I have provided my comments to the City of Greater Sudbury on application 751-6/17-27 - an application filed by 1916596 Ontario Ltd. to amend the City of Greater Sudbury's zoning by-law in order to permit an arena/events centre on industrial lands on the Kingsway.
I am posting my comments in their entirety to my blog, as I think they may be of use to other people in my community who are preparing to speak out about this application.
I am posting here tonight a version of my comments which are not formatted for this blog. I hope to "tidy things up" over the next few days - but I believe that it's more important to get this text out into the public realm than it is to worry about how nice it might look.
Please forgive me for the length of this post as well. But frankly, there's a whole lot wrong with the application, so....here we go.
March 15, 2018
Re: Application
to Amend the City of Greater Sudbury’s Zoning By-law 2010-100Z
City
of Greater Sudbury File No. 751-6/17-27
1916596 Ontario Ltd.
(hereinafter referred to as the “applicant” or the “land owner”) has applied to
amend the City of Greater Sudbury's Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2010-100Z for
lands described as being Part of Lot 9, Concession 4, Part of Parts 10 &
11, and Parts 12 and 13 of Plan 53R-19391 in the geographic township of
Neelon. The application intends to amend
the zoning by-law by adding a new site-specific use, “recreation and community
centre” in order to permit the establishment of an arena/events centre. The amendment also proposes to include
site-specific height requirements for structures, and no minimum requirement
for the interior side-yard setback.
Presently, the lands
subject to the proposed zoning by-law are designated "General Industrial"
in the City of Greater Sudbury's Official Plan. The General Industrial
designation permits a range of industrial land uses and complimentary and
ancillary uses as of right, and allows for heavy industrial activities subject
to an amendment to the zoning by-law.
The lands subject to the
proposed zoning by-law amendment are presently zoned "M1-1" in the
City of Greater Sudbury's comprehensive zoning by-law #2010-100Z, as amended by
a site-specific by-law in 2014. Presently, the zoning permissions on the subject
lands include a range of industrial uses, and some commercial uses including
office uses, bulk retail, warehouse uses and a commercial recreation centre and
hotel.
The lands subject to the
proposed zoning by-law amendment and other lands in the area under the control
of the land owner were previously subject to a draft approved plan of
subdivision, which received draft approval subject to conditions by the City of
Greater Sudbury in 2010. The application
for a plan of subdivision sought to create 33 blocks (12 blocks for light
industrial service commercial use; 10 lots for industrial use; and 11 for heavy
industrial uses. Two blocks were also provided for stormwater management
purposes) in accordance with the City’s Official Plan.
That draft plan of
subdivision appears to have lapsed in October, 2016 – although the City of
Greater Sudbury continues to treat the draft plan as if it had not lapsed.
Determination as to the actual status of the draft plan of subdivision may need
to take place at some point – however, comments and analysis provided here will
be done so based on the City’s understand that the draft approved plan of
subdivision remains active
The applicant is seeking
to add a “recreation and community centre”
land use permission to the existing zoning for the subject lands, to facilitate
the construction of an Arena. Recreation
and community centre is described in the City's comprehensive zoning by-law
2010-100Z as, “A building or structure,
or part thereof, owned or operated by a private club, a non-profit or
charitable institution or a public agency including a facility developed or
operated as a public-private partnership, where facilities are provided
primarily for athletic or recreational activities or events, and includes
without limiting the generality of the foregoing, an arena and a public pool.”
Further, the By-law
defines “Arena” as, “A building housing
ice making equipment and infrastructure capable of enclosing an artificial ice
surface intended for year round recreational use and may include uses such as
special events and competitions, circuses, concerts, conventions,
weddings/banquets/anniversaries, auctions, restaurants, flea markets and trade
shows or exhibits with a retail component.”
In a letter to the
Manager of Development Approvals, City of Greater Sudbury, from the applicant's
agent, Karl Tanner, MCIP RPP, dated December 5, 2017 (hereinafter referred to
as the “Tanner December 5/17 letter”) it is noted that the City of Greater
Sudury has completed a Market Analysis and Business Case for the creation of a
new 5,800 seat arena/events centre. This
reference appears to be the two reports prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers
(PWC) – the “Proposed Sports and Entertainment Centre – Feasibility and
Business Case Assessment” (February 21, 2017) and the “City of Greater Sudbury
Event Centre Site Evaluation” (June 2017).
On June 27, 2017,
Council for the City of Greater Sudbury selected the lands subject to this
proposed amendment as the preferred location for a new arena/events centre,
which is intended to replace the existing Sudbury Community Arena, located at 240
Elgin Street. Through Council's
selection of the applicant’s property for a new arena/events centre, the land
owner was invited to make this application to amend the City's zoning by-law.
The analysis contained
in this letter will demonstrate that the application to amend the City's zoning
by-law to permit a “recreation and
community centre” on the subject lands does not have regard to Section 2 of
the Planning Act, is not consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement, 2014,
is not consistent and does conflict with the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario,
does not conform to the City of Greater Sudbury's Official Plan, is not in
keeping with the development direction of the City as expressed through public
consultation that informed and led to the acceptance by the City of the
Downtown Master Plan and “From the Ground Up”, the City's economic development
plan, and it does not represent good planning.
The Application in Context of the City’s Planning and Development
Framework as it Pertains to an Arena/Event Centre
The City of Greater
Sudbury has long recognized the importance of a centralized major multi-use
community centre. Presently, that centre
is the Sudbury Community Arena, which serves City residents as a venue for
accessing local sports and entertainment; as a recreation centre; as a centre thtat
hosts cultural and civic activities, such as the July 1st
multicultural celebration and the annual November 11th Remembrance
Day commemoration; as a centre for trade-shows and conventions; as a centre for
evacuation in times of crisis; and as a general meeting facility.
In 2005, the City of
Greater Sudbury adopted its Official Plan, which acknowledged the importance of
community facilities generally, and the Sudbury Community Arena specifically,
as uses which would help attract and retain needed residential development in
the City's downtown.
Since the adoption of
the City's Official Plan, there has been a growing acknowledgement of the need
for a new community events facility to replace the existing Sudbury Community
Arena. The City initiated studies to
assess the viability and costs of repairing the existing facility, which was
built in 1951.
In 2010, the City of
Greater Sudbury initiated the Downtown Master Plan – a 3 year long planning
process involving hundreds of local business, academic, and civic stakeholders,
including downtown residents and those who shop, recreate and work in the
City's downtown core. This planning
initiative led to the Downtown Master Plan, received by Council in February,
2013. The Downtown Master Plan
acknowledged the importance of public recreation facilities such as the
Community Arena in the downtown, and identified a potential location for a new
multi-use facility that would work together with other new facilities, such as
a convention centre and commercial hotels, to create better circumstances for
economic and residential development.
In 2015, the Greater
Sudbury Development Corporation (GSDC) led a municipal-wide public consultation
process that engaged with a very broad range of stakeholders, including
citizens, business and industrial stakeholders, the academic community,
environmental organizations. This
process culminated in a new economic development strategy for the City, “From
the Ground Up – gs2025”, received by Council in April 2016. This new economic development strategy
recognized the importance of the City pursuing a major, centralized community
recreation and events facility to be located in the City's downtown core – the
location that could best capitalize on economic development spin-offs while
benefiting local businesses and incenting residential development.
In March, 2017, Greater
Sudbury Council accepted a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) that
recommended the City replace the existing Sudbury Community Arena with a new
facility, and that a site selection process be undertaken to determine which
sites in the City would be the most appropriate for a new venue. PWC returned to Council on June 27, 2017 with
a short list of 4 sites for consideration of Council. One site was located in the City's downtown
core; two other sites were located in or near to the South End Regional Centre;
a fourth site was located in an under-utilized industrial area on the eastern
urban fringe of the former City of Sudbury – the Kingsway site. After significant discussion regarding how
the Kingsway site could leverage new entertainment-oriented development on
private lands owned by the applicant, Council ultimately selected the Kingsway
site as the location for a new arena/events centre.
Site Selection for the Kingsway Not in Keeping with Planning and
Development Documents
In making its decision
in favour of the Kingsway on June 27, 2017, Council ignored the
long-established directions of the City's Official Plan, Downtown Master Plan
and Economic Development Plan – plans which, as a foundation, acknowledged the
importance of a centralized community recreation and entertainment facility in
the form of a Community Arena located in the City's downtown core. In succession, these plans built on that
foundation, and anticipated a new facility, to be put to the same or similar,
if expanded, use as the existing Sudbury Community Arena, in order to better
achieve creating a healthy, sustainable community and economic development
goals.
No Such Thing as the “Kingsway Entertainment District”
Although the opportunity
for the Kingsway site to potentially become a new entertainment district was
cited by some on Council as rationale for selecting the Kingsway site, it
should also be noted that prior to June 27, 2017, the City had never expressed
an interest in creating a new hub of entertainment facilities – including
publicly-owned facilities in the form of a Community Arena – anywhere other
than in the City's downtown. Importantly,
eve as of today – almost 8 months after selecting the Kingsway site - the City still
has not moved towards updating planning documents to identify any desire to create
what is now being referred to as the “Kingsway
Entertainment District”. The
applications that have been filed with the City of Greater Sudbury by the
applicant are intended to permit a new arena/events centre, parking lot and
casino facility as site-specific exceptions to General Industrial land use
permissions, but there has been no comprehensive initiative to change the land
use designation on the property that would better acknowledge the site as an
entertainment hub, or to develop policies in the Official Plan for how
development in the district is to occur.
As it stands today, the
“Kingsway Entertainment District” is
really nothing more than a conceptual idea for an existing industrial area.
What this means is that
evaluating this application within the greater context of an entertainment hub
is premature, and not in keeping with the City's Official Plan, which provides
citizens and decision-makers alike with the true development vision for the
City of Greater Sudbury. The conceptual
“Kingsway Entertainment District” and
any “planning” which might have taken place to advance this vision (including
the so-called “integrated site plan” process – a process led by the City with
two business partners, that took place outside of the context of the Planning
Act and assessed uses which are not currently permitted by the Official Plan)
can have no standing in the evaluation of this application and should be
ignored by decision-makers.
