Report to: Development Services Committee                                 Report Date:  May 20, 2008

 

 

SUBJECT:                          PRELIMINARY REPORT

                                            Markham Stouffville Hospital

                                            Zoning By-law Amendment Application to permit the hospital expansion.

                                            File No. ZA 08 111302

 

PREPARED BY:               Doris Cheng, Senior Planner, ext. 2331

 

 

RECOMMENDATION:

That the report dated May 20, 2008 entitled “PRELIMINARY REPORT, Markham Stouffville Hospital.  Zoning By-law Amendment Application to permit the hospital expansion” be received. 

 

That Staff be authorized to schedule a statutory Public Meeting to consider the proposed Zoning By-law amendments to permit the expansion of Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH), and proposed zoning amendments to accommodate the East Markham Community Centre and Library (EMCCL) and a Fire Station.

 

And that Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Not applicable

 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Not applicable


1. Purpose                2. Background         3. Discussion             4. Financial         5. Environmental

 

6. Accessibility       7. Engage 21st             8. Affected Units       9. Attachment(s)

 

PURPOSE:




Markham Stouffville Hospital has been providing health care to Markham and the surrounding communities since 1990.  In 2005, in response to the service needs of a rapidly growing community, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal, approved funding plans for Markham Stouffville Hospital to expand its facility.  The expansion will include a new emergency facility, critical care, diagnostic and ambulatory care, all together increasing the hospital’s size from approximately 30,194 m² to 77,890 m² (325,000 ft² to 838,400 ft²).

 


Under Council’s direction Town Staff has been working closely with the MSH Staff to create an institutional ‘campus’ which includes the expanded hospital, future Community Centre and Library as well as a fire station.  The intent is to ensure that the timelines for the design and construction of the hospital expansion and the Town facilities remain on schedule.  Working together will also ensure that the coordinated vision for the hospital and Town facilities are in keeping with the character of the Cornell community. 

 

Property and Area Context

The lands subject to the proposed zoning amendments (MSH lands and the lands intended for the EMCCL as well as the Fire Station) are located east of Ninth Line, west of Bur Oak Avenue, south of Church Street, and north of Highway 7 East (Figure 1).  The land includes 20.15 hectares (approximately 50 acres) of Hospital lands (including the lands recently acquired south of the proposed laneway) and 2.18 hectares (approximately 5.38 acres) of Town owned lands.   At the northwest corner of the Hospital lands is Participation House which is not part of this application, and to the west across 9th Line is a low density residential development.  To the north, across Church Street, and under the ownership of the MSH, are some vacant lands, ambulance station, as well as the existing Woodhaven Senior’s Residence.  Further north are Cornell residential developments.  To the south the lands are primarily vacant and in multiple ownerships including that of the Hospital.  To the east, across Bur Oak Avenue, are lands primarily intended to accommodate a future Catholic Secondary School as well as some mixed use developments along the Bur Oak corridor.

 

Site plan approval process

The proposed hospital expansion Master Plan will be brought forward for site plan endorsement at the June 17, 2008 Development Services Committee meeting.  The site plan endorsement at this stage will only provide general guidelines (it is not intended to be prescriptive) and will provide the necessary assurance and Council direction allowing MSH, in conjunction with Infrastructure Ontario, to proceed with a Request for Proposal for detailed design.   The final Master Site Plan for the Hospital will be prepared by the successful consortium which will also be responsible for securing final Site Plan Approval, anticipated in the second half of 2009.

 

OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:


Official Plan designation and applicable Zoning By-law

The MSH lands are designated “Institutional” in the Town’s Official Plan.  The Cornell Secondary Plan (PD 29-1) also designates the lands as “Institutional” which provides for the existing uses.   The Cornell Secondary Plan was originally adopted by the Town in July 1994, and approved by the Region of York in July 1995.  In January 2008, the Town of Markham adopted an amendment to the Cornell Secondary Plan, which requires Regional approval.  Until the Region approves the amendment, the original 1995 document remains in effect. 

 

The amended Cornell Secondary Plan did not change the institutional designation of the MSH lands, but does provide height provisions in the order of 10 storeys for limited components of the hospital building.  The proposed hospital expansion proposes a built form which is expected to comply with the height provided for in the Secondary Plan.

 

The land the hospital currently owns is predominantly zoned “Institutional - Special” [I (S)] in By-law 1229, and a portion of the property (being a strip of land along the east side of the property) is zoned Agricultural (A1) in By-law 304-87, as amended (Figure 2).  The lands recently acquired by the hospital, (Figure 2) are zoned Rural Residential 4 (RR4) and Institutional (INST) in By-law 304-87 as amended, which will also be rezoned and placed into By-law 1229 as amended, to form a consistent institutional campus.  The Institutional zone within By-law 1229, as amended, contains development standards, including height and lot coverage provisions which would require an amendment to permit the expansion of the hospital.  Height provisions within the existing by-law restrict the built form to a maximum of 16.0 metres (approximately 5 storeys), and the maximum lot coverage for the property is restricted to 30%.  The proposed amendment will permit a maximum height of in the order of 10 storeys and increase the lot coverage from 30% to approximately 50% and will be in conformity with the Cornell Secondary Plan Amendment. 

 

The Hospital has also requested that the remaining hospital lands which are currently zoned Agricultural (A1) in By-law 304-87, as amended, be re-zoned as Institutional [I(S)] in By-law 1229 as amended.  A portion of these lands will eventually form part of the EMCCL site.  In addition, the lands east of the MSH lands which have recently been acquired by the Town to accommodate the future Community Centre and Fire Station will also be rezoned from Agricultural (A1) in By-law 304-87 to Institutional [I(S)] in By-law 1229.  Although the existing agricultural zoning will permit the Town facilities through the “public use” provisions of the By-law, the By-law requires that the public use be in substantial compliance with the height, lot coverage and yard regulations prescribed for the agricultural zone.  Therefore, in order to avoid minor variances which will be required under the existing zoning it is proposed that the lands be rezoned for institutional uses with appropriate zone standards concurrent with the rezoning of the MSH lands. 

 

Potential Benefits of Approval of the Proposal:

Amending the height and coverage development standards of Zoning By-law 1229, as amended, will bring the development permissions of the Hospital lands into conformity with the intent of the Town’s Official Plan and the Cornell Secondary Plan.  The amendment will also permit the hospital to expand vertically, thereby preserving land for future expansion as this Institutional Campus evolves.  The proposed amendment will also ensure that the development standards are appropriate to accommodate the EMCCL, Fire Station, and any expansion plans in the future. 

 

Concerns/Issues to be resolved:

The proposed zoning amendments are in effect dealing with development standards to accommodate the MSH expansion, the EMCCL and the Fire Station.  No concerns or issues have been identified at this time.

 

FINANCIAL TEMPLATE (external link):

Not applicable.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Not applicable at this time.

 

ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:

Not applicable at this time.

 

ENGAGE 21ST CONSIDERATIONS:

The proposed rezoning application will assist with the implementation of the following key Town of Markham Corporate Goals:  Managed Growth, Quality Community and Infrastructure Management.

 

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

The application has been circulated to various Town departments and external agencies and is currently under review.  Requirements of the Town and external agencies will be reflected in the preparation of the Zoning By-law amendment.

 

CONCLUSIONS:

Staff recommend that a statutory public meeting be held to consider the proposed amendments.

 

RECOMMENDED BY:  

 

 

 

______________________________                        ______________________________

Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P, R.P.P                            Jim Baird, M.C.I.P, R.P.P

Director, Planning & Urban Design                               Commissioner, Development Services