What uses should be permitted in your neighbourhood?

Transcription

1 Residential Survey Results 99 Surveys cmpleted What uses shuld be permitted in yur neighburhd? Single Family 28% Cmbinatin 65% Semi/Duplex 2% Twnhme 0% Apartment 5%

2 What Cmbinatin f Uses Shuld Be Permitted in Yur Neighburhd? Singles, Semi/Duplex, Twnhmes, Apartments 48% Singles, Semi/Duplex, Apartments 9% Singles, Semi/Duplex 25% Singles, Semi/Duplex, Twnhmes 16% Singles, Twnhmes 2% 30 If yu r yur neighbur run a business ut f yur hme, hw many emplyees shuld be allwed? Only Owner One Tw Three Fur r Mre Unlimited N Opinin Other

3 What yu said abut the number f emplyees that shuld be allwed with a hme based business: As few as pssible t reduce paving f yards depends n the area disturbance the business creates Depends, if there is a lt f business traffic, they shuld be in a cmmercial area, nt a residential area. If the Business des nt have custmers cming t the huse, then ne per emplyee Nt sure, they might want t cnsider car sharing r having a dedicated business vehicle r use transit t get there. One per emplyee plus ne fr clients. This depends n the type f business. I wuld nt want emplyee parking t incnvenience neighburs.. fr example, parking a large truck and trailer n the street taking up 2-3 actual spts is n way t impress yur neighburs wh then need t find elsewhere t park their vehicles. Whatever the driveway can accmmdate. If they dn't have enugh parking, they'll have t park n a side street, r use public transprtatin What makes infill fit int yur neighburhd? Size f Rear Yard Size f Side Yards Size f Frnt Yard Height Landscaping Parking Area Size f Huse smaller same larger

4 Hw many parking spaces shuld be required per dwelling unit? Zer One Tw Three Cmments n the number f parking spaces fr dwelling units: I dn't think there shuld be a minimum, if a huse desn't have enugh parking then a tenant can chse t live elsewhere. It may be pssible they use public transprtatin anyway, s it wuldn't matter. In a university/cllege twn, restricting the amunt if parking seems really stupid. It depends n the area f the city and hw it is served by public transit and bike lanes This depends n the use: i.e. a student huse with 4 rental rms shuld have rm fr upwards f 4 cars.

5 60 What shuld the requirements be t add a secndary unit? Agree Disagree 10 0 Maximum Unit Size Minimum Unit Size Mre Parking N Additinal Parking Neutral Hw tall shuld apartment buildings be in residential neighburhds? 7 r mre streys 22% 4 streys 20% 3 streys 19%

6 N Opinin 3% Disagree 16% Agree 81% If the amunt f parking is restricted in the frnt yard, hw much shuld be allwed? Mre than half f the frnt yard 17% Half f the frnt yard 44% Less than half f the frnt yard 39%

7 Mre Cmments and Suggestins: Hire mre peple, takes frever t deal with zning & planning staff. Be prgressive - city needs all kinds f husing. In a university/cllege twn, restricting the amunt if parking seems really stupid. Everyne shuld be able t fit their car. It is als understandable that the whle lawn shuld nt be littered with cars. Interesting questin regarding height - I checked 4 streys as my daughter wns a twn hme in Trnt that is very narrw yet 4 strys in height. The lwest level is mstly a tandum garage fr tw vehicles as there is n parking lt at all. Dn't allw develpers t cut dwn mature trees n r near prperty lines, thus changing/damaging the envirnment f neighburing hmes/yards. Certain areas f the city, ntably alng the 406 crridr, are subject t MTO apprval n any changes t prperty. Will the MTO cntinue t be invlved in city zning issues? Requiring parking fr secndary units (basement apartments, etc) is imprtant as it is nt desirable t ther residents f the area fr a resident f a secndary dwelling t always park n the street. parking f large RVS & large bats shuld be restricted t behind the lt line. Shuld nt be allwed n city sectin f frnt lawn r driveways. Units parked near the curb cmprmise sight lines fr drivers. As well the situatin detracts frm the asthetics f the area If yu limit the amunt f parking n a prperty, then yu increase the amunt f parking n the streets. This can create an unsafe envirnment fr mtrists, cyclists and pedestrians. Secndly, depending n yur neighburhd, vandalism can be an issue if the parking areas are landscaped t blck security lights, clear viewing frm the street, etc. I believe that the city has dne an excellent jb at keeping up with the needs f residents. As mre peple have hme based businesses, I think there may be issues with the cnfusin between residential/cmmercial zning. That shuld be watched carefully.thanks, Darryl Increased height in buildings is an excellent way t use mre space withut remval f green space Parking shuld be a maximum allwed, nt minimum required. If they want additinal parking, a variance shuld be required prving WHY they need ver the allwed maximum. Anything ver shuld have t be permeable r LID. Mre trees need t be planted t replace the recent decline due t wind strms and aging tree ppulatins, and in mmst cases they shuld be Carlian trees, given the fact that we are in a unique (fr Canada) Carlian bisphere (e.g., tulip trees, cucumber trees). Rv parking needs t be figured ut. Need restrictins n parking bats, skids, jetskis, and trailers in residential areas. Perhaps ne per dwelling. Sme f my answers were selected half-heartedly, since I dn't think that the same zning rules shuld apply in all areas f the city. There needs t be sensitivity t a variety f factrs (heritage, neighburhd character, demgraphics, prximity t amenities, etc) in determining hw t prceed with infill. Basement suites and infilling is a great way fr St. Catharines hmewners t imprve their hmes and at the same time allw fr family t mve in, r create affrdable husing fr peple while at the same time prviding sme incme fr the hme wner r investr. Landscaping shuld be paid fr by any develper as new develpments arise, rather than the txpayer. Why des the city care abut this when they have just bradened the ability t stre RV's in driveways? Why is the city ging after peple wh wrk frm their hmes when all they are trying t d is earn a living? The city gives the Niagara Airprt, a private cmpany ur tax dllars, but they attempt t thwart the pr taxpayer wh is trying t make ends meet. We have n jbs in the regin, just lk at the statistics, and nthing that city hall has ever dne has changed this. If smene can prvide emplyment city hall shuld welcme this, nt try t thwart it. Minimum lt frntage variance was btained fr my lt. Only 25 feet wide, variance als was btained fr side yard setbacks. This was dne fr develper t squeeze mre huses int crner f subdivisin. Bth f these variances make snw remval in winter next t impssible