Recreation and Community Centre – Not a Tourism Use
It is worth noting that
in the letter from the applicant's agent to the General Manager dated Tanner December
5/17 letter, the land owner’s consultant provides a land use analysis for the
application that appears to be, in large part, based on the mistaken belief
that the application to amend the zoning by-law will permit what appears to be
primarily a “tourism” use. With regards
to tourism and tourist use, the applicant’s planner writes,
“Our analysis suggests that the proposed development is consistent
with the intent of the Official Plan in the following ways, they are:
·
Section 1.3.2, Economic
Development – The proposed development promotes the attraction of a diverse
population through the creation of a curious, adventuresome city, by introducing
a new tourist-based destination.
·
Section 4.0, Employment
Areas – The proposed development provides a wider variety of serviced
employment lands, also allowing for a diversification of the employment base;
and, the proposed development ensures the efficient use of currently underutilized
industrial lands for the development of a tourist-based destination.”
This analysis appears to
be based on a fundamental misunderstanding of what a “recreation and community centre” is and is not. Through discussion here, I will show that a “recreation and community centre” in the
form of an arena/events centre is an institutional use, as per the City’s
Official Plan, and a “public facility”, as per the Provincial Policy Statement,
2014, and as such is intended to be used primarily by residents of the City of
Greater Sudbury. I will also show that
while it is expected that there will be some out-of-town guests (“tourists”)
who will use this facility, that cannot change an evaluation based on the
primary and fundamental use of the public facility – namely, to provide service
to residents of the City of Greater Sudbury.
Tourism in the City of Greater Sudbury’s Official Plan
The City of Greater
Sudbury's Official Plan acknowledges the important role that tourism plays in
the City’s economy. The Plan identifies
Centres as “nodes of retail, tourism,
business, education and government services.” (Section 4.2). For the purposes of the City’s Official Plan,
“Centres” consist of the Downtown, Regional Centres and Town Centres. The industrial area on the Kingsway where
lands subject to this application are situated are not within a “Centre”.
Section 5.2.6 of the
Plan identifies that resort and shoreline commercial uses in rural and
waterfront areas are permitted as a means of expanding the tourism sector. The lands subject to this application are not
in a rural and waterfront area.
Part VI of the Plan
indicates that, “A diverse and vital
economy is an essential quality of a Healthy Community. Greater Sudbury has adopted an economic
development strategic plan that identifies several key engines of growth. In addition to mining and supply services,
other targeted sectors include tourism, arts & culture, health care
services and research, and the development of an environmental services sector
that will build upon the City’s well-established land reclamation and lake
water quality programs.” It should
be noted that the “economic development
strategic plan” referred to in this policy has since been replaced by a
new, more up-to-date economic development plan, “From the Ground Up – gs2025”. “From the Ground Up – gs2025” also emphasizes
the key role that tourism plays for economic development in the City. That Plan identifies a number of actions
which the City and other stakeholders should consider undertaking to better
create and promote opportunities to expand our tourism sector, including:
·
4.2.1 – Implement innovative
alternative transportation, transit, and parking options focused on improving
visitor circulation in the city connecting major tourism and retail/commercial
nodes;
The zoning by-law
amendment to permit an arena/events centre on the Kingsway, to be accessed
primarily by motor vehicles, while removing the community arena from the
downtown will not be helpful and is anticipated to be harmful in achieving this
outcome.
·
4.2.2 – Co-ordinate regional
planning, economic development, and tourism interests to advocate for the
development of more efficient and modern transportation infrastructure in the
northern Ontario;
Putting a new arena/events
centre on the Kingsway, where it will be poorly serviced by public transit, and
opportunities to walk and bike, will not assist in achieving this outcome and
will not help lead to more efficient, modern and active transportation systems
in the City.
·
4.3.2 – Leverage assets and
programs of Sudbury Tourism to increase Greater Sudbury’s appeal for
residential attraction;
The presence of the
Sudbury Community Arena in the City’s downtown is acknowledged as a facility
that is part of a strategy to attract and retain residential development in the
City’s core. Replacing the existing
downtown arena/events centre with a new facility in an industrial area will
frustrate the downtown residential development strategy and will not help
achieve this goal.
·
Goal Six: A nationally
recognized centre of artistic excellence, vibrancy and creativity – There is
overwhelming consensus that arts, culture and heritage provide value to
communities in the form of quality of life, downtown revitalization, sense of
community, attraction and retention of creative professionals, economic
development and tourism. By fostering an
environment that supports cultural pursuits and creative individuals we will
benefit in these areas.
In Goal Six, “From the
Ground Up – gs2025” clearly contemplates the linkages between a vibrant arts,
culture and heritage sector with the revitalization of the downtown and the
promotion of tourism. A new arena/events
centre on the Kingsway in an industrial area will not help the City achieve
this goal; removing the Sudbury Community Arena from the downtown would likely
lead to the opposite of downtown revitalization.
·
Goal Seven: One of Ontario’s top tourism destinations states in
part, “Tourism is also an important
sector of Greater Sudbury’s economy, and all citizens have the opportunity to
be good ambassadors, promoting the beauty of our city and encouraging visitors
to come... One of the key priorities for
Greater Sudbury in the tourism sector is based on the range of events that the
community offers. The city, with is
reputation as a regional capital, has had success hosting a series of festivals
throughout the year…During the consultation process it was suggested that the
development of a new arena/entertinament complex could help unlock the potential
for the continued growth and economic propsertity of the community. This would complement Greater Sudbury’s
existing festivals with an additional venue for other concerns, entertainment
events, live performances, and sporting events, not to mention its potential
for expanded convention business. There
are still a number of opportunities that exist in the tourism sector that
Greater Sudbury can leverage to help make it one of Ontario’s top destinations. For example, the Downtown Sudbury Master Plan
calls for promoting tourism in the downtown core and creating destination
attractions such as a “Signature Arts District” that will draw visitors from
across the region. Consideration should
be paid to investing in the necessary infrastructure to support the added
visitors to the area. Continued growth
and diversification of the region’s retail sector will also maintain and
enhance Greater sudbury’s regional capital status as well.”
An a new arena/events
centre on the Kingsway in an industrial area does not further any portion of
Goal 7.
·
7.1.1 – Develop a
multi-purpose facility (or facilities) for arts, culture, business and sport in
the Downtown core, with consideration for the following high-priority uses:
·
Conference facilities
·
Performing arts centre
·
Arena/sports complex
·
Art gallery
·
Accommodations
Shuttering the existing
Sudbury Community Arena in the City’s downtown core in favour of a new facility
in an industrial area on the Kingsway is contrary to this Action identified in
“From the Ground Up – gs2025” in Obective 7.1 – Invest in Facilities, Spaces,
and Initiatives Needed to Support the Growth of Tourism.
·
7.2.8 – Work with Transit
and other agencies to improve choice and quality of connections between
attractions.
The development of a new
arena/events centre in a car-dependent industrial area on the Kingsway will not
assist with achieving this desired outcome.
·
7.3.1 – Promote the “scenic
sights, urban delights” brand for Sudbury Tourism in order to distinguish the
city from its competitors in Ontario.
Removing the existing
Sudbury Community Arena from the downtown’s urban fabric in favour of locating
a new arena/events centre in an industrial area surrounded by surface parking
facilities will not assist with marketing a brand that focuses in part on the
City’s “urban delights”.
·
Conclusion – “Our city will
be recognized as one of Ontario’s top tourism destinations, offering
world-class attractions, high caliber accommodations and unieque events and
activities for all types of travelers.
The implementation of the Downtown Sudbury Master Plan will help
transform the downtown core into a destination
featuring attractions that will draw vidistors from across the region,
the province and around the world.
Investment in facilities, spaces and initiatives will support the growth
of tourism along with prioritization of tourism destination development and
promotion initiatives.”
Locating a new
arena/events centre in an industrial area will not assist in achieving this
desired outcome. It is important to note
that the industrial area where lands subject to this request for zoning
amendment is located is not identified as a priority for tourism initiatives in
our Economic Development Plan – indeed, this area on the Kingsway is not even
mentioned.
Section 17.6 of the
Official Plan indicates that, “Council in
conjunction with the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation and other
stakeholders as appropriate, h) Will continue to develop tourism infrastructure
and promote the City as an outstanding vacation destination and place to live
and work by, ii) selectively enhancing arts and cultural amenities to fit
unique heritage and local strengths; v) creating a comprehensive marketing
strategy to bring Greater Sudbury’s tourism and lifestyle advantages to key
markets.”
The application to
permit an arena/events centre on the Kingsway is not in keeping with these Plan
policies that seek to leverage existing local strengths and our tourism
marketing strategy. The urban focus of
the “scenic sights, urban delights”
brand plays up on one of our City’s local strengths – a vibrant and dynamic
arts and entertainment hub in our downtown core. By shifting a major event hosting facility
from the downtown to an industrial area on the Kingsway, we would diminish
opportunities for local synergies in the development of tourism infrastructure.
Application Not in Keeping with Tourism Promotion Policies and
Programs
If the subject application were intended to be evaluated through the lens of tourism, what is clear is that putting an arena/events centre in an industrial area, as contemplated by this application, would not be in keeping with the City’s Official Plan and Economic Development Plan. The policies in these two City plans as they relate to tourism clearly do not support the establishment of a tourist-oriented arena/event centre in an industrial area on an urban fringe of the City. Instead, there is a strong policy direction in these Plans which suggest that an arena/event centre would be properly located in the City’s downtown core, where it can act as a facility that leverages and synergizes with other tourist-based attractions in a way that is accessible by active transportation and transit.
However, as indicated
earlier, the proposed “recreation and
community centre use” should be primarily evaluated as an institutional use
– one to be used primarily by the citizens of our City, as it is not expected
to generate a significant amount of tourism.
However, if the small tourism component is deemed to be an important
consideration, than this application to permit an arena/events centre on the
Kingsway in preference to the City’s downtown should be refused by Council.
