Business Plan: Land Use Planning How does this service contribute to the results identified in the City of London Strategic Plan? A Green and Growing City A Sustainable Infrastructure Land use planning services are provided to allow for positive growth and development, while protecting the City's most valuable resources, shaping the City's image, providing for healthy communities and attracting investment. Land use planning ensures that we grow in a way that most effectively takes advantage of our existing infrastructure and minimizes unnecessary sprawl that is both unsustainable to build and unaffordable to maintain. It does this while maximizing opportunities for growth and economic development that helps to financially sustain our infrastructure over the long-term. Name the main activities done to provide this service: Name The Activities Done To Provide This Service How Much Did We Do? (optional) 1. Planning Application Processing Estimate will process approx. 60 applications in 2014 2. Official Plan Policy Development and Research Approx. 15 policy-related reports to PEC in 2014 3. Urban Design Estimate panel will review approximately 50 submissions in 2014 Is The City Mandated To Provide This Service? No Can The Level Of Service Be Changed? What is the current state of this service? Planning applications remain steady in number, but the issues and expectations associated with them continue to escalate. Council has asked that a more proactive approach to community engagement be integrated into the process. Meanwhile, there continues to be significant pressures to process planning applications quickly to facilitate an expeditious and efficient process, while ensuring that all issues are addressed, including: 1
Requirements of the Provincial Policy Statement, the Planning Act and other key pieces of legislation Consultation and negotiation with various ministries and public agencies Consultation with various service areas within the Corporation, such as Engineering Services, Development Services, Legal Services, Community Services and Financial Services Input and requests from interest groups Input and requests from neighbourhoods and neighbouring property owners Through all of this, processing times for planning applications remain some of the fastest in Ontario. Planning Services has been cited as delivering a best practice in two separate reports to other municipalities. PWC also cited London as having an expeditious planning application process during their 2013 audit. Several significant policy projects have been taken to Council, which will have significant bearing on the City s future, including: Industrial Land Strategy and Industrial Land Study Evaluation of the need for an Urban Growth Boundary expansion The Southwest Area Secondary Plan Downtown Master Plan and Downtown Design Guidelines Planning for Secondary Dwelling Units In addition to the standard Activities listed above, a significant current pressure point is that all staff are also leading the ReThink London Program, a program of several policy analysis components and public consultation events that comprise the statutory comprehensive review of the Official Plan, that will lead to a new 20 year-year plan for the City of London. The London Plan was released in 2014 in draft and public consultation continues. It is expected that the final document will be presented to Council in the first or second quart of 2015. Recent Achievements ReThink London and The London Plan Downtown Master Plan Old Victoria Hospital Secondary Plan Old Victoria Hospital Lands development and disposition plan 2
Petersville/Blackfriars Conservation District study Downtown London Heritage Conservation District Urban Growth Boundary evaluation completed Industrial Lands Development Strategy Accessory Dwelling Unit policies Southwest Area Plan BIGS (Beaufort Irwin Gunn Saunby) study Old South Heritage Conservation District McCormick Area Study Finalization of Normal School RFP and acquisition of building and lands from province London Psychiatric Hospital Secondary Plan OMB approval Near Campus Neighbourhoods policies and zoning by-law regulations OMB approval Urban Design Peer Review Panel Terms of Reference revised What has been done to manage the budget? The service area has been actively managing its budget by implementing management lead initiatives aimed at creating efficiencies, avoiding costs and generating revenue. These include the following: Efficiencies / Costs Avoided Previous 3 Years Undertook ReThink London process in-house, likely saving $1M to $2M in consulting fees; delayed various policy projects to achieve this Partnered with other organizations to deliver engagement processes Re-directed services of existing Planner, through secondment, to serve as Business Connector in Business Service London centre on main floor of City Hall 3
Revenue Generation / User Fee Increases Previous 3 Years Consulted with development industry and received Council approval to increase planning application fees Introduced fee for telecommunications infrastructure application review What is the future direction of this service? What future initiatives can be contained within the maintain existing service level budget? 2015 Budget Continue planning application, policy and urban design services Conducted customer service experience survey will be rolling out improvements in 2015 2016-2018 Forecast Implement completely new zoning by-law in conformity with new Official Plan when it was approved Anticipate workload associated with OMB hearings stemming from new Official Plan Develop staff training programs and community information forums to explain/implement new Official Plan Educate, communicate and facilitate on infill and intensification Identify funding and evaluate organizational options for implementation of the Downtown Master Plan Continual improvement and streamlining of planning application processes Develop plans for, and facilitate development of rapid transit corridors and transit villages Monitor industrial land development strategy and plan accordingly 4
What service adjustments do you plan to make? 2015 Budget No service level adjustments requiring new dollars in 2015 2016-2018 Forecast Intending to improve public engagement processes to make planning process more accessible, more understandable and more meaningful for neighbourhoods; costs of such improvements are yet to be determined Key Performance Indicators The following data demonstrates that London is an Ontario leader in delivering an efficient planning application process we have been cited as a best practice in reports submitted by consultants to Guelph and Kingston. The 2013 audit of planning processes by PwC also recognized the efficient process that is delivered for planning applications. That said, the Planning Division will seek ways to compress the time it takes to receive, review, and report on this information by improving work practices and distributing the planning application work program. How Much? Description of measure 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 1. Number of Planning Applications per Year 63 60 60 60 60 60 How Well? Description of measure 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2. Median application time (days) for Official 117 118 125 125 125 125 Plan/Zoning Applications 3. Median application time (days) for Zoning By- Law Amendment Applications 102 95 110 110 110 110 5
300 2009-2014 Zoning By-Law Amendment Applications: 250 200 150 100 50 0 Jan-2009 Jul-2009 Jan-2010 Jul-2010 Jan-2011 Jul-2011 Jan-2012 Jul-2012 Jan-2013 Jul-2013 Jan-2014 Jul-2014 Date Application to Committee ZBA Applications Median 120 Days Notes: 1) Application timeframes are based on the period between the date of formal acceptance of application to consideration by a planning committee of Municipal Council. 2) The 120 day period is pursuant to Section 34, Subsection 11 of the Planning Act 6
400 2009-2014 Combined Official Plan/Zoning Applications: 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Jan-2009 Jul-2009 Jan-2010 Jul-2010 Jan-2011 Jul-2011 Jan-2012 Jul-2012 Jan-2013 Jul-2013 Jan-2014 Jul-2014 Date Application to Committee OZ Applications Median 180 Days Notes: 1) Application timeframes are based on the period between the date of formal acceptance of application to consideration by a planning committee of Municipal Council. 2) The 180 day period is pursuant to Section 22, Subsection 7.0.2.1 of the Planning Act 7