8 and als causes cncern with children playing n sidewalks with s many driveways withina small distance. Plus lacks n street parking. Arund my huse there are fur lt frntages within 100 feet. That is ridiculus. I can be reached at if yu wuld like t discuss further. Carl Strhak Prperty wners wh d nt prvide enugh parking spaces fr the number f tenants per unit shuld be subject t a daily fine until they cmply with the by-law.on street parking allwed nly if the prperty wner btains a mnthly parking permit fr each extra vehicle with restrictins n number f hurs vehicle may be parked the street. Cmmunity gardening use and explicit permissin fr fd gardening in frnt yards shuld be included. Please prvide incentives fr green building. It desn't have t be mnetary but culd b I reductin in fees r pssibly even taxes. We need t cnsider smaller building lts fr single family dwellings. New Urbanist type building with large frnt prches clse t the street and parking in the back if pssible. Parking requirements shuld always be a maximum instead f and minimum especially in cmmercial areas. If they want mre parking they have t make it permeable.. parking reductins shuld be encuraged, nt restricted in transit riented develpment. an infill shuld nt be allwed t drain nt a neighburing prperty, nr shuld an excisting place be allwed t regrade s the water drains t the neigbur.trees shuld fit the lt r clse t it and nt shade 5 ther lts.tree f heaven and weeping willws shuld be banned. I believe that any cnstructin shuld match what is already existing in the area f build. there shuld be exceptin fr lawn parking n frnt lawn fr disabled persns with permits shwing. especially in shared driveway situatins. I feel that multi-generatinal r duplex huse's are a gd directin fr St. Catharine's. This will be a new trend in the future fr peple t affrd husing due t the ersin f gd paying middle class jb's. Allwing duplex's will help yung prfessinal's affrd hme wnership while trying t enter the wrk frce and start a family. N vernight parking n streetstreet Parking by permit nlywe d nt want cars t park and blck street sidewalk r n parking n city sidewalk Fencing behind frnt face f dwelling shuld be min 6.5'. I believe St. Catharines is the nly remaining municipality, in niagara, that has a max 6'. The city cannt fllw the laws they have created nw withut abuse. Trying t enfrce by laws that are in dispute is a cstly affair t the city. I think parking restrictins fr any type f vehicles shuld be relaxed, especially in areas where lt sizes are small t begin with. I think that as land gets scarcer hw we utilize it is mre imprtant. We must als plant mre trees s each hme in St. Catharines shuld have at least 1 tree if there's rm. Prvide bylaws which make duplex/triplex legal r less restrictive. I have turned dwn purchasing many multi-family dwellings because the units were nt zned prperly. Affrdable husing helps everyne. leave thing well enugh alne The less restrictins the better. Generally, peple shuld be allwed t d what they want n their wn prperty. Have mre relaxed requirements fr majr arterial rads in the neighburhd. Glendale Ave frm the PenCentre t the 12mile creek (and Glenridge frm Brck hill, t railrad) shuld allw fr higher intensificatin (higher building heights, less setbacks and restrictins) cmpared with a subdivisin ff Marsdale r Riverview. Mature trees alng an existing prperty line shuld nt be remved in rder t stuff a new huse in. Cnsideratin fr the impact t the neighburs (gardens,shade,sun) must be a pririty.

