Clarington Council has been recommended to incorporate the Courtice Transit-Oriented Community Secondary Plan into the municipality’s Official Plan.
The Secondary Plan establishes a policy framework designed to create a complete, inclusive, and sustainable community. At full build-out, the area will accommodate some 30,000 residents, 16,800 housing units and 8,000 jobs.
Future residents will benefit from a well-serviced community featuring at least 13 public parks and parkettes, six elementary schools, two secondary schools, and a range of other community amenities, said a Clarington report.
Anchored by the Courtice GO Station, this area represents an opportunity to develop a transit-oriented community supported by active commercial streets and a connected network of streets, trails and transit.
Following adoption by council, the Courtice Transit-Oriented Secondary Plan will be forwarded to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval.
The Location
The Secondary Plan is located south of Bloor Street, north of Highway 401, east of Robinson Creek, and west of Tooley Creek and Highway 418, as shown above.
The Secondary Plan area is almost 400 hectares in size and surrounded by the Southwest Courtice, Southeast Courtice, Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park Secondary Plans.
The Secondary Plan was originally initiated in 2018 as the Courtice Employment Lands Secondary Plan. The area had been designated for employment uses and was envisioned as a major employment and innovation centre.
Region of Durham Concerns
The Region of Durham raised several concerns regarding the proposed transportation network and the fact that the Transportation Impact Study was not finalized prior to the Statutory Public Meeting. Key issues include the number of new intersections and trail crossings proposed along Courtice Road, maintaining the prohibition of access to Courtice Road from the planned Secondary School site, and the need to protect for a future grade-separated crossing at Trulls Road. These matters have been addressed in the revised Secondary Plan. In addition, the region will continue to be engaged as the Transportation Impact Study is finalized, the Clarington report said.
The region also expressed concerns related to land budget calculations, specifically the exclusion of Environmental Protection Areas when determining density. Despite these issues, the region remains generally supportive of the Secondary Plan, the report claimed.
South Core Redevelopment Area
A new South Core Redevelopment Area has been delineated on the Land Use Plan (Schedule A) for lands south of the rail corridor and north of Baseline Road, between Trulls Road and Courtice Road. This area encompasses an established industrial park, where transitioning to a high-density, mixed-use development will require careful planning during application preparation and review.
In the future, a new zoning bylaw will be prepared for the Secondary Plan area. Until such time, it is expected that landowners in the Secondary Plan area will submit site specific zoning by-law amendment applications to conform to the Secondary Plan.
Implementation of the Secondary Plan will occur over the next several decades. Development will be phased to align with the delivery of required infrastructure and community facilities, including roads, sanitary sewers, water services, stormwater management facilities, parks, schools and other community facilities.