STAFF REPORT April 11, 2005 To: Planning and Transportation Committee From: Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Subject: Birchcliff Quarry Lands Study - Phase 1 Report File # 03 180350 ESC 36 TM Birchcliff Community Ward 36 Scarborough Southwest Ward 35 Scarborough Southwest Ward 32 Beaches - East York Purpose: To report on the Phase 1 Study Area Profile report for the Birchcliff Quarry Lands study area. Financial Implications and Impact Statement: There are no financial implications resulting from the adoption of this report. Recommendations: It is recommended that City Council receive this report for information. Background: On March 7, 2005 the Planning and Transportation Committee recommended that Council adopt the staff recommendations contained in the study status report from the Commissioner of Urban Development Services dated February 18, 2005; specifically, that City Council: (1) endorse the Study Approach for the Birchcliff Quarry Lands as outlined in the report; (2) direct staff to report back to the April 2005 meeting of the Planning and Transportation Committee with the Phase 1 report on the Community Profile of the Birchcliff Quarry Lands study area; and (3) direct the Commissioner of Urban Development Services in consultation with the Commissioners of Works and Emergency Services, Corporate Services and Economic - 2 - Development Culture and Tourism, to report to the May 2005 meeting of the Planning and Transportation Committee on a process for undertaking an environmental review of the City owned lands within the larger Birchcliff Quarry Lands area, that includes a review of the existing Provincial legislation and regulations that apply to the lands, the extent of environmental investigations that are needed on the lands, the expertise required to undertake these investigations and the associated costs, and explores opportunities to involve other landowners of the Quarry Lands in an environmental review on their lands in concert with the City, and in cost-sharing for undertaking such a review. This report responds to direction (2) above. Comments: The complete “Birchcliff Quarry Lands Study Phase 1 Report: Study Area Profile” will be provided separately by the City Clerk. The following is a synopsis of the report. Study Area (Attachment 1): The Quarry Lands are the focus of the study. A larger study area was established to provide a context for the Quarry lands within a broader community framework. The larger study area extends from Main Street in the west to Birchmount Road in the east, Danforth Avenue to the north and Kingston Road to the south. The study area profile examines the Quarry Lands and the larger study area: the existing uses, ownership, natural features, environmental conditions, and policy framework for the Quarry lands and the community services and facilities, roads, transit, and other services available within the surrounding neighbourhoods. Study Overview: An overview of the study purpose, objectives and process is contained in Attachment 2. Study Area Profile Summary: The lands situated on the east side of Victoria Park Avenue, west of Clonmore Drive, north of Gerrard Street and south of the CN rail line are commonly referred to as the Quarry Lands. The Quarry Lands are about 20 hectares (49 acres). Today they are mostly vacant except for a few commercial businesses along Gerrard Street. In the past a sand and gravel quarry and a municipal landfill operated on the Quarry Lands. As a result, there are environmental issues. Apartments have been proposed on the largest property (7.5 hectares) on the Quarry Lands since the late 1960s. The City owns the second largest property (6.7 hectare) on the Quarry Lands. Council initiated a land use study to develop a framework for planning a new neighbourhood on the Quarry Lands in the context of the policies and directions of the new Official Plan. The Quarry Lands are designated Mixed Use Areas in the new Official Plan, where a broad range of residential, commercial, institutional and parks and open space uses are permitted. - 3 - The land use study begins the process of integrating the Quarry Lands into the broader community: for considering the range of the uses that are appropriate, as well as the infrastructure, streets, parks and local services that exist and that may be needed to support new development and to connect the new neighbourhood with the surrounding fabric of the City. The study includes three phases; a study area profile, a vision for the Quarry lands and an implementation strategy. Key Findings: The profile of the Quarry Lands and the larger study area presents a number of key findings for consideration in later phases of the study. i) The Mixed Use Areas designation in the new Official Plan provides an