APPENDIX ‘A’
OFFICIAL PLAN
of the
TOWN OF
AMENDMENT NO. XXX
To amend the Official Plan (Revised 1987), as amended.
OFFICIAL
PLAN AMENDMENT
and
SECONDARY PLAN
for the
CORNELL
PLANNING DISTRICT
(
FINAL DRAFT
(
OFFICIAL PLAN
and
SECONDARY PLAN
for the
CORNELL PLANNING DISTRICT
AMENDMENT NO. XXX
This Official Plan Amendment
was adopted by the Corporation of the Town of
Mayor
Town Clerk
BY-LAW NO.
_________
Being a by-law to adopt Amendment No. XXX to the Town
of
THE COUNCIL OF THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF
1. THAT Amendment No. XXX to the Town
of
2. THAT this by-law shall come into
force and take effect on the date of the final passing thereof.
READ A
FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD TIME AND PASSED THIS ________ DAY OF _____________, 2008.
TOWN CLERK MAYOR
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I -
INTRODUCTION
1.0 GENERAL 11
2.0 LOCATION
AND DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT AREA 11
3.0 PURPOSE 11
4.0 CONTEXT 12
5.0 BASIS
OF THE AMENDMENT 16
PART II -
THE OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT
1.0 THE
AMENDMENT 23
2.0 IMPLEMENTATION 25
3.0 INTERPRETATION 25
PART III -
THE SECONDARY PLAN
Table
of Contents 29
1.0 INTRODUCTION 33
2.0 PURPOSE
OF THE SECONDARY PLAN 33
3.0 LOCATION
AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANNING DISTRICT 33
4.0 GOAL,
OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES 33
5.0 COMMUNITY
STRUCTURE 42
6.0 LAND
USE DESIGNATIONS AND POLICIES 44
7.0 URBAN
DESIGN AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICIES 84
8.0 INFRASTRUCTURE POLICIES 97
9.0 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES 109
10.0 CULTURAL HERITAGE POLICIES 114
11.0 IMPLEMENTATION 115
12.0 INTERPRETATION 124
PART IV - THE
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Cultural
Heritage Resources 127
Appendix 2 Location
of Cultural Heritage Resources
Appendix 3 Development
Blocks – Cornell Centre and Cornell North Centre
PART I – INTRODUCTION
(This is not an operative part of Official Plan
Amendment No. XXX)
PART I – INTRODUCTION, is included for information
purposes and is not an operative part this Official Plan Amendment.
PART II – THE AMENDMENT, and Schedules ‘A’ – Land Use,
‘B’ –
PART III – THE SECONDARY PLAN, and Schedules ‘AA’ –
Detailed Land Use, ‘BB’ – Community Structure, ‘CC’ – Development Blocks, and
‘DD’ – Transportation, attached thereto, constitute the Secondary Plan for the
Cornell
The APPENDICES are included for information purposes
only and are not an operative part of this Official Plan Amendment. They
include Appendix 1 - Cultural Heritage Resources, Appendix 2 - Location of
Cultural Heritage Resources, and Appendix 3 - Development Blocks – Cornell
Centre and Cornell North Centre.
2.0 LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION
OF AMENDMENT AREA
This
Amendment applies to the lands within the Cornell
The
Amendment area currently accommodates the urban residential neighbourhood
development, the Markham Stouffville hospital, and a mix of agricultural and
rural residential uses. There are five
significant woodlots located within the
3.0 PURPOSE
The
purpose of this Amendment is to incorporate into the Official Plan, an updated
Cornell Secondary Plan, which refines and designates lands in the Cornell
The
Amendment replaces Official Plan Amendment No. 20 to the Official Plan (Revised
1987), as amended, which established the Secondary Plan PD 29-1 for the Cornell
·
deletes the Rouge Park North/Greenbelt lands, as shown on Schedule ‘B’
to this Amendment, from
·
incorporates the lands shown on Schedule ‘D’ to this Amendment, into
the Urban Service Area and designates the lands Industrial for business park
uses;
·
designates the majority of the lands within the
·
designates the lands within the Cornell Centre mixed-use district for
higher density urban residential and office uses mixed with community amenity
area uses, business park uses, and institutional uses within a community
facilities and health care campus;
·
identifies the approximate size, location and configuration of existing
and future roads, transitways and transit facilities including a terminal and
other elements of the transportation system; and
·
identifies the approximate size, location, and configuration of
existing and future parks, open spaces, linkages and other elements of the open
space system.
