
vehicular traffic attraction and/or generator.
The changes to the front yard and easterly side yard requirements
recognize existing site conditions and are appropriate for the development
proposed.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
The site plan
approval process will ensure that the property is developed to minimize the
impacts on the natural environment though an integrated environmental review
process.
CONSULTATION
Notice of this application was carried out in
accordance with the City's Public Notification and Consultation Policy. The Ward Councillor is aware of this application and
the staff recommendation.
There were several telephone inquiries made by
residents of the neighbourhood seeking further development details about the
project and concerns were expressed about the on-street parking issues related
to the Queensway Carleton Hospital use. There were four e-mail comments
received from residents within the Valley Stream Neighbourhood. Two of the
comments were in opposition to the development, one comment expressed a concern
related to a site plan fencing issue and the last comment received was in
support of the application. As well,
the Ottawa Forest and Greenspace Advisory Committee and the Accessibility
Advisory Committee provided comments.
Document 3 provides details on both sets of comments together with a
summary of comments received at the public meeting held April 21, 2007.
The Ward Councillor held public information meetings on December 12, 2006 and April 21, 2007 at Ben Franklin Place.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
APPLICATION PROCESS
TIMELINE STATUS
This application was processed by the "On Time
Decision Date" established for the processing of Zoning By-law amendment
applications.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Location
Map
Document 2 Details
of Recommended Zoning
Document 3 Consultation Details
DISPOSITION
City Clerk’s Branch, Secretariat Services to
notify the owner, Valleystream Construction, 1433 York Mills Drive,
Orleans, Ontario, K4A 2N9, applicant, Mike Michaud, Novatech Engineering
Consultants Ltd., 240 Michael Cowpland Drive, Suite 200, Ottawa, Ontario,
K2M 1P6, OttawaScene.com, 174 Colonnade Road, Unit #33, Ottawa, ON K2E 7J5,
Ghislain Lamarche, Program Manager, Assessment, Financial Services Branch (Mail
Code: 26-76) of City Council’s
decision.
Planning, Transit and the Environment
Department to prepare the implementing by-law, forward to Legal Services Branch
and undertake the statutory notification.
Legal Services Branch to forward the
implementing by-law to City Council.
LOCATION MAP DOCUMENT
1
DETAILS OF RECOMMENDED ZONING DOCUMENT
2
The following changes are proposed for the City of Nepean Urban Area Zoning By-law 100‑2000:
- The site located at 2 Valley Stream Drive on Document 1 to be rezoned from Residential Seventh Density zone - R7 to Institutional Special zone – I Block X, and Schedule B4 be amended to reflect the new zone.
- A new zone be added to Section 10:1:3 including the following special provisions:
- The yard front shall be a minimum 8.5 metres (27.88 ft.)
- The yard side that abuts lands zoned R7 on the east boundary of Part 1, 4R-4553 shall be a minimum of 20.0 m (65.61 ft.)
- Yard requirements
identified in Subsection 10:1:2 by an asterisk (*) do not apply to a retirement
home only.
CONSULTATION DETAILS DOCUMENT
3
NOTIFICATION AND CONSULTATION PROCESS
Notification and public consultation
were undertaken in accordance with the Public Notification and Consultation
Policy approved by City Council for Zoning By-law amendments. Two public meetings were also held in the
community. The first meeting was held
December 12, 2006 prior to the submission of the zoning and site plan application. The second meeting was held April 21, 2007.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Summary of Public Meeting Comments
The comments received at both meetings centered around site plan issues such as parking, landscaping to protect the privacy of the abutting condominium to the east, phasing of the building of the project, retention of existing landscaping at the corner of Valley Stream Drive and Baseline Road, site lighting and the impact of construction traffic on Valley Stream Drive.
Other neighbourhood issues were discussed at the meeting such as street parking and garbage problems generated by visitors to and staff of the Queensway-Carleton Hospital and street lighting for Shadow Court.
Several members of the audience were seeking further information on the timing of availability of the units as they were considering moving into the facility as it offers the opportunity to stay within the existing Valley Stream neighbourhood.
The subject of the development of the property was briefly discussed but generally the audience had accepted that a five-storey retirement home offering supportive residential living would have much less impact on the neighbourhood than the twelve-storey condominium which was approved in 1998.