What is a “recreation and
community facility”?
The Provincial Policy
Statement, 2014, describes “public service
facility” as “lands, buildings and
structures for the provision of programs and services provided or subsidized by
a government or other body, such as social assistance, recreation, police and
fire protection, health and educational programs, and cultural services.”
A recreation and
community facility is a public service facility. Public service facilities are institutional
land uses, and although they may include commercial activities (such as paid
entertainment) and small-scale commercial uses (food vendors, ticket sales,
etc.), the primary purpose of institutional uses is to perform functions and
provide services that are of importance to citizens and the municipal
corporation.
Locally, the Sudbury
Community Arena is probably the best-known example of this kind of multi-use
and multi-functional public service facility.
As the application
intends to permit a “recreation and
community centre” as a permitted use on the subject lands, the proposed use
must be assessed as a public service
facility.
Evaluating a “recreation and
community centre” as a Public Service
Facility
The City’s Comprehensive
Zoning By-law 2010-100Z defines “Institutional
Use” as “A children’s home, a day
care centre, a place of worship, a hospital, a private club, a non-profit or
charitable institution, a group home type 1, a group home type 2, a special
needs facility, a recreation and community centre, an arena, a public museum, a
public library, a public business, a public fire hall, a public or private
school other than a trade school, or any public use other than a public utility.”
The By-law defines “recreation and community centre” as “A building or structure, or part thereof,
owned or operated by a private club, a non-profit or charitable institution or
a public agency including a facility developed or operated as a public-private
partnership, where facilities are provided primarily for athletic or
recreational activities or events, and includes without limiting the generality
of the foregoing, an arena and a public pool.”
The By-law defines “Arena” as “A building housing ice making equipment and infrastructure capable of
enclosing an artificial ice surface intended for year round recreational use
and may include uses such as special events and competitions, circuses, concerts,
conventions, weddings/banquets/anniversaries, auctions, restaurants, flea
markets and trade shows or exhibits with a retail component.”
None of these
definitions refer to “tourism” – although a “recreation and community centre” in the form of an Arena can and will nevertheless attract
some people from areas outside of the City.
However, the primary function of this use is clearly one that serves the
residents of the City of Greater Sudbury.
With operating losses
projected by PWC to be approximately $800,000 annually, this “recreation and community centre” use in
the form of an arena will be a public
service facility that is clearly subsidized by a government, in keeping with
the PPS 2014 definition of “public
service facility”.
Existing Land Use Permissions
Through application
751-6/13-35, the subject lands were rezoned in 2014 to permit the development
of a complex with office, hotel, bulk retail, warehouse, and commercial
recreation centre uses. The City’s
Zoning By-law 2010-100Z defines “recreation
centre, commercial” as, “An
establishment where participatory athletic, recreational or physical fitness
facilities are provided for gain or profit, and includes without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, a commercial fitness centre and exercise spa or
club, a commercial ice or roller skating rink, a commercial squash, tennis or
golfing facility and a commercial outdoor recreation area, but does not include
a riding stable, place of amusement or amusement park.”
Although the letter to
the Tanner December 5/17 letter indicates that the “development of a ‘recreation and community centre’ in the form of an
arena and Event Centre…is complimentary to…current permitted uses,” this
assertion is unproven. The type of
facility currently permitted on the subject lands as a “recreation centre, commercial” appears to be something of much
smaller scale than a public facility in the form of an arena events centre that
is subsidized by the City. An “Arena” is not permitted.
There has been no
economic analysis undertaken which has led to the conclusion that an
arena/events centre of the scale proposed here (5,200 seats for an Ontario
Hockey League game) represents a profitable commercial investment. The only analysis undertaken at this point,
by PWC, determined that OHL-style arena/event centres almost always require
public subsidy for long-term operations, and as such are not profitable on
their own.
Comparing the existing
zoning permission for a “recreation
centre, commercial” to the new permission now being sought for a “recreation and community centre” is
unhelpful for any land use evaluation of the application, since the likelihood
of both types of facilities occurring on the subject lands is extremely low –
and given that the City has made it clear that it plans to purchase the subject
lands, it’s almost a near certainty that a for-profit “recreation centre, commercial” will never be established on these
lands.
Institutional Uses and the City’s Official Plan
This application
pertains to the addition of a new use on lands designated “General
Industrial”. The new use is an
institutional use in the form of a “recreation
and community centre”, which is a public
service facility, as per the Provincial Policy Statement, 2014.
The City’s Official Plan
includes policies for institutional uses within the Employment Areas section,
and specifically in Section 4.4. While
the Plan establishes a site-specific land use designation for some
institutional uses – mostly for major health and education facilities – it
acknowledges that institutional uses will occur within other land use
designations, and that “Institutional
uses are permitted throughout the municipality in accordance with the needs of
area residents and policies set forth below.” Indeed, the Sudbury Community Arena – an
institutional use – is located on lands that are designated “Downtown” in the
City’s Official Plan, and zoned C-6 – which allows for institutional uses.
Policy 2 of Section 4.4
is the only relevant section of 4.4 that would apply to and provide guidance
for this land use application to amend the zoning by-law to permit a “recreation and community centre” – an
institutional use – on the subject lands.
Policy 2 of Section 4.4 indicates, “2.
In considering the establishment of new institutional uses or the expansion of
existing facilities on lands not specifically designated for institutional
purposes, Council will ensure that:
a. sewer and water services are adequate to service the site;
b. adequate traffic circulation can be provided;
c. adequate parking for the public is provided on-site;
d. public transit services can be provided economically for the
site;
e. the proposed
institutional use can be integrated into the area and is compatible with surrounding uses;
and,
f. adequate buffering and landscaping is provided.”
Institutional Uses on the Subject Lands
The City of Greater
Sudbury’s Official Plan designates the lands subject to this application as
“General Industrial”. General Industrial
policies are also found within Section 4, “Employment Uses”, of the Official
Plan, and specifically within Section 4.5.1.
Policy 1 of 4.5.1 indicates that, “Permitted
uses may include manufacturing,
fabricating, processing and assembling of industrial and consumer products,
repair, packaging and storage of goods and materials, and related industrial
activities.” The use of the words “may include” in Policy 1 seems to imply
that this is not a comprehensive list, and that other appropriate uses could be
permitted, including institutional uses.
It may very well be
appropriate for some kinds of institutional uses to locate on lands designated
“General Industrial”. For example, the
City’s recycling centre at 1825 Frobisher Street appears to be located on lands
that are designated “General Industrial”.
However, it would be an
error to determine that by virtue of language in the Official Plan that
indicates, “Institutional uses are
permitted throughout the municipality in accordance with the needs of area
residents and policies set forth below,” that it is implied that all areas
of the municipality are appropriate for all institutional uses, subject to
policies found in Section 4.4 of the Plan.
Further direction with
regards to this situation is found in Section 20.5.2 of the Official Plan,
which pertains to Rezoning Applications.
Section 20.5.2 indicates, “It
shall be the policy of Council to ensure
that the Zoning By-law and amendments thereto conform with this Plan. To
this end, it is the intent of Council to evaluate each rezoning application according
to all applicable policies – simple conformity with land use designation does
not automatically guarantee a rezoning to the proposed use.”
Clearly, a more
significant level of analysis is needed prior to determining whether a proposed
new institutional use is appropriate in a specific location.
Note, too, that Section
4.4 does not indicate that institutional uses are permitted within every land
use designation – it simply says “throughout
the municipality”.
If one were to interpret
Section 4.4 as applying to lands within every land use designation, the
following situation would seem to permit institutional uses in locations that
are completely inappropriate:
Scenario.
The City’s Official Plan prohibits new development within
floodplains. Floodplains occur in
multiple land use designations, throughout the City, including Living Area 1
and the Parks and Open Space designation.
An interpretation of Section 4.4’s “throughout
the municipality” which suggests that institutional uses can locate in any
land use designation, subject only to items addressing items a) through f) of
Policy 2, would lead to the absurd outcome that a new recycling centre, place
of worship or recreation centre would have a valid land use permission within a
flooding hazard, subject only to an assessment of the following (none of which
have to do with environmental impacts or natural hazards):
a. sewer and water services are adequate to service the site;
b. adequate traffic circulation can be provided;
c. adequate parking for the public is provided on-site;
d. public transit services can be provided economically for the
site;
e. the proposed institutional use can be integrated into the area
and is compatible with surrounding uses; and,
f. adequate buffering and landscaping is provided.
At the Planning
Committee meeting of January 11, 2018, planners for both the City and the
applicant advised Planning Committee that this application was in conformity
with the Official Plan based on the sentence found in Section 4.4 of the
Official Plan that indicates “Institutional
uses are permitted throughout the municipality in accordance with the needs of
area residents and policies set forth below,” and presumably with
consideration given to items a) through h) of Policy 2.
Given the significant
direction of the Official Plan, which must be considered with regards to
consistency with the Provincial Policy Statement, 2014 and the Northern Growth
Plan, I submit that the analysis provided by the planners to Planning Committee
on January 11, 2018 does not stand up to the strong policy direction contained
in these three documents that would lead considered decision-makers to
determine that an industrial area on the fringe of an existing urban centre is
not the appropriate location for a public facility in the form of an
arena/event centre.
Council, when making its
determination, must consider all of the policies in its Official Plan,
including Section 20.5.2, which specifically applies to rezoning
applications. Official Plan policies
must be read in conjunction with both the Provincial Policy Statement, 2014 and
the Northern Growth Plan, as both of these policy documents have been issued by
the Province since the approval of the City of Greater Sudbury’s Official Plan.
Official Plan Conformity
“1.2 – Vision
The Official Plan functions as much more than a land use planning
document – it also encompasses our objectives related to social, economic and
environmental matters. The vision statements below reflect the collective aspirations of those who live in Greater
Sudbury by drawing on past community
initiatives and public consultation.”