9 Cmmercial Zning Survey- 98 surveys cmplete Shuld cmmercial uses be allwed in residential areas? Yes N 0 Malls Big Bx Stres Small Plazas Cnvenience Stres Restaurants Yes N What d yu think abut the parking available at shpping centres? Other 19% There's t much parking prvided nw 24% The parking prvided nw is just right 48% There's nt enugh parking prvided nw 9%

10 Impressins f Malls Fine as it is 6% Mre walkways 30% Nt enugh trees r landscaping fr shade 30% Nt enugh trees r landscaping fr beautificatin 34% Impressins f Big Bx Stres Fine as it is 5% Mre walkways 29% Nt enugh trees r landscaping fr shade 31% Nt enugh trees r landscaping fr beautificatin 35%

11 Impressins f Small Plazas Mre walkways 20% Fine as it is 15% Nt enugh trees r landscaping fr shade 31% Nt enugh trees r landscaping fr beautificatin 34% Nt enugh trees r landscaping fr shade 19% Impressins f Cnvenience Stres Mre walkways 9% Fine as it is 35% Nt enugh trees r landscaping fr beautificatin 37%

12 Impressins f Restaurants Mre walkways 12% Nt enugh trees r landscaping fr shade 24% Fine as it is 30% Nt enugh trees r landscaping fr beautificatin 34% Hw shuld landscaping requirements be determined fr shpping centres? Based n size f parking area Based n size f prperty Based n size f shpping centre There shuldn't be a landscaping requirement Other

13 Shuld there be a requirement t prvide bike parking? Yes N 0 Malls Big Bx Stres Small Plazas Cnvenience Stres Restaurants Yes N Is there enugh space in drive-thru lines fr vehicles waiting? Yes N Other

14 Shuld there be a landscaping requirement t hide drive-thru line-ups? N, it's their prperty Yes, it will make the city mre attractive What yu said abut drive thrus: Nt as relevant as having a drive-thru in the first place and I'm nt aware f this even being an 'n-ging' issue Pick any tim hrtns;n Remve drive-thrughs smetimes, and smetimes nt - it really depends n the lcatin. THERE ARE TOO MANY DRIVE THRUS ALREADY, GET PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS AND INTO THE FACILITY Width wise and sharp turns are difficult fr a full size truck wner. Ban drive thrus entirely. Ban them. T many fat peple. Nt gd fr the envirnment check ut the mess at the grantham plaza Tim hrtn's where traffic smetimes backs up all the way back t the street. Als, what I find mst annying is that in mst drive thrus nce yu are in line, if yu were in need t get ut f line shuld yu change yur mind r in case f emergency - there is n way ut past cncrete curbs;n depends n the nature f the drive thrugh. Service indistry such as banks require less space fr lining up that say a restaurant. Drive thrus shuld be eliminated Drive-thrus are a surce f pllutin and shuld be eliminated where pssible. Fr mst places yes, but I've seen places the line-up fr drive-thru was all the way int the mall parking lts. gdt ut f the cars. tim hrtns lines in the street are unaccceptable. Get rid f drive-thrus I never g in drive thrus

15 in sme plazas they need mre rm Mst Tim Hrtns dn't have enugh space. Eliminate fd service in drive thru. Line ups wuld g faster. What building height (in streys) shuld be permitted fr malls? 7-10 streys 5-6 streys 11+ streys 1-2 streys 3-4 streys What building height (in streys) shuld be permitted fr big bx stres? 5-6 streys 7-10 streys 11+ streys 1-2 streys 3-4 streys

16 What building height (in streys) shuld be permitted fr small plazas? 11+ streys 7-10 streys 5-6 streys 2-4 streys 1-2 streys What building height (in streys) shuld be permitted fr cnvenience stres? 11+ streys 7-10 streys 5-6 streys 3-4 streys 1-2 streys

17 What building height (in streys) shuld be permitted fr restaurants? 7-10 streys 11+ streys 5-6 streys 3-4 streys 1-2 streys Are there ther factrs that shuld be used t determine height f buildings? N Hw clse the building is t the neighuring prperty The design f the building The neighburhd character The height f nearby buildings