Summary of Written Comments
1. Comment received April 21, 2007
“My opinion is this is definitely NOT a good idea to develop a five
storey retirement home at 2 Valley Stream Drive since it will add substantial
traffic to what is currently a very peaceful street. This will lower real estate values to current homes. Additionally, and a close second, what we
currently have is a very enjoyable segment of real nature which is contiguous
to this parcel of land. We have deer
coming out (a group of seven one spring) to run about this area in
question. I have personally seen a red
fox, a skunk, several rabbits and many other forms of wildlife in abundance on
this land. Just behind this property
are the railway tracks (a romantic sound when the train is passing us) and over
the tracks and an eight-minute walk through the woods, one comes to a lake with
hundreds of ducks, geese and other wild birds.
There are colonies of beaver there, as well. All of this will become partially disturbed if one were to locate
a large building on this vacant land.
There is little reason to disrupt a serene place where people come to enjoy nature and take the stress out of life.
This is a strong message opposing any form of commercial development on this land. My son and all his friends who live in the area feel the same way.”
Staff Response
This parcel, known as 2 Valley Stream Drive, was approved for a 60-unit, 12-storey condominium in 1998. The City's Official Plan and the former City of Nepean Zoning By-law have continued to preserve the development rights of the lands.
In 2006 Minto sold the land to Valleystream Construction for the purpose of developing an 188‑room, five-storey retirement home. As part of proceeding with the development potential of 2 Valley Stream Drive and recognizing the neighbourhood in which the development was to occur, the owner, Valleystream Construction and the owner's agent, Novatech Engineering Consultants Ltd. together with the Ward Councillor presented a retirement home site concept plan to the community at a public information meeting in December, 2006
As a result of the comments received at this community meeting, the site plan was finalized and applications for a Zoning By-law amendment and a site plan application for the retirement home were submitted to the City on February 27, 2007.
The Traffic Study conducted for this site and submitted as part of the planning applications indicates that there will be no adverse impact on the existing community. A retirement home is a low generator of traffic that requires minimal parking.
2. Comment received April 10, 2007
“My husband and I are not in favour of building a retirement home on
this site.
The location is absolutely ludicrous. That intersection is noisy and busy. From our house on Gladecrest Court, we can hear endless racket from Baseline. Traffic noise and sirens are wailing 24/7. When the trains pass by, the entire house shakes. As we are approaching retirement age, that location would be the last place we would ever consider. Yes, it might be close to the hospital and bus service. But it is certainly not a quiet place one would want to spend their "golden years". In fact I would imagine that the stress of living there would cause many residents a trip to the hospital. Cannot a more pleasant location be found?”
Staff
Response
The Owner of the property, Valleystream Construction and the owner's agent, Novatech Engineering would have undertaken extensive research on the suitability of the site, 2 Valleystream Drive for the proposed use, a 188-room, five-storey retirement home prior to purchasing the land from Minto in 2006.
Further to this preliminary research and as part of the background material received with the Zoning By-law amendment and site plan control applications, the owner's agent has submitted a Planning Rationale Report.
This Planning Rationale Report indicates the purpose of the proposed Zoning By-law amendment and how the proposed amendment conforms to the applicable planning policies (the City's Official Plan) and the general intent of the Official Plan and how the proposed amendment complies with good planning principles.
Further to this information, the construction of the building with appropriate windows and built-in individual air conditioning units will serve to mitigate the road noise emanating from Baseline Road. Also the design of the building can be engineered to mitigate any vibration concerns, if considered necessary.
It is on this basis that staff is supporting the Zoning By-law amendment to change the use of the land from residential to institutional to permit a retirement home as the request is in keeping with the land use policies found in the Official Plan. The institutional use is a suitable land use for this property and represents good planning principles.
“As residents of Valley Stream Drive, we have some suggestions to make
regarding the upcoming construction.
On proposed site
plan, developers are planning to use chain link as a divider between two
properties (condo property and retirement house). It is understandable
that the developers will try to avoid extra costs and chain link is easier to
build and to maintain and costs less.