-City of Greater Sudbury
Official Plan
“…a policy statement is a conscious or stated choice – a kind of public promise - to take a consistent
and fair approach to similar circumstances in the future and to make decisions
(or have others who hold similar authority make decisions) that will advance the desired objectives of the
policy. Like an unkept promise, a policy observed ‘more in the breach’ is
of little true value.”
-Ontario Municipal Board
Member B.W. Krushelnicki, Material
Handling Problem Solvers Inc. v. Essex (Town) Marshfield Woods, the Hearn Group
[2002] O.M.B.D. No. 1133
The application does not
conform to the following policies of the Official Plan:
Section 4.5.1, General
Industrial
Section 4.5.1 of the
Official Plan reads,
“Policies
1.
Permitted uses may include manufacturing, fabricating, processing and
assembling of industrial and consumer products, repair, packaging and storage
of goods and materials, and related industrial activities.
2.
Complementary uses, such as administrative offices, which do not detract from,
and which are compatible with, the operation of industrial uses are also
permitted.
3. General
Industrial uses must have minimal environmental impacts. Any use which may
impact surrounding areas and cause nuisance will be appropriately buffered and
screened.
4. Where
development occurs in areas that are not fully serviced, only dry industries
that generate less than 4,500 litres of wastewater a day may be permitted.
5. Heavy industrial uses may also be permitted by rezoning.”
A “recreation and
community centre” use in the form of an Arena on this site does not conform to
the Official Plan. It is a public
service facility as defined by the PPS, 2014, and as such should be
strategically located in an area of the City that promotes cost-effectiveness
and better facilitates service integration.
A public service facility of this nature should also be easily accessed
by all citizens, including via public transit and active transportation.
An industrial area is
not an appropriate location for this type of public service facility. The City of Greater Sudbury’s Official Plan
directs this sort of facility to an alternate land use designation via the following
policies.
·
1.4, Context
“The heart of Greater Sudbury, its most urban place, is and will be the
Downtown. With the changing role of downtowns, there is a continuing need for
appropriate policies and programs to enhance the Downtown as a location of
government, commerce, cultural and entertainment facilities. Residential
development in and around the Downtown is needed to support new and expanded
facilities and amenities.”
This part of the
Official Plan’s context identifies the Downtown as having a continuing need for
programs that enhance the location for a number of uses, and in particular
cultural entertainment and residential uses.
The provision of an arena/events centre in the Downtown would enhance
and support these uses.
·
4.2.1, Downtown Sudbury
“Downtown Sudbury forms the historic core of the amalgamated City,
retaining its important function as a centre of retail, arts and culture,
government and business services. The Downtown services a large catchment area
that extends beyond Greater Sudbury. Compact and walkable, the Downtown
possesses a distinct built form that sets it apart from other urban areas,
offering unique opportunities to protect, develop and sustain its role as the
vibrant hub of a dynamic city.”
This policy identifies
the Downtown as the heart of the amalgamated City. It indicates that the Downtown serves a
catchment area that extends beyond the City.
A distinct built form that more easily promotes the use of active
transportation exists in the Downtown like nowhere else in the City. To develop and sustain the Downtown’s role as
a vibrant hub of a dynamic City, the Plan recognizes the importance of the
Downtown for the provision of various
services to the community and beyond, including retail and business services –
and noteworthy for our discussion pertaining to an Arena, arts and culture
services as well.
·
4.2.1, Downtown Sudbury
“Council will develop the Downtown as a creative district by
promoting arts and culture, encouraging public art initiatives, and partnering
with the non-profit sector and other levels of government. The development of a
performing arts facility in the Downtown core will be a key priority.”
While the “Kingsway
Entertainment District” may be a concept plan that has yet to be identified in
any of the City’s planning documents, our Official Plan does recognize the
Downtown as a creative district for arts, culture and entertainment. No other part of the City is recognized as
such. An arena/events centre in the
Downtown contributes to our existing Downtown Entertainment District.
·
4.2.1.1, Downtown Residential Development
“Amenities such as the Farmer's Market, Sudbury Theatre Centre,
Greater Sudbury Public Library, Sudbury Arena and the Centre for Life
contribute to the appeal of the Downtown. In order to make it more attractive
as a place of residence, additional amenities necessary to enhance the
livability of the Downtown will be identified.
This Plan policy
specifically identifies a downtown arena as part of a strategy to promote
residential development in the downtown by enhancing the livability of the
area. The promotion of residential
development in our Downtown has been identified by the Official Plan as a
desirable objective, based on the well-understood principle that vibrant and
dynamic downtowns are ones where people live, work, shop and play. The removal of the Arena from the downtown
would be contrary to the downtown residential promotion strategy outlined here.
·
4.2.1.2, Downtown Urban Environment
“The Downtown offers a unique urban environment that is
characterized by its distinct built form, heritage resources, street
configuration, pedestrian spaces, and linkages to neighbourhoods and amenities
such as Bell Park. The Downtown plays a key role in defining the City's image
and quality of place, perceptions that are essential to the success of a number
of City initiatives.”
The Plan acknowledges
the important role that the Downtown plays in the public perception of the
City, and how that perception is used to achieve successful outcomes for City
initiatives, including residential and economic development initiatives. The downtown Arena helps form a part of that
perception.
·
4.2.1.2, Downtown Urban Environment
“It is a policy of this Plan to preserve those aspects of the
Downtown that contribute to the image, character and quality of life in the
City, including natural features, landmarks, design attributes and heritage
resources, linkages to existing trails, pedestrian walkways and other desirable
elements of the built environment.”
Building on the previous
policy regarding the importance of public perception, this Plan policy clearly
identifies that those aspects of the Downtown that contribute to its image,
character and quality of life will be preserved. “Landmarks” are specifically signaled
out. Without question, the existing
Sudbury Community Arena is one of those landmark elements that contribute to
the success of the downtown (and by extension, to that of our City) and enhance
our quality of life. While it may not be
possible to preserve this landmark, it would be irresponsible – and contrary to
this Official Plan policy – not to preserve its continued use as a public
service facility in the City’s downtown core.
·
4.2.1.2, Downtown Urban Environment
“High quality urban design in the Downtown will be promoted,
compatible with the existing character and scale. A special focus on public
spaces is intended, utilizing such design elements as street trees,
landscaping, street lighting and furnishings, public art, gateway entrances and
playgrounds that are wheelchair and stroller accessible.”
The Downtown is a unique
area of the City, rife with opportunities to encounter public art and high
quality urban design. A new public
facility – especially one that will cost taxpayers up to $100 million based on
estimates provided by PWC – should incorporate a high quality design that
compliments surrounding uses. This can’t
be achieved in an industrial area – and indeed, our Plan does not contemplate
the need for high quality urban design for public facilities in an industrial
area. But high quality urban design
could be achieved in the Downtown. Taxpayers should settle for nothing less.
·
11.0, Transportation
“Enhancing
the public transportation system and encouraging increased transit use are
important objectives, particularly within the context of improving air quality
and contributing to Kyoto targets.
Sidewalks, bike lanes, bike paths and walking trails need to be
fully integrated components of the overall transportation system, providing safe
access for pedestrians and cyclists supported by good urban design principles.
Opportunities to engage in recreational and leisure activities are also tied to
the transportation network.”
Shifting the arena out
of the downtown core, which is the best-serviced area of the City with regards
to transit and active transportation, and moving this important public facility
to an industrial area on the fringe of the urban area that is accessible
primarily by personal motor vehicles will not help enhance our transit system
or our active transportation systems.
·
11.1, Transportation Objectives
It is the
objective of the transportation network policies to:
e. promote
all travel modes, including public transit, walking and cycling;
f. provide
affordable, convenient and reliable public transit service that enhances
mobility and access;
g.
consider the needs of the physically challenged in the planning and design of
all aspects of the transportation network; and,
h. support
programs that aim to reduce the environmental impacts of certain modes of
transportation.
The application to permit an arena in an industrial area on the
urban fringe will not assist the City with achieving transit-oriented and
active transportation objectives of the Official Plan’s Transportation
policies. The application does not
support all modes of travel; requires the inefficient and costly expansion of
transit services; does not enhance mobility or access; and, does not consider
the needs of physically-challenged people (particularly those who rely on
motor-assist devices, given the industrial location and lack of walking options
for access).
Further, the link between “Kyoto targets” and “environmental
impacts” indicates a concern about how the City’s transportation systems –
particularly those that rely on fossil-fueled motorized vehicles – are
impacting the global climate. As the
City moves forward into the 21st Century, it is incumbent on
decision-makers to consider the climate change impacts of their decisions. While the City currently lacks a
comprehensive plan to reduce emissions, what is clear is that decision makers
need to start thinking about how their decisions can help – or hinder –
greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
These policies in the City’s Official plan urge decision-makers to
do just that, when considering development options and alternatives. This application in particular, which seeks
to relocate an important, much-visited public facility out of the City’s
walkable, bikeable downtown core and move it to a location that is largely
car-dependent will certainly work against reducing ghg emissions.
The application is not consistent with this section of
the Official Plan.
·
11.3, Public Transportation
“Although
the automobile will remain the primary mode of personal transportation for the
foreseeable future, public transportation will play an increasingly important
role for the municipality. Increased public transit use will help the City
improve air quality and achieve Kyoto targets, as well as alleviate traffic
congestion on Arterial Roads.
The
provision of public transit is also closely aligned with other municipal
initiatives. A new emphasis on residential intensification that encourages
higher densities within existing built-up urban areas will in turn support the
expansion of transit services and increased ridership.”
The City’s Transportation policy objectives are further
articulated in this section, and a direct connection is made between the
delivery of expanded transit services and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
(“Kyoto targets”). Section 11.9 of the
Official Plans speaks a little more to the importance of emissions reductions.
Further, this policy indicates that the provision of transit is
aligned with other plan objectives, including residential intensification. It should be noted again that a downtown
arena is specifically identified in Section 4.2.1.1 of the Official Plan as
being a part of a strategy to promote residential development in the City’s
core. Moving the arena to the Kingsway
site will not assist with that strategy, and will therefore not help enhance
the provision of cost-effective public transit services that increase
ridership.
