CoQuitlam For Council Our File: 13-648O-20/02-II/I Doc#: 126318I.VI To: From: Subject: For: City Manager General Manager Planning and Development Partington Creek Neighbourhood Plan Update Council Recommendations: That Council: 1. Receive the report dated of the General Manager Planning and Development entitled "Partington Creek Neighbourhood Plan Update" for information; and 2. Direct staff to: a) Utilize the findings from the Baycrest Area and Neighbourhood Centre Design workshops to refine the draft Partington Creek Neighbourhood Plan (PCNP); b) Develop steep slope development permit guidelines for the PCNP; c) Integrate interface wildfire mitigation strategies into the PCNP for lands that border the City's forested edges; d) Develop bear management strategies to reduce bear-human conflicts in the PCNP; and e) Consult further with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver (RCAV) regarding its proposed development at 3655 Crouch Avenue and the implications it may have forthe PCNP and report back to Council. Report Purpose: This report provides an update on the Partington Creek Neighbourhood Plan process and summarizes public feedback from the Baycrest Area and Neighbourhood Centre Design workshops. The report also identifies specific issues which staff recommends addressing in the neighbourhood plan. Strategic Goal: This report supports the City's corporate objectives to strengthen neighbourhoods and enhance the sustainability of City services, transportation systems and infrastructure. city of Coquitlam
Page 2 Executive Summary: The completion of recent public consultation events will assist in drafting the PCNP towards an anticipated completion in the fall 2012, and staff will Incorporate findings from the Baycrest Area and Neighbourhood Centre workshops into the policies of the neighbourhood plan. Staff also recommends that new policies be developed to respond to the steep development sites, interface wildfire risk areas and bear habitat found within the Partington Creek Neighbourhood. Staff will report back to Council with additional details on these new policy directions along with the draft PCNP for Council's consideration. Background: Located on the southeastern slopes of Burke Mountain, the Partington Creek Neighbourhood is envisioned to become the commercial, civic and recreational hub of Northeast Coquitlam. New urban development in this area will be guided by the Partington Creek Neighbourhood Plan (PCNP), now under preparation. Development of the PCNP to date has been informed by extensive public consultation and input from the City's Planning and Development, Engineering & Public Works, Parks, Recreation & Culture, and Strategic Initiatives Departments. A key goal of the PCNP Is to accommodate 8,500 to 15,000 new residents through the use of generalized and flexible land uses that support a range of housing options, community facilities, schools, parks, commercial uses and the development of a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly'neighbourhood Centre'. Staff also notes the PCNP area has a number of unique site characteristics that need to be considered during its development. Including steep slopes and potential risk of interface wildfires and bear-human conflicts. This report summarizes feedback and findings from two recent consultation events, the Baycrest Area and Neighbourhood Centre Design workshops, and includes recommendations for a comprehensive response to the neighbourhood's unique site characteristics. The report also provides an overview of a development proposal by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver (and its implications forthe draft PCNP) and identifies the next steps in the PCNP process. Baycrest Area Workshop On April 11, 2012 a public workshop to consider different development scenarios for the Baycrest Area was held at the Leigh Elementary School Gymnasium from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Most of the properties in this area are occupied by large single family homes that are 30 or more years old. Attachment l Identifies the Baycrest Area in the Partington Creek Neighbourhood. The workshop was attended by over 50 people representing 26 of the 55 properties In the Baycrest Area. The City received a total of 26 written comments through the workshop including 24 from Baycrest Area property owners and/or residents, and two from parties outside the area. For reference, a copy of the workshop comment sheets has been placed in the Councillors' office. File it: 13-6480-20/02-11/1 Doc it: 1263l8l.vl
Page 3 Baycrest Area Workshop cont'd/ The workshop involved a presentation by City staff and an urban design consultant (Phillips Farevag Smallenberg) that detailed potential redevelopment scenarios for the area, including: Scenario i - Large single family houses on estate lots (i/4 acre) Allows large properties to be subdivided into 1/4 acre residential lots, which would fit in with existing homes and could occur slowly on a lot by lot basis, except where a new street Is needed for access. Scenario 2 - Sensitive Infill Allows a range of housingtypes including: single family, duplex, triplex, and fourplex as well as garden cottage and carriage house. Sensitive Infill development can be used to allow new units around existing homes, as well as subdivisions into smaller lots that support a mix of units. Scenario 3 - Conventional Townhouses Allows three-storey townhouses, arranged in rows and built close to the street. This form of development requires property assembly and the addition of new streets. In the interim this type of development could contrast with the existing homes in the