Strategy for the Implementation of the North York Centre Plan

Service Road - North York Centre

The North York Community Council recommends the adoption of the joint report (July 10, 1998) from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services and the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services.

The North York Community Council reports, for the information of Council, having requested the Chief Financial Officer to consider, as part of her current review of the development charges by-law for the City of Toronto, the land acquisition cost required for implementation of the North York Centre Plan service road..

The North York Community Council submits the following joint report (July 10, 1998) from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services and the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services:

1.0PURPOSE

This report is in response to North York Community Council's request at its meeting of May 6, 1998, for a number of reports, including a report on:

"The Works and Emergency Services Department comment on the request of Councillor Gardner that funding be included in the 1999 Capital Budget for the purpose of acquiring land to build the Service Road. "

Further, North York Community Council at its meeting of June 24, 1998, requested that the subject report also include a plan and timetable for the implementation of the Service Road:

"That the staff of the Transportation Division, North York Civic Centre, bring forward to the North York Community Council, a plan and a timetable for the completion of the Service Road for its meeting of July 22, 1998. "

2.0FUNDING

Funds be made available from:

a)the Yonge Centre Development Charges, for the acquisition of property for the implementation of the Service Road for the years 1999, and 2000; and,

b)the Capital Budget, in the amount of $1.5 million commencing in the year 2001 and continue as an annual commitment until such time as the Service Road is substantially complete or Council directs otherwise.

3.0RECOMMENDATIONS

In order to provide opportunities for ongoing development of the North York Centre area, as well as providing an early resolution to recent traffic concerns expressed by the residential communities adjacent to the redevelopment area, it is recommended that:

I)appropriate funds be provided from the Yonge Centre Development Charges for the acquisition of lands for the implementation of the Service Road for the years 1999, and 2000;

ii)a property acquisition strategy and reporting mechanism be developed to ensure a continuance of a program to initiate the construction of the Service Road in stages and that the matter be referred to the Property Division of the Corporate Services Department for implementation;

iii)the property acquisition strategy include the powers granted to the City under the Expropriations Act to ensure that contiguous land assemblies are successfully acquired in a reasonable time frame to enable the annual road construction program to be implemented;

iv)the property acquisition be focused in those areas as outlined in the schedule in this report wherein the road network will achieve the most effective results for the connecting links or extensions to the Service Road in phases;

v)the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services be directed to implement an annual construction program for the construction of the Service Road in keeping with the land assembly through the property acquisition strategy in ii) above; and,

vi)the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services be directed to include funds in the annual Capital Budget commencing in the year 2001 to be continued as an annual commitment until such time as the Service Road is substantially complete or Council directs otherwise.

4.0DISCUSSION

The intent of the Service Road is to facilitate new development in the North York Centre by establishing a collector 'ring road' to integrate with the surrounding road network hierarchy which also includes other collector, minor arterial and arterial roads. Also, the Service Road is to provide in part, physical separation from the local road network of the adjacent stable residential community. While the Service Road concept was approved in support of the development levels, its construction was based on the requirements of development as it occurred. As a result, the road has not been constructed in a continuous manner.

Consequently, its lack of continuity, external influencing factors such as the Sheppard Subway construction and the uncertainty in the timing of complete construction of the road are placing a burden on the adjacent road network and are raising a number of traffic related concerns and issues from residents both outside and inside the North York Centre planning area.

4.1Service Road Status

4.1.1The Downtown Service Road

For the purpose of this report, the Downtown Service Road may be considered to be complete. The Environmental Study Report for the "Downtown Service Road and Associated Road Network" was approved on August 12, 1991, and the majority of the road is in place.

To the east, the road has been constructed from Sheppard Avenue in the south to Norton Avenue in the north. South of Sheppard Avenue the Service Road has been assessed to reflect the recent Ontario Municipal Board decision of September 29, 1997, with regards to Official Plan Amendment No. 393. To the west, the Service Road has been constructed from Poyntz Avenue in the south to Ellerslie Avenue in the north.

The construction of the 'Downtown' Service Road was aided by the fact that 88% of the alignment was located along then existing roads and roads rights-of-way (Beecroft Road and Doris Avenue). 46 % of the existing roads had to be widened with the majority of that property acquired from development through conditions of approval. Likewise, the property required for the road where a road right-of-way was not existing (12%) was also acquired through development as conditions of approval. In the Downtown, the City only contributed towards the acquisition of one property for the Service Road and the cost of such was

charged against development levies, now collected as development charges.