But maintaining an arena in the downtown core – an area already
well-serviced by transit – can certainly help achieve this outcome, especially
when considered as a part of a holistic approach to attract and retain
knowledge-based jobs to the community through the provision of public amenities
and a built environment that meets the needs and wants of knowledge-economy workers. An efficient and effective public transit
system is a part of that strategy that promotes healthy living and economic
prosperity.
·
11.3.2, Land Use Policies To Support Transit Needs
“The
provision of public transit must be supported by compatible land uses policies
and sound urban design principles in order to promote transit use as a viable
option for residents. Transit-supportive policies form linkages with other City
initiatives, including the need for increased residential intensification, ongoing
efforts at downtown revitalization, and objectives established by the EarthCare
Sudbury Local Action Plan.
1. Urban
design and community development that facilitate the provision of public
transit will be promoted.”
Here again, the Plan links transit policy to residential
intensification and downtown revitalization.
The application which will see the existing arena relocate to an
industrial area on the urban fringe of the City is contrary to downtown
revitalization and promoting residential intensification. It is also contrary to policies of the
Official Plan, like this one, which seek to enhance our public transit system.
·
11.7, Active Transportation: Pedestrian and Bicycle Network
“Protecting
and expanding the existing pedestrian and bicycle network in the City is
essential to creating quality of place. Trails promote healthy lifestyles and
provide an alternative transportation network.”
This application will not assist with enhancing the City’s
pedestrian and bike network, as it will shift a well-used public facility out
of the downtown core (an area well-serviced by active transportation
facilities) and into a car-dependent location on the City’s urban fringe.
“2.
Development proposals will be reviewed to ensure that there is adequate
pedestrian access in new developments. The City may acquire lands to provide
pedestrian facilities as a condition of approval. Wherever possible, the
provision of adequate bicycle facilities will be encouraged.”
There is inadequate pedestrian access for this development proposal. Industrial areas throughout the City have
only limited pedestrian access – and the same standards can be expected on this
site, given the industrial nature. The
application for zoning amendment does not propose to create any new standards.
Industrial area access standards for pedestrian are inappropriate
for a public service facility that is expected to service several hundred
thousand visitors annually.
This application is not in keeping with this policy.
·
12.2.1, Provision of Sewer and Water Servcies
“The City
will ensure that the sewer and water systems are provided in a manner that:
is
financially sound and complies with all regulatory requirements;”
This application will lead to the unnecessary expansion of public
sewer and water infrastructure. If the
arena were to stay in the downtown, the costly expansion of sewer and water
services would be avoided.
·
12.4.2 , Energy Efficiency Programs
“5. This
Plan supports district energy plants as an efficient method of supplying
heating, cooling and electricity to buildings. The environmental benefits of
co-generation plants are recognized for their contribution to cleaner energy
sources and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
6.
Geothermal projects based on the small district energy system model will be facilitated
by this Plan to meet the heating and cooling needs of new clusters of
environmental businesses.”
This application, which will only be realized through the
provision of public funds, does not seek to use district or geothermal energy –
an egregious oversight for what is ultimately a major investment of taxpayer
money. Further, by taking the arena out
of the downtown, the downtown’s district energy system will be diminished.
Alternatively, a new downtown arena could enhanced the
cost-effectiveness of the downtown district energy system.
·
14.5, Design Features, Views and Corridors
“Those aspects of the Downtown that contribute to the image,
character and quality of life in the City will be identified and preserved.
Viewpoints to landmark features should be preserved as a means of guiding
movement through the core and enhancing the visual appeal of the Downtown. New
landmark features should be developed and integrated into the Downtown
landscape, including the completion of the Farmers’ Market.”
This policy, too, calls
for the preservation of Downtown elements that contribute to character and
quality of life. It calls for the
preservation of viewscapes to landmark features. And it calls for the development of new
landmark features that can be integrated into the Downtown landscape. Although not specifically identified, clearly
a new arena would be one of those landmark features.
Note that there are no
comparable Official Plan policies that call for new landmark features in a
General Industrial area.
·
14.6, Urban Design Programs
“Programs to beautify the Downtown are required to improve the
quality of the built form and support its role as a centre of retail, arts
& culture, government and business services. Such initiatives will
contribute to the viability of Downtown residential development.”
This policy, too,
acknowledges the central role that the Downtown plays as a hub for retail, arts
and culture, business. It also
acknowledges the importance of facilitating residential development. A downtown arena is a key public facility
identified in Section 4.2.1.1 of the Plan as part of a strategy to promoter
residential development.
·
Part VI: Healthy People, Healthy Places
“Healthy Community determinants developed as part of an extensive
public input process form the underlying foundation of the Official Plan.
Although these principles inform all aspects of this Plan, they are presented
here by major theme. Adequate access to Housing is a core need and is addressed
in a separate chapter. To help us achieve our Healthy Community objectives, our
essential approach to Economic Development is also presented as a series of
objectives, policies and programs. Although not normally included as part of an
Official Plan, these chapters are intended to provide policy direction for
Council.”
This area of the
Official Plan identifies the importance of Healthy Community objectives to
achieving economic development outcomes, tying healthy and sustainable living
with building a prosperous, knowledge-based economy. A downtown arena facility, as identified in
various policies found in Section 4.2 of the Official Plan, will contribute to
the circumstances needed for both making our City a healthier place for
residents, and a more prosperous location for business.
As such, the Plan
indicates that the approach outlined here for economic development should be
one pursued by Council.
·
16.2.2, Accessible Recreation Programs and Facilities
“Provide leisure and recreation facilities and programs that are
accessible to all citizens. The needs of persons with disabilities shall be
considered in the design and construction of public facilities including
buildings and outdoor activity centres.”
When looking for
locations for landmark public facilities that are intended to serve the needs
of all residents, consideration should be given to equity and ease of
access. As noted elsewhere in the Plan,
Greater Sudbury’s downtown is a unique district, not only because it acts as a
hub for retail, business, government services, arts, culture and entertainment
uses, but also because of the built environment and the ease of access to and
within the downtown for those citizens in our community that do not own or have
access to motorized vehicles.
The downtown is a
transit hub. It is located in an area
that is within walking distance for tens of thousands of community
residents. Active transportation routes,
both existing and planned, lead to the downtown and connect it to other parts
of the City.
Although the Kingsway
projects are intended to be accessed by transit and active transportation
routes, due to the suburban industrial location of the lands, only extremely
limited access by non-motorized vehicles is likely to occur. This is not equitable.
·
16.2.3, A Prosperous Community With Employment Opportunities
“In
addition to the more detailed discussion of Economic Development contained in
Chapter 17.0, the following policies will apply:
1. Have
regard for the City’s economic development strategic plan in assessing
development applications.”
As noted above, the City’s Economic Development Plan, “From the
Ground Up – gs2015” acknowledges the downtown as the location for a new
arena/events centre. The plan is silent
with regards to locating this important public facility in an industrial area.
This policy suggests that Council should have regard to our
economic development strategy when making decisions related to development
applications. This specific development
application is not in keeping with Section 16.2.3 1) of the Official Plan.
“2.
Recognize the importance of “quality of place” in attracting new residents and
investment to our community. Related to this, the image of a City is often
associated with its Downtown and main streets. On this basis, there is a need
to promote a high standard of urban design in the City.”
This policy again reminds Council that when considering
development applications, strategies that promote residential development,
promote quality of place and promote the image of the City are important
considerations. The Downtown is again
specifically highlighted as being linked to the public’s perception of the
City. The downtown arena is a landmark
public service facility that enhances the downtown’s physical environment and
enhances the public’s perception of a successful downtown.
“3.
Recognize that arts, culture, heritage and libraries are integral to healthy
communities, and that the support, preservation and promotion of these are
fundamental in attracting and retaining skilled, entrepreneurial individuals to
the community. In addition, public libraries play a vital role in forming a
literate society and fostering lifelong learning, are community-gathering
places where people interact and share ideas, and most importantly, offer an
array of services to all people breaking down barriers that are fundamental to
building a strong and healthy community.”
This policy links the provision of arts, culture and entertainment
facilities to attracting and retaining knowledge-economy individuals and
entrepreneurs. The downtown is identified in the Official Plan as the hub for
arts and culture, and acts as Greater Sudbury’s entertainment district.
“4. Where compatible, encourage the location of wealth-creating
businesses in close proximity to existing communities.”
While not specifically a
business, the Sudbury Community Arena is the kind of public facility that is
identified in the Official Plan as acting as a catalyst for community
prosperity. Local businesses in the
downtown core have clustered near the existing arena so as to generate economic
activity as a result of the numerous patrons that are attracted to the arena -
and the downtown – annually. It is a
community wealth-creator.
If the City were to
locate the arena in an industrial area on the fringe of the built-up part of
the City, the City would lose existing synergies and miss out on additional
opportunities to create wealth and prosperity.
Although the so-called “Kingsway Entertainment District” concept
envisions the creation of a cluster of entertainment uses in the vicinity of
this application, it should be noted again that this concept has no legal or
policy standing, and the review of this specific application in the context of
an entertainment cluster would be inappropriate.
·
16.2.12, Community Vision and Leadership
“Decisions and actions taken by Council and City staff, including
public investments and service delivery, should be guided by the policies
contained within the Official Plan and on the principles of a Healthy
Community.”
The City has never invested
in itself in the way that it is about to do.
The PWC reports, which recommended the City first pursue a new
arena/event centre, and then recommended a downtown location as a priority,
estimate that a public investment of up to $100 in capital funding may be
needed to construct this new amenity.
Further operating losses (another form of public investment) of up to
$800,000 annually can be expected.
In short, a new
arena/events centre is a public facility that is going to require the most
massive investment that the City has ever made in itself.
This policy simply
reminds Council that decisions related to public investments should be guided
by the Official Plan. That appears to be
an important reminder, given that the June 27, 2017 decision of Council to
select the Kingsway industrial area as the site of the new arena/events centre
did not consider the strong direction of the Official Plan, Downtown Master
Plan, and Economic Development Plan – all of which clearly point to a downtown
public arena.