4.0 CONTEXT
Provincial
Policy
Current provincial
policy confirms the need to manage and
direct land use to achieve efficient land use patterns while providing for
strong livable communities, facilitating economic growth and protecting the
environment. The Province has initiated a set of provincial growth management
initiatives which, together with revisions to the
The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), dated March
2005, requires that “sufficient land shall be made available through
intensification and redevelopment and, if necessary designated growth areas, to
accommodate an appropriate range and mix of employment opportunities, housing
and other land uses to meet the projected needs for a time horizon of up to 20
years.”
The Cornell
Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe
The provincial Growth Plan for the Greater Golden
Horseshoe, dated
The Avenue Seven Corridor, within
The degree of intensification planned for the Avenue
Seven Corridor in Cornell Centre is consistent with the contemplated provincial
Growth Plan objective of municipalities accommodating a minimum 40% of their
projected residential growth through intensification. It is intended that new development taking
place in the designated growth area outside Cornell Centre in the
Cornell Centre will also serve as a significant
inter-modal hub for major highways and arterials (Highway 407/ Avenue Seven/
Donald Cousens Parkway); major rail lines (GO Transit Havelock Line); rapid
transit (provincial Highway 407 transitway, regional Avenue Seven transitway -
Viva) and to potentially serve as a regional transportation terminus linking to
a possible future regional airport at Pickering. The Growth Plan encourages the designation
and preservation of lands in the vicinity of existing major highways, rail
lines and international airports as areas for manufacturing, warehousing, and
associated retail, office and ancillary facilities and major office development
where higher order transit services are planned.
Cornell Centre is planned to function as a regional
employment node, building on the opportunity to locate a highly accessible,
regional scale concentration of employment at the confluence of major road and
transit networks. The prestige business
park lands planned for Cornell are strategically located adjoining Avenue Seven
at the intersection of Highway 407 and Donald Cousens Parkway, and represent
the last opportunity for strategically located prestige business park land on
the 400 series highways in Markham.
The Provincial Greenbelt Plan, dated February 2005, is
a component of the provincial growth strategy that identifies where urban
growth will not occur in order to provide for the permanent protection of
agriculture and environmental lands.
Rouge Park North lands previously located within the Cornell
Regional Policy
Current Regional policy represents a shift towards a
growth management model that complements Provincial policy and encourages
additional development within the existing urban areas of the Region. The Regional Centres and Regional Corridors
will be the prime locations for infill and intensification, the most intensive
being directed to Regional Centres and Key Development Areas within the
Regional Corridors.
Centres and Corridors Strategy and Regional Official
Plan Amendment No. 43
In June 2004, the Region of York adopted an updated
growth management strategy for Centres and Corridors identifying four key
action areas: policy, programs, financial tools and infrastructure investment,
to guide the development of an urban structure based on a hierarchy of Centres
and Corridors, served by rapid transit.
The Centres and Corridors Strategy focuses on concentrating a balance of
live/work development opportunities, at transit-supportive densities, within
walking distance of a rapid transit corridor.
Regional Official Plan Amendment No. 43 was approved in January
2005. The Town of
Set within the context of the Regional Centres and
Corridors strategy, the Avenue Seven Corridor in Cornell Centre is a planned
regional corridor with a subcentre/node that will be developed on the
principles of balanced live/work opportunities, compact urban form, natural
heritage protection, transit-supportive development and a choice of housing
opportunities. This is consistent with the Region’s desired urban structure
where Regional Centres and Corridors will accommodate the highest concentration
and variety of land uses served by rapid transit in the Region.
