The exemption is not consistent with the direction of the Official Plan and a Transport Terminal is not permitted as a main use in the MD1.2 zoning.
Walker Road is an arterial road designed and constructed to handle heavy truck traffic. The parcel has access to a signalized intersection at Walker Road and Ducharme Street and to Highway 401 via Walker Road and Provincial Road / County Road 46.
The proposed Transport Terminal will have minimal impact on surrounding infrastructure.
To the north, is a produce wholesaler and a rail corridor. Further north, are commercial uses located along Provincial Road and Walker Road. Highway 401 is adjacent to the parcel to the east and south and is elevated along the parcel. To the south of Highway 401 is the Oldcastle industrial park located in the Town of Tecumseh. To the west, on the north and south side of Ducharme Street, are two large vacant parcels. Further to the west, is the Walker Gates residential area.
The nearest existing residential use is located about 155 metres west of the subject parcel and is a sensitive land use. A mixed use (commercial ground floor and residential use above) has been approved for the northwest corner of Walker Road and Ducharme Street. The proposed mixed use development is located right across Walker Road, approximately 35 metres west of the subject parcel. The residential component of the mixed use development would be considered a sensitive land use.
The proposed Transport Terminal IS proximate to a sensitive land use.
The proximity of potential sensitive land uses is a significant concern. There is a conflict between the Transport Terminal use and the potential sensitive land uses. This is a problem that the study will examine.
Additional mitigation measures may be required to permit a Transport Terminal on the property. This is another issue that the study will examine. There is a moderate to significant risk that a proposed Transport Terminal could be created that is not compatible with the nearby sensitive land uses.
There is a likelihood that additional mitigation measures will be necessary in order to permit a Transport Terminal.
The Planning Division is recommending that the request for exemption be denied due to a Transport Terminal not being consistent with the Business Park land use designation and not being permitted as a main use in the MD1.2 zoning district, due to the proximity of a sensitive land use, and due to the likelihood that additional mitigation measures may be necessary.
Risk Analysis:
N/A