Council and staff should
pay particular attention to Section 16.2.12, Community Vision and Leadership.
·
17.1, Economic Development, Objectives
“a. enhance the comparative advantage of
the City in the global economy;”
Greater Sudbury, like many mid-sized cities, is chasing after
knowledge-economy based jobs. Our
Official Plan and Economic Development Plan both refer to the importance of the
knowledge economy for our prosperity.
Greater Sudbury is a City of Science, a City of Education and a City of
Regional Health Care Services. We also
have one of the strongest mining and supply sectors of any City in the
world. Attracting and retaining
knowledge-based workers to fill the jobs that we want to create here mean that
the City has to pay particular attention to the needs and wants of those who
are going to fill those jobs.
The City’s Official Plan and Economic Development Plan have been
designed with both in mind. And a
downtown arena is one of the elements identified as being useful for fostering
the type of urban environment that knowledge-based workers are seeking.
In contrast, the Official Plan and Economic Development Plans,
which have a lot to say about City-building for the 21st Century and
the pursuit of knowledge-based economic development initiatives – these plans
are silent with regards to how a new arena/events centre in an industrial area
on our urban fringe would assist with achieving these outcomes. The Plans are silent because such an approach
would clearly be contrary to achieving those outcomes.
“b.
encourage further diversification of the local economy, especially in the
value-added sectors that generate new wealth for the community;”
Further diversification of the economy will be realized through
pursuit of knowledge economy jobs.
“c.
facilitate a smooth transition into the knowledge economy;”
Retrofitting a City to better meet the needs of citizens in the 21st
Century will be an expensive endeavor.
The City of Greater Sudbury is already at a disadvantage in many
respects, due to the sprawl which has accrued around our numerous urban centres
since the 1950s. An automobile-based
built form does not provide the kind of flexibility that knowledge-based
workers – and indeed healthy citizens of all ages – need to prosper in the 21st
Century.
With this in mind, our efforts now should be on minimizing
additional sprawl-based built-forms that will require expensive and costly
retrofitting in the future. Locating an
important, wealth-generating landmark public facility in an industrial area on
the urban fringe will not assist with facilitating a smooth transition to the
knowledge economy. However, continuing
to locate the arena in the City’s livable downtown core will. That approach is also in keeping with the
City’s Official Plan and Economic Development Plan.
“d. ensure
that a full range of infrastructure is in place to support economic
development;”
There is already in
existence a full range of municipal infrastructure available to service a new
arena in the downtown. Municipal services
will need to be extended at cost to the municipality in order to realize the
creation of an arena in a currently unserviced industrial area on the City’s
urban fringe.
To be cost-effective,
the City should be looking at opportunities to use existing infrastructure
first, before considering extending infrastructure.
“e. enhance the conditions that encourage economic development by
fostering a culture of entrepreneurship, encouraging lifelong learning and
innovation, establishing a standard of excellence in all endeavours, nurturing
human capital, and constantly improving the quality of life of the community;”
The Official Plan
includes numerous policies regarding how to enhance the quality of life of
community residents. Many of these
policies speak to how important, wealth-generating landmark public facilities
like an arena should be centrally located, accessible by transit and active
transportation, consider the equity needs of residents, and act in synergy with
surrounding local businesses to help create prosperity.
There are no policies in
the Official Plan which identify an arena in an industrial area on the urban
fringe as enhancing the quality of life of the City and its residents.
“i. continue the development of Greater Sudbury as the Centre for
Northeastern Ontario.”
The City’s downtown is
the primary driver of public perception related to the City’s overall image,
both here in the City and in a wider regional context. The Official Plan indicates elsewhere that
the downtown provides services to residents and to a larger regional area. Enhancing our downtown through the
development of quality of life facilities and amenities – and specifically
through the creation of a new arena/events centre – is in keeping with the
continued development and identification of Greater Sudbury as the capital of
Northeastern Ontario.
The development of an
arena/events centre in an industrial area on the urban fringe is not
recommended by the City’s Official Plan or Economic Development Plan as a means
of accomplishing this outcome.
·
17.5, Development Quality of Place
“Improving quality of place is directly tied to the success of our
economic engines. Council must recognize the importance of recreation, arts and
culture, and cultural diversity for attracting and retaining the creative
talent that will contribute to the economic prosperity of the City and its
entrepreneurial spirit. Given its impact on the City's image and appeal, the
physical appearance of the urban landscape must be improved through a renewed
focus on good urban design. Recognizing that quality of life is a key component
of its economic development strategy, Council will strive to protect the
community's natural environment, to improve its built form, and to enhance its
social environment. The development of venues to showcase local and visiting
talent, as well as our vibrant ethnic and cultural activities and
organizations, is essential to improving quality of place. Special emphasis on
creating a youth-friendly city is required.
1. Recognizing that
quality of life is a key component of its economic development strategy,
Council will strive to protect the community's natural environment, to improve
its built from, and to enhance its social environment.”
This policy again links
quality of place (as expressed through a vibrant arts, culture, recreation ad
entertainment scente) with community prosperity. Improving the City’s built-form and enhancing
the social environment by providing a landmark public service facility that
equitably services community residents will enhance the City’s social
environment. A downtown arena is in
keeping with this initiative. This
application, which proposes a public service in a car-centred industrial area
on the urban fringe of the City, will not enhance the social environment, or
the image and appeal of our City.
“2. The development of venues to showcase local and visiting
talent, as well as our vibrant ethnic and cultural activities and
organizations, is essential to improving quality of place. Special emphasis on
creating a youth-friendly city is required.”
As one of the primary
attractions for people visiting the downtown core, the Sudbury Community Arena
helps support many of the local venues that visiting and local talent rely
on. These venues contribute to quality
of life experiences for residents. The
entire downtown is able to act in an integrated way, where arts, culture,
recreation and entertainment are showcased.
Promoting the downtown as a hub for these activities, along with a
healthy and vibrant retail/business/government services sectors and promoting
residential uses, has been a priority of our Official Plan.
Further, a
“youth-friendly” city is one where personal vehicles are not required for
access, and transit and active transportation options exist in abundance.
By shifting the arena
out of the downtown and into an industrial area on the urban fringe, the City
will have diminished the very arts/culture/entertainment hub that it has long
sought to enhance. It would be contrary
to the City’s Official Plan.
• Section 19, Finance
“To facilitate the implementation of the policies and programs of the Official Plan, council will:
a) Examine the financial impacts of all major development projects or proposals to ensure that they are financially sustainable”
b) Have regard for the programs contained in this Plan and give precedence to financing those programs which further Official Plan and policies;
c) Before undertaking a program, consider alternative proposals that meet the same objectives and evaluate their cost-effectiveness, taking into account capital, operating and maintenance costs.”
With respect to the Arena, there is no discussion regarding b), alternatives – there should be an assessment as to why existing programs and direction as per the Official Plan, Downtown Master Plan and 'From the Ground Up - gs2025' were abandoned in preference to the new direction to build in an industrial area.
With regards to financial sustainability, while the wording in the Official Plan doesn't make it explicit that financial sustainability applies to the municipality rather than simply a project, the term "sustainability" itself incorporates that idea. To determine “sustainability”, a higher level of analysis is needed - it's something much bigger than simply asking the question whether the facility can continue to support itself. "Sustainability" has to include a look at equity for citizens and economic development over the long term – development that does not negatively impact the needs of future generations. When you include these ideas in the concept of “sustainability”, you end up in a different place that requires a much broader analysis than simply whether a facility might break-even until it’s no longer needed.
Further, based on the information provided by the applicant, it is not clear whether the application conforms to the following Official Plan policies:
Section 8, Water
Resources
This section of the
Official Plan seeks to protect and enhance water quality and quantity, and
identifies drinking water sources as a priority.
The lands subject to
this application are located within the Ramsey Lake watershed. The Nickel District Conservation Authority’s
Source Water Protection Plan identifies a threat to water quality for the
Ramsey Lake drinking water source from the application of road salt.
The application proposes
massive new surface parking facilities to accommodate the needs of more than
5,000 expected patrons. These new
parking facilities will likely be subject to the application of road salt.
The Official Plan
identifies that sensitive surface water features will be protected from
development through restrictions if necessary.
The Plan also sets out a watershed-based approach to planning.
Presently, the City is
undertaking a subwatershed study for Ramsey Lake. The findings of this study could help guide
this development application, however this study has not yet been completed.
The applicant has not
provided any technical studies which address how salt loading in Ramsey Lake
will be minimized by this application.
As such, the application is premature and should not proceed until the
subwatershed study is completed and appropriate technical studies that address
water quality maintenance and enhancement have been produced.
Section 2 of the Planning Act - Provincial Interests
Section 2 of the
Planning Act states, "The
Minister, the council of a municipality, a local board, a planning board and
the Municipal Board, in carrying out their responsibilities under this Act,
shall have regard to, among other matters, matters of provincial interest such
as," and then lists a number of matters of provincial interests
for decision makers to have regard to.
The zoning by-law
amendment appears to not have regard to the following matters of provincial
interest:
(a) the protection of ecological systems, including natural areas,
features and functions;
(e) the supply, efficient use and conservation of energy and
water;
(f) the adequate provision and efficient use of communication,
transportation, sewage and water services and waste management systems;
(h) the orderly development of safe and healthy communities;
(i) the adequate provision and distribution of educational,
health, social, cultural and recreational facilities;
(l) the protection of the financial and economic well-being of the
Province and its municipalities;
(m) the co-ordination of planning activities of public bodies;
(n) the resolution of planning conflicts involving public and
private interests;
(p) the appropriate location of growth and development;
(q) the promotion of development that is designed to be
sustainable, to support public transit and to be oriented to pedestrians;
(r) the promotion of built form that,
(i) is well-designed,
(ii) encourages a sense of place, and
(iii) provides for public spaces that are of high quality, safe,
accessible, attractive and vibrant;
(s) the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to a
changing climate
Northern Growth Plan
Section 3 (5) of the
Planning Act states, "A decision of
the council of a municipality, a local board, a planning board, a minister of
the Crown and a ministry, board, commission or agency of the government,
including the Municipal Board, in respect of the exercise of any authority that
affects a planning matter,
(b) shall conform with the provincial plans that are in effect on
that date, or shall not conflict with them, as the case may be."
