HomeMy Public PortalAbout2017-11-02_COW_Public_Agenda PackagePage 1 of 2
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
AGENDA
Thursday,November 2,2017
Chester Municipal Council Chambers
151 King Street, Chester, NS
1.MEETING CALLED TO ORDER.
2.APPROVAL OF AGENDA/ORDER OF BUSINESS.
3.PUBLIC INPUT SESSION (8:45 A.M.–9:00 A.M.)
4.MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING:
4.1.Committee of the Whole –October 19, 2017
5.MATTERS ARISING:
6.CORRESPONDENCE:
7.NEW BUSINESS:
7.1 Grant Request in support of the work Engage Nova Scotia are doing across the
region.
7.2 Grant Report –Village of Chester.
7.3 FCM Sustainable Communities Conference 2018 –Registration.
7.4 Request for Decision prepared by Community Development Department dated
October 19,2017 regarding Chester Village Central Commercial Zone Parking
Requirements.
8.IN CAMERA.
9.ADJOURNMENT.
NOTE:HIGHWAY 3 STREETSCAPE WORKSHOP TO FOLLOW COW MEETING
1
Cindy Hannaford
Subject:FW: Engage Nova Scotia
On Sep 28, 2017, at 4:52 PM, Danny Graham <dgraham@engagenovascotia.ca> wrote:
Allen,
We are looking forward to your municipality’s involvement in the public engagement
clinic on October 11th. We hope your participation will help build trust with your citizens
and strengthen your decision-making processes.
We are also delighted that a number of your neighbouring municipalities are joining inthis clinic. Our work together will ensure more Nova Scotians and their leaders areworking collaboratively, inclusively and effectively.
Engage is a non-profit organization supported by private and public contributors. Weinvite your municipality to provide support with a grant in support of the work we are
doing across the region and specifically in your region of Nova Scotia. You might
consider an amount in the range of $500.Your participation in the clinic is not
dependent on providing a grant.
I’d be happy to discuss this opportunity with you if you have any questions about the
ongoing work of Engage Nova Scotia.
Thank you for your consideration
Danny Graham
Chief Engagement Officer
<Municipal Donor Agreement.pdf>
Friday, October 27, 2017 3:03:25 PM - FCM - FCM’s Sustainable Communities Conference: where innovation meets action -
Municipality of the District of Chester
Community Development Department
Application Briefing
Prepared for:Municipal Council
Submitted by:Garth Sturtevant, Development Control/Planning Assistant
Date:November 2, 2017
Subject:Chester Village Central Commercial Zone Parking Requirements
Prepared By:Garth Sturtevant Date October 19, 2017
Reviewed By:Date
Authorized By:Tammy Wilson, CAO Date October 27, 2017
Recommendation
Direct staff to prepare a report and draft amendments to the Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use
By-law to implement one or more of the options presented (i, ii, iii, iv,). The report will provide more
details for the selected method(s) to address parking and will include draft amendments for consideration
by the Village Area Advisory Committee.
APPLICANT Council Initiated
PROPOSAL Prepare a staff report to review parking standards in the Commercial
Zone and options to relax these standards
LOCATION Chester Village Planning Area
ZONE Central Commercial (C) Zone
NEIGHBOUR
NOTIFICATION
None to date –if general amendment (i.e. all C Zone) no notification of
neighbouring properties
Application Briefing Page 2
Parking Standards in the Central Commercial Zone October 27, 2017
Background
In March 2017, owners of White Gate Inn and Restaurant Inc. applied for a Development Permit to change
the use of an existing single unit dwelling to become a licensed lounge. The proposal was also seeking to
include two residential (guest room) units on the second floor. As specified in the Land Use By-law, this
change of use required 5 new on-site parking spaces. The property owners were unable to provide the 5
required on-site parking spaces so the Development Permit was not issued. In July 2017, the property
owners applied for a Variance to obtain relaxed parking requirements for this development. This variance
was denied primarily because parking in Chester Village is considered a general issue, common to most
properties in the area. The property owners appealed the variance decision and although Council upheld
the Development Officer’s decision to deny the variance, Council gave direction to Staff to prepare a
report outlining potential options to address parking requirements in the Central Commercial Zone.
Subject Properties
All properties within the Central Commercial (C) Zone (See Appendix 1).
Discussion -Considerations
Parking in the Central Commercial Zone in Chester Village has been a longstanding concern as the area is
generally comprised of small lots with few options for off-site parking.Similar to many other traditional
commercial areas,many buildings take up a large percentage of the lot area, leaving little space to
accommodate on-site parking. Many of these structures predate the current Land Use By-law and
therefore, were not subject to the current on-site parking requirements at the time of construction. The
lack of available land area combined with a relatively high parking standard can result in outcomes that
limit or restrict the development potential for new uses or the expansion of existing permitted uses.
Parking Minimums
Parking minimums are created and promoted through planning policies in order to ensure that new and
existing land uses do not create an undue burden on a community by increasing vehicular traffic without
also planning to accommodate this increased traffic.Historically, Municipalities have adopted increasingly
stringent parking standards that require more on-site parking,in addition to higher standards for parking
spaces. This has resulted in more land being required to accommodate parking, leaving less for structures
and open space.
