REGINA PLANNING COMMISSION – JUNE 5, 2019
Evan Hunchak, representing Dream Development, addressed the Commission.
The Commission adopted a resolution to concur in the recommendation contained in the report.
Recommendation #4 does not require City Council approval.
Councillors: Jerry Flegel and Barbara Young (Chairperson); Commissioners: David Bale, Frank Bojkovsky, Biplob Das, Andre Kroeger, Adrienne Hagen Lyster, Jacob Sinclair and Steve Tunison were present during consideration of this report by the Regina Planning Commission.
The Regina Planning Commission, at its meeting held on June 5, 2019, considered the following report from the Administration:
RECOMMENDATION
1. That Bylaw No. 2017-16 Design Regina: The Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw, 2017 (No. 3) be repealed.
2. That Design Regina: The Official Community Plan Bylaw, Bylaw No. 2013-48 be amended by adding the Coopertown Neighbourhood Plan, attached as Appendix E, as Part B.17.
3. That the City Solicitor be directed to prepare the necessary bylaw to amend Design Regina: The Official Community Plan Bylaw, Bylaw No. 2013-48 and to repeal Bylaw No. 2017-16 Design Regina: The Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw, 2017 (No. 3).
4. That this report be forwarded to the June 24th, 2019 meeting of City Council for approval, to allow sufficient time for advertising of the required public notice for the respective bylaw.
CONCLUSION
The Coopertown Neighbourhood Plan (Coopertown Plan), which was approved by City Council on April 24, 2017 (CR17-37), is proposed to be amended to address issues relating to: Regina Bypass (Bypass) proximity; school site planning and miscellaneous improvements. The Bypass proximity and school site planning matters emerged late in the Coopertown Plan preparation process and, therefore, were not fully determined in the original Coopertown Plan. As these matters are of significant interest to the Government of Saskatchewan (Province), City of Regina Administration (Administration) has worked closely with the Province to revise the Coopertown Plan in order to implement mutually satisfactory solutions.
The revised Coopertown Plan, addressed through this report, better supports integration with the Bypass and addresses school site planning. Other proposed revisions are intended as general improvements to the Coopertown Plan. The revised Coopertown Plan has been subject to review by the Province, the Rural Municipality of Sherwood No. 159 (RM) and landowners within the area subject to the Coopertown Plan policies. As the revised Coopertown Plan meets the requirements of the Province; conforms with overarching City policy and has been subject to review, Administration recommends approval of the revised Coopertown Plan.
BACKGROUND
The Coopertown Plan provides a high-level policy framework for directing the growth, development and servicing of lands located in the northwest part of the city, between Armour Road and 9th Avenue North, and between the Bypass and Courtney Street (Appendix A).
Although approved by Council in April 2017 (CR17-37), the Coopertown Plan was not approved by the Province, as part of their statutory review, as the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure (Ministry) objected to aspects of the proposed road network. Specifically, the Ministry objected to the proposed location and design of the Pinkie Road and 9th Avenue North intersection, noting that it was too close to the proposed Bypass interchange at 9th Avenue North and would, therefore, impede the safe and efficient movement of traffic. To address this, the Province denied approval of the Coopertown Plan and referred it back to the City for adjustment.
Having the Bypass near the west side of the Plan Area posed a planning challenge, as the design implications for the Bypass and associated 9th Avenue North interchange evolved and changed as the Coopertown Plan was being prepared. The version of the Coopertown Plan that went to Council mirrored what was approved, for Pinkie Road, through the Design Regina: The Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2013-48 (OCP), which was approved by Council in 2013 (CR13-112). The OCP shows Pinkie Road as a “Potential Arterial”; therefore, the Coopertown Plan shows both Pinkie Road and the Pinkie Road and 9th Avenue North intersection as “potential”.
