Commercial Strategy Study
Strategic Considerations for Downtown Burlington
Official Plan Review
Agenda and Comment Form
To:
From:
H.R. Planning and Building
Name
Address
E-mail
Phone
Agenda
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Date: ______________________
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(Please fully complete this section if you wish your comments to be acknowledged)
Introductions and background - City Staff
Discussion of the Study Purpose and Format of the Session - urbanMetrics
Review of Market Conclusions - urbanMetrics
Comments and Questions Regarding Market Conclusions - urbanMetrics
Presentation of Each Recommendation – The Planning Partnership
Comments and Questions Regarding Each Recommendation - The Planning Partnership
Wrap up/ Summary – urbanMetrics
Final Comments – City Staff
Please deposit in the comment box when you leave or:
MAIL TO:
EMAIL TO:
Attention: Hugo Rincon
City of Burlington
Planning and Building Department
426 Brant Street
P.O. Box 5013
Burlington, Ontario L7R 3Z6`
[email protected]
A copy of this form will also be available for download at: www.burlington.ca/OPreview.
Personal information is collected under the authority of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13. The City of Burlington collects this information in
order to make informed decisions about planning issues. Personal information will be used to inform you of public involvement opportunities, to
provide you with website updates for the Official Plan Review, to notify you of City Council’s decisions, and to serve you notice of an Ontario
Municipal Board hearing. Personal information (including your name, address, and comments) may be contained in an appendix of a staff report,
published in the meeting agenda, delegation list and/or the minutes of the public meeting, and made part of the public record which may be viewed
by the general public, unless you expressly request the City of Burlington to remove your personal information. Questions about this collection and
disclosure should be directed to: Andrea Smith, Manager of Policy and Research, Planning and Building Department, City of Burlington, 426 Brant
Street, P.O. Box 5013, Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Z6 at 905-335-7642.
Discussion Question 1:
New Retail Structure. Like food stores, retail and service-related uses help Downtown residents meet
their daily needs by foot, and should be permitted more broadly throughout all areas of Downtown.
Recommendations:
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De-link the retail permissions/requirements from the Downtown precinct designations, and
introduce new “retail priority streets” designations:
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Main Street Retail (historic areas that may include small-scale retail)
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Mixed Use Major Street (areas with larger-format retail)
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General Mixed Use Street (primary residential streets where retail is permitted, but not
required)
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No Retail (select residential areas where retail is not permitted)
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Introduce minimum floor to ceiling heights for the ground floor of all buildings along General
Mixed Use Streets to enable land use flexibility and adaptability over time.
Are the policy recommendations appropriate? How could they be improved?
Discussion Question 2:
Minimum Density Targets. The Official Plan incorporates the Provincially-mandated minimum density
target of 200 people and jobs per hectare for the Downtown Burlington urban growth centre.
Recommendations:
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To operationalize the density target and achieve an appropriate density distribution, establish
minimum density targets for different areas of the Downtown.
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Consider if/how the density targets can be integrated with existing precinct designations.
Are the policy recommendations appropriate? How could they be improved?
Personal information is collected under the authority of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13. The City of Burlington collects this information in
order to make informed decisions about planning issues. Personal information will be used to inform you of public involvement opportunities, to
provide you with website updates for the Official Plan Review, to notify you of City Council’s decisions, and to serve you notice of an Ontario
Municipal Board hearing. Personal information (including your name, address, and comments) may be contained in an appendix of a staff report,
published in the meeting agenda, delegation list and/or the minutes of the public meeting, and made part of the public record which may be viewed
by the general public, unless you expressly request the City of Burlington to remove your personal information. Questions about this collection and
disclosure should be directed to: Andrea Smith, Manager of Policy and Research, Planning and Building Department, City of Burlington, 426 Brant
Street, P.O. Box 5013, Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Z6 at 905-335-7642.
