Burlington Beach Waterfront Park Master Plan Review

1
Burlington Beach Waterfront Park Master Plan
Review Public Meeting Waterfront Hotel Lakeshore
Road, Burlington November 29, 2011
2
Agenda

• Welcome and introductions
• Session overview
• Presentation
• Public comments
• Informal discussions and walk around

3
Discussion Questions

• What key questions or issues would you like the
  Master Plan update to answer or address?
• What do you see as the key Burlington Beach
  related challenges and/or opportunities?
• What are your aspirations for Burlington Beach
  Waterfront Park? What do you want it to look
  like in 10-20 years?
• If the updated Master Plan did only a few things
  to enhance and secure the future of the Park,
  what would you like them to be?

4
Burlington Beach Waterfront Park Master Plan
Review
Ingrid Vanderbrug, City of Burlington Stirling
Todd, Region of Halton Charles Mulay, City of
Burlington Bob Edmondson, Conservation Halton
5
History of the Burlington Beach Area
6
Burlington Beach Regional Waterfront Park
Spencer Smith Park
Burlington

• One of three Regional Waterfront Parks in Halton
• Includes both Beachway Park and Spencer Smith
  Park City Parks

Beachway Park
Lake Ontario
Burlington Canal
N
Hamilton
7
Burlington Beach

• Significant natural pure sand baymouth bar
  feature
• Spans Hamilton and Burlington
• Uniquely situated in the City

Burlington Bay
Burlington
Lake Ontario
Burlington Canal
N
Hamilton
8
Burlington Beach Development

• Canal bridge, 1823
• Railway line, 1876
• Beach resort area, late 1800s
• Hydro towers, 1908
• Conversion of cottages to permanent residences,
  1920s
• Transportation, utility institutional uses,
  1960-70s

9
Burlington Beach Flooding Events

• Flooding events in the area trigger initiation of
  the Halton Wentworth Waterfront Plan (mid 1970s)
• Recommends long-term acquisition of all privately
  held Beach properties to remove flood risk and
  create public open space
• Provides basis for Waterfront Parks Program in
  the Halton Region Official Plan (1980s)

10
Property Ownership
11
Burlington Beach Planning

• Hamilton/Halton Conservation Authorities
  undertake Beach Property Acquisition Program with
  Provincial support (1976)
• Properties are purchased as they become available
  on the market
• Conservation Halton takes ownership of the CN
  right-of-way and assumes cottage leases

12
Burlington Beach Ownership Today

• 129 properties purchased including leased and
  freehold
• 31 remaining in private ownership
• Today, less than 3.5 of the Regional Park area
  is in private ownership

Lake Ontario
13
Burlington Beach Ownership Today

• Public landowners within the Regional Park
  include
• Provincial and Federal Agencies
• Region of Halton
• Conservation Halton
• City of Burlington

CCIW
14
Master Plans
15
Prior Master Plans

• Completed in 1987 by Halton Waterfront Working
  Group
• Long-term vision for the Beach area as public
  open space
• Updated in 1994 by Halton Region, in partnership
  with the City of Burlington and Conservation
  Halton
• Maintained long-term vision for the Beach area as
  public open space

16
Burlington Beach Waterfront Park Today

• Spencer Smith Park
• Promenade, Discovery Landing, Waterjet Plaza and
  Playground, Open Space for Festivals/ Events
• Beachway Park
• Trail, Dune Crossing, Pavilion, Dunes,
  Playground, Beach

• Activities walking, biking, boating, swimming,
  special events

17
Burlington Beach Master Plan Review

• Background
• Technical Information
• Master Plan
• short and long term recommendations
• Implementation and Phasing Plan
• budget and timing

18
Policies and Regulations
19
Halton Region Official Plan
20
Regional Perspective on Waterfront Parks

• How it all started
• Why was the program initiated?
• Number of Waterfront Parks

21
Regional Waterfront Parks

• Where are the three Regional
• Waterfront Parks?
• Burlington Beach
• Burloak
• Bronte Harbour

