St. Clair College Planning Area Introduction · The planned expansion of St. Clair College's educational and residence facilities;! the potential signalization of the College's entrance

! the implementation of the majority of planning directions previously established for the westerly portion of the Planning Area;

! The planned expansion of St. Clair College's educational and residence facilities;! the potential signalization of the College's entrance at Highway 3 in concert with a

proposed arterial road connection to the Town of LaSalle; and! development interest in the St. Clair College Environmentally Sensitive Area.

The purpose of this study is to prepare background material necessary to support a secondary plan for the St. Clair College Planning Area.

The secondary plan will detail and complement the more general planning policies of the City of Windsor Official Plan, thereby ensuring the orderly, efficient and appropriate development of the St. Clair College Planning Area.

Study Purpose

What is the Study Area?

Why is the area under study?

St. Clair College Planning Area is bounded by Highway 3 to the west, Cabana Road to the north, the residential community of South Windsor to the east and Cousineau Road to the south.

A number of factors have necessitated the need for a comprehensive review and new direction for the St. Clair College Planning Area, including:

St. Clair College Planning Area

Introduction

PROJECT MANAGERS • ENGINEERS • SURVEYORS • PLANNERS

MarshallMacklin Monaghan

Land Use Planning




Opportunities and Constraints

Opportunity Constraint

Provide input into the provisions of thenew Zoning By-law.

The new draft Zoning By-law is morepermissive for the College lands, whichmay result in decreased City/publicinvolvement in decision making.

Visual exposure along Highway 3provides opportunity for commercial uses.

Noise from Highway 3 and Cabana Roadis a constraint to sensitive land usedevelopment, including residential uses.

Access to Highway 3 is restricted andadditional access points may not bepossible.

Minimize land use conflicts through agradual density gradient between the St.Clair College and the Borelli Subdivision.

The College attempts to addressconflicting issues with the adjacentneighbourhood.

Future expansion plans of the College mayresult in incompatibility issues with theSouth Windsor neighbourhood to the east.

Capitalize on the abundance ofcommunity services and amenities withinand surrounding the Planning Area.

Ensure the future protection andsustainability of the St. Clair CollegeESA, and provide a valuable communityamenity and focal point.

Portions of the ESA may beundevelopable due to its environmentalsignificance.

Development in proximity to the ESAmay impact its future viability.

ESA is under private ownership; anacquisition strategy and funding would berequired.

The Cabana-Division Road EA processmay result in improvements to CabanaRoad, offering potential streetscapeenhancements and an improvedtransportation network.

The Cabana-Division Road EA processhas not been concluded.

Integrate the City park with theneighbourhood, which is currently isolatedand largely inaccessible and could be asafety/security concern.

Provide an improved public accesslocation to the park.

Increased utilization of the park maynegatively impact its ecological viabilityand raise liability issues.

Lennon Drain provides opportunity for aneast-west trail through the Planning Area.

Link the existing trail to the east.

The Lennon Drain severs the PlanningArea, impeding north/south vehicular andpedestrian access.

Portions of the Lennon Drain are underprivate ownership.

Natural Environment





Physical Servicing


ESA supports a number of locally,regionally and provincially rare plantspecies.

ESA supports a variety of mammals.

ESA lacks strong physical connections toadjacent natural features due to urbandevelopment and the presence of barriers(eg. Highway 3) that prevent wildlifemovement between the site and othernatural areas in the surroundings.

Prescribed burns are required to maintainthe tallgrass prairie community.

ESA is suitable for scientific research orconservation education.

ESA is largely in private ownership.

Development outside of the ESA shouldnot negatively effect the natural featuresand functions within the woodlot.

Any development within the woodlot maynegatively effect the natural features andfunctions of the site.

Woodlot provides a visual barrier betweenthe College, residential uses and Highway3.


Sufficient sewage capacity exists toaccommodate new development, providedthe services are in keeping with the designparameters of the trunk sewer.

Extension of the water main is requiredfor development within the St. ClairCollege ESA.

Improvements to the Lennon Drain arerequired to accommodate additionaldevelopment.

Natural gas is available to service newdevelopment.





Transportation


St. Clair College could install controlledaccesses to the campus at the CabanaRoad access to reduce traffic infiltrationfrom the regional transportation network.

Lack of a cohesive transportation networkbetween Windsor and LaSalle couldnegatively effect the Planning Area byencouraging “short-cutting”.

