Planning Rationale in Support of an Application for Zoning By-Law
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Planning Rationale in Support of an Application for Zoning By- law Amendment 2575 Innes Road City of Ottawa Prepared by: Holzman Consultants Inc. Land Development Consultants December 10, 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 1 2.0 Site Overview & History 1 3.0 Development Concept 3 4.0 Planning Context 3 4.1 Provincial Policy Statement 3 4.2 Official Plan 4 4.2.1 Introduction 4 4.2.2 City’s Growth Strategy 5 4.2.3 Infrastructure Policies 7 4.2.4 General Urban Area Policies 12 4.2.5 Compatibility and Design Policies 14 4.3 City of Ottawa Zoning By-law 15 4.3.1 Proposed Zoning 21 5.0 Technical Studies 22 6.0 Planning Analysis 22 6.1 Conformity with the Provincial Policy Statement 22 6.2 Conformity with the Official Plan 22 6.3 Conformity with Comprehensive Zoning By-law 23 7.0 Locational Attributes 23 8.0 Summary and Conclusions 24 9.0 Draft Bylaw Amendment 25 EXHIBITS A Aerial Location Map B Plan of Survey B-1 Plan of Survey B-2 Plan of Survey C City of Ottawa Official Plan – Schedule B D City of Ottawa Official Plan – Schedule E E City of Ottawa Official Plan – Schedule C F City of Ottawa Official Plan – Schedule I G City of Ottawa Zoning By-law 2008-250 1.0 Introduction Holzman Consultants Inc. (“HCI”) has been retained by Issa Hamzo and Lou Lou Frangian (the “Applicant”) to prepare a planning rationale in support of an application for Zoning By-law Amendment to add an additional permitted use, that being a retail store to permit a pharmacy on the site within a portion of the existing building (the “Subject Property”). The Applicant is requesting a change to rezone the Subject Property from I1E[469] to LC6 zone. The Subject Property is currently owned by the Applicant and its existing use is a medical facility. The proposal to add a retail use to the existing medical facility would allow a rational extension of the existing medical facility, and would make efficient use of available infrastructure and amenities. The use being considered is a pharmacy which is considered to be a retail use by definition under Zoning By-law 2008-250 as amended. Currently the zoning of the Subject Property permits the use of a medical facility that no longer includes “a dispensary”. By-law 2008-250 harmonized of the 11 former Municipal and Township Zoning By-laws into a single Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw for the amalgamated City of Ottawa and considers dispensaries, drugstores, pharmacies to be categorized under “retail store”. A Zoning By-law Amendment is required in order to permit the additional use of a retail store. The Planning Rational provides a review of the relevant policies in the Provincial Policy Statement, the Official Plan and the Zoning By-law of the City of Ottawa in the context of the Application as well as the justification for the development proposal. The summary and conclusions indicate that there is justification for the rezoning of the Subject Property as the intentions would be consistent with Provincial Policies, conform to the City’s Official Plan, and is an appropriate use of the lands. 2.0 Site Overview & History The Subject Property consists of a parcel of land located along the north side of Innes Road and on the west side of Southpark Drive, known municipality as 2575 Innes Road (Blackburn Hamlet) (see Figure 1, location map). It is legally described as Part Block G RP 5R-2215; part 4 RP 5R-13564 part 2, Registered Plan 805 and is denoted as PIN 043970205. This is can be seen on Exhibit “B”, Exhibit “B-1” and Exhibit “B-2”.The Subject Property has approximately 73.45 metres of frontage along Innes Road and a floor area of approximately +600 square metres. The Subject Property has a lot area of 3,481.0m2 square metres. The approximate age of the single storey building on the Subject Property is 20-30 years. The northerly portion (part 2 on Plan 5R- 13564) of the Subject Property was added to the large generally rectangular portion through a consent application in 1990. 1 Figure 1: Aerial Location Map (2013) The Subject property is currently used as a single storey medical facility building that includes 5 rental units with +/- 75 surface parking. Surface parking is located north, east and west of the structure. Access currently is via an all movement two way entrance from Southpark Drive in the easterly portion of the Subject Property. The parcel is irregular in shape and is flat and featureless. In 2008, approximately 15 spaces were added to the site without formal municipal approval but it appears that the original 40 spaces were legally constructed under previous municipal approvals. By-law 2008-250 created through the harmonization of former Township By-laws excluded the use of medical clinic on the Subject Property. In 2011, the anomaly by-law process to add a “medical facility” as a permitted use on the Subject