PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT 57 Napier Street, Goderich, N7A 1W2 Phone: 519.524.8394 Ext. 3 Fax: 519.524.5677 Toll Free: 1.888.524.8394 Ext. 3 www.huroncounty.ca

To: Municipality of South Huron, Mayor and Members of Council From: Denise Van Amersfoort, Senior Planner and Sarah Smith, Planner Date: July 9, 2019

Re: Zoning By-law Amendment Z19/2018 Part of Lot 15, Concession 1, former Usborne Ward with Right of Way ROW), Municipality of South Huron.

Applicant: GSP Group Inc. c/o Brandon Flewwelling

This report is submitted for the Council Meeting on July 15, 2019 RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that Council: 1) Amend the By-law to require 1.5 parking spaces per unit rather than 1.25 as requested; 2) Pass a motion under Section 34(17) that minor changes were made since the public meeting which do not require further public notification; 3) Approve rezoning application Z19/2018 as amended.

PURPOSE AND EFFECT This By-law affects the property legally described as Part of Lot 15, Concession 1, former Usborne Ward, with Right of Way (ROW), Municipality of South Huron.

The subject lands are located in the southeast end of Exeter, fronting on Simcoe Street. The subject lands are currently designated Residential in the South Huron Official Plan. This Zoning By-law amendment proposes a change from the existing Development (D) and Low Density Residential Zone (R1) to a Residential High Density Special Provisions Zone (R3-9).

The applicant proposes to construct a stacked/clustered townhouse development. The South Huron Comprehensive Zoning By-law does not have provisions for this type of development; as a result, a site specific zone (R3-9) is proposed for this development. Under this site specific zone the applicant is also seeking relief for lot frontage, yard setbacks, parking space requirements, amenity space and landscaped open space. The proposed zone also includes a definition for stacked/clustered townhouse.

This application was considered concurrent with an Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment and Draft Plan of Subdivision for lands located to the east on February 4, 2019. The related Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, and Draft Plan of Subdivision have been approved by Huron County and the Municipality of South Huron. South Huron Council deferred

“Planning with the community for a healthy, viable and sustainable future.” 1 the decision on the zoning amendment to R3-9 for the subject lands for further clarification and revisions. The revised site specific zoning is now being brought back to South Huron Council for consideration.

Figure 1. Aerial view of subject lands

Figure 2. Excerpt from Zone Map 5E with proposed amendments noted

“Planning with the community for a healthy, viable and sustainable future.” 2

Figure 3. Proposed Site Plan of Stacked Townhouse Development

Figure 4. Conceptual Building Elevations for Stacked Townhouse Development.

PLANNING REVIEW

The applicant proposes to develop a stacked townhouse development with condominium ownership. A concept plan for this development and conceptual elevations have been provided (see Figures 4

“Planning with the community for a healthy, viable and sustainable future.” 3 and 5). This development proposes to amend the zoning from Development (D) and Low Density Residential (R1) to Residential High Density Special Provisions (R3-9) – see Figure 2. Because the South Huron Comprehensive Zoning By-law does not have provisions for this type of development, a site-specific zone is proposed. The R3-9 zone is a site-specific zone which defines what a stacked townhouse dwelling is and sets out zoning requirements specific to the site, including frontage, setbacks to property lines, parking requirements, landscaped open space, maximum lot coverage, planting strips and accessory buildings.

This portion of the zoning by-law amendment was deferred at the February 19th South Huron Council meeting as further discussion was warranted in regards to the proposed height of the stacked townhouse development, access to greenspace, parking requirements, and the proposed vehicular access off Simcoe Street. Further discussions have occurred between the County and the applicant, and a revised Site Plan has been submitted which was included in circulation materials for reconsideration of the zone change to R3-9. The proposed concept plan is denoted in Figure 3 and a conceptual building elevation is shown in Figure 4. The following provides a summary of the site specific R3-9 special provisions that are being sought through this request for zone change. A planning review follows further in the report in regards to each request.

Chart 1: Proposed Site Specific Amendments Requested in R3-9 Zone

Stacked/Cluster Townhouse Dwelling is defined as: a residential building divided vertically and/or horizontally into three or more dwelling units by common walls which prevent internal access between dwelling units and is not considered to be a multiple attached unit for the purposes of the By-law.