Controlled access at Highway 3 may berestricted due to lack of storage capacity.

There is additional traffic capacityavailable at the existing and proposed St.Clair College access points (Cabana Roadand Highway 3).

Multiple access points to the St. ClairCollege ESA are required to enabledevelopment.

Highway 3 status as a controlled accesshighway limits additional access points tothe St. Clair College ESA to existingintersections.

Extension of Borelli Drive only isinsufficient for emergency service access.

Additional access using the St. ClairCollege lands requires an agreementbetween the College, developer and/orCity.

St. Clair College is a large pedestrian andcycling destination. Connections to theCity’s existing and planned cycling andtrail network can be accommodated atmultiple points.

Pedestrian and cycling connections to theTown of LaSalle are constrained byHighway 3

St. Clair College is a transit destination.

There is sufficient space to permit thedevelopment of an additional east-westroad to connect the Borelli Subdivisionwith the lands to the east.

Residents have previously opposedadditional east-west connections (ie. OraStreet extension).

Property acquisition/dedication would berequired to implement an additional east-west connection.

Land Use Designations

Roads and Bikeways

! Residential - uses include a broad range of housing types and complimentary services and amenities.

! Major Institutional - uses include large-scale institutional uses and ancillary residential, commercial or public open space uses.

! Highway 3 is designated a Controlled Access Highway, generally restricting collector, local and driveway access.

! Cabana Road is designated a Class II Arterial Road and Bikeway, providing for four undivided travel lanes, excluding turning lanes, as well as direct property access.

! Cousineau Road is designated a Class I Collector Road, providing for two undivided travel lanes, excluding turning lanes, as well as direct property access.




Current Planning Status - Official Plan

Development Constraints

! Environmental Policy Area A - corresponds to the St. Clair College Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA), these areas may be partially developed prov ided the s ign i f ican t na tura l feature/function is conserved.

! Floodplain Areas - correspond to the Lennon and Cahill / Moon Drains, which restrict development unless adequate flood proofing measures are undertaken.

Comments from Public Open House #1

Conservation of ESA - Residents support the conservation of the woodlot for its environmental and recreational significance. Residents suggested the City pursue funding to purchase the lands and maintain the woodlot in its natural state.

Signalization of College Entrance - Residents expressed concern regarding the safety of the intersection of Highway 3 and the College entrance, and suggested this intersection be signalized.

Ora Street Extension - Residents generally do not support the extension of Ora Street to the east, as they feel this will encourage additional traffic to filter through the Borelli Subdivision.

Stormwater Management - Residents believe the existing storm drains, particularly Lennon Drain, are at maximum capacity

Trails - Residents propose a pedestrian and cycling trail along the Lennon Drain and continuing throughout the ESA, provided the woodlot is conserved.

Intensity of College Development - Residents raised concerns regarding the future development and expansion plans of the College. Issues related primarily to noise, surface parking, new residences on the campus and student loitering in proximity to the existing residential area.

Residential Character - Residents support maintaining a residential character within the Planning Area and view commercial uses as intrusive.


What You Told Us...




Current Status



Current Status Overview! Development of low and medium profile residential units have

been proposed for the St. Clair College ESA (42 single detached homes and 300 medium profile units).

! Three accesses presently exist on plans from the ESA to Highway 3.

! City owns a portion of the ESA and lands abutting the Lennon Drain for park purposes.

! Lands north of the College Campus are largely vacant.! College entrance from Highway No. 3 is not signalized.


Alternative Concept #1



Concept Overview

Advantages

Disadvantages

! No development is proposed within the St. Clair College ESA.

! Residential uses north of College Campus include 242 medium profile units (3 storey) and 40 low profile units (semi-detached).

! Secondary access to Cabana Road.! Improved access at Highway 3 and College entrance.! Additional College entrance at Cousineau Road.

! Facilitates development transition along Cabana Road.! Significant natural features and functions are conserved.! Additional College access reduces pressure on existing

Highway 3 access.

! Lack of interconnections between land use blocks.! Public acquisition costs of the ESA are estimated at $1.0 to $1.6 million.! Additional access may lead to increased traffic infiltration of College.





Concept Overview

Advantages

Disadvantages

! Development of the southeastern portion of St. Clair College ESA to permit 379 medium profile residential units (3 to 6 storey). Development is integrated with the campus ring-road.! Residential and Institutional development in the north of the

College campus to include 168 medium profile units (3 to 7 storey), 46 townhouses and 1.45 hectares of institutional space.! Improved intersection at Highway 3 and College entrance.