More recently, this trend is beginning to reverse across North America with Villages, Towns and Cities now
encouraging alternate forms of transportation such as; public transit, walking, cycling and ride sharing
which all help to reduce the need for parking in the commercial core. Within Chester Village, it has been
noted that the existing parking standards within the Land Use By-law may prevent new developments
from being permitted as envisioned, deter the expansion of existing developments and/or create an
overabundance of parking. In many cases, stringent parking requirements are not practical as
Application Briefing Page 3
Parking Standards in the Central Commercial Zone October 27, 2017
developments located in these areas do not always have the space to provide the required amount of
parking.
In recent years, municipalities have been moving away from minimum parking requirements; avoiding
excessive amounts of parking to make better use of land and create more vibrant and engaging
communities.Reducing parking standards may allow for the expansion of existing businesses. This may
take the form of additions to buildings or the creation of exterior spaces which are incorporated into the
commercial business (ie. Patio’s, decks, gardens etc.).By lowering parking standards and avoiding the
creation of large, unnecessary parking lots, community character and scale are more easily preserved. The
creation of large, open, paved or gravel parking areas in a commercial core should be avoided when
possible.
Existing Parking Regulations in Chester Village
The Chester Village Area Land Use By-law requires a certain number of parking spaces based on the type
of land use and the number of dwelling units, suites/rental units, seats, boats or square footage in a
development.
14.2.2 Number of Parking Spaces Required
No development permit shall be issued for any development unless on-site parking having unobstructed
access to a public street shall be provided and maintained in conformity with the following schedule:
Type of Use Required Parking
i) Residential buildings containing not more than
four (4) dwelling units
One (1) parking space for each dwelling unit
ii) Residential buildings containing five (5) or more
dwelling units
One and one-quarter (1.25) spaces for each
dwelling unit
iii) Hotels and motels, and other accommodations
for travellers
One and one-tenth (1.1) space per suite or
rental unit
iv) Senior citizens housing One (1) space for each three (3) units
v) Churches, Funeral Homes, theatres, halls private
clubs, restaurants, lounges, other places of assembly
Where there are seats, one (1)parking space
for every five (5) seats. Where there are no
seats, one (1) parking space for each 9 sq. m.
(100 sq. ft.) of floor area devoted to public use
vi) Offices One (1) space for every 28 sq. m. (300 sq. ft.) of
floor area
vii) Industries One (1)space for every 93 sq. m. (1,000 sq. ft.)
of floor area
viii) Warehouses One (1) space for every 278 sq. m. (3,000 sq. ft.)
of floor area
Application Briefing Page 4
Parking Standards in the Central Commercial Zone October 27, 2017
ix) All other commercial uses One (1) space for every 28 sq. m. (300 sq. ft.) of
floor area
x) Marinas One (1)space for every berth or anchorage
xi) Tour boats One (1) space for every five (5) seats
xii) Boat Rentals One space for each boat
For existing buildings located in the Central Commercial Zone, no parking is required for the initial 93 sq.
metres (1,000 sq. ft) of floor area devoted to the use, except for residential uses, guest houses, hotels and
inns. Apart from this exemption, all other land uses in the Central Commercial Zone, and uses in all other
zones must conform to the minimum parking standards set in the Chester Village Land Use By-law.
Options to Allow Flexibility for Parking Standards in Central Commercial Zone
The following concepts can be further explored and analyzed by staff in a report prepared for
consideration by the Village Area Advisory Committee and the Citizens Planning Advisory Committee
before being brought back to Council for adoption. Most of the proposed concepts could be
implemented as stand-alone measures or developed and brought forward as a more comprehensive
approach to addressing concerns with parking in the Central Commercial Zone.
i)Reduction of Parking Standards for Commercial Zone Properties
To provide additional options and flexibility for new business operations within the Central Commercial
Zone, Council may wish to consider expanding upon an existing exemption within the Land Use By-law.
This exemption currently applies only to existing structures within the Central Commercial Zone which
predate the Land Use By-law and exempts the first 93 sq. metres of floor area from providing on-site
parking. Language could be added to expand the exemption to effect new structures or alternatively,
could completely exempt all structures within the Central Commercial Zone from requiring on-site
parking.
ii)Municipal Public Parking
The creation of a Municipally owned
public parking lot is a second option for
consideration. This would provide
additional parking to complement existing
on-street and on-site parking. The
placement of this public parking lot
should be near or within the Central
Commercial Zone to encourage regular
use. A well-designed signage program
could be installed to alert and guide
visitors to the public parking lot. Should http://www.coroflot.com/lyndelbanks/Landscape-Models
Application Briefing Page 5
Parking Standards in the Central Commercial Zone October 27, 2017
Council wish to consider this option, staff could research potential locations and work to determine an
appropriate number of spaces to provide.
iii)Cash-in-Lieu
Allowing developers to provide Cash-in-Lieu of on-site parking spaces is one option to reduce the
impacts of parking minimums in urban environments.Section 223 of the Municipal Government Act states
that a municipality may collect a monetary fee as an alternative to providing on-site parking spaces. The
funds collected as cash-in-lieu of parking shall be used to construct or maintain municipally owned
parking or transit facilities to serve the immediate area of the development.