The Province of Ontario
has developed the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario, 2011, to provide a
strategic framework to help guide decision-makers and investment planning
decisions throughout Northern Ontario.
The City of Greater
Sudbury has been identified as an economic
and service hub by the Minister.
Plan policies indicate
that,
4.1, Communities – Preamble
“…achieving a healthy, prosperous future for the North. This begins at the local level with
establishing a clear vision for each community’s future, and mapping out a path
to achieve this vision. Official Plans,
community economic plans and the participation in community planning efforts
are effective tools and approaches to ensure citizens’ and businesses’ view are
reflected in their communities’ future economic and long-term sustainability.”
This section of the
Growth Plan outlines how community visions are to be mapped out, and identifies
the importance of stakeholders in the planning process.
Here it must be noted
that there was significant public input that went into the preparation of the
City of Greater Sudbury’s Official Plan.
The 2013 Downtown Master Plan benefitted from a comprehensive and
dynamic public engagement process – one that I was pleased to participate
in. And “From the Ground Up – gs2025”,
the City’s economic development plan, was also subject to a dynamic public
engagement process, where citizens were able to participate in meaningful ways
that ultimately informed the Plan.
In contrast, there was
no public process in the lead-up to the City’s selection of the Kingsway as the
site for a new arena/events centre.
Instead, those like me who had participated in public engagement
processes with the City that led to a more fulsome articulation of policies to
support the health, well-being and prosperity of the City’s downtown area felt
that Council’s decision on June 27, 2017 was akin to a slap in the face. In short, by selecting the Kingsway, Council
broke its public promise as articulated in plan policy. That promise now should be restored, in
absence of policy direction that supports Council’s decision – and this
application for zoning amendment.
Of further note, the
Growth Plan for Northern Ontario is clearly drawing a linkage between land use
planning and planning for economic development. In this context, to demonstrate
consistency or a lack of conflict with the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario,
other community-based planning initiatives, like our Economic Development Plan
and the Downtown Master Plan, must be considered as part of any development
application review.
This zoning application
is not in keeping with the clear direction for the development of a public
service facility in the form of a community arena, as articulated in the City’s
Official Plan, the Downtown Master Plan, and the City’s Economic Development
Plan. It is therefore also not
consistent with the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario.
“4.3.2, Economic and service hubs should be designed to,
b) function as service centres that deliver important region-wide
public services to the broader surrounding region;
c) function as economic hubs linking Northern Ontario with other
significant economic regions in Ontario and beyond
4.3.3, Economic and service hubs shall maintain updated official
plans and develop other supporting documents which include strategies for:
c) improving access to public services by local residents and by
residents of surrounding communities;
e) providing for a range of transportation options;
f) enhancing community identify, vibrancy and cultural amenities”
Taken together, the
economic and service hub policies of the Northern Growth Plan are largely
addressed through the strong Official Plan policy direction of the Greater
Sudbury’s plan that identifies the downtown as an important economic and
business/government services hub for municipal and regional residents, and
contributes to municipal identity in the region and beyond.
Further, the City of
Greater Sudbury’s Official Plan includes a number of policies related to access
for important public facilities.
Policies in the City’s
plan that seek to enhance the provision of transportation choices are also in
keeping with the economic and service hub policies of the Northern Growth Plan.
However, the application
for zoning amendment, which seeks to move an important public facility out of
the City’s downtown core and into an industrial area on the urban fringe
conflicts with the economic and service hub policies of the Northern Growth
Plan.
4.4, Strategic Core
Areas – although not specifically identified at this time as a “strategic core
area” in keeping with the Northern Growth Plan, due to the lack of a conformity
exercise, the City of Greater Sudbury’s downtown is clearly intended to be a
strategic core area as per the Growth Plan.
4.4.4, Strategic core areas with a revitalization strategy in
place incorporated into an official plan should be the preferred location for
major capital investments in,
c) major redevelopment projects;
e) major cultural institutions and entertainment facilities.
Clearly, the Growth Plan
for Northern Ontario contemplates that downtown “strategic core areas” of
economic and service hubs should be the focus of public investment. The Plan specifically identifies the
redevelopment of major projects (like the Sudbury Community Arena) and investment
in cultural and entertainment facilities.
The lands subject to the
application for zoning amendment are not located in a strategic core area, and
an industrial area on the fringe of the City would not be in keeping with the
definition of a strategic core area. As
such, the application conflicts with the Growth Plan, which seeks to locate
this kind of arena/events centre public facility in core areas of large
municipalities, like Greater Sudbury’s downtown.
Identify section that
references other plans
The Provincial Policy Statement
Section 3 (5) of the
Planning Act states, "A decision of
the council of a municipality, a local board, a planning board, a minister of
the Crown and a ministry, board, commission or agency of the government,
including the Municipal Board, in respect of the exercise of any authority that
affects a planning matter,
(a) shall be consistent with the policy statements issued under
subsection (1) that are in effect on the date of the decision;"
The Provincial Policy
Statement, 2014 was issued under section 3 of the Planning Act, and was
approved by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, Order in Council No. 107/104.
It came into effect on April 30, 2014, and remains in effect.
The Provincial Policy Statement, 2014 (the "PPS") provides
policy direction on matters of provincial interest and land use planning.
Section 6 of the PPS
defines "public service facilities"
as "land, buildings and structure
for the provision of programs and services provided or subsidized by a
government or other body, such as social assistance, recreation, police and
fire protection, health and educational programs, and cultural services. Public
service facilities do not
include infrastructure."
"The Provincial Policy Statement is more than
a set of individual policies. It is to be read in its entirety and the
relevant policies are to be applied to each situation. When more than
one policy is relevant, a decision-maker should consider all of the
relevant policies to understand how they work together. The language of
each policy, including the Implementation and Interpretation policies,
will assist decision-makers in understanding how the policies are to be
implemented."
and,
"There is no implied priority in the order in
which the policies appear."
Part IV of the PPS,
Vision for Ontario's Land Use Planning System, states, in part,
"The long-term prosperity and social
well-being of Ontario depends upon planning for strong, sustainable and
resilient communities for people of all ages, a clean and
healthy environment, and a strong and competitive economy."
and,
"Efficient development patterns optimize the
use of land, resources and public investment in infrastructure and public
service facilities. These land use patterns promote a mix of housing,
including affordable housing, employment, recreation, parks and open spaces,
and transportation choices that increase the use of active transportation
and transit before
other modes of travel. They also support the financial well-being
of the Province and municipalities over the long term, and minimize the
undesirable effects of development, including impacts on air, water and
other resources. Strong, liveable and healthy communities promote and enhance
human health and social well-being, are economically and environmentally
sound, and are resilient to climate change."
The development of a
community events centre on lands subject to the proposed zoning by-law
amendment appears to be contrary to the Vision for Ontario's Land Use Planning
System.
The following Policies
found in Part V of the PPS are applicable to the proposed zoning by-law
amendment:
1.0 Building Strong Healthy Communities
Ontario is a vast province with urban, rural, and northern
communities with diversity in population, economic activities, pace of growth,
service levels and physical and natural conditions. Ontario's long-term
prosperity, environmental health and social well-being depend on wisely
managing change and promoting efficient land use and development patterns.
Efficient land use and development patterns support sustainability by promoting
strong, liveable, healthy and resilient communities, protecting the environment
and public health and safety, and facilitating economic growth.
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
(including second units, affordable housing and housing for older persons),
employment (including industrial and commercial), institutional (including
places of worship, cemeteries and long-term care homes), recreation, park and
open space, and other uses to meet long-term needs;
c) avoiding development and land use patterns which may cause
environmental or public health and safety concerns
e) promoting cost-effective development patterns and standards to
minimize land consumption and servicing costs;
g) ensuring that necessary infrastructure, electricity generation
facilities and transmission and distribution systems, and public service
facilities are or will be available to meet current and projected needs; and
h) promoting development and land use patterns that conserve
biodiversity and consider the impacts of a changing climate.
1.1.2 Sufficient land shall be made available to accommodate an
appropriate range and mix of land uses to meet projected needs for a time
horizon of up to 20 years. However, where an alternate time period has been
established for specific areas of the Province as a result of a provincial
planning exercise or a provincial plan, that time frame may be used for
municipalities within the area. Within settlement areas, sufficient land shall
be made available through intensification and redevelopment and, if necessary,
designated growth areas. Nothing in policy 1.1.2 limits the planning for
infrastructure and public service facilities beyond a 20-year time
horizon.
1.1.3.3 Planning authorities shall identify appropriate locations
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.
1.1.3.4 Appropriate development standards should be promoted which
facilitate intensification, redevelopment and compact form, while avoiding or
mitigating risks to public health and safety
1.1.3.6 New development taking place in designated growth areas
should occur adjacent to the existing built-up area and shall have a compact
form, mix of uses and densities that allow for the efficient use of land,
infrastructure and public service facilities.
1.1.3.7 Planning authorities shall establish and implement phasing
policies to ensure:
a) that specified targets for intensification and redevelopment
are achieved prior to, or concurrent with, new development within designated
growth areas; and b) the orderly progression of development within designated
growth areas and the timely provision of the infrastructure and public service
facilities required to meet current and projected needs.
1.2 Coordination
1.2.1 A coordinated, integrated and comprehensive approach should
be used when dealing with planning matters within municipalities, across lower,
single and/or upper-tier municipal boundaries, and with other orders of
government, agencies and boards including:
a) managing and/or promoting growth and development;
b) economic development strategies;
c) managing natural heritage, water, agricultural, mineral, and
cultural
heritage and archaeological resources;
d) infrastructure, electricity generation facilities and
transmission and distribution systems, multimodal transportation systems,
public service facilities and waste management systems;
1.2.3 Planning authorities should coordinate emergency management
and other economic, environmental and social planning considerations to support
efficient and resilient communities.