area. A key finding from the workshop was that the majority of respondents favour increased development in the area in the form of Townhouses and/or Sensitive Infill development. It was also found that there is little support for new estate lot development in the area. The development, transportation and utility requirements of Townhouse as well as Sensitive Infill development were subsequently analyzed by staff. Based on the workshop findings and staff's analysis, it Is proposed that through the draft PCNP, Townhouse and Sensitive Infill development be considered in this area. Partington Creek Neighbourhood Centre Design Workshop On April 19, 2012 a public workshop to consider alternative Neighbourhood Centre design visions was held at Leigh Elementary School from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Attachment 1 shows the Neighbourhood Centre lands in the PCNP area. The Workshop was attended by over 120 people including property owners and residents living throughout Northeast Coquitlam. A total of 77 written comments were received through the workshop. For reference a photocopy of the workshop comment sheets has been placed in a binder in the Councillors' office. The workshop used display boards showing different forms of housing, building heights, retail services, community amenities and greenspace, as well as alternative Neighbourhood Centre development scenarios, for review and feedback by the workshop participants. The scenarios included: File #: 13-6480-20/02-11/1 Doc #: 1263l8l.vl
Page 4 Partington Creek Neighbourhood Centre Design Workshop cont'd/ Scenario 1 - Newport Village (Port Moody) involving a mixed-use (i.e. residential units above commercial uses), pedestrianfriendly village with low-rise (four-storey) and high-rise buildings. Scenario 2 - Morgan Crossing (Surrey) Involving a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly village with only low-rise (up to fourstorey) buildings. Scenario 3 - UniverCity (Simon Fraser University, Burnaby) Involving low and mid-rise residential buildings, and some mixed-use buildings in a pedestrian-friendly setting. Based on the written feedback, three-quarters of the workshop participants preferred the Newport Village scenario over the others. About one-quarter preferred the Morgan Crossing alternative, and the UniverCity scenario scored last in order of preference. The overall responses regarding housing choices also Indicated a preference for low-rise garden apartments, townhouses, and ground-oriented apartments, followed by high-rise apartments and finally low-rise rowhouses. Considering these responses together, a key finding of the workshop is that there is a strong preference for developing the Neighbourhood Centre in a manner similarto Newport Village, with mixed uses and a range of building heights and housing choices. People also Indicated the types of retail uses they would like to see in the Neighbourhood Centre. In order of preference, people stated they would like to see a grocery store followed by cafe, medical services, restaurant/pub, bank, neighbourhood office space, drug store as well as a liquor store and personal care services. Lastly, people indicated the types of amenities they would prefer to see in the Neighbourhood Centre, which in order of preference, are public square and active street life in the centre, followed by accessible parking, hiking/cycling pathways, and a high quality pedestrian environment. The written comments also showed public support for developing greenways and connecting the neighbourhood centre with Freemont Park, followed by providing a recreation centre, good street access, and lastly outdoor eating opportunities. Other potential amenities including community gardens, dog park, daycare, sports fields and playgrounds, and a community policing office; received less support. Overall the workshop results show that there Is strong public interest in seeing the development of a highly attractive, pedestrian friendly neighbourhood centre in a manner similarto Newport Village, in the Partington Creek Neighbourhood. It is recommended that the workshop findings be used to refine the draft land use plan and develop associated Neighbourhood Centre policies. File #: 13-6480-20/02-11/1 Doc #: 1263l8l.vl
Pages steep Slope Development The PCNP area contains numerous steep slope development sites (up to 35% grade. City bylaws prohibit development above 36%). Development on sites over 15% grade, which comprise about 35% of the Partington Creek Neighbourhood, can result in the extensive use of retaining walls, which can have negative visual and aesthetic impacts if they are not designed in a high quality manner. Staff also notes that while the BC Building Code regulates the safety and soundness of retaining walls, visual quality is not regulated through the Code and therefore additional design guidelines are recommended. Other key issues related to steep site development include ensuring appropriate access to homes and logical circulation and subdivision within local neighborhoods. In orderto support high quality and logical development In the PCNP area it is recommended that steep slope development permit guidelines be included in the draft PCNP. A follow-up report with specific recommendations regarding steep slope development will be brought to Council in the near future. Staff will report back to Council with steep slope development permit recommendations, prior to completion and presentation of the draft PCNP. Interface Wildfire Risks In 2007 a Community Wildfire Protection Plan was prepared forthe City by B.A. Blackwell and Associates, which included recommendations to reduce