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Kitchener's Mixed-Use Corridor Strategy
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View Full Version : Kitchener's Mixed-Use Corridor Strategy

Cambridgite
02-22-2008, 03:43 AM
The City of Kitchener has decided to zone a number of key corridors as  
"mixed-use corridors". In design, these would look similar to the  
existing downtown areas, being pedestrian scale, mixed-use (duh), and  
having a direct relationship to the street. They would serve as focal  
points and local retail areas for the adjacent inner-city  
neighborhoods. Most of them (except for Belmont and Lancaster) radiate  
out of the downtown core.

The selected corridors include:

- Belmont Ave
- King Street West
- King Street East
- Lancaster Street
- Queen Street South
- Victoria Street South
- Victoria Street North

The following report is a design brief. It's a big document, but check  
out the first page for a brief outline of the plan as well as the map  
which shows exactly where the mixed-use corridors are planned.

http://www.kitchener.ca/pdf/mixed_use_design_brief_final_sm.pdf
kitchener-lrt
02-22-2008, 04:30 AM
How old's this report? :P
Cambridgite
02-22-2008, 04:41 AM
How old's this report? :P

2007, I believe.
waterloowarrior
02-22-2008, 12:31 PM
2005
http://www.kitchener.ca/living_kitchener/mix_use.html
WaterlooInvestor
09-08-2008, 11:02 PM
http://www.kitchener.ca/Files/Item/item14894_dts-08-089.pdf

RECOMMENDATION:

That City initiated amendment to Zoning By-law 85-1 to add new MU-1,  
MU-2, and MU-3 zone categories and regulations, be approved, in the  
form shown in the attached “Proposed By-Law” dated August 22, 2008,  
attached to Report DTS-08-089.

1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The purpose of this report is to introduce new zone categories and to  
recommend that they be incorporated into Zoning By-law 85-1. The new  
zone categories are the Low Density Mixed Use Corridor (MU-1) Zone,  
the Medium Density Mixed Use Corridor (MU-2) Zone, and the High  
Density Mixed Use Corridor (MU-3) Zone. These new zone categories are  
tailored specifically to implement the Mixed Use Corridor policies in  
Kitchener’s Official Plan. Staff will prepare one or more separate  
reports at a later date regarding the application of the MU zones to  
specific properties in the seven Mixed Use Corridors.

3.3 Proposed Zoning Categories

Overview
Three new Mixed Use Corridor zones are proposed. An overview of each  
zone is provided below.

Low Density Mixed Use Corridor Zone (MU-1):
The MU-1 zone allows the lowest maximum density of the three Mixed Use  
Corridor zones. The regulations are intended for compatible, transit- 
supportive, low-rise development in transitional areas that abut low- 
rise residential areas and heritage districts. Permitted uses include  
townhouses and small-scale retailing. This zone category has a maximum  
height limit of four storeys and a maximum Floor Space Ratio of 2.0.

Medium Density Mixed Use Corridor Zone (MU-2):
This MU-2 zone allows densities that are higher than the MU-1 Zone but  
lower than the MU-3 Zone. The regulations are intended for compact,  
transit-supportive, mid-rise development. A broad range of  
residential, commercial and institutional uses are permitted. This  
zone category has a maximum height limit of eight storeys and a  
maximum Floor Space Ratio of 4.0.

High Density Mixed Use Corridor Zone (MU-3):
The MU-3 zone category allows the highest density of the three Mixed  
Use Corridor zones at locations along major transit routes and/or  
larger sites with high redevelopment potential. A broad range of  
residential, commercial and institutional uses are permitted. This  
zone category has a maximum Floor Space Ratio of 4.0 and there is no  
maximum height. Buildings higher than eight storeys would still be  
subject to setback, landscape and parking regulations.

The public meeting will be held at the meeting of the DEVELOPMENT AND  
TECHNICAL SERVICES COMMITTEE, A COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL DEALING WITH
PLANNING MATTERS on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2008, AT 7:00 P.M. IN  
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 2ND FLOOR, CITY HALL, 200 KING STREET WEST, KITCHENER.
smably
06-05-2009, 09:30 PM
Plans for King Street West (http://www.kitchener.ca/living_kitchener/mix_use.html 
) have been posted, and comments are due by July 3.

The map looks pretty good. The southeast side of King would mostly be  
zoned MU-3 (high-intensity mixed use) and the northwest side would be  
a combination of MU-3 and MU-2 (medium-intensity mixed use).
mpd618
06-05-2009, 10:02 PM
Plans for King Street West (http://www.kitchener.ca/living_kitchener/mix_use.html 
) have been posted, and a public meeting is being held on July 3:

Look again -- the meeting was held on June 3, and comments are due by  
July 3. Did anyone go?
metropolis
06-06-2009, 04:59 AM
What is with the huge gap in the Beer Store plaza zoning by the  
tracks? This is a site with huge potential and the gap efs it up! :koko:
mpd618
06-06-2009, 05:31 AM
Perhaps Kitchener doesn't want to screw up the almost inevitable inter- 
modal transit station there?
DHLawrence
06-06-2009, 05:38 AM
Best excuse I can think of. I'd prefer they rebuild on the plaza  
across the road, but the Beer Store triangle could work, especially if  
they use the Collins and Aikman property on the other side of the  
tracks.
waterloowarrior
09-11-2009, 09:49 PM
Report to DTS on King West Mixed Use Corridor (http://www.kitchener.ca/Files/Item/item17194_dts-09-132_reduced.pdf 
)
kitchener-lrt
09-12-2009, 06:12 AM
^I didn't have time to look over this, but is it good news for  
downtown/ King St?
taylortbb
09-12-2009, 07:05 AM
^I didn't have time to look over this, but is it good news for  
downtown/ King St?

