The Plan for Port Whitby

The Plan for Port Whitby December 5, 2012 Community Meeting Summary Report Prepared by GLPi January 17, 2013 1

Introduction The purpose of the Port Whitby Secondary Plan Update, Community Improvement Plan and Urban Design Guidelines (the Plan) is to proactively prepare the Town of Whitby ( the Town ) for future development in Port Whitby by providing a framework for redevelopment and intensification. The study area is defined in the north by Highway 401, in the west by Gordon Street and in the east by an irregular boundary that runs roughly along Pringle Creek, then along the adjacent industrial lands and finally following Water Street and South Blair Street (Figure 1). The southern boundary of the study site is Lake Ontario. Figure 1 Study Area As part of the community engagement aspect of the project, the Town and the consultant team hosted the first community workshop on the evening of December 5 th, 2012 at the Port Whitby Marina from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Over 50 participants contributed their ideas, concerns and vision for the future development of the area. The workshop began with some opening remarks from Town planning staff. The consultant team then presented background material on the study area and on the secondary plan review 1

process. This was followed by a series of three participatory activities led by a facilitator that were designed to gather input from participants. The first activity explored the community s aspirations, asking participants what they wanted good design to help achieve for Port Whitby. The second activity invited participants to provide their input using coloured dots to identify specific themes and elements that they thought were most important for the plan. In the third activity, participants were invited to provide comments as part of an open discussion or by filling out short questionnaire index cards that were left behind with the consultant team. Thirty-two index cards with comments were received at the session and no further cards have been received as of the date of this report. This report presents an overview of what was heard at this first public workshop. This report is not intended to completely capture everything that was said, but it is meant to provide a synthesis of the key themes and opinions. It does not represent the views of the Town or the consultant team but rather the ideas and opinions expressed by participants. Summary Common Themes One of the most prominent themes throughout the evening s workshop was walkability. A Walkable Community was the highest rated theme. Walking-related sub-themes also received numerous votes: Scenic Promenade, Wide Sidewalks, Wide Pedestrian Boulevards, Trails, and Walkways. Comments were also made about the connectivity of walkways and trails as well as their quality (lighting, surfacing, trail amenities). The waterfront and water s edge was also a central topic. Boating was the most voted for sub-theme, tied with Wide Pedestrian Boulevards. Landscaped Waterfront and Access to Water s Edge were also popular sub-themes. Many comments and concerns also addressed ideas related to public access to the waterfront and generally people wanted to maximize access and use of waterfront facilities including a number of recommendations for year-round activities on the waterfront and improvements to the area s beaches. A related topic was nature and the protection of natural areas in the study area. Wetlands, Green Spaces and Places to Enjoy Nature were among the highest rated sub-themes and a number of comments were related to the protection of natural areas. 2

Recreation was another recurring topic with Recreation Destination the second most popular theme with 18 votes of Higher Importance. Recreation covered a broad array of sub-themes and activities with Passive Recreation, Bike Lanes, and Shops and Entertainment among the top vote-getters. Iroquois Park and the surrounding recreation facilities were marked by many participants as important places in the community to be protected and enhanced. Opinions about the study area s development were mixed with a few participants vocally opposed to any form of high-rise development. Others expressed a desire to see the study area developed, complaining that many of the area s vacant lands have been left undeveloped for too long. Generally everyone agreed that the waterfront itself should be maintained for public uses and that density in the right places was acceptable and even positive. Ensuring that infrastructure (roads, parking and traffic most notably) keeps up with development was a point of concern. Innovative architecture, shadow impacts and protection of views for existing residents were all mentioned. Activity 1. Community Aspirations This section summarizes participants responses to the first activity following the introductory presentation. This activity asked participants to respond to the question: What do you want good design to help achieve for Port Whitby is there anything you would like to emphasize or add? Make sure infrastructure is in place before intensification occurs Maintain height restrictions to protect neighboring residents Maximize access to the Lake Protect views of the water from existing residential units More nature on the waterfront, keep areas naturalized Ensure easy public access to open spaces Allow density and development in the right places Respect existing uses, most notably the existing residential, recreation areas, waterfront and natural areas Maintain some element of uniformity and cohesion in new developments, ensure that developments are architecturally beautiful and not tacky and cheap Explore and research what other waterfront communities would have done differently in retrospect and learn from these lessons and apply them to Port Whitby 3