the risks posed by potential interface wildfires where developrnent borders the City's forest edge. Although the risk of an Interface wildfire in Coquitlam is low when compared to interior communities in British Columbia, the property damage consequences of a large wildfire could be significant given that there are many existing and soon to be developed houses along the forest edge. In response, an interface wildfire mitigation draft strategy has been developed between Coquitlam Fire/Rescue and Community Planning, Development Planning, Building Permits and Environmental Services staff. A separate report outlining the draft strategy will be considered by Council at an upcoming workshop. If the strategy is accepted by Council, supporting policies will be Integrated into the PCNP. Bear Management In 2006 Council endorsed Coquitlam's Bear Smart program to reduce the risk of bearhuman conflicts. A bear hazard assessment was completed in 2007 by Paquet & McCrory consulting biologists and many of their report recommendations were integrated into the City's Bear Smart program. McCrory Wildlife Services were also retained to draft bear management recommendations that specifically apply to the PCNP area, as much of it is bear habitat. Staff are reviewing these recommendations, regarding garbage and bear-attractant management, the use of bear-resistant fencing and measures to reduce bear-human conflicts, and develop suitable bear management strategies forthe draft PCNP. Staff will report back to Council with recommended PCNP bear management strategies, prior to completion and presentation of the draft PCNP to Council. File it: 13-6480-20/02-11/1 Doc #: 1263181.V1
Page 6 Developrnent Inquiry by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver (RCAV) The RCAV has approached the City with a development inquiry regarding a 14.6 ha (36 acre) property located at 3555 Crouch Avenue in the PCNP area (see Attachment #2). The RCAV wishes to develop a retreat centre, cemetery, elementary school, church, and convent on the property and use any excess land for residential development. The RCAV also seeks to Integrate its proposal into the PCNP for consideration by Council this fall. Underthe current draft land use plan most of the subject property is designated for residential development and a smaller part is designated environmentally sensitive area. The RCAV's proposal may have implications for the PCNP area, including: Reduction in the projected population and number of residential units; Loss of complementary and supportive land uses near the neighbourhood centre; Potential reduction in tax revenues from the loss of residential units; Potential reduction in Development Costs Charge contributions needed to fund transportation, utilities, stormwater and parks infrastructure; Potential road network impacts from the location of a destination private school; Potential requests to extend servicing to allow the early development of the property relative to adjacent properties; and a Potential delay of PCNP completion while the proposal is considered. Before further consideration can be given to the proposal an application should be submitted by the RCAV that includes sufficient details to evaluate how the proposal will impact the Partington Creek Neighbourhood. The RCAV should consult also with Northeast Coquitlam property owners and residents since its land use proposals depart from earlier versions of the draft land use plan that were shown to the public. It is recommended thatcity staff consult further with the RCAV about the proposal as well as the need for further public consultation and report back to Council. Next Steps Based on Council direction, staff will refine the draft neighbourhood plan and develop specific policy recommendations that respond to the neighbourhood's unique site characteristics. Staff will bring forward a completed draft of the PCNP for Council's consideration in fall 2012 before taking the plan to a recommended final public open house. Thereafter the proposed plan will be finalized and brought back to Council as an OCP Amendment Bylawforfirst reading and public hearing. Financial Implications: There are no immediate financial impacts associated with this report. File #: 13-6480-20,''02-ll/l Doc #: 1263l8l.vl
Page 7 Conclusion: The completion of recent public consultation events will assist in drafting the PCNP towards an anticipated completion in the fall 2012, and staff will incorporate findings from the Baycrest Area and Neighbourhood Centre workshops Into the policies of the neighbourhood plan. Including support for Townhouses and Sensitive Infill development in the Baycrest area and support for a mixed-use neighbourhood centre with a range of building heights and housing choices. Furthermore, due to the unique characteristics of the PCNP area, including steep slopes and potential risk of Interface wildfires and bear-human conflicts, staff recommend the development of a comprehensive set of policies that will respond to these characteristics and support development of the area. Staff will report back to Council on the specific details of these new policy directions, and integrate them Into the draft PCNP for Council's consideration. J.L. Mclnt/re, MClP AY/ms/lmc Attachments: 1. Location Map - Baycrest Area and Neighbourhood Centre 2. Location Map - 3655 Crouch Avenue This report was prepared by Andrew Young, Community Planner and reviewed by Carl Johannsen, Manager Community Planning. File it: 13-6480-20/02-11/1 Doc tt: 1263181.vl
Baycrest Area & Neighbourhood Centre Location Map
ATTACHMENT 2 OLIVER RD Location Map showing property at 3655 Crouch Avenue NOT TO SCALE