We believe
that chain link will not look aesthetically and will not provide proper noise
and privacy isolation, which is very important in terms of proposed
parking lot for 47 cars that will be facing our backyards. Our suggestion is to make it mandatory
for constructors to build an interlocking fence or a hedge, which will
look nice from both sides, our condo and the retirement house.
We believe that good fence will help our community to look better and our privacy won't suffer.
Will you send out the information letter to the Valley Stream Community regarding on decision made?”
Staff Response:
This fencing
issue will be reviewed, as part of the site plan process and the residents will
be kept informed by staff and the Ward Councillor.
4. Comment received April 19, 2007
“People have
to live somewhere Rick. This is not prime land next to the railway. Get it
done.”
ADVISORY COMMITTEE COMMENTS
Accessibility Advisory Committee:
Comments received for this Committee expressed the following concerns:
“ - Number of parking spaces provided seems insufficient
- Are the 2 H/C parking spaces adequate for residents, staff and visitors?
- Entrance Grade and details not shown.”
Staff Response:
The parking and allotment of handicap parking spaces meet the zoning requirements. Also the developer has based the provision of parking based on the parking needs supported by surveys and demonstrated at two other similar projects in Ottawa, Alta Vista Manor and Barrhaven Manor.
The entrance grade and details will be reviewed and approved through the site plan process.
Ottawa Forest
and Greenspace Advisory Committee
“General site description and description of forest or greenspace type
The site is at the S.W. corner of Baseline Rd. and Valley Stream Drive, diagonally opposite the Queensway Carleton Hospital. The property is in the shape of an odd-shaped elongated rectangle, except that it is pointed at the north end, the point being at the intersection of Baseline and Valley Stream, and the short side of the rectangle along the Central Railway line on the south side. The long west side faces the NCC greenbelt. The property slopes towards Valley Field Drive and the northern end of this side climbs steeply from the street to the plateau above, in a series of large stones in the form of natural steps. Towards the southern end of Valley Stream Drive, before the property line is reached, a short road is proposed to reach the parking lot (proposed 47 spaces).
Description of land surrounding the development
Residential housing lies across Valley Stream Drive and to the south of the site.
Brief Description of Zoning change: The change would permit almost half of the site told be occupied by a five-story retirement home of 188 rooms. The building would come close to western edge facing the NCC property, but would be somewhat back from the Valley Stream side.
Legal Status of Property
It is not an Urban Natural Area, an ANSI, Rural Natural Feature, Provincially or Regionally Significant Wetland, or Zoned Conservation. The site was approved for condominiums in 1998.
Natural Features
At the northern, steep end of the property, and close to the other side, there are a number of mid-sized coniferous trees, mainly white pines. The only other natural feature of note is the above-mentioned outcrop of stone blocks which resemble large, natural stepping stones leading from that end of Valley Stream Drive up to the property.
The pines should be preserved along with the stones since the building itself does not appear to encroach closely to this side of the property. There are a number of hardwood trees towards the western edge of the site, but these are not large or significant trees. The whole site is adjacent to the NCC greenbelt.
Need for Protection
There is a need for tree or greenspace protection during construction and during the post development phase, i.e. the preservation of the softwoods and rocks described above. This can only be done if care is taken at the construction stage,
Impact of Zoning Change
There would appear to be no impact of the proposed zoning change on the surrounding area.
Comments on the Site Plan, Landscape Plan, Tree Preservation
The landscape plan indicates that 16 trees and shrubs, including a white pine, white spruce, red maple, and a sugar maple, would be planted in the immediate vicinity of the building, and others, including unspecified trees or shrubs, would be planted just inside its southern (railway side) edge. Most of existing greenspace would be occupied by the building itself. The tree preservation plan could be improved by implementing the recommendations described above.
There is no wetland involved on the site itself, but the adjacent NCC property contains birds, bird habitat, woodland, and wetland, which is under NCC soil and water protection. To a degree the site is part of a larger ecosystem.
OFGAC’s Conclusions or Recommendations
OFGAC does not oppose the proposal to change the zoning.
OFGAC essentially agrees with the site plan proposal but stipulates the protective measures described above with respect to the conifers and rock outcrops which would not interfere with construction, although necessitating a degree of care during the construction and post construction stage.”
Staff Response:
The Site Plan process will ensure that protective measures are built into the approval of the landscaping component of this development.