1. Elmdale Community Plaza Existing Conditions
Legend
800m Distance
School Property
Comparison to City Median
Lesser than City Median $54876
Higher than or equal City Median $54876
Subject Site
Legend
800m Distance
Distribution
Low
Moderate
High
Demographic Analysis
68%
32%
74%
26%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Owned Rented
St. Thomas
Sub Site
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
St. Thoma
Sub Site
Legend
Subject Site
Buffer 800m
Railway
Land Use Area(ha) 800m Radius
67.89 ha Residential
17.41 ha Railw ay Industrial
45.53 ha Open Space
69.89 ha Natural Heritage
12.18 ha Hazard Land
5.43 ha Commercial
(32.0%)
(31.1%)
(20.8%)
(7.9%)
(5.6%)
(2.5%)
1:7000
Legend
800m Distance
School Property
Distribution
Low
Moderate
High
Total Population Distribution
Housing Distribution
Median Income Analysis
11
2
1
3
4
5
6
6
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5
8
9
10
12
Former Elmdale Public School
Adjacent Homes
Vacant Lot North of School
Pinafore Park and Open Space
Potential Brown Field Remediation
St. Thomas Community Arena
The Armoury Heritage Building
John Wise PS Student Relocation
Vacant ParcelPort Stanley Terminal Railway
11
12
13
6
7
Surrounding Cemetery Open Space
Elgin County Trail Link
13 Waste Management Plant
Sunset Drive
Elm Street
WilsonAve
Glenbanner Street
Income Analysis
The median income of the population within 800m of the site is
approximately 61,000 which is significantly higher than St.
Thomas ($54,876) and approximately 60% of the population
has an income level higher than the city median value. This is
an indicator that the Elmdale neighborhood consists of a
generally higher income community demographic in compari-
son to the rest of St. Thomas.
Housing
The existing houses within 800m of the site are
analyzed for the tenure and housing type and
compared with the City. This is an indicator
that the Elmdale neighborhood consists of a
generally moderate to high distribution of
housing in conparison to the rest of St.
Population Analysis
The subject site is located at the SW
corner of the city St. Thomas. The total
population of the city contains approxi-
mately 36000 (Statistics Canada 2006), of
which approximately 1664 (4.6%) resided within
800m of the subject site. To provide context, the
demographics data is compared with the City as
whole.
Geography
The subject site is almost a flat terrain at the elevation of 230 above mean
sea level. However, a 30m elevation difference can be seen towards the west
of Sunset Drive where the Elgin Trail located.
History
Elmdale Public School was built in 1920 and was one of the oldest in the Thames Valley
District school board system. The school was closed in summer 2009 due to less student
count which was about 150 at the closing time. Most of the staff and students were
attached to a newly built John Wise public school located on the Collegiate Institute
campus at Parkside Drive.
Site Location
The subject site is located at the corner of Sunset Drive and ElmStreet,
approximately 3km west of downtown St Thomas which is one of munici-
palities in Elgin County. The site is adjacent to the Sunset Drive which
connects Port Stanley at about 12km on south and London at about 30km
on north. The 401 highway is accessible within 7km.
The site consists of two plots of lands to north and south of Elm Street. The
property at north is approximately 0.32ha and bounded by Sunset Drive on
west. The property at south which includes the former ElmDale public
school has an area of 1.7ha and bounded by Elm Street on north, Wilson
Avenue on east, Glenbanner Street on south and Sunset Drive and two
private residential blocks on west.
Official Plan and Zoning Designations
It is necessary to consider the Official Plan Land Use designations in order to have a better understand of the
surrounding context of the site and the distribution of land uses within the walkability radius. The Land Use Analysis Map,
See Map, displays the percentage of each land use designation and the total area of parcels within an 800m/10 minute walk-
ing radius.
1.0 Natural Heritage
The Natural Heritage designation is outlined in the St. Thomas Official Plan, where no land, building or structure
shall be used except for the purposes of conserving natural environment or management of wildlife, forest and fisheries.
2.0 Residential
There are a variety of housing types within the neighbourhood; however, single detached dwellings are the most prominent form of housing within
the neighbourhood with some medium density dwellings and one high rise apartment building.
3.0 Open Space
The Elmdale site exhibits it’s open space through the use of Pinafore Park and it’s natural amenities. In addition to Pinafore
Park, there are three cemetery’s all located within 400m of the subject site designated as open space.
