PARISH
Castles of Caledon
geomorphic
Landform Assessment Comment Response
2500, Meadowpine Blvd. Suite 200
Address
Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 6C4
Canada
To:
J o h n Spina
Date:
Ref:
Sept. 4 , 2 0 1 4
01-13-34
(905) 877-9531
Telephone
(905) 877-4143
Fax
www.parishgeomorphic.com
From:
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Internet
J o h n Parish, P.Geo and T h o m a s Giordano, M.Sc.
Castles o f Caledon L a n d f o r m A s s e s s m e n t C o m m e n t R e s p o n s e
Please a c c e p t Parish G e o m o r p h i c ' s (PGL) r e s p o n s e s t o c o m m e n t s provided by the T o w n of Caledon o n
M a y 2 0 , 2 0 1 4 regarding the Castles o f Caledon L a n d f o r m A s s e s s m e n t s u b m i t t e d N o v e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 . The
c o m m e n t s provided are reiterated in B O L D a n d P G L ' s r e s p o n s e s are provided b e l o w t h e c o m m e n t in
regular text. If y o u have any q u e s t i o n s o r additional c o m m e n t s regarding these r e s p o n s e s or the L a n d f o r m
A s s e s s m e n t Report, please feel free t o c o n t a c t us.
8 6 . Further d i s c u s s i o n regarding S e c t i o n 3 0 ( 9 ) of t h e O a k R i d g e s M o r a i n e C o n s e r v a t i o n P l a n
( D e v e l o p m e n t S e c t i o n , Planning)
F r o m i n f o r m a t i o n obtained f r o m t h e Functional Servicing Report (Cole Engineering, 2 0 1 3 ) a n d t h e
Natural Heritage Evaluation Report (SAAR Environmental Ltd., 2 0 1 3 ) , t h e p r o p o s e d design a t t e m p t s t o
m i n i m i z e d i s t u r b a n c e t o the l a n d f o r m character. The p r o p o s e d residential d e v e l o p m e n t design includes
adequate space f o r t h e K e y Natural Feature areas including w o o d e d areas a n d w a t e r c o u r s e s as
appropriate s e t b a c k s w e r e d e t e r m i n e d a n d applied a c c o r d i n g t o t h e NHE report. These K e y Natural
Features, the h e a d w a t e r s w a l e near the s o u t h end of the property and the W a l k e r Creek area at the north
end, are left u n d i s t u r b e d w i t h a 3 0 m setback.
M a j o r portions o f t h e d e v e l o p m e n t are c o n c e n t r a t e d o n areas o f t h e site d e e m e d insignificant b y
avoiding steep s l o p e d lands (greater t h a n 2 5 % slope) w h e r e possible and Key Natural Feature areas
( w o o d e d areas and w a t e r c o u r s e s ) w i t h appropriate s e t b a c k s . The natural grading will need t o be altered
to provide residential lots w i t h full m u n i c i p a l services and t o meet the T o w n of Caledon's designated
road s t a n d a r d s , but a t t e m p t s t o m i n i m i z e any required g r a d i n g is p r o p o s e d in the d e s i g n . All p r o p o s e d
roads a n d lots are d e s i g n e d t o prevent excessive alteration o f t h e natural t o p o g r a p h y b y m a t c h i n g
existing t o p o g r a p h i c c o n d i t i o n s w h e r e possible. The FSR m e n t i o n s that residential lots will b e d e s i g n e d
as f r o n t , split o r rear w a l k o u t styles in order to m i n i m i z e cut/fill w o r k s .
All roads are d e s i g n e d t o c o n v e y overland f l o w in a c c o r d a n c e w i t h r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s of the s t o r m w a t e r
m a n a g e m e n t plan. Overland f l o w will be directed t o w a r d s the s t o r m w a t e r m a n a g e m e n t p o n d located at
the s o u t h east end o f the site in order t o m i n i m i z e i m p a c t s t o the h y d r o l o g i c character of the site. T h e
d e v e l o p m e n t maintains k e y natural heritage features and related e c o l o g i c a l f u n c t i o n s t h u s m i n i m i z i n g
i m p a c t s t o the e c o l o g i c a l integrity of the Oak Ridges M o r a i n e . Additionally, the p r o p o s e d d e v e l o p m e n t
a l l o w s the o p p o r t u n i t y t o a c c o m m o d a t e a natural trail s y s t e m t o i m p r o v e public e n j o y m e n t of the natural
heritage features provided by the Oak Ridges M o r a i n e .
OCT 0 7 2014
PLANNING DEPARTMENT!