Property was approved by the Council of the City of Ottawa by passing By-law Number 2011-124 on the 27th day of April 2011. The surrounding and abutting land use of the Subject Property may be described as follows: To the North: Low density residential To the East: Medium density residential, institutional 2 To the West: Commercial office and local commercial retail To the South: Commercial, medium density residential, local commercial 3.0 Development Concept It is anticipated that the parcel will continue the existing permitted use of a medical facility. The applicant is proposing to add a small +/- 1,200 ft2 – 1,500 ft2 pharmacy to the existing building on the Subject Property. The applicant desires to install several large windows for the pharmacy. This will be achieved via replacing and installing existing windows in order to capture the natural light, thereby reducing the need for energy consumption and to provide “eyes on the street”. 4.0 Planning Context 4.1 Provincial Policy Statement According to the Provincial Policy Statement (“PPS”), the vision for Ontario’s land use planning system is to carefully manage land to ensure appropriate development to satisfy current and future needs. In addition, land planning must promote efficient use of land and resources which are appropriate for and efficiently use of the infrastructure and public service facilities which are planning or available. The managing and directing land use to achieve efficient development should accommodate an appropriate range and mix of residential, employment, open space and multi-nodal transportation to meet long term needs. The PPS ultimately aims to encourage communities that are economically strong and environmentally sound and that foster social well-being. The PPS focuses growth within settlement areas and away from significant or sensitive resources. In keeping with the PPS, the proposed addition for permitted retail use would promote efficient development patterns which optimize the use of land, resources and public investment in infrastructure and public service facilities. Section 1.1.1 of the PPS indicates that; 1.1.1 Healthy, liveable and safe communities are sustained by: a. promoting efficient development and land use patterns which sustain the financial well- being of the Province and municipalities over the long term; b. accommodating an appropriate range and mix of residential, employment (including industrial, commercial and institutional uses), recreational and open space uses to meet long-term needs; c. avoiding development and land use patterns which may cause environmental or public health and safety concerns; 3 d. avoiding development and land use patterns that would prevent the efficient expansion of settlement areas in those areas which are adjacent or close to settlement areas; e. promoting cost-effective development standards to minimize land consumption and servicing costs; f. improving accessibility for persons with disabilities and the elderly by removing and/or preventing land use barriers which restrict their full participation in society; and g. ensuring that necessary infrastructure and public service facilities are or will be available to meet current and projected need; and Section 1.3.1 of the PPS indicates that; 1.3.1 Planning authorities shall promote economic development and competitiveness by: a. providing for an appropriate mix and range of employment (including industrial, commercial and institutional uses) to meet long-term needs; b. providing opportunities for a diversified economic base, including maintaining a range and choice of suitable sites for employment uses which support a wide range of economic activities and ancillary uses, and take into account the needs of existing and future businesses; c. planning for, protecting and preserving employment areas for current and future uses; and d. ensuring the necessary infrastructure is provided to support current and projected needs. The proposed Zoning Bylaw amendment to a local commercial zone would achieve intensification objectives set out by the PPS. The increase in permitted uses on the Subject Property would provide additional amenities and/or services to the surrounding neighbourhood with the need to development land. Section 1.1.3.3 of the PPS indicates that; Planning authorities shall identify and promote opportunities for intensification and redevelopment where this can be accommodated taking into account existing building stock or areas, including brownfield sites, and the availability of suitable existing or planned infrastructure and public service facilities required to accommodate projected needs. 4.2 Official Plan 4.2.1 Introduction The City of Ottawa Plan Volume 1 (“OP”) land use designation of the Subject Property is General Urban Area on Schedule B of the OP. This is shown on Exhibit “C” attached. The General Urban Area designation is one of the key components of the Challenge Ahead in Section 2.1 of the OP.