Transit-Oriented Development Guidelines
In September 2006, the Region of York adopted Regional
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
Guidelines to advance the implementation of York Region’s planned urban
structure of Regional Centres linked by Regional Corridors, served by public
transit. The Regional TOD Guidelines are
an information and implementation tool to support existing planning policies
and programs at the local municipal level.
For the Avenue Seven Corridor and Cornell Centre the guidelines will
assist in planning for well designed, pedestrian-friendly and
transit-supportive development.
Viva –
Viva, York Region’s new rapid transit service,
commenced operation in September 2005 and will provide fast, convenient
connections to link
Town of
Official Plan Amendment No. 5 and the Eastern
In
1993, the Town of
In 2003, the Town of
In an
effort to improve the balance of jobs versus residents in Eastern Markham, the
rural lands not comprising part of the Rouge Park North or the provincial
Greenbelt within the revised Cornell
Avenue Seven Corridor Strategy
In
The strategy will align Avenue Seven policies with the
Provincial and Regional policy frameworks and identify “key development areas”,
including Cornell Centre, where infill and intensification will occur in the
Avenue Seven Corridor over time. It will
also establish transit supportive land use and built form criteria in support
of detailed Secondary Plans for these key development areas providing greater
specification and directions regarding land use, density of development,
infrastructure needs and built form. The
ultimate objective is for Avenue Seven to be transformed into a significant
public boulevard with a rapid transitway and mixed-use development at
transit-supportive densities.
Avenue Seven and Cornell Centre are key components of
the emerging Avenue Seven Corridor Strategy.
Within the context of local community values and using effective
community design principles, the Town will complete planning for infill and
intensification within this key development area of the Avenue Seven Corridor.
The Master
Plan and Community Structure Plan for the Cornell Community
The 1994 Master Plan for the Cornell community formed
the foundation for the policies and land use schedules contained in the
Secondary Plan for the Cornell
The Master Plan concept contemplated a series of
neighbourhoods with a mix of uses and activity; specialized districts
performing primary functions; and corridors providing linkage and defining
patterns of activity between the neighbourhoods and districts. The focal point of the Master Plan concept is
the Central Core and the Central Corridor which is intended to serve all
residents of the Cornell community, as well as having a regional function
serving
The Community
Structure for the Cornell
Updating the Community Structure to reflect current senior government policy and the
updated parks and open space master plan, provides an opportunity to refine and
update the land use pattern and policies and the land use schedules for the
The
A key component of Cornell Centre will be the
community facilities and health care campus that will provide a regional and
community focus for expanded health care, wellness, community centre, library
and accessory uses that are integrated into the network of roads, transit,
parks and open spaces, pedestrian linkages and the built form of the Cornell
community.
5.0
BASIS OF THE AMENDMENT
The Town of
·
respond to current senior government policy
initiatives including the Provincial Growth Plan and Greenbelt Plan, and the
Region of York’s Centres and Corridors Strategy, particularly as they relate to
the planning of Cornell Centre;
·
accommodate the proposed expansion initiatives of the Markham
Stouffville Hospital, the Central East Community Centre and Library, the York
Rapid Transit Plan/Viva, and the recommendations of the Eastern Markham
Strategic Review as endorsed by Council, particularly as they relate to the
planning of Cornell Centre and the provision of a regional scale business park
in eastern Markham; and
·
update
the land use schedules to reflect an updated parks and open space master plan.
Responding to Senior Government Policy
The Town of
The existing
Secondary Plan envisioned and provided for all of the structural elements to
establish a significant centre in the Avenue Seven Corridor including a health
care campus, a transit hub, a business park, a retail centre and a medium and
high density mixed-use residential neighbourhood.
The updated Secondary Plan includes new policies to
encourage growth in Cornell Centre in the form of an urban, compact, mixed-use,
pedestrian-friendly environment with a focus on transit service, and community
design consistent with a more dense urban environment. Some of the changes include a new development
regime and enhanced urban design guidelines for the Avenue Seven Corridor, and
an expanded business park around the interchange of
The updated Secondary Plan policies specifically
address changes to:
· the land use pattern and community structure;
· the open space system;
· the housing mix and density;
· the provision of community amenity areas in the form
of mixed-use development corridors and mixed-use retail centres;
· the provision of a significant employment area;
· the transportation system including provision of a
regional Viva transitway; and
· an expanded community facilities and health care campus.