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8 7 . a ) Net developable a r e a d o e s not i n c l u d e Key Natural Heritage F e a t u r e s . T h e a r e a of t h e s e
features should b e r e m o v e d from the total lot a r e a prior to determine the m a x i m u m development a r e a
( 5 0 % ) of the site.
W h e n d e t e r m i n i n g t h e disturbance limit f o r t h e Castles o f Caledon L a n d f o r m A s s e s s m e n t Report, t h e
example of the D i s t u r b a n c e t o L a n d f o r m Character calculation presented in t h e O R M C P T e c h n i c a l Paper 4
( p g . 1 6 ) w a s f o l l o w e d . This equation required m u l t i p l y i n g the portion o f the site located w i t h i n the L a n d f o r m
C o n s e r v a t i o n Category (Category 2 , 6 2 acres) b y the percent specified in s e c t i o n 3 0 ( 5 ) of the O R M C P
( 5 0 % ) . Following this e x a m p l e , the d i s t u r b a n c e t o l a n d f o r m character w a s limited t o 3 1 acres ( 5 0 % o f the
Total Area) as the entire site falls w i t h i n the d e s i g n a t e d Category 2 L a n d f o r m C o n s e r v a t i o n area. B a s e d o n
the p r o p o s e d d e s i g n , the net developable area a c c o u n t s f o r 6 5 % of the total area o f the site. In this case,
the total area includes the net developable area and areas c o n s i d e r e d t o be Key Natural Heritage Features
delineated b y appropriate s e t b a c k s d e t e r m i n e d in t h e NHE.
Reference t o the net developable area is m a d e in S e c t i o n 3 0 ( 6 ) o f the O R M C P , but n o reference is m a d e t o
the use o f the net developable area in calculating t h e limit of d i s t u r b a n c e . In fact, Section 3 0 ( 6 ) o f the
O R M C P states that the application shall "identify planning, design, and construction practices that will keep
disturbance to landform character to a minimum including...bjlimiting the portion of the net developable
area of the site that is disturbed to not more than 50% of the total area of the site...". This implies that
d i s t u r b a n c e t o the net developable area s h o u l d not s u r p a s s 5 0 % of the T O T A L AREA o f the site. A l t h o u g h
the definition of the net developable area m e n t i o n s the exclusion o f Key Natural Heritage Features, S e c t i o n
3 0 ( 6 ) o f the O R M C P s u g g e s t s that d i s t u r b a n c e s h o u l d be limited t o 5 0 % of the total area of the site a n d
therefore s u p p o r t s our calculation of t h e d i s t u r b a n c e limit.
8 7 . b) P a r a g r a p h 2 d i s c u s s e s that "the p r o p o s e d d e s i g n d o e s not i m p o s e d i s t u r b a n c e to the total a r e a ,
but it d o e s e x c e e d t h e c a l c u l a t e d m a x i m u m d i s t u r b a n c e limit by approximately 1 5 % " . W h i c h
d i s t u r b a n c e limit ( 5 0 % or 2 0 % ) is this referring to and what is the limit total?
The d i s t u r b a n c e limit m e n t i o n e d in Paragraph 2 o n page 4 refers t o the 5 0 % limit, the d i s t u r b a n c e limit set
o u t f o r areas designated a s a Category 2 L a n d f o r m Conservation - Section 3 0 ( 6 ) o f the O R M C P . T h e total
acreage o f the site is 6 2 acres and the m a x i m u m d i s t u r b a n c e limit is 31 acres. The p r o p o s e d residential
d e v e l o p m e n t will disturb approximately 4 0 acres ( 6 5 % ) of the total area of the site. H o w e v e r , t h e entire
d e v e l o p m e n t is t o take place w i t h i n t h e net developable area, as defined in t h e O a k Ridges M o r a i n e
T e c h n i c a l Paper Four.
8 7 . c ) T h e report d i s c u s s e s that the Natural Heritage Evaluation h a s determined appropriate 6 0 m and
3 0 m s e t b a c k s to features and habitats. T h e N H E d i s c u s s e s 3 0 m and 4 0 m s e t b a c k s . P l e a s e clarify.
W h e n the L a n d f o r m A s s e s s m e n t report w a s w r i t t e n , a draft o f the NHE w a s p r o v i d e d a n d r e c o m m e n d e d a
6 0 m s e t b a c k f o r the identified dragonfly ( C l a m p - t i p p e d Emerable Darner) habitat. The NHE report w a s later
revised and updated s e t b a c k s w e r e c o n f i r m e d t o be 3 0 m .
8 7 . d) S e c t i o n 7 . 1 0 . 5 . 6 . 1 0 of T o w n ' s Official P l a n a l s o e n c o u r a g e s a p p l i c a n t s to meet Section 3 0 ( 6 ) of
the O R M C P . Further d i s c u s s i o n is required regarding this.