Discussion Question 3:
Mixed Use Targets. Mixed use development is essential to achieving a vibrant downtown, 24-7, 365 days
a year.
Recommendations:
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Establish mixed use targets (i.e. % requirements) for the different precincts.
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Establish a jobs-to-residents target ratio.
Are the policy recommendations appropriate? How could they be improved?
Personal information is collected under the authority of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13. The City of Burlington collects this information in
order to make informed decisions about planning issues. Personal information will be used to inform you of public involvement opportunities, to
provide you with website updates for the Official Plan Review, to notify you of City Council’s decisions, and to serve you notice of an Ontario
Municipal Board hearing. Personal information (including your name, address, and comments) may be contained in an appendix of a staff report,
published in the meeting agenda, delegation list and/or the minutes of the public meeting, and made part of the public record which may be viewed
by the general public, unless you expressly request the City of Burlington to remove your personal information. Questions about this collection and
disclosure should be directed to: Andrea Smith, Manager of Policy and Research, Planning and Building Department, City of Burlington, 426 Brant
Street, P.O. Box 5013, Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Z6 at 905-335-7642.
Discussion Question 4:
Incentives. Incentives can be used to encourage developers to build the type and form of development
that is desired by the City to meet its planning objectives.
Recommendations:
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Develop a set of incentives that may include reduced parking requirements, increased commercial
floor space limits, increased density and other tools.
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Use the incentives to promote the dispersion of street-related commercial uses within mixed use
buildings and in proximity to where people live and work.
Are the policy recommendations appropriate? How could they be improved?
Discussion Question 5:
Enhanced Urban Guidelines for Commercial Uses. Commercial uses are distinct from other types of
uses, and urban design guidance can be used to ensure commercial development contributes to a
pedestrian-oriented Downtown.
Recommendations:
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Within the Downtown Urban Design Guidelines, incorporate additional details for the following
categories:
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Area-specific retail guidelines – provide greater direction for distinct areas on the
appropriate scale, interface and character of retail uses and how they interface with the
pedestrian realm.
Personal information is collected under the authority of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13. The City of Burlington collects this information in
order to make informed decisions about planning issues. Personal information will be used to inform you of public involvement opportunities, to
provide you with website updates for the Official Plan Review, to notify you of City Council’s decisions, and to serve you notice of an Ontario
Municipal Board hearing. Personal information (including your name, address, and comments) may be contained in an appendix of a staff report,
published in the meeting agenda, delegation list and/or the minutes of the public meeting, and made part of the public record which may be viewed
by the general public, unless you expressly request the City of Burlington to remove your personal information. Questions about this collection and
disclosure should be directed to: Andrea Smith, Manager of Policy and Research, Planning and Building Department, City of Burlington, 426 Brant
Street, P.O. Box 5013, Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Z6 at 905-335-7642.
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Retail format type guidelines – provide greater direction for a variety of potential retail
formats to ensure design considerations are supportive of the distinctive Downtown
context.
Optimal retail design guidelines – provide specific direction for ensuring the optimal design
of retail spaces to enhance their visibility, flexibility and prominence.
Are the policy recommendations appropriate? How could they be improved?
General Comments:
Personal information is collected under the authority of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13. The City of Burlington collects this information in
order to make informed decisions about planning issues. Personal information will be used to inform you of public involvement opportunities, to
provide you with website updates for the Official Plan Review, to notify you of City Council’s decisions, and to serve you notice of an Ontario
Municipal Board hearing. Personal information (including your name, address, and comments) may be contained in an appendix of a staff report,
published in the meeting agenda, delegation list and/or the minutes of the public meeting, and made part of the public record which may be viewed
by the general public, unless you expressly request the City of Burlington to remove your personal information. Questions about this collection and
disclosure should be directed to: Andrea Smith, Manager of Policy and Research, Planning and Building Department, City of Burlington, 426 Brant
Street, P.O. Box 5013, Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Z6 at 905-335-7642.