Provision of
a
The existing Secondary Plan provides for the possible
future redesignation of lands south of Highway 7 and west of the proposed
interchange of
Based on recommendations of the Employment Lands
Strategy Study, in May, 2000, the Town initiated the Employment Lands Technical
Study (ELTS) to identify potential lands for possible future industrial use at
two locations outside the urban boundary of the Town. One of these locations
was the east quadrant of the Town adjoining the Highway 407 Corridor, north and
east of the established urban area of the Town. In June 2002, Council adopted
the Secondary Plan for Box Grove incorporating employment lands in the vicinity
of Highway 407 and to proceeding with further
study of a smaller area of land in the vicinity of Highway 407 and
Based on a comprehensive review, the updated Secondary
Plan policies provide for a significant employment area that capitalizes on the
opportunity to establish a regional scale business park at the hub of a number
of transportation facilities in
Lands
identified as a Deferral Area pending approval of expansion of Urban Settlement
Area by the Region of
Within the updated Secondary Plan, these lands are
identified as a Deferral Area pending approval by the Region of an expansion of
the urban settlement area. Under the Provincial Policy Statement 2005, a
planning authority may identify an expansion of a settlement area boundary at
the time of a comprehensive review. The
Cornell Secondary Plan review is based on the most up to date population and
growth projections and allocations from the Region and the Province and takes
into account the alternative options for employment uses on the lands
considered through the comprehensive employment land supply study and the
Eastern Markham Strategic Review. The
uses contemplated in the Open Space Reserve designation in the 1994 Secondary
Plan (OPA 20), generally preserve the option for future employment activity on
the lands.
The Official Plan amendment for the expansion lands
will add approximately 75 hectares of land along Highway 407 and
The deferral lands represent the last opportunity to
accommodate prestige employment activities along the Highway 407 economic
growth corridor in the Town of
The Town’s Strategic Plan - “Engage 21st
Century Markham”, has positively confirmed
The
Cornell Centre employment lands present an opportunity to establish a regional
scale business park at the hub of a number of transportation facilities (i.e.,
Donald Cousens Parkway, Highways 407 & 7, the GO Gateway Station south of
Highway 407 and the Viva regional rapid transitway terminus). By combining approximately 45 net hectares of
prestige business park lands on the expansion lands with another 22 net
hectares of prestige business park land proposed within Cornell and 43 net
hectares existing in the Box Grove community to the south, Eastern Markham will
benefit from a regional scale concentration of employment activity on
approximately 110 net hectares of strategically located prestige business park
lands directly supporting the Town’s Economic Development Strategy.
PART II - THE OFFICIAL PLAN
AMENDMENT
(This is an operative
part of Official Plan Amendment
No. XXX)
1.0
THE AMENDMENT
The following text and Schedules ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’,
‘E’, ‘F’, ‘G’ and ‘H’ attached hereto constitute Amendment No. XXX to the Town
of
1.1
Schedule ‘A’ –
LAND USE of the Official Plan (Revised 1987), as amended, is hereby amended by
designating certain lands, as shown on Schedule ‘A’ attached hereto.
1.2
Schedule ‘B’ –
PLANNING DISTRICTS of the Official Plan (Revised 1987), as amended, is hereby
amended by adjusting the
1.3
Schedule ‘C’ -
TRANSPORTATION of the Official Plan (Revised 1987), as amended, is hereby
amended by changing the designation of certain Major Arterial Roads and Major
Collector Roads internal to the
1.4
Schedule ‘D’ –
URBAN SERVICE AREA of the Official Plan (Revised 1987), as amended, is hereby
amended by adding approximately 75 hectares of land, located east of Donald
Cousens Parkway in the vicinity of Highway 7, to the Urban Service Area as
shown on Schedule ‘D’ attached hereto.