The p r o p o s e d d e s i g n a t t e m p t s t o preserve significant l a n d f o r m features f o u n d w i t h i n the s u b j e c t property.
S i g n i f i c a n t w o o d e d areas, t h e h e a d w a t e r s w a l e , a n d W a l k e r Creek - including its riparian zone - are t o
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remain u n d i s t u r b e d as p r o p o s e d in the design plan. A p p r o p r i a t e s e t b a c k s w e r e d e t e r m i n e d in t h e Natural
Heritage Evaluation report and applied in the p r o p o s e d d e s i g n . Alterations to t h e existing grade of the site
will be required to provide full m u n i c i p a l service to the residential lots and to m e e t specified road s t a n d a r d s
set out by the T o w n of C a l e d o n . W h e r e p o s s i b l e , the design a t t e m p t s to m a t c h the exiting grade and
m i n i m i z e required grade a d j u s t m e n t s .
Strategies and t e c h n i q u e s a i m e d at m i n i m i z i n g the a m o u n t of d i s t u r b a n c e to the site are presented w i t h i n
the FSR (Cole Engineering, 2 0 1 3 ) , the NHE (SAAR E n v i r o n m e n t a l Ltd., 2 0 1 3 ) and the detailed d e s i g n .
I m p l e m e n t i n g appropriate s e t b a c k s f r o m Natural Heritage Features and applying innovative building d e s i g n s
to m i n i m i z e grade alteration r e q u i r e m e n t s and mitigate the i m p a c t s of increased i m p e r v i o u s s u r f a c e c o v e r
d e m o n s t r a t e s o m e of the c o m p e n s a t i o n m e a s u r e s intended f o r the p r o p o s e d d e v e l o p m e n t . The entire
d e v e l o p m e n t o c c u r s w i t h i n the net developable area as defined in the Oak Ridges Moraine T e c h n i c a l Paper
Four and a t t e m p t s to m i n i m i z e i m p a c t s to the ecological integrity of the Oak Ridges M o r a i n e are p r o p o s e d .
A l t h o u g h the clause f o r S e c t i o n 3 0 ( 6 ) b and c are not met, the site falls within the Settlement A r e a
designation and is therefore s u b j e c t to Section 3 0 ( 1 3 ) of the O R M C P w h i c h a l l o w s f o r the r e q u i r e m e n t s
under Section 3 0 to be w a i v e d in order to meet the m a i n objectives and p u r p o s e s of the Settlement A r e a s
designation. Settlement areas are designated to provide suitable locations f o r d e v e l o p m e n t to take place as
population d e m a n d s increase within the T o w n of Caledon, an objective w h i c h w o u l d be achieved by the
proposed development.
8 7 . e) Further d i s c u s s i o n is required regarding the entirety of S e c t i o n 7 . 1 0 . 5 . 6
Information requested under Section 7 . 1 0 . 5 . 6 . 5 w a s provided in the Castles of Caledon L a n d f o r m
A s s e s s m e n t Report (PGL, 2 0 1 3 ) . The report provided 1 m elevation c o n t o u r s of the site and included a
slope analysis w h i c h delineated sloped areas using the categories specified in Section 3 0 ( 8 ) of the O R M C P
( 0 - 2 % , 2 - 5 % , 5 - 1 5 % , 1 5 - 2 5 % a n d > 2 5 % ) . Areas identified in the NHE report as being Key Natural Features
are being preserved by applying the r e c o m m e n d e d s e t b a c k ( 3 0 m ) . The existing t o p o g r a p h y will require
s o m e r e g r a d i n g t o ensure full m u n i c i p a l service is provided t o all lots a n d t o m e e t specified road s t a n d a r d s
set out by the T o w n of C a l e d o n .
:
The p r o p o s e d d e s i g n a t t e m p t s to m i n i m i z e grade r e q u i r e m e n t s by avoiding steep sloped lands w h e r e
possible and c o n c e n t r a t i n g d e v e l o p m e n t o n the gradual, less significant slopes (found along the area
c l o s e s t t o W a l k e r R o a d ) . Grading of the residential lots will be d e s i g n e d as front, split or rear w a l k o u t
styles in order to m i n i m i z e cut/fill w o r k s . The p r o p o s e d roads are designed to f o l l o w the natural grade of
the l a n d s c a p e to further m i n i m i z e g r a d i n g r e q u i r e m e n t s and to help maintain the hydrologic c h a r a c t e r of the
area. Infiltration t r e n c h e s are also p r o p o s e d to provide pervious areas f o r surface w a t e r to percolate into the
underlying g e o l o g y e n c o u r a g i n g aquifer r e p l e n i s h m e n t .
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