Although it was the intent of Administration to work with the Province to determine the ultimate design of the Pinkie Road and 9th Avenue North intersection after Coopertown Plan approval, it was the decision of the Province to have the Coopertown Plan provide detailed direction on the matter. To address this, the City engaged in a Value Engineering Study (VE) with the Province to explore different options for managing traffic along 9th Avenue North corridor. This process was successful and resulted in long term design solutions that were ultimately incorporated into the Coopertown Plan. More detailed information regarding the VE process and the interim and long-term design solutions was provided in report IR18-17 (9th Avenue North – Courtney Street to Pinkie Road) at the October 29, 2018 meeting of City Council. The Province reviewed the revised Coopertown Plan and indicated support for the proposed revisions.
Additionally, Administration is proposing revisions to address school site planning, as well as miscellaneous other revisions to improve the effectiveness of the Coopertown Plan. The need to undertake revisions relating to school site planning stems from revisions to the Planning and Development Act, 2007 (P&D Act) in 2018, which requires the Official Community Plan of a municipality to provide a strategy for accommodating school sites via municipal reserve dedication. Other revisions are being recommended, relating to the road network and land-use strategy, as described in this report.
The approval delay and revision process has not affected development within the Coopertown Plan Area. Since the Coopertown Plan was approved by Council, two concept plans have been approved: “Rosewood Park Concept Plan” and “Coopertown Concept Plan”. While no new development has yet to be approved, further planning and engineering work has occurred through these concept plan processes. Moving forward with concept plan approval was deemed, by Administration, to be appropriate, as having an approved neighbourhood plan is not a regulatory or statutory prerequisite for concept plan approval, and the matters subject to the revisions do not have significant planning implications for the two concept plans.
DISCUSSION
Road Network Revisions
A significant revision to the Coopertown Plan was the reclassification of Pinkie Road from “Potential Arterial” to “Collector” within the plan area and the addition of policy respecting turning movements at the intersection of Pinkie Road and 9th Avenue North, as per the ultimate design (Appendix B):
· North of 9th Avenue North, turning movements, for southbound traffic on Pinkie Road, will be limited to “right-out” only.
· South of 9th Avenue North, turning movements will be limited to:
o “Right-in” (onto Pinkie Road) for eastbound traffic along 9th Avenue North;
o “Right-out” (onto 9th Avenue North) for northbound traffic along Pinkie Road.
The Coopertown Plan addresses the interim basis where, until traffic conditions warrant transition, westbound traffic along 9th Avenue North may still turn left and right onto Pinkie Road. The restriction to left turns will be determined by the Province and the restriction to right turns will be determined by City. It should also be noted that similar restrictions may be placed on the Pinkie and Armour Road intersection, should an interchange be constructed at the Bypass and Armour Road location.
As a result of restrictions to Pinkie Road, the intent is to reclassify Fairway Road from “Potential Arterial” to “Arterial”. As existing development south of 9th Avenue North precludes a full movement interchange, there will be some turning movement restrictions with the final Fairway Road and 9th Avenue North intersection design. However, the Fairway Road and 9th Avenue North intersection will have more turning movements than the intersection at Pinkie Road, as ramps and an overpass can be incorporated into the design. Until traffic conditions and development warrant transition, current Fairway Road turning movements may continue. Fairway Road will serve as the main north-south transportation route in the Plan Area.
As a result of these road network revisions, there will be no traffic movement across 9th Avenue North for south or northbound traffic along Pinkie Road and Fairway Road following implementation of the final intersection designs. The loss of Pinkie Road, as a conveyor of traffic from the north part of the city to the south, is offset by access to the Bypass. Further, the Ministry has agreed that a connection may be established from the Bypass into the Plan Area at approximately the mid-point between 9th Avenue N and Armour Road. This connection, which constitutes another revision to the Coopertown Plan, will be limited to “right-in”, “right-out” only, unless the City is willing to construct a grade-separation to permit additional movements.
School Planning Revisions
Revisions to the Coopertown Plan are also being proposed to address new requirements, imposed by the Province, that the OCP of a municipality provide a strategy for accommodating school sites via municipal reserve dedication. Revisions include the identification of potential locations for five elementary schools, including the existing joint use Plainsview School & St. Nicholas School, and one high school. The policy identifies the locations as “potential only” and allows the City to consider other locations without an amendment to the Coopertown Plan.
