Hamilton on the coordinated review Evaluating Impacts

NRU
Sept. 7, 2016
Geordie Gordon

The City of Hamilton planning committee agrees with staff: the city cannot support the proposed increases in the intensification and greenfield density targets without first gaining a better understanding of their impact on housing mix and demand in the city. The report, going to council next week, also notes concerns with the intensification requirements around major transit stations and stops in the province’s proposed amendments to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

Growth management strategy senior project manager Heather Travis told planning committee September 7 that staff has significant concerns about the increased intensification and density targets. She said as of 2015 the city is achieving 42 per cent intensification, the first time that the city has met or exceeded the provincial minimum target of 40 per cent.

To put it into perspective, Travis explained, if the city had been required to achieve the 60 per cent intensification over the past three years, it would have required the construction of nearly 500 additional residential units per year within the built boundary. This level of development would be difficult for Hamilton to achieve based on past development trends.

“[Take for example,] the redevelopment of the Federal Building across the street, which is a 12-storey building, containing about 150 units. We would have needed four more developments of that size each year, for the past three years to meet this increased target. And historically we just haven’t seen that type of redevelopment within our built up area,” she said.

To meet its growth forecasts to 2041, based on increased intensification targets, the majority of growth in the city would have to be apartments. Travis said this could result in an oversupply of apartment units within the built up area.

Travis also echoed concerns that have been expressed by other municipalities, such as Oshawa, that the target of 80 people and jobs per hectare is the average that will need to be achieved across all greenfield areas. Hamilton currently achieves an average of 57 people and jobs per hectare in greenfield areas so future growth will need to develop at densities higher than 80 in order to compensate. This could be mean greater than 100 people and jobs per hectares.

“It’s clear that the increase to the intensification and density targets will result in significantly denser development than what we’re currently seeing, and this can have several potential impacts. This may have an impact on housing affordability and reduce home ownership options. Housing demand for single-detached dwellings is high, but the supply may not be there to meet the demand,” Travis said.

Travis also said that the amendments, if enacted, will result in greater costs to the city for infrastructure, such as transportation, to service higher density greenfield communities. This means the city would be seeking provincial support with a long-term funding model as the city would be unable to provide these services on its own.

While the merits of intensification are well understood, Travis said that the impacts of the increased targets are not fully understood.

“What we’re seeing is the potential impacts of these changes have not been fully evaluated by either the city or the province, and until we can evaluate the impacts and the city’s ability to meet our growth targets and ensure an appropriate mix of housing, we’re not in a position to support the proposed target increases,” Travis said.

Planning committee member Ward 5 councillor Chad Collins also expressed concerns with the proposed intensification and density targets. He asked if staff had considered suggesting an alternative intensification target to the province, such as 45 per cent, which would show that the city supports more incremental change.

“We’re willing to accommodate growth, but lumping us into the 60 per cent category, in my mind, the consequences of the province approving that is that we’re going to end up with applications coming forward that don’t fit the character of the area, that are far too intense for the existing or surrounding community... [In the event of an appeal] the OMB is going to rule in favour of the developer because the targets are so high,” he said.

Travis responded that the impacts of the proposed amendments are not yet fully understood, so the city is not in a position to either support the proposed targets or recommend a revised target.

However, the staff report does recommend a number of revi-sions that would assist the city in achieving higher targets should the province proceed with the increased intensification and density targets. The built boundary should be amended to include already developed greenfield areas. All developed greenfield areas, and those yet to be developed but part of an approved secondary plan, should not be subject to the higher density target. And the list of features that can be excluded from greenfield density calculations should be expanded to include cemeteries, landfills, infrastructure—such as stormwater management ponds and roads—and public parks.

The proposed intensification requirements around within 500m of transit stations and major stops—proposed to be 160 people and jobs per hectare within 500m of an LRT station or stop and 150 people and jobs per hectare within 500 m of a GO Station—are also problematic.

As an example, Travis pointed to the proposed Hamilton LRT stop at Ottawa Street, which currently has a density of 67 people and jobs per hectare within 500m. The amendments would require that this area achieve 160 people and jobs per hectare within 500m. This would mean doubling the population to about 8,800 people, adding 2,500 apartment units, and increasing the employment by four times greater than the current 830 jobs.

“Staff feel that a change to this level of density would have an impact on the character of the area... this level of density may be appropriate at some station stops, such as the downtown, but not all,” Travis said.

Staff recommends asking the province to give municipalities the flexibility to define the limits of major transit stop areas, which could be smaller than the 500m proposed.

“We’re simply recommending that the city be given the flexibility to identify where this level of density is appropriate,” Travis said.

The staff report will be considered by council September 14.