Allow current local residents to have a greater say in what happens to Port Whitby than outsiders and other interest groups Develop the beach at the end of Gordon Street Don t let the view of the Lake from the rest of the Town in the north become a wall of high-rises Carry out traffic studies to determine how new developments will impact the neighborhood Need shopping areas Integrate the marina with the community (new and existing) Add dedicated cycling lanes strategically to the road network Avoid paid parking and encourage parking on the perimeter rather than on the interior network of streets and residential areas, encourage curbside parking rather than lots Provide off-leash dog areas Signage should be subtle and tasteful, not like big box retail signage Encourage innovative architecture Design the site for year-round use, accommodate all-seasons recreation activities including skiing, skating, snow shoeing, etc. Activity 2. Providing your Input Voting Results For the second activity participants were provided with sticker dots: 12 blue, 3 red, 3 yellow and 3 green. A series of 9 thematic posters were displayed around the room and participants were asked to rank the themes as higher importance (green dot), medium importance (yellow dot) or lower importance (red dot) by placing the appropriately coloured sticker dots on the corresponding posters. In addition, participants voted (blue dot) for the sub-themes that they felt were most important. The tables below summarize the results of this activity. Photos of the thematic posters were taken after the activity and are provided in the appendix. 4

Table 1 Summary of Thematic Voting Theme Higher Importance Medium Importance Lower Importance Walkable Community 21 11 3 Recreation Destination 18 5 2 Main Street on Brock St. South 15 7 10 Nature in the Community 15 7 10 Sensitivity to Existing Uses 14 7 10 Complete Community 13 5 16 Healthy & Active Community 11 20 3 Sustainable Community 9 10 6 Transit-Oriented Community 8 12 7 Table 2 Detailed Thematic Voting Theme Subtheme Votes Walkable Community Lighting 18 21 Higher Importance Wide Sidewalks 14 11 Medium Importance Storefronts to the Street 12 3 Lower Importance Traffic Calming 12 Shade 10 Resting Areas 4 Connectivity 4 Shelter for Pedestrians 3 Signage 1 Other 0 Theme Subtheme Votes Recreation Destination Boating 20 18 Higher Importance Landscaped Waterfront 19 5 Medium Importance Shops & Entertainment 17 12 Lower Importance Scenic Promenade 15 Places to Relax 12 Sports Facilities 6 Places to Play 6 Places to Gather 3 Other 0 5

Theme Subtheme Votes Main Street on Brock St. South Wide Pedestrian Boulevards 20 15 Higher Importance Benches 10 7 Medium Importance Ground Floor Retail 8 10 Lower Importance High Visual Interest 7 Variety of Uses 5 Comment: Town Crier? For special events. Active Streets 4 Local Events Signage 3 Large Windows on the Street 3 Shared Streets 2 Other 0 Theme Subtheme Votes Nature in the Community Places to Enjoy Nature 18 15 Higher Importance Access to Water s Edge 16 7 Medium Importance Trails 16 10 Lower Importance Wetlands 15 Bird Boxes 10 Comment: Do not invade the few last natural areas so little natural ideas left Naturalized Landscaping 7 Educational Signage 3 Other 0 Theme Subtheme Votes Sensitivity to Existing Uses Minimize Shadow Impacts 10 14 Higher Importance Complementary Designs & Architecture 9 Detailing 7 Medium Importance Consistency with Existing Facades 8 10 Lower Importance Heritage Preservation 8 Stepback for Buildings 6 Comments: Don t wall off the waterfront with massing! No high-rises on the waterfront. Encourage density in the right locations. A 24-hour population is a key ingredient to success. Transition 2 Continuous Streetscape 1 Other 0 6

Theme Subtheme Votes Complete Community Green Spaces 17 13 Higher Importance Range of Housing Types 10 5 Medium Importance Range of Housing Tenure 9 16 Lower Importance Culture 8 Public Places 6 Public Art 5 Comment: Don t be afraid of Live/Work Units 4 density you need lots of people Retail 4 all the time. Other: Good Restaurants (Not 2 McDonalds) Affordable Housing 0 Offices 0 Theme Subtheme Votes Healthy & Active Community Walkways 18 11 Higher Importance Bike Lanes 18 20 Medium Importance Passive Recreation 17 3 Lower Importance Active Recreation 6 Playgrounds 4 Comment: Extend sidewalk on Watson to Charles. Other 0 Close Proximity to Services 0 Theme Subtheme Votes Sustainable Community Renewable Energy 4 9 Higher Importance Active Transportation 4 10 Medium Importance Community Gardens 3 6 Lower Importance Passive Energy & Heat Shading 3 Waste Management 2 Comment: Make it a model green sustainable community within Whitby and marketed as such. Distinct to other areas of higher property value. Minimized Hardscaping 2 Rainwater Harvesting 1 Green Roof 1 Other 0 7