opportunity to consider a wide range of uses on the Quarry Lands. ii) The 1968 Zoning By-law permits 1455 residential units on the largest property within the area. iii) The influence of the apartment development proposed on the largest property on the rest of the Quarry Lands and the adjacent neighbourhoods needs to be explored. iv) The City is a large landowner within the area, with lands designated Mixed Use Areas and lands designated Park and Open Spaces Areas. This presents an opportunity to achieve larger City objectives on the lands. v) There are environmental constraints on the Quarry Lands which may affect the range and distribution of land uses considered appropriate. vi) Information is known about the environmental constraints on the apartment site. More complete environmental information is needed for the larger area, especially for the City lands. vii) A community services and facilities strategy is needed to identify service gaps, to establish priorities, and to determine if improvements or changes are needed to community services and facilities to meet community needs. viii) An assessment of the capacity of the road network is needed to identify existing deficiencies and to determine the impacts of future development. Next Steps: As has been previously reported, the Study Area Profile will inform the work in later phases of the study. Phase 2 of the study is the development of guiding principles and a vision for the future development of the Quarry Lands. Concept plans will be prepared that reflect the vision and development principles. Phase 2 of the study will be conducted in consultation with landowners, community associations, residents and other stakeholders. A working group of - 4 - landowners, community representatives, Ward Councillors and City staff will guide the visioning exercise. Larger community meetings will be held to ensure that the broader community has an opportunity for input into the study. It is proposed that the Phase 1 report now be made available for public review and consideration. This will include the provision of copies of the report to the affected Ward Councillors, the Birchcliff Quarry Land property owners, known community organizations, neighbourhood libraries and posting on the City’s web site. To further the study process, staff propose that the report be presented at a community information meeting (date and location to be determined in consultation with the affected Ward Councillor’s, and based on “postal-walk” notice delivery through-out the larger study area) to receive feed-back on the general findings of the report and implications for the study as it moves into Phase 2. Conclusions: The Birchcliff Quarry Lands Study – Phase 1 Study Area Profile Report is complete, should be received for information and should also now be released for public consideration as a basis for further discussion on the Phase 2 study process. Contact: Rod Hines, Acting Manager Waterfront Section Community Planning, East District Tel: (416) 396-7020 Fax: (416) 396-4263 E-mail: [email protected] Ted Tyndorf Paula M. Dill Chief Planner and Executive Director Commissioner City Planning Division Urban Development Services List of Attachments: Attachment 1: Study Area Map Attachment 2: Birchcliff Quarry Lands Study Overview Attachment 3: Birchcliff Quarry Lands Study: Phase 1 – Study Area Profile (separate cover) - 5 - ATTACHMENT 1 - 6 - ATTACHMENT 2 Birchcliff Quarry Lands Study Overview Introduction: The Birchcliff Quarry Lands (Quarry Lands), about 20 hectares (49 acres), are situated in the Birchcliff Community, on the north side of Gerrard Street, south of the CN rail line, east of Victoria Park Avenue and west of Clonmore Drive (Figure 1). In the past a sand and gravel quarry and a municipal landfill operated on the Quarry Lands. Other industrial uses may have also operated on the Quarry Lands. As a result of the past uses, there are environmental issues on the Quarry Lands. Today, most of the Quarry Lands are vacant, except for a few commercial establishments along Gerrard Street. There are no residential uses on the lands. However, since the 1960’s an apartment development has been propose d on the eastern portion of the lands but has not been built (Gerrard/Clonmore apartment site). The City owns a 6.7 hectare (16.7 acre) property within the Quarry Lands. Surrounding the Quarry Lands, neighbourhoods have developed, matured and are now well established with a variety of residential uses, parks, schools, institutions, and businesses. City Council initiated a land use study of the Quarry Lands in September 2003. In March 2005, Council endorsed an approach for the land use study that involved examining the future development of the Quarry Lands in the context of the City’s new Official