It is the intent of Administration to fully address this matter by also including new policy in OCP – Part A, which will be undertaken as part of the upcoming five-year review and will apply city-wide.
Other Revisions
Other revisions were undertaken to the Coopertown Plan (Appendix C and D) as follows:
· Road network configuration was revised so that it responds to revisions resulting from Bypass proximity and new connection to the Bypass.
· Utility network configurations have been adjusted to coincide with revised road network.
· Land-use designations within the 500K Growth Area were removed. As these areas will not be available for development until the long-term, distant future (after build-out of the 300K Growth Area) land-use should be applied through a future amendment.
· “Neighbourhood Hub” designations have been applied, which will allow for a broader spectrum of commercial opportunities. This change results in the Coopertown Plan being in better alignment with OCP – Part A Complete Neighbourhood Guidelines and other recently approved neighbourhood plans (i.e. Southeast Regina Neighbourhood Plan).
· The urban design requirements for the future Urban Centre were scaled back to allow for more flexibility. Meeting a high level of urban design is encouraged and Administration will endeavour to work with the developer to establish guidelines that are context specific and appropriate.
RECOMMENDATION IMPLICATIONS
Financial Implications
None with respect to this report. Financial implications were addressed through Report CR17-37 (original Coopertown Plan approval) and still apply, unchanged.
Strategic Implications
· Strategic implications associated with OCP conformity were addressed through Report CR17-37 (original Coopertown Plan approval) and still apply, unchanged.
· The proposed revisions to the road network, especially changes to function and design of Pinkie Road, will need to be considered as part of the first review of the Transportation Master Plan and adjustments to the city-wide networks and strategy will be undertaken, if required. Full understanding of implications will not be clear until this process occurs.
· Revisions relating to Bypass proximity supports the Province’s The Statements of Provincial Interest Regulations: 6.14 “Ensure that development is compatible with existing and planned transportation infrastructure, including rail lines, rail yards, airports, barge docks, ferry landings and provincial highways;”
Environmental Implications
None with respect to this report. Environmental implications were addressed through Report CR17-37 (original Coopertown Plan approval) and still apply, unchanged.
Other Implications
None with respect to this report. Other implications were addressed through Report CR17-37 (original Coopertown Plan approval) and still apply, unchanged.
Accessibility Implications
None with respect to this report. Accessibility implications were addressed through Report CR17-37 (original Coopertown Plan approval) and still apply, unchanged.
COMMUNICATIONS
Landowner Engagement
The proposed revisions to the Coopertown Plan were sent to the eight landowners within the Plan Area. Through this process, one developer (developer associated with Coopertown Concept Plan) submitted comments for consideration. The Administration consulted with this developer and provided notification of the Regina Planning Commission meeting date.
Public Engagement
Notice of the proposed revisions to the Coopertown Plan and the Council meeting where the associated bylaw will be considered will be provided through the Leader Post City Page.
Stakeholder Engagement
As key issues relate to Bypass proximity and school site planning, stakeholder engagement has primarily focused on discussions with the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Education, respectively. These discussions were comprehensive and the Administration has received feedback indicating that the Province is generally supportive of the proposed changes.
The RM was provided an opportunity to review proposed revisions, as the Plan Area is within the Joint Planning Area of the OCP, and provided one comment:
· RM comment (summarized): Add policy requiring that transportation impact assessments prepared for concept plans, relating to lands within the Plan Area, take into account implications for roadways in the RM, as a result of traffic generated within the Plan Area.
· City Response: The City acknowledges this concern and will require that transportation impact assessments prepared for future concept plans, within the Plan Area, take into account implications for RM roadways.
DELEGATED AUTHORITY
City Council’s approval of Official Community Plan amendments is required pursuant to The Planning and Development Act, 2007.
Respectfully submitted,
REGINA PLANNING COMMISSION
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