1.5 Schedule ‘G’ - SITE PLAN CONTROL of the
Official Plan (Revised 1987), as amended, is hereby amended by changing the
road widening requirements for certain Major Arterial Roads and Major Collector
Roads internal to the
1.6 Schedule ‘H’ – COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL
CATEGORIES of the Official Plan (Revised 1987), as amended, is hereby amended
to identify the categories of commercial and industrial land use for certain
lands designated as INDUSTRIAL and COMMERCIAL, as shown on Schedule ‘F’
attached hereto.
1.7 Schedule
‘I’ – ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AREAS of the Official Plan (Revised 1987), as
amended, is hereby amended by adding approximately 75 hectares of land, located
east of Donald Cousens Parkway in the vicinity of Highway 7, to the Urban
Development Area and to designate features as identified on Schedule ‘G’
attached hereto.
1.8 Appendix
Map 1 – GREENWAY SYSTEM of the Official Plan (Revised 1987), as amended, is
hereby amended by adding approximately 75 hectares of land, located east of
Donald Cousens Parkway in the vicinity of Highway 7, to the Urban Development
Area and to designate features as identified on Schedule ‘H’ attached hereto.
1.9 Section 1.1.2 of Part II of the Official
Plan (Revised 1987), as amended, is hereby amended by deleting the number “20”
and by adding the number “XXX” to
the list of amendments, to be placed in numerical order including any required
grammatical and punctuation changes.
1.10
Section 1.1.3 (c) of Part II of the Official Plan (Revised 1987), as
amended, is hereby amended by deleting number “20” and replacing it with
Official Plan Amendment No. “XXX”.
1.11 Section
4.3.29 of the Official Plan (Revised 1987), as amended, is hereby deleted and
replaced with the following:
“4.3.29 Cornell
(
4.3.29.1 General Policies
a) A
Secondary Plan was originally adopted as Official Plan Amendment No. 20 and
incorporated into this Plan for the area identified as
Official Plan Amendment No. 20 shall be repealed and
the original Secondary Plan shall be replaced with an updated Secondary Plan.
The new Secondary Plan shall update the community structure of the Cornell
community to reflect current Provincial and Regional growth management
initiatives. The new Secondary Plan shall refine and update the land use
pattern and policies, and the land use schedules for the Cornell
b) The
configuration of certain roads shown on Schedule ‘C’ - TRANSPORTATION, are
schematic only and will be subject to further study and a determination of
final location, land and design requirements through Environmental Assessments,
or other appropriate studies. The Secondary Plan for the
c) In the event that an Environmental
Assessment or implementing transportation study necessitates revisions to the
alignment or right-of-way of a road, and consequently to the pattern or design
of other roads within the
d) The Secondary Plan for the
e) The Secondary Plan shall establish that the
staging and approval of development in the
·
municipal
servicing requirements;
·
environmental and
stormwater management;
·
transportation
system design and traffic management;
·
natural and
cultural heritage;
·
community design;
and
·
development
phasing.
In addition to studies to address the foregoing matters,
Environmental Assessments may also be required to permit the approval of
certain infrastructure and may be identified in the Secondary Plan.
f) This
Plan and the Secondary Plan shall provide for the redesignation of certain
Industrial lands to Urban Residential in Cornell Centre. In the event that Council determines an
alternate designation shall be assigned, the designation on Schedule ‘A’ to
this Plan may be revised accordingly without further amendment to this Plan or
the Secondary Plan.
1.12 Section
9 – SECONDARY PLANS of Part II of the Official Plan (Revised 1987) as amended,
is hereby amended by deleting Section 9.2.13 and replacing it with:
“9.2.13 Secondary Plan PD 29-1 for the
Cornell
2.0
IMPLEMENTATION
The provisions of the Official Plan, as amended from
time to time, regarding the implementation of that Plan, shall apply to this
Amendment.
3.0
INTERPRETATION
The provisions of the Official Plan, as amended from
time to time, regarding the interpretation of that Plan, shall apply to this
Amendment.