4.1.2The Uptown Service Road

The Uptown Service Road implementation has not been as successful as the Downtown Service Road due to the Plan's boundary. The majority of the road could not be placed to take advantage of existing road rights-of-way. The planning of the Uptown Plan was premised upon the earlier economic conditions which assumed that comprehensive development would occur in a similar manner as the Downtown Plan thereby the Service Road, in particular the property acquisition, would be provided by the development industry. The Environmental Study Report for the "Uptown Service Road and Associated Road Network" which was approved on December 14, 1993.

At present, there is only limited amount of Service Road actually constructed within the Uptown and even with that, there are still, in certain locations, additional improvements required along those sections.

4.1.3 Pressures of Implementation

The policies for the implementation of the Service Road in the Official Plan are still appropriate, whereby development must provide the necessary road improvements in support of site specific application. The need for functional sections of the Service Road are determined through the required Traffic Certification policy of the Official Plan. Over time, changes in the economy, market conditions as well as other outside influences have, by default, placed pressure on the adjacent road system.

Generally, the recent market conditions have resulted in smaller scale development rather than the larger comprehensive block development which occurred during the earlier development of the Centre. This trend is continuing and consequently, the acquisition of functional sections of the Service Road in the Uptown Plan has not taken place and is unlikely to occur in the foreseeable future. The high cost of providing sections of Service Road may discourage desirable, more comprehensive development proposals. The ability on the part of the more modest developer to finance acquisition and construction of any required section of the Service Road is onerous and is not always realistic in terms of cost benefit. This may be viewed as counterproductive to meeting the long term planning objectives of the North York Centre plan, and not enhance the road network now being demonstrated as important for the surrounding communities, as it is for the development within the North York Centre Plan.

It must be reiterated that the present scale of development which is proceeding does not diminish the need for the eventual completion of the Service Road as the cumulative traffic impact from all development is the driving factor.

4.1.3.1Use of Other Roads

With the current trend of development, and in the absence of key sections of the Service Road, more emphasis is being placed upon the surrounding collector roads to carry traffic flows which, although form part of the overall network, were not intended to replace the need for the Service Road.

While the east Service Road connecting Sheppard Avenue to Finch Avenue will alleviate some of the pressure, it should be noted that the current traffic impacts on other roads such as Kenneth Avenue or Empress Avenue are not solely as a result of new or recent redevelopment within the North York Centre. The Sheppard Subway construction has disrupted established traffic flows in the greater area and as a result drivers have found alternate routings using the collector grid system to the east and west of Yonge Street.

4.1.3.2Circulation and Access

Improvements to the road network with the introduction of key sections of the Service Road and the associated roads within the 'plan' boundary will facilitate development by improving access and circulation. However, the connection and completion of Service Road links will also greatly improve mobility, access and circulation for those residents in the adjacent communities who have a need to access the North York Centre to take advantage of the many public facilities and services now established along many sections of the Yonge Street frontage.

4.1.3.3Parties Affected within the Plan

More recently, residents who are located within the Centre and are directly impacted by either the alignment of the Service Road or the buffer areas adjacent to the Service Road are similarly concerned that with the current market conditions, the development trends are of such a nature that the smaller developers will not be able to entertain development prospects if significant property acquisition is associated with the prospective development to satisfy the Service Road requirements. A number of these residents have expressed concern with the policies of the Plan and their ability to provide certainty for the future of their properties as their homes can no longer be considered, for sales purposes, single family residences, and any benefit accrued by the designation of density within the 'plan' may never be realized if the constraints for the cost of implementing the Service Road are not adequately addressed.

The areas most affected in the Uptown Plan are, in the east, between Byng Avenue and Olive Avenue, and in the west, between the south side of Churchill Avenue to the south side of Finch Avenue. North of Finch Avenue, there are a number of different issues to be addressed, some of which are associated with how the Service Road is established through the Hydro corridor and the impacts on the commuter parking lots.

4.1.3.4Developers Responsibilities

As identified earlier in this section, the approved development to date has provided the property for the Service Road, and the road construction has been incorporated into and funded through the Yonge Centre Development Charges. Should sections of the Service Road be constructed in advance of development, such a strategic approach should be viewed as complementary to the established policies of the Official Plan and in no way lessen the ultimate responsibilities of the developer who will be benefitting from the development potential which the North York Centre Plan offers. In particular, if a development proposal is of a certain size and in a location where through traffic certification, it is demonstrated that a functional section of the Service Road is required in support of the proposal, then it will be the responsibility of the developer to provide that section of Service Road.