18 Mre Cmments and Suggestins n Cmmercial Zning: Malls and big bx stres culd prvide undergrund parking. It wuld help the lk f the city. In general I feel that St. Catharines has far t much retail / cmmercial space and nt enugh residential. The City has allwed there t be new develpment when there is unused / vacant cmmercial space thrughut the city. The ppulatin isn't grwing - hw can it supprt mre cmmercial develpment? It wuld be nice t see mre mixed-use zning. I wuld lve t be able t shp, eat, and be entertained in my neighburhd instead f having t drive int anther part f twn. The size f parking lts, particularly at the big bx centres n Furth Avenue, shuld be reduced. There is t much parking. I have never nce seen them full t even a third capacity. They are disgusting eye sars. Mre bicycle lanes in dwn twn cre and thrughut the city. Stp building small plazas and use the nes we have that are vacant. Cmmercial plazas, malls and big bx stres shuld incrprate multi stry residential uses Having been brught up in Germany, I find it imprtant t have bicycle parking in all the abve listed lcatins. In the Spring, Summer and Fall many peple tend t use their bicycles mre ften than their cars, with the exceptin f grcery shpping.keep up the gd wrk City f St. CAtharines!!! Landscapnig shuld include deciduus trees t clean the air and beautify year rund Any new small plazas shuld have mixed cmmercial and residential use e.g. the new plaza n Martindale shuld have been frced t have apartments abve the stres. They culd have been cnd apartments with a beautiful view dwn 12 mile creek and wuld have brught in high taxes. Please, n mre single strey buildings. Hiding drive thrugh a can be dne with greenery fr shade, nt just beautificatin. I think the ver all lk f the city is very in kept. We are suppsed t be the garden city and the gardens are terrible. Prt Dalhusie is suppsed t be ur turist area and it is an embarrassment. The dwntwn cre needs t be cleaned up, n bdy wants t be there, it's ugly and desn't feel safe. Electric charging statins fr electric vehicles. Make sure there is fcus n keeping St Catharines sustainable by helping lcal business and being careful f crprate big bx sprawl. Keep up the gd wrk. The questins and surveys being generated suggests this is ging t be a very interesting, unique dcument when it's cmplete. Drive thrus shuld be phased ut. Peple need t get ut f their car. Minimizing parking and targeting increased density wuld be a big step frward Bikes, walking, bus access shuld be a cnsideratin and drive thrus shuld n lnger be allwed and existing nes shuld be phased ut ver an apprpriate and fair length f time. Recently saw a place f business that banned bikes n its prperty. Inexcusable. If yu are thinking abut drive-thrus, I wuld strngly recmmend taking a serius stand against their prliferatin. These are an eclgical disaster, and cntravene any anti-idling by-law the city will ever enact. Frm an

19 envirnmental perspective, I wuld suggest adding a $0.25 tax t every drivethru purchase and use that mney t increase public transit (an LRT t Brck and t the train statin frm dwntwn) and bike lanes. It may sund like plitical suicide, but there is a strng case t be made fr curtailing drive-thru culture and remaking St. Catharines int an envirnmental leader. Dn't try t generalize the entire city int ne law. Dwntwn, fr example, shuldn't be limited in terms f height f buildings, whereas Prt Dalhusie shuld never have permitted giant structures. 1) Why wuld yu have a height restrictin n a restaurant r cnvenience stre?2) Sme f the malls already have bike parking any I rarely see any bikes parked there. I dubt it is much f an issue except fr a tiny fractin f the ppulatin. Wh wuld rid their bike t a big-bx stre anyway. Desn't make any sense. 3) The parking lts at the Malls are never full except fr a few weekends befre X-Mas (and I am sure that even if the parking lts were dubled fr X-Mas they wuld still be full). Preserve histry, respect the current neighburhd. Further t questins 9/10, given the frmat f 9, it's hard t just determine r decide apprpriate strey limitatins. Cnvenience stres, fr example, in a nrmal residential neighburhd, wuld nt have t be any higher than the neighburhd. But then again, if a cnvenience stre r restaurant were t be built/pen n the grund level f an apartment building r mixed-use develpment, it need nt be restricted/frbidden. In the same vein, malls, big bx stres and even small plazas shuld n lnger be stand-alnes, but rather part f mix-use intensificatin/densificatins. Instead f large malls such as the Pen and Fairview Mall being frced t clse ff sectins f their basements t reduce the amunt f rentable space thus helping t reduce parking needs mall parking shuld be based n sales/revenue space. Custmers can nt shp in a strage area s why use this in the caluculatins. Larger malls such as the Pen and Fairview Mall shuld be encuraged t grw t help t reduce the need fr additinal malls t be built. Zning by-laws need t accunt fr future grwth. I.e. existing rads in St. Catharines are fr the mst part nly 1 lane each way, whereas cities like Burlingtn r Mississauga have 2-3 lanes ging each way in mst cases, therefre it facilitates traffic and therefre encurages business. In St. Catharines, new businesses can't really pen up withut limitting access t that area.