Zone Provision Requested Required by SHu ZBL (apartment)

Property frontage 15.10 metres 20m

North property line (front yard/interior side 6.8 6m yard)

South Property line (rear yard) 6.5m 10m

East Property Line (interior side yard) 6.9m 6m

West property line (interior side yard) 3m 6m

Parking requirement 1.25 parking spaces 1.5 parking spaces per per dwelling unit dwelling unit

Minimum amenity area 355 square metres 500 square metres

Landscaped Open Space 30% 35%

“Planning with the community for a healthy, viable and sustainable future.” 4

Other zoning items addressed through this site specific R3-9 zone:

a) The 18 metre minimum required separation distance between buildings does not apply on lands zoned R3-9 b) Building height (maximum) - 12 metres c) Lot coverage (maximum) - 40% d) The whole of the lands zoned R3-9 shall be a lot for the purposes of this by-law. e) One accessory building or structure may be permitted to serve the overall site in accordance with the requirements of Section 3.2 f) A planting strip is required in accordance with Section 3.28 along the north, west and south property lines.

South Huron Official Plan The South Huron Official Plan is very supportive of residential intensification by permitting increased densities and small lot development for the efficient use of land and infrastructure. The design of intensification within established areas is to be considerate and sensitive to the image and character of the neighbourhood. Section 7.5.5.4.4 of the South Huron Official Plan provides direction specifically for high-density residential development in Exeter as follows:  Should be located close to commercial, social and community facilities including public open spaces;  High standards of site design including tree planting, landscaping, buffering and screening will be provided to enhance the appearance and compatibility with abutting low density residential areas;  Adequate on site services, parking and amenities will be provided;  Development will be designed in harmony with the scale, building height and character of the surrounding area; and  Functional and secure pedestrian linkages shall be provided to ensure safe access through high density developments and to promote walkability to destinations within the surrounding area.

There is an industrial zone directly abutting to the south of the subject property. The designation of this area is Residential, meaning that the long term, intended use of the land is for residential purposes. However, at the present time, the Industrial (M1) zone is in effect and an industrial use could be established. In order to ensure that opportunities for conflict are avoided, the proponent was asked to justify the limited setback between the south-most building and the potential for industrial uses to the south. The GSP Group, acting as Planner for the developer, responded by stating that a combination of a 5 metre setback for the industrial use and a 6.5 metre setback on the residential use, with a fence and planting strip in between, would be sufficient from their perspective. They also stated that significant landscaping should be incorporated on their site to mitigate impacts on second storey balconies which would be over the height of a typical fence. Planning staff are satisfied with this item being addressed at the site plan stage.

The design of the site (see Figure 3) leaves limited room for amendment with the proposed number of units. The need for site amenities such as green space, a communal storage shed/refuse storage area, and sufficient parking were discussed with the developer since the public meeting in February. Many of these items can be addressed at the point of site plan approval, however, if basic site amenities cannot be accommodated, it calls into question the appropriateness of the zoning

“Planning with the community for a healthy, viable and sustainable future.” 5 approach and the number of units proposed. In response, the maximum number of units were removed from the by-law.

In response to comments from staff, the following amendments were made:

 The developer incorporated a communal amenity area of 350 square metres which is long and narrow in orientation (7 metres wide). The purpose of the amenity area is to create an opportunity for residents of the building to access an outdoor space. By locating the amenity area beside the open space block for the abutting development, there was an attempt to create a space which will feel larger due to the viewshed that would be created over the open space block; unfortunately, the terms of the Plan of Subdivision conditions require the open space block to be fenced along the western boundary. As the developer is the proponent of both projects, the removal of the condition for that section of fencing is something that warrants further discussion to ensure the amenity area provided is of sufficient quality for residents.  A garbage enclosure has been incorporated into the site design.  In terms of walkability, a sidewalk is currently proposed along the front of each building. A sidewalk should be required out to Simcoe Street to promote walkability to the downtown. A sidewalk will also assist for access if Simcoe Street is where visitors to this development are required to park. Currently, it does not appear there is sufficient room for a 1.6 metre wide sidewalk to extend past the buildings; this can be addressed at the site plan stage.

The zoning approach to the proposed development largely mimics the approach to apartments in South Huron though additional reductions to frontage, rear yard, interior side yard, amenity area and landscaped open space have been sought in an effort to achieve a more compact form of housing with enhanced affordability. The cumulative impact of the reductions maintains the vision of the South Huron Official Plan with one exception: the requested reduction to the number of parking spaces.

