Logistics Land Use Strategy

The Town of Caledon is preparing a land use-oriented study to develop Official Plan and Zoning policies and provisions to support current and future logistics development in the community. The Logistics Land Use Strategy will review current land use circumstances and future opportunities to determine appropriate locations within the municipality for logistics intensive land uses.

Delivering this initiative will provide for a more safe and efficient approach to managing trucking in Caledon, one that supports economic and employment activities and will minimize negative impacts of truck traffic on sensitive land uses. The review will study relevant land use matters connected with trucking, including the illegal use of lands for parking and operation purposes. With businesses in Caledon expecting to grow, it has become increasingly important to have in place appropriate standards and requirements to accommodate trucking oriented land uses and associated movements to allow for a well-planned logistics community.

BACKGROUND

Given its location within the western portion of the Greater Toronto Area in the Region of Peel, and within close proximity to Lester B. Pearson International Airport, the Town has experienced significant industrial growth over the past 10 years. It is anticipated that this growth will only increase over time as employment Settlement Boundaries are expanded and realized. In addition to industrial growth, increased goods movements through Caledon are occurring given expansion to aggregate resources and the usage of major roads in the community for trucks passing through to market. The resultant impacts of this increased truck traffic have included the following:

• Illegal parking of trucks, in particular in the southern portions of the municipality within rural and agricultural areas, with resultant land use impacts;
• Road safety concerns and conflicts with other mobility options, including speeding, congestion and accidents;
• Road maintenance and damage;
• Increased health implications of noise, vibrations and emissions.

In view of the above, and in conjunction with the movement forward of the Town’s new Official Plan, a new Logistics Land Use Strategy is needed to plan where trucking intensive land uses should be located.

It is recognized that the majority of major roads within the community that currently accommodate trucking movements are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation (Highways 9 and 10) and the Region of Peel (multiple roads). It will be important to work closely with each of these two agencies and their respective planning and transportation staff that specialize in these matters to advance the subject study (i.e. Region of Peel Goods Movement Task Force and the Smart Freight Centre).

STUDY GOALS

1. Prepare a background report that provides context along with Provincial, Regional and Town policy and zoning analysis for consideration by Council.
2. Conduct a public consultation program with residents, indigenous communities, stakeholders, agencies and Council members.
3. Draft a policy options report for review and consideration by Council, that may contain recommendations for amendments to the new Official Plan and/or Zoning By-law as deemed necessary.

STUDY OBJECTIVES

1. Review current Provincial plans and documents, Regional and Town Official Plan policies and Zoning By-law provisions, along with any associated technical transportation/goods movement studies as relevant to understand the current status of goods movement patterns and impacts within the municipality;
2. Confirm and understand the present location of trucking intensive land uses that exist within the Town, and review and make recommendations for the location of future uses (in particular warehousing) while taking into consideration projected employment Settlement Boundary area expansions and any applicable limitations. This may include revisions to current
3. current/proposed Official Plan polices and Zoning provisions, including mapping and schedules;
4. Recommend approaches and updates to how illegal trucking practices within the community can be reversed, including possible land use changes and zoning by-law revisions. This would include considerations for future truck parking and storage standards and requirements;
5. Review current truck routes within the community, and recommend opportunities on revised or new goods movement corridors to improve safety and efficiency;
6. Recommend approaches and updates from a transportation perspective on how to plan for the future road fabric of the community to appropriately accommodate trucks, taking into account future industrial and aggregate growth, and consider impacts on adjoining land uses;

Have regard for current aggregate haul routes within the municipality and make recommendations on changes where improvements can be achieved where appropriate.