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Fairgrounds zoning changes ensure future business space

November 9, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS, Local Journalism Initative Reporter

The Fairgrounds commercial space may be in for a new look.

Orangeville town council held a public meeting with the proponents of the possible redevelopment on Nov. 6.

Jim Kotsopoulos, the project planning agent at JKO Planning Services Inc., Mike Mehak, the project manager at Cushman Wakefield, and Peter Thoma, the principal at Urban Metrics, outlined their proposal to redevelop the Orangeville Fairgrounds shopping area.

Kotsopoulos said the current policy framework within the zoning bylaw that applies to the commercial space is outdated and not in the public interest. It no longer reflects the market realities, he said.

Developers and town staff have been working together toward the rezoning and redeveloping of the subject lands.

To that end, Urban Metrics has developed a retail market cap review to help resolve planning policy challenges that limit the range and magnitude of commercial occupancy permitted at the shopping area.

Uses of the surrounding land along Highway 10 are a mix of residential and commercial. The subject land is less than one kilometre from downtown Orangeville. Land uses surrounding the Fairgrounds Shopping Centre run the gamut of low-, medium-, and high-density residential, with many commercial establishments to the east.

Kotsopoulos said the retail market cap review is crucial to justifying the proposed application.

Specifically, the sections of the zoning parameters they’d like to amend deal with restrictions on the permitted land uses based on a maximum gross floor area and a maximum number of establishments.

Kotsopoulos said the retail market cap review assesses any potential impacts from eliminating those land use restrictions within the zoning bylaw.

“The forecasted demand for retail in the town exceeds supply with a significant note being that the town’s Central Business Sistrict (CBD) currently provides for approximately 300,000 square feet of commercial space with limited vacant land available to facilitate new developments with the CBD,” Kotsopoulos said.

“Eliminating the existing restrictions and allowing for a broader range in amount of uses on the lands also supports and enhances the economic vitality of the town by more efficiently using the commercial site and increasing its prominence to (passing) traffic and other visitors.”

He said the subject lands’ restrictions have outlived their useful application. Further, Kotsopoulos recommends eliminating the cap on the number of establishments allowed in that area.

Councillor Debbie Sherwood asked whether the Orangeville BIA, the organization representing the local business community, has been consulted on the proposed zoning amendments.

Brandon Ward, the town’s planning manager, said the origins of the provisions date back to about the late 1990s or mid-2000s to avoid competition or interference with the viability of downtown businesses.

“They didn’t want this (the Fairground lands) to be a mini downtown or detract from the business functionality of the downtown,” Ward said.

Through their application, the proponents have demonstrated that the retail landscape has changed. The restrictiveness of the zoning bylaw is unnecessary.

Ward said the BIA has expressed an interest that their business functionality is upheld, and they also recognize that the Fairgrounds lands need to be viable as well.

Coun. Joe Andrews asked if the zoning amendment request indicates that the Fairgrounds will be extended because of the changes.

Ward said the application isn’t part of a specific development proposal.

“They’re simply seeking more flexibility for units within the existing building footprints,” he said. “I’m not sure of any future aspirations to future new builds on this site.”

Kotsopoulos said the amendment is to eliminate restrictions and not to facilitate any future projects.

“This is strictly an application to try and address the vacancy problems we’re experiencing on the shopping centre due to complications of the zoning,” said Mehak, the project manager.

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