Downtown Cambridge 2019: Land Use Analysis

06 Land Use Analysis Downtown Cambridge Station PLAN 409 KAREN HAMMOND

Analyses conducted by, Annie Yang, Christian Le Pichouron, Hatim Jafferjee, & Sabrina Pan

Table of Contents 01 Opportunities & Constraints

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02 Land Use Designations

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03 Existing Land Use

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04 Location & Identity of Non-Residential Uses

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05 Site Specific Policy Areas

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06 Location of Parking & Vacant Lots

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07 Location of Publicly Owned Land

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01 Opportunities & Constraints Opportunities 1

Room to densify

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Vacant land

Current designation can accommodate higher density of residents/jobs/commercial uses and mixed use (150 residents/jobs combined per hectare).

High availability of vacant land for redevelopment.

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Expand green space Opportunity to expand the City’s green space network.

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City’s willingness to grow The City may accommodate for future developments exceeding height restrictions of 5-storeys as shown by current planned developments.

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Transit oriented development Prioritize transit-oriented development around the planned LRT alignments.

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Constraints 1

Maintaining heritage Maintaining heritage and historic sites, and implementing appropriate land uses to complement these cultural heritage assets.

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Lacking infrastructure Current transportation infrastructure may not accommodate future land use objectives of the City.

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Land use transitioning Appropriately transitioning the built form from low density to high density.

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Maximum permitted FSI (2.5) Current maximum permitted height and density of residential buildings is 5-storeys with FSI of 2.5.

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Lack of specific policies Lack of specific land-use policies in official plan can lead to disorderly development.

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02 Land Use Designations The following terms are defined under Cambridge’s Official Plan on the land uses designations of the site area.

Urban Growth Centre This is the focal area for rapid transit station, public services, institutional uses, as well as commercial, recreational, cultural and entertainment uses - planned minimum gross density of 150 residents and jobs combined per hectare by 2031.

Community Core Area This is a central business area which serves a historic function and supports the concept of complete communities, housing diversity, and specialized commercial and office uses all while maintaining a cultural hub for the city.

Residential These areas encourage the development of a wide range of housing unit types to accommodate the needs, preferences, and economic resources of the City’s households.

Natural Open Space Systems and Recreation These areas protect, enhance, and restore the City’s Natural Heritage System as well as prioritize parks and open space to support future demand.

Industrial These area protect major facilities and industrial uses, while recognizing nearby sensitive uses and integrating compatible uses to transition these uses appropriately.

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03 Existing Land Use These are more specific land uses that exist on the site: • In comparison to the City’s Official Plan land use designations, there is a great variety of land uses that exist in the site area • Existing land uses display a diverse spread of uses throughout the site area with no consideration of specific nodes or hubs • Inconsistency in land use compatibility • Largely residential uses, with a mix of residential, commercial and office uses

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04 Location & Identity of Non-Residential Uses • Over 60% of the site area comprises of residential development uses.

• 49.1% of the businesses are in the service industry,17.8% in retail trade, and 10.9% in Finance, Insurance, Real Estate (data source: geospatial data lab, 2016).

• There are approximately 10 home based businesses listed such as a hair salon or home office.

• A mix of residential/commercial and office/commercial uses are located north of the proposed LRT station.

• Site area lacks businesses that are attractive for students and young adults. such as cafes, pubs, affordable restaurants, and entertainment venues.

• Site area lacks a central business hub that attracts and retains residents to the downtown core.

Bruce & Water

Main & Water

Negative uses including light industrial and manufacturing are located south of the station site

Businesses are clustered around the Main Street and Water Street South intersection

Main & Melville

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05 Site Specific Policy Areas Below are site specific policies as stated in the Cambridge Official Plan (1) The land designated as Low/Medium Density Residential on Map 2 of this Plan, located at 65 St. Andrews Street shall include Business and Professional Offices as a permitted use.

(2) The redevelopment of land designated as Galt City Centre on Map 2 of this Plan and Community Core Area on Map 3 of this Plan, located at 64 Grand Avenue South is subject to the following policy: a) A maximum building height of 69 metres for the two residential towers; b) A bonusing agreement negotiated with Cambridge Council will be required to be registered on site, prior to the redevelopment of the site; c) A Record of Site Condition will be required prior to the redevelopment of the site; d) The Transportation Impact Study is finalized to the satisfaction of the City of Cambridge and an agreement is entered into for the construction of the required road improvements; and, e) Amendments to the City’s Zoning By-law provisions will be required to implement this development.

(3) The lands designated on Map 2 of this Plan as Low/Medium Density Residential, located on the south side of Cedar Street between Richardson Street and Grand Avenue South, may also be used for a parking lot for the use located at the north west corner of Cedar Street and Grand Avenue South.

(4) The land designated as Low/Medium Density Residential on Map 2 of this Plan, located at 275 Ainslie Street South, may be used for the purposes of a business and professional office, including a dental practice, that do not constitute a home occupation.

Source: Cambridge Official Plan, September 2018 Consolidation

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06 Location of Parking & Vacant Lots • A surplus of available parking options throughout the downtown core.

• Current vacant lots also serve as available parking lots for nearby businesses (e.g., SW Corner of Cedar and Richardson Street).

• Greater area of parking and other hardscape surfaces compared to parks and open space.

• A number of vacant lots that vary in size that allow for a variety of redevelopment opportunities. For instance, lands could be used to accommodate the future expansion of the Gas Light District.

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07 Location of Publicly Owned Land Methodology

• Data on publicly owned land was obtained from the City of Cambridge’s online Open Data resources and Parks and Facilities Directory • The ‘Public Building Inventory’ document published by the Region of Waterloo was also cross-referenced along with Google Maps to check for property ownership information • Government owned buildings are grouped by three levels of government and six building use categories

Limitations

• Incomplete data discovered when comparing the City of Cambridge’s online Open Data resources and the ‘Public Building Inventory’ document published by the Region of Waterloo • Some properties are missing data regarding ownership

Building Ownership by Level of Government

Municipal Regional Government Agency Unknown

Findings • • • •

Majority of buildings are not publicly owned Majority of publicly owned buildings are owned by the city No trends found in uses of government buildings Lack of information regarding the ownership of certain buildings could lead to complications in acquiring land for future development • Lack of parks within the 800 radius of the Downtown Cambridge Station, notably in the south-west region • Highlighted right-of-ways are roads owned by either the City of Cambridge or the Region of Waterloo • Trails mostly exist within parks but two trails flow into the Community Core Area from north-east and south of the site 16