In order to rationalize the construction of the road in advance of development, it is first necessary to recognize that the Service Road provides a greater function than that of facilitating new development. The Service Road must be seen as a benefit to the overall road network and that, should the City proceed with a property acquisition and construction program, a portion of the funds for property acquisition will continue to be collected through development charges.

5.0 PHASING PLAN and COSTS

Acknowledging that the Service Road implementation would be an ongoing for a number of years, then this report addresses a short to interim schedule which can initiate the project in 1999. Staff will have the opportunity to review the benefits of those links or improvements which would be put in place, and report in the annual monitoring program of the Centre and make the appropriate recommendations for the next stages or phases.

The missing links of the Service Road in the Uptown Plan, in particular to the east of Yonge Street, should be viewed as the highest priority as they would develop a parallel road to Yonge Street connecting Sheppard Avenue with Finch Avenue, increasing circulation and providing a more direct access to the Centre. As an alternate route, it will free up capacity on a number of roads in the area.

In this regard, the following property acquisition and construction schedule is proposed over the next three years.

Uptown Plan

East Service RoadFromToAcq'n. Year.Cons't. Year

Norton Church 1998/99 1999

ChurchByng 1999/2000 End of 2000

Byng Finch 1999 End of 2001

As a result of the road alignment, the property acquisition from Byng Avenue to Olive Avenue is seen to be difficult from a prospective developers point of view, and therefore it would appear appropriate that the City embark on this area first recognizing the benefit to the road network. It must also be recognized that the property for the Service Road between Church Avenue and Byng Avenue is to be conveyed to the City by Tridel from the Nortown site, and the property for the Service Road between Olive Avenue and Finch Avenue is to be conveyed to the City from the Harry Snoek east site. The time frame for design, construction and opening as a dedicated public road is premised upon tentative schedules associated with the property transfers from those particular developments.

5.1Property Costs

To provide an estimate for the overall property cost with any amount of accuracy is an extensive undertaking which may take months of market research and comparison evaluation. For the purpose of this report, that type of accuracy may not be necessary recognizing that actual property values will vary based upon lot size, permitted land uses (which can be mixed in some locations) and densities.

Values will also vary as to property location, past and present property sales in the area, and the time period at which the property would be acquired. For the purpose of establishing an estimate of property acquisition costs for this report, an average value was allocated for property within the alignment of the Service Road which allowed the magnitude of the project to be determined.

East Side - Uptown Service Road$ 8.0M

West Side - Uptown Service Road minimum to provide a network$ 15.2M

Buffer $ 4.4M

full road configuration $ 8.0M

Based upon the estimated values, the total cost to provide the property for a linked road network for the Uptown area, along the alignment of the Service Road is in a range of $ 36M.

The Service Road in the South Downtown, which is still the subject of review through the Environmental Assessment process, would increase the above costs by approximately $18M.

Consequently, it is obvious that regardless of the accuracy of the property value estimates, the total cost implies a significant capital investment for property acquisition and therefore the City should not embark on such a complex and costly undertaking as a single project. However, it does not preclude the City by proceeding with a program by engaging in a strategy for the Service Road property acquisition in phases. The strategy should strive to implement those key sections of Service Road which best benefit the overall road network and the area community.

The cost for property acquisition for the Uptown Service Road, east of Yonge Street, seen as the road link with the highest priority, is estimated to be approximately $8.0 million exclusive of the lands to be conveyed by current development.

5.2Construction Costs

The cost of Service Road construction as well as reconstruction of the internal road network of the Plan is collected through the Yonge Centre Development Charges. It is anticipated the pace of development and the collection of development charges will provide sufficient funds to cover the cost of road construction and installation of municipal services.

6.0 FUNDING SOURCES

6.1Development Charges

The use of development charges for property acquisition is applicable, but at this time, the estimated costs are not covered in the relevant account. The Yonge Centre Development Charges were established to provide the following services for development within the North York Centre Plan:

Roads and curbs;

Road widenings;

Local storm sewers;

Local sanitary sewers;

Local water mains;

Sidewalks;

Street Lighting; and,

Land Acquisition for roads and streetscaping.