! Compatible integration of uses.! Facilitates development transition along Cabana Road.! Conserves the most significant natural features and functions of the ESA.

! Creates isolated ESA development parcel with only access via the College ring-road.! Public acquisition costs of the ESA are estimated at $0.5 to $ 0.8 million.! Lacks external road connectivity.





Concept Overview

Advantages

Disadvantages

! Development of the majority of the St. Clair College ESA to permit low profile residential uses (58 single detached units on 30m x 35m lots).! Residential development north

of the College campus to permit low profile residential units (52 singles and 25 townhouses).! New east-west road (Ora Street extension), providing a

secondary access to Cabana Road.! Improved intersection at Highway No. 3 and College entrance.

! Proposes similar types of housing development.! Larger lots in ESA assist with conservation objectives.! Facilitates good internal and external road connectivity.

! ESA development requires two drain crossings.! ESA may provide representation of conditions but not retain same

physical conditions.! Reduced opportunity for a range of housing forms.




Overview and Analysis

St. Clair College ESA

East-West AccessCurrent Status Concept One Concept Two Concept Three

Feature(s) • Ora Street – discontinuousacross the planning area.

• Ora Street - discontinuousacross the planning area.

• Ora Street - discontinuousacross the planning area.

• Ora Street - continuousacross the planning area.

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Acc

ess Implication(s) • Access to Cabana Road –

limited to existingunsignalized intersections.

• Traffic Infiltration (BorelliSubdivision) - limitedopportunity for additional cut-through traffic..

• Traffic Infiltration (NorthLennon) – NA

• Costs – No additional costs toCity.

• Access to Cabana Road –limited to existingunsignalized intersections.


• Traffic Infiltration (NorthLennon) - limited opportunityfor additional cut-throughtraffic..


• Access to Cabana Road –limited to existingunsignalized intersections.


• Traffic Infiltration (NorthLennon) - limited opportunityfor additional cut-throughtraffic..


• Access to Cabana Road –signalized access via Collegeentrance.

• Traffic Infiltration (BorelliSubdivision) – potential forlimited additional cut-through traffic..

• Traffic Infiltration (NorthLennon) – potential forsignificant additional cut-through traffic..

• Costs – Additional costs toCity for land acquisition andpossibly improvements.

Current Status Concept One Concept Two Concept Three

Feature(s) • Ownership – 15% public and85% private.

• Planned Use – Publicly ownedportions are for a park,privately owned portions arefor residential development.

• Ownership – 100% public.

• Planned Use – Open space/park.

• Ownership – 75% public and25% private.

• Planned Use – Open space/park and medium profileresidential development.

• Ownership – 20% public and80% private.

• Planned Use – Open space/park and large lot singledetached residentialdevelopment.

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Implication(s) • Land Use – Residentialdevelopment in privatelyowned portion, park inpublicly owned portion.

• Access - Development wouldlikely require the extension ofBorelli Drive.

• Environment – Short-termconservation of somesignificant natural features andfunctions; long-term loss ofsignificant natural features andfunctions.

• Costs – Additional developercost for crossing of LennonDrain and noise attenuation.

• Revenues – No tax revenue.

• Land Use – Park forconservation and passiverecreation.

• Access – improved publicaccess required from the north.

• Environment – Long-termconservation of significantnatural area features andfunctions.

• Costs - Public sectoracquisition of ESA in theorder of $1,000,000 to$1,600,000.

• Revenues – No tax revenue.

• Land Use - Residentialdevelopment in southernportion, park in northernportion.

• Access - Development requiresaccess to St. Clair College.

• Environment – Conservationof the most significant naturalfeatures and functions.

• Costs – Public acquisition ofprivate lands in the order of$500,000 to $800,000.

• Revenues - Tax revenue in theorder of $990,000.

• Land Use - Residentialdevelopment on large lots onprivately-owned lands, park inpublicly owned northeasternportion.

• Access - Development requiresthe extension of Borelli Driveand possibly emergency accessto St. Clair College.

• Environment – Conservation ofa portion of the ESA, andretention of some trees withinthe residential area.

• Costs – park expansion throughparkland dedication.

• Revenues - Tax revenue in theorder of $202,000.

Documents

St. Clair College Planning Area Introduction · The planned expansion of St. Clair College's educational and residence facilities;! the potential signalization of the College's entrance