22
Region of Halton Official Plan 2006

• Official Plan Direction
• Regional Objectives/ Priorities
• Permitted Uses
• Coordinating Park Planning and Implementation
• Environmental Considerations

23
City of Burlington Official Plan

24
Official Plan (2008) West of Lakeshore Road

• Business Corridor
• Recognizes sewage treatment facility
• Provides for prestige office, industrial and
  employment uses

• Low Density Residential
• Recognizes existing residential neighbourhood
  west of Lakeshore Road

• Major Parks and Open Space
• Recognizes existing open space south of
  residential neighbourhood

25

• Official Plan West and East of Lakeshore Road
  (Schedule E)
• Waterfront West/Public Lands Precinct
• Identifies waterfront and open space system
  within Downtown

• Objectives
• Public access, recreation and waterfront linkages
  

• Permitted Uses
• Existing uses, government, institutional,
  parkland, recreation, hotel/conference centre
  (MTO lands only)

26
Zoning By-Law

• PC Community Park
• Permitted uses parks, recreation facilities,
  cultural uses
• Does not permit residential uses existing
  deemed legal non-conforming and can only be
  maintained within existing footprint, not
  expanded
• R3.4 Low Density Residential
• Recognizes existing lots and buildings, any
  changes must comply with zoning
• Challenging due to small lot sizes and limited
  and substandard septic systems
• Other Zoning
• Downtown Institutional (DI) Utility Services (S)

27
Conservation Halton Regulations

28
Importance of the Dune Environment

• Beach and primary dune are the most sensitive
  areas to development
• Special precautions must be taken
  to protect dunes
• Rehabilitation opportunities

29
Flora and Fauna

• Small remnant areas which support native dune
  and shoreline plant species
• Total of 236 plants (44 native)
• 11 regionally rare, 13 regionally uncommon plant
  species, and 3 species provincially imperiled or
  vulnerable
• Sand Dropseed
• Smooth Scouring-Rush
• Cyperus (Cyperus schweinitzii)
• Rush (Juncus balticus)
• Seaside Spurge
• Important for migratory birds

30
Regulatory Conditions Ont. Reg. 162/06

• Conservation Halton regulates shoreline
  hazardous lands and dynamic beaches
• Objectives - minimize risk to life, property
  damage, social disruption and adverse
  environmental impacts

31
Regulatory Conditions Ont. Reg. 162/06

• Regulated Shoreline Area for Burlington Beach
  consists of flooding hazard and dynamic beach
  allowance

32
Flooding

• Flooding events in April 1993 caused significant
  damage to the dune and beach area properties

33
2011 Regulatory Conditions Update

• Conservation Halton has led a study to assess the
  flooding hazard and to confirm the limits of the
  dynamic beach. This study will determine and map
• Estimated level of erosion/ accretion on the
  beach
• Extent of flooding zone in accordance with o.
  Reg. 162/06 (100 year flood limit, wave up-rush
  limit and other water related hazards)
• Limits of the dynamic beach
• This is based on
• Airphoto analysis
• Digital orthophotography
• Topographic survey of the study area at 1500
  scale with 0.25 meter contours
• Computer modeling of flooding hazard
• Bathymetric survey

34
Implementation of Regulatory Conditions

• East of Lakeshore Road
• Lands are susceptible to flooding hazard as well
  as dynamic beach
• No development on dynamic beach is permitted
• West of Lakeshore Road
• Lands subject to the flooding hazard only
• Potential for ponding
• Development can only be considered and evaluated
  subject to mitigation of the flooding hazard

35
Next Steps
36
Master Plan Timeline

• November 29, 2011 South Halton Public Meeting
• January 2012 North Halton Public Meeting
• Design Charrette, February 2012
• Continued consultation with stakeholders
• Report to Council for direction to proceed
• Draft Master Plan
• Additional Public Meetings to present Draft
  Master Plan
• Final Master Plan approval

37
Thank you