4.0 Railway Industrial
The existing railway tracks run north-south through St. Thomas within the 400m or 5 min walking distance radius. The railway tracks
and lots adjacent to the railway are designated as Railway Industrial.
5.0 Natural Hazard Land
Located heavily throughout the west, north and east vicinities of the Elmdale Site’s 800m (10 minute walk) buffer are Official Plan Designated
Natural Hazard Lands. These premises restrict any building or structure, except for the purpose of natural environment conservation or wildlife
management.
6.0 Commercial
Located north of the Elmdale site on the corners of Elm Street and Wilson Ave are Tim Horton’s, and a small strip mall consisting of M&M’s, Daisy Mart, a local café and
Herbal Magic. Located south of the Subject site are a few other commercial designations that consist of an auto-shop, café, drivers testing centre, and a hairdresser.
LandUseandExistingFea
tures
Existing Site Features and Opportunities
The Elmdale Public School Site has many opportunities to build and sustain a
lively and dynamic community. Examining the existing community and site
context is helpful in understanding the potential that it has to offer.
Former Elmdale Public School
Built more than 90 years ago, the former Elmdale Public School remains
a part of St. Thomas’s Educational Heritage. The original building
structure is situated at 25 Elm Street between Sunset Road and
Wilson Avenue. The school held 150 students who were relocated
to John Wise Public School; a new school built less than a
kilometer south of the site.
Heritage
The Elmdale Public School site is surrounded by a variety of
heritage elements including Memorial Park Cemetery, The
Armoury and around 70 hectares of Natural Heritage
with a radius of 800m. These features are significant to
the cultural context of the Elmdale Site because they
depict the past and present historical identity of St.
Thomas. The new Elmdale Site shall provide a
sustainable, connected and unique plan to empha-
size the importance of the heritage of the commu-
nity.
Connectivity
Located 100m west of the Elmdale Public School
site, are the existing railway tracks that run
north-south and connect St. Thomas to Port
Stanley. The railway as well as the municipal
artery of Sunset Road, provides an opportunity
to facilitate a unique destination‘on the way to
the beach’. There are 2 existing bus routes
that run through the subject site. The new
Elmdale site will augment the existing trans-
portation network by integrating pedestrian
oriented landscapes that connect the St.
Thomas Official Plan Parks and Trails Master
Plan from the east side Elgin Trail to the north
entrance of Pinafore Park. Elm Street Corri-
dor will serve as a dual functioning road that
will allow for a Cycle laneway.
Parks and Open Space
Built by the St. Thomas Street Railway Com-
pany in the late 19th century, Pinafore Park is
located within a 5 minute walking distance
from the Elmdale Site. It offers a beautiful
natural landscape and a variety of outdoor
activities such as hiking, cross-country skiing,
and children amenities such as splash pads and
accessible playground equipment. Pinafore’s
trails and paths connect the amenities as well as
Lake Margaret. The new Elmdale site will aug-
ment the existing park and trails using the Elm
Street corridor, new recreational trails and public
spaces to attract travellers to the surrounding park
amenities.
OP Natural Hazard Lands
Located heavily throughout the west, north and east
vicinities of the Elmdale Site’s 800m (10 min. walk) buffer
are Official Plan Designated Hazard Lands. These prem-
ises restrict any building or structure, except for the
purpose of natural environment conservation or wildlife
management. These Natural Hazard lands are suitable
locations to preserve the natural landscape for extending the
existing recreational paths and trails.
Former Railway Lot
The Former Railway tracks ran north-east through the adjacent
parcel where the Tim Horton’s is currently situated. These tracks were
removed and replaced by the railway connecting St. Thomas to Port
Stanley, leaving a large brownfield site where the old railway turntable was
once functional. The brownfield has potential to augment the proposed site
and the surrounding community if remediation were to be considered. In
addition, the Elmdale site will utilize the vacant parcel, where the former railway
once was, to build a space that creates a unique public space that pays tribute to St.
Thomas’train heritage.
Housing Types Census
2006
Housing Tenure
Census 2006
Jordan Lorenzo,
Graeme Cote
Kyle Regeling
Stephanie Chalmers
James Zink
Chandra Liyanage
Mark Wyatt
Jigisha Thakur