PART III - THE SECONDARY PLAN
(This is an operative part of Official Plan Amendment
No. XXX)
SECONDARY PLAN PD 29-1 – CORNELL PLANNING
DISTRICT
Table of Contents 29
1.0 INTRODUCTION 33
2.0 PURPOSE
OF THE SECONDARY PLAN 33
3.0 LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANNING
DISTRICT 33
4.0 GOAL, OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES 33
4.1 Introduction 33
4.2 Policy Context 34
4.3 Goal 34
4.4 Objectives 34
4.4.1 Community Structure and Land Use 34
4.4.2 Sustainable
Development 35
4.4.3 Mixed-use
District (Cornell Centre) 35
4.4.4 Residential
Development 35
4.4.5 Employment 35
4.4.6 Commercial
Development 36
4.4.7 Community
Facilities and Health Care Campus 36
4.4.8 Open
Space System/Environmental Features 36
4.4.9 Natural and Cultural Heritage Features 36
4.4.10 Urban
4.4.11 Transportation 37
4.4.12 Municipal
Servicing Systems 37
4.4.13 Implementation 38
4.5 Principles 38
5.0 COMMUNITY STRUCTURE 42
5.1 Residential
Neighbourhoods 42
5.2 Cornell
North Centre 42
5.3 Cornell Centre 43
5.4 Development
and Greenspace Corridors 43
6.0 LAND USE DESIGNATIONS AND POLICIES 44
6.1 General Policies - All Lands 44
6.1.1 Schedules 46
6.1.2 General Housing Policies 47
6.1.3 General Employment Policies 49
6.1.4
6.2 Urban Residential
6.2.1 General Policies 50
6.2.2 Residential Neighbourhood 51
6.2.2.1 General Development and
6.2.2.2 Residential Neighbourhood Centre Policies 52
6.2.2.3 Site Specific Policies 53
6.2.3 Neighbourhood Commercial Centre 53
6.2.3.1 General Development and
6.2.4 Residential Neighbourhood – Cornell
Centre
54
6.2.4.1 General Development and
6.2.4.2 Site Specific Policies 56
6.2.5 Avenue Seven Corridor – Mixed
Residential 57
6.2.5.1
General Development and
6.2.5.2
Site Specific Policies 59
6.3 Commercial
6.3.1 General Policies 60
6.3.2 Community Amenity Area – Bur Oak Corridor 61
6.3.2.1 General Development and
6.3.2.2 Site Specific Policies 62
6.3.3 Community Amenity Area -– Bur Oak Corridor
Cornell Centre 62
6.3.3.1 General Development and
6.3.3.2 Site Specific Policies 64
6.3.4 Community Amenity Area – Cornell Centre 64
6.3.4.1 General Development and
6.3.4.2 Site Specific Policies 66
6.3.5 Community Amenity Area – Cornell North
Centre 67
6.3.5.1 General Development
and
6.3.5.2 Site Specific Policies 69
6.3.6 Community Amenity Area – Automotive Service
Centre 70
6.3.6.1 Development Policies 70
6.4 Industrial
6.4.1 General Policies 70
6.4.2
6.4.2.1 General Development and
6.4.3
6.4.3.1 General Development and
6.4.3.2 Site Specific Policies 74
6.4.4 Business Corridor Area – Automotive
Service Centre 74
6.4.4.1 General Development and
6.5 Open Space
6.5.1 General Open Space System Policies 75
6.5.2
6.5.3
6.5.4 Stormwater Management Ponds and Channels 76
6.5.5 The 9th Line Greenway 76
6.5.6 Open Space Acquisition 76
6.6 Environmental Protection Area
6.6.1 General Policies 77
6.6.2 Woodlots –
Environmental Protection Area 77
6.7 Institutional
6.7.1 General Policies 78
6.7.2 Community Facilities and Health Care
Campus 78
6.7.3 Emergency Services
80
6.7.4 School Sites 80
6.7.5 Places of Worship 82
6.7.6 Day Care Centres 84
7.0 URBAN
DESIGN AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICIES 84
7.1 General Policies 84