I'd say so. They'd rezoning it mixed used with a mix of medium and  
high density zones. The high density zone has no limits on building  
height. It relieves a lot of the parking requirements, reduces  
building setback, encourages transit-oriented development, prohibits  
auto-focused uses.
jcollins
09-13-2009, 12:33 AM
I'd say so. They'd rezoning it mixed used with a mix of medium and  
high density zones. The high density zone has no limits on building  
height. It relieves a lot of the parking requirements, reduces  
building setback, encourages transit-oriented development, prohibits  
auto-focused uses.

Which is fantastic. Hopefully this can lead to some new start ups.  
Ideally some more residential.
jcollins
10-22-2009, 12:23 PM
City plans to create seven areas that are vibrant, pedestrian friendly  
and transit supported

October 21, 2009
By Terry Pender, Record staff

KITCHENER — In an effort to create a vibrant urban neighbourhood city  
officials have redrawn the land use map for an important stretch of  
King Street West.

The area from the railway tracks to Union Street is among seven chosen  
for a new attempt at city building. In the parlance of City Hall  
planners this stretch of King Street West is a Mixed Use Corridor.

“It’s really like an evolution of these urban areas that we see as  
important,” Alain Pinard, the city’s interim director of planning, says.

King Street West is the first of those seven areas to have the  
properties in the corridor rezoned to support development that is  
pedestrian oriented and transit friendly.

“Mixed Use Corridors are areas that are typically more urban,” Pinard  
says.

“Buildings are set closer to the front of the lots, parking is either  
reduced or behind the buildings,” Pinard says of the corridors.

Certain land uses will not be allowed, including—car washes,  
commercial parking lots or anything to do with vehicle sales, storage,  
rental and repair. Gas stations are out, health clinics, restaurants  
and live-work spaces are in.

The region’s proposed light rail transit line will run through here.  
There is a large hospital, two schools, a grocery store and large  
office building in this corridor.

There are old residential neighbourhoods off King Street with back  
lanes, big trees and brick homes. The Iron Horse Trail is nearby.

Currently there is a strip mall, two drive-thru fast food outlets and  
several parking lots abutting this part of King Street West. These  
land uses will not be allowed in the future. The ones that currently  
exist are designated by planners as legal nonconforming.

That means over time it is expected those land uses will eventually be  
changed to comply with the new zoning laws.

By allowing more intense land use the owners have an economic  
incentive to use their land differently, Pinard says.

“We have no illusions, it is going to take time,” Pinard says. “We  
figure some will have a quick turn around and some will take a long  
time, a couple of decades would not surprise me for some of these  
properties.”

The whole idea is to create a more compact urban form, promote  
intensification of land uses, keep buildings close to the street and  
four to eight floors high, and achieve a sense of place and identity  
with high quality buildings and landscapes.

“This zoning is good for making everything fit together,” Pinard says.

“These areas would have a broad mix of uses, uses that provide  
services and amenities to the adjacent areas,” Pinard says.

Preferred land uses include mixed use buildings, particularly  
specialized retail and convenience retail, live-work units, compact  
housing, offices, restaurants and other personal services.

“Over time it is envisioned that the Mixed Use Corridors will  
intensify with transit supported uses which are well integrated with  
surrounding neighbourhoods and provide a high quality public realm  
designed for people,” says a city document on designing buildings for  
the corridors.

One of the biggest challenges to creating a vibrant, urban streetscape  
in this area is the large parking lot bounded by King, Union, Park and  
John streets.

The city will continue to allow surface parking there. Any future  
parking garage must have an attractive design and support mixed,  
active uses on other parts of the block.

“This allows for a transition of the site,” Pinard says, “which  
protects their interests, but also from our point of view provides  
motivation for intensification on the site.”

Next year the city hopes to redraw the land-use maps for four other  
Mixed Use Corridors—King Street East, Victoria Street North and South  
and Queen Street South.

The new zoning maps for the Mixed Use Corridors in Belmont Village and  
Lancaster Street West will be done in 2011 or later.

tpender at therecord.com

Great News. I like the expectations that the city has set out. I'm  
also a big fan of the incentives for property owners to convert their  
land. I'd like to see these incentives stretch to business owners to  
get them to relocate downtown.

Also, it's great that the city has come out and identified the Sunlife  
parking lot that we all love so much!
mpd618
10-22-2009, 04:44 PM
Big thumbs up from me.
kitchener-lrt
10-22-2009, 08:44 PM
Big thumbs up from me.

Ditto, although I'd like to see King St. East higher up on the  
priority list.
waterloowarrior
10-23-2009, 06:46 PM
report on the next priorities for corridors
http://www.kitchener.ca/Files/Item/item17473_dts-09-148.pdf

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