Burlington downtown precincts - finding a balance

NRU
Dec. 6, 2017
By Dominik Matusik

To accommodate intensification within the fine-grained block-to-block variations found in downtown Burlington, staff is proposing to increase the number of precincts from eight to 13. However, there are reservations being expressed about the heights and densities being proposed in several of the precincts.

Downtown Burlington is currently subdivided into eight precincts. Following the downtown mobility hub study, staff is proposing to introduce five new ones, many of which are designed to accommodate significant intensification. For instance, the Upper Brant Precinct could have as-of right permissions as high as 25 storeys, whereas the Brant Main Street Precinct would be limited to 11.

Burlington planning and building director Mary-Lou Tanner told NRU that given provincial policy, intensification is appropriate in downtown Burlington. "Downtown Burlington is an urban growth centre in the Places to Grow plan and it's also an anchor mobility hub in the Big Move. So we've been moving forward with developing a mobility hub and UGC plan for the downtown," she says.

Ward 2 councillor Marianne Meed Ward told NRU that she has serious concerns with the heights and densities that staff is proposing to "give away."

"Overall I support the intent of the precinct system because the downtown is very fine grain," she says. "You can have permissions change block to block and that's entirely appropriate in order to protect and provide transition to the stable neighbourhoods that are in the downtown. That being said, there's a couple of areas where I have significant concerns and don't support the precincts in their current form."

Specifically, Meed Ward takes issue with the Downtown Core Precinct-where staff is proposing heights of up to 17 storeys. She says this would create an unacceptable impact on heritage buildings and abutting low-density neighbourhoods.

"I adamantly oppose that," she says. "It is giving away height without getting some of those community benefits secured in advance. This would be a significant up-zone. In my view, it would put pressure on land prices [and] lead to more land speculation, which we're already seeing. Because certainly a piece of property that is zoned for 17 would be more valuable than a property zoned for four. I think it would then be very difficult to preserve our historical buildings, which create the character of our downtown, because they're two storeys."

Tanner says that the new downtown plan will be 49 per cent public space and parks, 40 per cent protected stable neighbourhoods, and only 11 per cent will be new growth, mostly in areas that had previously been slated for growth.

"In the west end of Burlington's downtown-along Maple Avenue-there are taller buildings there. So [we are] augmenting those policies and putting a tall building area there," she says. "We've identified the Brant mainstreet corridor as an area that will have some height at Brant at James [Street] across from city hall, and then be mid-rise north and south of there. We've identified farther north-just at the north end of downtown Burlington-an area where there will be additional height as well, up to 25 storeys. And then infill development in the downtown area, closer to the lake but north of Lakeshore Road, respecting the heights that are there generally, in the 17-storey range."

Next week, staff intend to report back to council with a proposed modified timeline for finalizing the downtown policies and the new official plan.