The developer has requested that the development be permitted with 1.25 parking spaces per unit when 1.5 spaces are required. With 50 parking spaces, as denoted on the plan, this would permit up to 40 units. Originally, this development was proposed to be a maximum of 34 units which would require 50 parking spaces at 1.5 spaces per unit.

Stacked townhouse developments are becoming an increasingly popular form of housing in Ontario but this is the first such development in Exeter, and further in Huron County. In an effort to ensure the parking reductions proposed were adequate, two steps were taken. Firstly, to compare to the South Huron zoning requirements for apartments, as this is our most comparable form of housing. Secondly, was to do a review of zoning by-laws from other jurisdictions to understand how stacked townhouse developments are approached in other areas. Chart 2 outlines the parking requirements for stacked townhouse developments in other areas across south-western Ontario and whether or not those communities have public transit and specifically, a bus service.

Chart 2: Parking Space Requirements for Stacked Townhouse Developments Number of Spaces Public Transit Notes required per unit (Bus Service ) Stratford 1.5 per unit Yes 2019 Final Draft Zoning By-law continues to require 1.5 spaces and states that of the total number of parking spaces required, 0.25 of the

“Planning with the community for a healthy, viable and sustainable future.” 6 parking spaces required per dwelling shall be designated as visitor parking spaces. Listowel 1.5 per unit No (North Perth) Collingwood 2 per unit Yes

Middlesex Centre 1.5 per unit No (Arva, Ilderton) Owen Sound 1.25 per unit Yes

Barrie 1.5 per unit Yes

Woodstock 1.5 per unit Yes *1.0 per unit is permitted if the building is within the Downtown

The requirement of 1.5 parking spaces per unit is appropriate for the proposed development for the following reasons:

 The requirement of 1.5 spaces per unit recognizes that, in addition to visitor parking, there is the likelihood that some units will require two parking spaces.  The developer provided a justification comparing this development to multiple attached units. Comparing the parking space requirements for stacked townhouses to apartments is more appropriate than multiple attached units as the majority of multiple attached units include garages which create an additional parking space per unit. The South Huron Zoning By-law requires 1.5 parking spaces for an apartment.  There is no opportunity to accommodate parking off-site as: o On-street parking is not permitted on Street A in the new Plan of Subdivision as per the draft plan conditions; o It is not reasonable to direct visitor parking onto Simcoe Street as it has the potential to create issues for the established street and neighbourhood. o The subject property has limited frontage onto Simcoe Street. Due to driveway placement and street connection from Andrew Street there is limited parking space/curb roadway area in proximity to the Simcoe Street entrance to this development. Parking in proximity to the intersection of Simcoe and Andrew Street could lead to further congestion and increase the potential of safety issues.  Studies support reductions to parking space requirements for developments which meet affordable housing thresholds (rent geared to income, subsidized housing, etc.) or cater exclusively to seniors. Neither situation applies in this case.  Finally, there is no public transit in Exeter; individuals rely on private automobiles for transportation which calls into question the practicality of 1.25 spaces per dwelling unit when visitor parking spaces must also be accommodated.

“Planning with the community for a healthy, viable and sustainable future.” 7 Figure 5. Simcoe Street Frontage of Subject Lands

Additional Comments: Comments were received at the original public meeting from the owner of 41 Simcoe Street (Charlie Miner). Mr. Miner was concerned with a range of land use planning concerns including drainage, encroachment onto his enjoyment of his rear yard, visibility and viewsheds associated with Simcoe Street and the proposed access.

Due to the length of time that has lapsed since the original public meeting (February 4th), a second public meeting has been scheduled. At the time of submitting this report, no comments were received from any other members of the public or agencies. Council may receive verbal comments at the public meeting on July 15, 2019.

SUMMARY

With the amendment noted for minimum 1.5 parking spaces, the requested Zoning By-law Amendment is in conformity with the South Huron Official Plan and it is recommended it be approved.

I will be in attendance at the public meeting to answer questions from Council and the public on this Zoning By-law amendment.

Sincerely,

“original signed by” “original signed by”

Sarah Smith, BES, RPP Denise Van Amersfoort, RPP Planner Senior Planner

“Planning with the community for a healthy, viable and sustainable future.” 8