1.3 Employment
1.3.1 Planning authorities shall promote economic development and
competitiveness by:
a) providing for an appropriate mix and range of employment 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) encouraging compact, mixed-use development that incorporates
compatible employment uses to support liveable and resilient communities; and
d) ensuring the necessary infrastructure is provided to support
current and projected needs.
1.5.1 Healthy, active communities should be promoted by:
a) planning public streets, spaces and facilities to be safe, meet
the needs of pedestrians, foster social interaction and facilitate active
transportation and community connectivity;
b) planning and providing for a full range and equitable
distribution of publicly-accessible built and natural settings for recreation,
including facilities, parklands, public spaces, open space areas, trails and
linkages, and, where practical, water-based resources;
1.6 Infrastructure and Public Service Facilities
1.6.1 Infrastructure, electricity generation facilities and
transmission and distribution systems, and public service facilities shall be
provided in a coordinated, efficient and cost-effective manner that considers
impacts from climate change while accommodating projected needs. Planning for
infrastructure, electricity generation facilities and transmission and
distribution systems, and public service facilities shall be coordinated and
integrated with land use planning so that they are:
a) financially viable over their life cycle, which may be
demonstrated through asset management planning; and
b) available to meet current and projected needs.
1.6.2 Planning authorities should promote green infrastructure to
complement infrastructure.
1.6.3 Before consideration is given to developing new
infrastructure and public service
facilities:
a) the use of existing infrastructure and public service
facilities should be optimized; and
b) opportunities for adaptive re-use should be considered,
wherever feasible.
1.6.4 Infrastructure and public service facilities should be
strategically located to support the effective and efficient delivery of
emergency management services.
1.6.5 Public service facilities should be co-located in community
hubs, where appropriate, to promote cost-effectiveness and facilitate service integration, access to
transit and active transportation.
1.6.6 Sewage, Water and Stormwater
1.6.6.1 Planning for sewage and water services shall:
a) direct and accommodate expected growth or development in a
manner that promotes the efficient use and optimization of existing:
1. municipal sewage services and municipal water services;
1.6.6.7 Planning for stormwater management shall:
a) minimize, or, where possible, prevent increases in contaminant
loads;
c) not increase risks to human health and safety and property
damage;
d) maximize the extent and function of vegetative and pervious
surfaces;
and
e) promote stormwater management best practices,
including stormwater attenuation and re-use, and low impact
development.
1.6.7 Transportation Systems
1.6.7.1 Transportation systems should be provided which are safe,
energy efficient, facilitate the movement of people and goods, and are
appropriate to address projected needs.
1.6.7.3 As part of a multimodal transportation system,
connectivity within and among transportation systems and modes should be
maintained and, where possible, improved including connections which cross
jurisdictional boundaries.
1.6.7.4 A land use pattern, density and mix of uses should be
promoted that minimize the length and number of vehicle trips and support
current and future use of transit and active transportation.
1.6.7.5 Transportation and land use considerations shall be
integrated at all stages of the planning process.
1.6.11 Energy Supply
1.6.11.1 Planning authorities should provide opportunities for the
development of energy supply including electricity generation facilities and
transmission and distribution systems, to accommodate current and projected
needs.
1.6.11.2 Planning authorities should promote renewable energy
systems and alternative energy systems, where feasible, in accordance with
provincial and federal requirements.
1.7 Long-Term Economic Prosperity
1.7.1 Long-term economic prosperity should be supported by:
a) promoting opportunities for economic development and community
investment-readiness;
b) optimizing the long-term availability and use of land,
resources, infrastructure, electricity generation facilities and transmission
and distribution systems, and public service facilities;
c) maintaining and, where possible, enhancing the vitality and
viability of downtowns and mainstreets;
d) encouraging a sense of place, by promoting well-designed built
form and cultural planning, and by conserving features that help define
character, including built heritage resources and cultural heritage landscapes;
f) providing for an efficient, cost-effective, reliable multimodal
transportation system that is integrated with adjacent systems and those of
other jurisdictions, and is appropriate to address projected needs to support
the movement of goods and people;
g) providing
opportunities for sustainable tourism development;
i) promoting energy conservation and providing opportunities for
development of renewable energy systems and alternative energy systems,
including district energy;
j) minimizing negative impacts from a changing climate and
considering the ecological benefits provided by nature
1.8 Energy Conservation, Air Quality and Climate Change
1.8.1 Planning authorities shall support energy conservation and
efficiency, improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and climate
change adaptation through land use and development patterns which:
a) promote compact form and a structure of nodes and corridors;
b) promote the use of active transportation and transit in and
between residential, employment (including commercial and industrial) and
institutional uses and other areas;
c) focus major employment, commercial and other travel-intensive
land uses on sites which are well served by transit where this exists or is to
be developed, or designing these to facilitate the establishment of transit in
the future;
f) promote design and orientation which:
1. maximizes energy efficiency and conservation, and considers the
mitigating effects of vegetation; and
2. maximizes opportunities for the use of renewable energy systems
and alternative energy systems;
2.2 Water
2.2.1 Planning authorities shall protect, improve or restore the
quality and quantity of water by:
a) using the watershed as the ecologically meaningful scale for
integrated and long-term planning, which can be a foundation for considering
cumulative impacts of development;
b) minimizing potential negative impacts, including
cross-jurisdictional and cross-watershed impacts;
e) implementing necessary restrictions on development and site
alteration to:
1. protect all municipal drinking water supplies and designated
vulnerable areas; and
h) ensuring stormwater management practices minimize stormwater
volumes and contaminant loads, and maintain or increase the extent of
vegetative and pervious surfaces.
2.2.2 Development and site alteration shall be restricted in or
near sensitive surface water features and sensitive ground water features such
that these features and their related hydrologic functions will be protected,
improved or restored. Mitigative measures and/or alternative development
approaches may be required in order to protect, improve or restore sensitive
surface water features,
sensitive ground water features, and their hydrologic functions.
4.7 The official plan is the most important vehicle for
implementation of this Provincial Policy Statement. Comprehensive, integrated
and long-term planning is best achieved through official plans.
Official plans shall identify provincial interests and set out
appropriate land use designations and policies. To determine the significance
of some natural heritage features and other resources, evaluation may be
required. Official plans should also coordinate cross-boundary matters to
complement the actions of other planning authorities and promote mutually
beneficial solutions. Official plans shall provide clear, reasonable and
attainable policies to protect provincial interests and direct development to
suitable areas.
In order to protect provincial interests, planning authorities
shall keep their official plans up-to-date with this Provincial Policy
Statement. The policies of thisProvincial Policy Statement continue to apply
after adoption and approval of an official plan.
Conclusion
The application filed by
1916596 Ontario Ltd . to amend the City's zoning by-law to permit a “recreation and community centre” on the
subject lands does not have regard to Section 2 of the Planning Act, is not
consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement, 2014, is not consistent and
does conflict with the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario, does not conform to
the City of Greater Sudbury's Official Plan, is not in keeping with the
development direction of the City as expressed through public consultation that
informed and led to the acceptance by the City of the Downtown Master Plan and
“From the Ground Up”, the City's economic development plan, and it does not
represent good planning.
Conformity with the City’s
Official Plan, consistency with the PPS and Northern Growth Plan, and regard to
Section 2 of the Planning Act cannot be demonstrated through planning rationale
that suggests institutional uses are permitted throughout the municipality, and
that therefore this specific institutional use is appropriate for this specific
location, as this approach is contrary to Official Plan policy Section 20.5.2
which pertains to Rezoning Applications, and which indicates, “It shall be the policy of Council to
ensure that the Zoning By-law and
amendments thereto conform with this Plan. To this end, it is the intent of
Council to evaluate each rezoning application according to all applicable
policies – simple conformity with land use designation does not automatically
guarantee a rezoning to the proposed use.”
Further, such an
approach ignores the overwhelming policy direction found in the City’s Official
Plan that would direct this kind of public service facility to the City’s
Downtown. Similarly, the approach
ignores the policies of the Northern Growth Plan for redevelopment initiatives
and the development of entertainment facilities. Ultimately, that approach is not consistent
with the Provincial Policy Statement, 2014 and does not have regard to Section
2 of the Planning Act.
For all of the above
reasons, Council should refuse the proposed zoning amendment.
Please provide
me with Notice of Council’s decision with regards to this matter.
2 comments:
It is obvious to me that after reading the above submission that for, reasons of their own, the current city council is not only not following the Official Plan it is not considering the interests of the population as a whole in their decision making. It is noted that there are members of council that are acting in a manner that suggests they are going above their duties as representatives of the people who elected them but as agents for a small group who are expected to gain financially from this project. It appears that not only are business cases considered not in favour of this so-called entertainment district ignored but environmental concerns as well. For whatever reason the experiences of other communities, who dared to put their arenas outside their city centres and to regret their decision later, are pushed aside but also those concerns about harming the drinking water of a third of the city's population and perpetuating the attitudes of yesteryear of continuing to develop out from a city's core and spreading the pollution created by fossil fuel consuming vehicles. I'm afraid council in their rush to accommodate one developer have decided that the rest of us don't matter and I for one very much resent this thinking.
It would certainly appear based on this excellent analysis (Thank you Steve) that if the planning committee and subsequently Council approves amending the official plan and the rezoning that the matter will go to appeal.
Judging from the many areas of contention a hearing could be quite involved and require a considerable length of time. I can only speak for the organization I represent, The Minnow Lake Restoration Group (located within the Ramsey Lake Watershed), that our groups area of specific environmental concern is related to additional stormwater contamination from the site into Lake Ramsey, drinking water source for between 50 and 60 thousand residents...the Ontario Policy excerpt is below:
1.6.6.7 Planning for stormwater management shall:
a) minimize, or, where possible, prevent increases in contaminant loads;
c) not increase risks to human health and safety and property damage;
d) maximize the extent and function of vegetative and pervious surfaces;
and
e) promote stormwater management best practices, including stormwater attenuation and re-use, and low impact development.
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