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Development timeline unclear after casino approved for Peterborough property
City is "well-prepared for any challenge" as planning process continues for casino on Crawford Drive

mykawartha.com
May 18, 2016
By Jamie Steel

Following council’s decision to allow for a casino in Peterborough, a representative of the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation doesn't have a firm timeline for next steps.

At a meeting Monday night (May 16), councillors voted to amend the zoning bylaw and official plan to allow a casino and hotel to be built at 1400 Crawford Dr., at the site of the current tourism office.

While eight councillors supported the motion, councillors Gary Baldwin, Henry Clarke and Diane Therrien did not.

Chuck Keeling, vice president of stakeholder relations and responsible gaming for the corporation, said he was pleased with the decision but other matters that need to be clarified before development can proceed.

“At this point, we’re not going to try to forecast the timing of our next steps,” he said, in case there is an appeal.

Any of the many outspoken opponents to the zoning can file an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board within 20 days. Only those who have participated in the discussion thus far, either through oral or written submissions, are able to appeal.

Councillor Lesley Parnell, chair of the City’s planning committee, said beyond the appeal period, there are a number of steps they must follow. She recommended speaking with Malcolm Hunt, director of planning and development services, for more detail however, he was unavailable for comment Tuesday (May 17).

“We’ll be moving ahead with the process in a timely manner and our planning staff are well-prepared for any challenge,” said Coun. Parnell.

As moved by Councillor Dean Pappas on Monday, the site plan process for the development will include consulting with stakeholders such as the Peterborough Field Naturalists and Harper Park Stewards.

Earlier this month, Ken Hetherington, manager of the City’s planning division, said the site plan approval stage also includes solidifying details such as driveway access, lighting and landscaping. He said people can offer comments on those issues and such comments would be taken into consideration.

However, there is no appeal mechanism for site-plan approval.

Hetherington was also unavailable for further comment on Tuesday.

According to the planning report for the proposed development, prepared by SGL Planning and Design, the casino will be 51,656 square feet. It will include 500 slots and 22 live tables in a gaming floor area of about 22,000 square feet. Also planned is a 3,500 square foot buffet restaurant and seating area, with an extra 3,000 square feet of expanded restaurant seating. The expanded seating area could also be used for “associated small scale performances”.

The facility will also include a kitchen, washrooms, operations rooms such as the vault, mechanical and electrical rooms and manager’s office, as well as a responsible gaming room. A partial second floor will include about 8,000 square feet of office space, an off-track betting area with about 20 seats and a multipurpose room available for rent.

Facing the casino, the report suggests a proposed seven-storey hotel with 120 rooms. The hotel would go on land currently occupied by the visitor centre, managed by Peterborough Economic Development.

According to Rhonda Keenan, president and chief executive officer of Peterborough Economic Development, it’s “business as usual” at the centre for the time being.

“Right now we have a lease agreement with the City until (August) 2017,” she said, understanding that plans for the development will directly impact their future on the site.

“We hope to look at a number of options moving forward and present those options to our board in the next couple months,” said Keenan.

Whatever happens, the executive director is confident tourism will continue to be an important aspect of economic development in the City.

“Regardless of the location, we’re still going to work with our tourism partners and focus on the development of tourism expansion in Peterborough and the Kawarthas,” said Keenan. “We’ll continue to do the great work we’ve always done.”

At Monday’s council meeting, Kim Zippel of the Peterborough Field Naturalists said she was appalled at the “woefully inadequate” background studies and reports produced during the land-use planning stage of the process. She asked councillors how they would establish their due diligence in the case of an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board.

“Err on the side of good judgement and better development,” she told councillors, before recommending the formation of a site-approval committee, including representatives from environmental groups.

Councillor Dean Pappas agreed with Zippel and moved that such a committee be formed and involved in discussions before the site plan report comes back to committee.

“We need to get buy-in from the stakeholders and the people who have the environmental knowledge,” he said before the motion was carried.

Keeling said the development of such a committee is “par for the course” as far as the Gaming Corporation is concerned.

Coun. Pappas also moved that the recommendation to rezone the City-owned property at 586 Harper Rd., to allow for a parking lot as a permitted use, be deferred for two cycles. He said he wasn’t sure that parking lot is needed and there was no cause for haste on that matter.

With respect to traffic in the area, the traffic impact study prepared for the gaming corporation in April recommended a number of improvement at nearby intersections.

“Anticipated improvements include a new road connection (Crawford Drive extension) between The Parkway and Rye Street; closure of Crawford Drive at the curve, just west of The Parkway and realignment of Harper Road such that it meets Crawford Drive extension at a right angle as documented in the City’s Crawford Drive and Harper Road Class environmental assessment,” reads the study, in part.

According to the study, after the development, the site is expected to generate 243 trips during the morning peak hour and 486 trips during the evening peak hour. The study continues to outline recommended improvements including adding and replacing turn lanes and signals and increasing turn lane lengths.

Recommendations included in the summary of the Traffic Impact Study

On the 2017 horizon:

The intersection of Parkway at Crawford Drive

The intersection of Crawford Drive extension at southeast access

The intersection of Crawford Drive extension at the northeast access

The intersection of Crawford Drive extension at future realigned Harper Road

The intersection of Harper Road at the north access

The intersection of Sir Sandford Fleming Drive at Fisher Drive

The intersection of Lansdowne Street at Webber Avenue

2027 horizon:

The intersection of Sir Sandford Fleming Drive at Fisher Drive