As identified earlier, the cost for property acquisition for the Uptown Service Road (east) is estimated to be approximately $8.0 million, a significant portion of that will become available from the Yonge Centre Development Charges. It has been determined that there are presently over $6M in the Yonge Centre Development Charge of which approximately $3.6M can be used for land acquisition. Consequently, there is enough 'seed' money to initiate this property acquisition program with additional funds coming to development charges as building permits are issued with the Centre. Funds collected through development charges will be monitored for the purpose of advising Council as to the adequacy of those funds to singularly provide the property requirements of the service road.

If all of the funds are not readily available from development charges, it may be necessary to provide funds from the annual Capital Budget to supplement any shortage.

6.2Capital Budget

In keeping with Councillor Gardner's original motion, funds in the Capital Budget could be dedicated for property acquisition. In order to provide a commitment in support of the Service Road construction and should funds be required, then funds should be dedicated in the Capital Budget to supplement those funds collected though development charges for land acquisition. A figure in the range of $1.5 million per annum would in all likelihood be sufficient to complement those funds from development charges to ensure that a if a section, a connecting link of the Service Road is started, it can be completed. That figure may have to be adjusted depending on the time and extent of negotiations being carried out at a given time.

6.3Recovery of Funds

Development is presently occurring within the Centre and over time, new development will contribute to the Yonge Centre Development Charges with specific funds dedicated towards property acquisition and road construction. As contributions into the development charges are ongoing, funds spent for property acquisition will therefore be replenished.

Another factor to be considered is that when the City acquires property in the North York Centre Plan, the density assigned to that particular property can be 'banked' and sold to other development sites in the area.. The financial return from that sale should also be used as a source to regenerate the property acquisition funds in the development charges.

7.0PHASING OF CONSTRUCTION

7.1East Side

Section 5.0 outlines property acquisition/construction schedule which staff are recommending for the sections of Service Road which will deliver the best value from a roads operation point of view at this time. However, the City should not limit itself to this initial phase, if in fact funds and/or opportunities for further property acquisition become available allowing thereby other links in the Service Road to be established.

This section of the Service Road in the Uptown would provide the greatest initial benefit. On the east side of Yonge Street, significant sections of the road are complete and property for major additional sections have already been allocated by development. It is for these reasons, that the property acquisition phasing in Section 5.0 has been suggested.

7.2West Side

The next section for consideration should be in the south west quadrant of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue. In this area, it might be feasible to initially provide a road link between Lorraine Avenue and Kempford Boulevard, in the alignment of the Service Road, but without the need to construct the full Service Road up to Finch Avenue. This type of road connection would provide circulation and relief to those residents residing in the single family homes in that quadrant, who have expressed concern with respect to access.

7.3General

Phasing and construction of links or sections of the Service Road initiated by the City are not the result of any requirement of development. The construction initiatives are for those sections which may be difficult to provide through development. Therefore the initiatives must be considered from the point of view of providing certain road links in a timely fashion for the improvement of the current traffic operations and which compliment the roads that are required to be provided by development.

8.0Conclusion

There are many advantages for the City to proceed with a property acquisition strategy and road construction program for the North York Centre Service Road . Only when missing links in the Service Road are constructed will the overall road network receive true value. Prioritizing sections and developing construction phases must be endorsed by Council to address effective road network improvements and not to accommodate special interest groups or developers. The current policies of the Official Plan as they relate to the implementation of the Service Road are still valid and must be adhered to therefore, development still has a responsibility to provide functional sections of the Service Road and/or a property contributions towards the future extensions of the Service Road.

In summary, the City has the funds collected for the purpose of property acquisition which will allow the City to commence with a program which will have little or no impact on the capital budget. The approach outlined in this report will encourage development, but more importantly provide ongoing improvement and expansion to the roads infrastructure as a commitment to the adjacent stable residential communities, encourage growth in the North York Centre and support the City's objective of intensification.

________

The motions and recorded vote on this issue were as follows:

A.Councillor Gardner, North York Centre, moved that the joint report (July 10, 1998) from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services and the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services be adopted.

B.Councillor Filion, North York Centre, moved that the Chief Financial Officer be requested to consider, as part of her current review of the development charges by-law for the City of Toronto, the land acquisition cost required for implementation of the North York Centre Plan service road.

A recorded vote on the foregoing motions A. and B. was as follows:

FOR:Councillors Mammoliti, Sgro, Li Preti, Moscoe, Augimeri, Feldman, Berger, Flint, Gardner, Chong, Filion, Minnan-Wong, King

AGAINST:NIL

ABSENT:Councillor Shiner

Carried