Cash-in-Lieu provisions would need to specify the number of parking spaces that are able to be
purchased rather than created at the site.Cash-in-lieu could be permitted up to a maximum percentage
of the total parking required (ie.Up to 25% of required parking spaces may be provided as cash-in-lieu)
or allow the entire parking requirement to be provided as cash-in-lieu.A formula for calculating the cash-
in-lieu payment would also need to be adopted.The formula would be presented for consideration in a
staff report and could be a flat fee or determined for each parking space based on variables such as
square footage,assessed value of the land and/or estimated construction costs of developing parking
spaces.
Working with existing parking regulations, Cash-in-Lieu provides an opportunity for new developments to
locate in urban areas and for existing developments to expand where there may not be enough space to
develop the required number of on-site parking spaces.This concept could also be adopted in concert
with a reduction of the required amount of parking spaces and/or with the creation of a public parking
lot.
iv)Off-Street Parking to Replace On-Site Parking
Currently parking spaces must be located on the same lot as the business or use which require them.
Staff could investigate the potential to allow on-site parking to be provided on a separate lot from the
business. This option would likely require substantial research in order to determine what mechanisms
are available and could be implemented to ensure that these off-site parking locations are maintained for
the life of the business, used only for the business which created them and are protected legally should
the property be sold or modified in the future. Mechanisms to address the loss of this parking would also
need to be researched to determine,in such a scenario,whether development permits would be deemed
invalid and revoked if the off-site parking spaces are lost.Legal advice on what agreements or
requirements the Municipality may require and enforce in these situations will likely also be necessary.
v)Metered Parking in Commercial Core
Another option for consideration is the installation of metered parking within designated commercial
areas. The introduction of parking meters, especially if introduced in combination with the creation of a
Municipal public parking lot, could help alleviate parking shortages. Metered parking will generally
discourage local business owners, residents and employees from occupying street parking for long
Application Briefing Page 6
Parking Standards in the Central Commercial Zone October 27, 2017
periods of time, particularly if free public parking is available nearby. This helps open up street parking for
shoppers and visitors which is generally beneficial to businesses. If this approach appeals to Council,
further research would be required to determine who has the authority to install meters, how to handle
enforcement measures and the potential to allow businesses to validate parking for customers as an
incentive.
Relevant Policy Identification
The following policies have been identified within the Chester Village Secondary Planning Strategy
regarding requirements to provide on-site parking:
Policy
4.9.1 That use-specific parking standards are established in the Land Use By-law, and where
developments are permitted by development agreement or site plan approvals, the agreement
shall make provision for adequate parking to serve the development proposal.
4.9.2 That due to the density of development in the central Commercial area, the use-specific parking
standards established by Policy 4.9.1 are waived for the first 92 sq. metres (1,000 square feet) of
floor area within existing buildings in the Central Commercial Zone except for residential uses,
guest houses, hotels, and inns.
4.9.3 That the Land Use By-law establishes maximum height limitations and minimum yard
requirements in each zone so as to provide for separation between adjacent buildings as well as
between buildings and lot lines, for adequate fire separation, emergency vehicle access, on-site
parking, maintenance of buildings and land, private outdoor space, solar exposure, air circulation,
separation of land uses to reduce land use conflicts, and preservation of the character of the
various neighbourhoods within the planning area.
Options
1.Direct staff to prepare a report and draft amendments to the Secondary Planning Strategy and
Land Use By-law to implement one or more of the options presented (i, ii, iii, iv,v). The report will
provide more details for the selected method(s) to address parking and will include draft
amendments for consideration by the Village Area Advisory Committee.
2.Direct staff to research and present a report on other parking options not presented in this
Request for Direction.
3.Direct staff to take no further action. No follow-up report will be prepared and no changes will be
made to the existing parking standards.
Valley
Rd
Pig Loop Rd
Union St
D u k e
S t
Q u e e n S t
Tremont St
Regent St
Pleasant St
Main St
W a t e r L a n e
C e n t r a l S t
Victoria St
K i n g S t
W a t e r S t
P e t e r s o n
D r
P r i n c e S t
4 4 °3 2 '3 0 "N
4 4 °3 2 '3 0 "N
Rev.:Date:Description:
MUNICIPALITY OF THEDISTRICT OF CHESTER
Central Commercial Zone Properties
Created: 2017-09-27Updated: 2017-10-20
Sources:Digital Base Map Data from Service Nova Scotia andMunicipal Relations
Prepared by the Municipality of the District of Chester
Coordinate System/Datum: UTM NAD83 CSRSZONE 20N
Map Disclaimer:Information shown on these drawings is compiled fromnumerous sources and may not be complete oraccurate. The Municipality of the District of Chester isnot responsible for any errors, omissions or deficienciesin these drawings.
Actual Map Size: w 8.5" x h 11"
Legend
StreetsBuilding FootprintsPropertiesC Zone Properties
90 0 9045
Metres
Representation of "Enter Description Here"Scale: 1:12,500,000
Scale: 1:4,000