Theme Subtheme Votes Transit-Oriented Community Transit-supporting Densities 6 8 Higher Importance Pedestrian Access to Transit 6 12 Medium Importance Sheltered Waiting Areas 5 7 Lower Importance Locate Stores and Services Close to 5 Transit Multi-modal Connections 2 Other: Fast connection to Union and STN 1 Activity 3. Looking Ahead This section summarizes the responses to the third and final activity of the night. Participants were asked to write down their thoughts to the question: To realize the desired future for Port Whitby, the key thing on which the planning needs to focus is The comments have been grouped into a few common themes detailed below. Waterfront and Water s Edge Many participants expressed a desire to maintain public access to the waterfront and improve the waterfront s residential amenities. Continue with work the same as Rotary Park. Perhaps the same work to happen at the hidden beach at the foot of Gordon St. Trade Brookfield property for Cullen Gardens property (not the garden). Bring the (waterfront) services to all of Port Whitby Protect and enhance land-water interface The waterfront must be open to the public for recreation use and Whitby must put in infrastructure next to Gordon St for beach Making the waterfront a changing destination, not a residence The waterfront and access to it The waterfront with no high uses Public access to water around the bay Maintain heritage and nautical history Nature and Natural Areas The preservation and enhancement of natural areas was expressed strongly by a few participants. Balance accessibility/density with nature/serenity 8

That people in the future will thank the original planning process if open spaces and natural areas still exist. Port Whitby can easily maintain a sense of natural with some thought. Existing wild places are rare and precious. It is the life and contact with unique and interesting natural phenomenon that makes a waterfront area unique itself and therefore valuable. Maintaining and enhancing natural habitat as if we do no put effort into preservation at the get-go it will be very challenging to retro-fit areas of naturalization. Do we have to treat stormwater from this high density area? Whatever we do, we must strive to improve the water quality of the Whitby Harbour and the marsh. If we do that the development strategy will be much greener on a whole. Recreation Bike paths was brought up several times along with other recreation improvements. Creating multiple bike, walkway, and transit paths that are separate and distinct, that connect the area to the rest of Whitby. Make it accessible to all ages. Already it s often difficult to find a parking spot. For seniors, it s so easy to park and plop a chair under a tree right front of their cars. Perhaps more areas like this. Also, schools may wish to bring students to the area for outdoor education. DDSB could give the Town input regarding this. It s beautiful here in winter but hard to walk a great distance. A few small, three-sided shelters would be a welcome respite from the bitter winds. The conservation area has simple shelters where the students prep for the outdoor activities. Boating A north-south bike path Development and Parking Responses included mixed reactions towards development along the waterfront with some participants eager to see more development while others pushed for minimal or no high-rise development along the waterfront. Parking and infrastructure were also of concern. Residential/industrial development must be in lockstep with the supply of services (water, sewage, hydro, transport, etc.) Find the element that would kick start development of the Port Whitby area Development a mix of housing and equal access to lake Great style of architecture and not just rectangular blocks, lower buildings on Charles Continued public input and meetings. Move to next steps quickly. Discuss with other established port communities, what they would have done differently. Learn from their experiences. 9

Over-population Infrastructure developed before growth Keeping this area open to draw people down to enjoy the waterfront. You do not want the area filled with high-rises. Preserve the natural area, recreation opportunities. High-rises need to fit in tastefully to the existing housing. No high-rise buildings on Charles St. south of the Rowe Lots of no charge all-season parking close to all facilities. Waterfront business. Maybe Brock at extreme south end and east by pump house should be main street? All season accessible parking and all season bicycle and walking trails Make pretty, unique and quaint theme oriented (ie. Pickering Unionville and Niagara on the Lake) Support of infrastructure density issues with traffic flow Actually start doing things instead of waiting, pro-active no reactive. More development to include mixed uses. Good start! Allowing development of housing to proceed Ensure that the area is people friendly to draw in outside visitors (ie. patios, walkways, nice sightlines to maintain the beauty that is here now) 10

Appendix Photos of Posters and Voting Results Walkable Community Poster 11

Recreation Destination Poster 12

Main Street on Brock St. South Poster 13

Nature in the Community Poster 14

Sensitivity to Existing Uses Poster 15

Complete Community Poster 16

Healthy & Active Community Poster 17

Sustainable Community Poster 18

Transit-Oriented Community Poster 19