MEMORANDUM

 

 

TO:                  Mayor and Members of Council

 

FROM:            Jim Baird, Commissioner of Development Services

 

PREPARED     Scott Heaslip, Senior Project Coordinator, Central District

BY:

 

DATE:             June 24, 2008

 

SUBJECT:       1475398 Ontario Inc. (Town and Country BMW)

East side of Kennedy Road, between South Unionville Avenue and Helen Avenue

Applications for Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendment to permit an additional automobile dealership

 

                        File Nos. OP 06 132776 and ZA 06 132779

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

SUGGESTED RESOLUTION

 

That the memorandum dated June 24, 2008 from the Commissioner of Development Services regarding applications by 1475398 Ontario Inc. (Town and Country BMW) for Official Plan and zoning by-law amendment to permit an additional  automobile dealership on the east side of Kennedy Road, between South Unionville Avenue and Helen Avenue, be received;

 

And that Development Services Committee direct staff to bring forward Official Plan and zoning by-law amendments to the September 9, 2008 meeting of Council, concurrent with the implementing amendments for Dougson Investments Inc. (Village Nissan), as discussed by Development Services Committee on June 17, 2008.

 

BACKGROUND

 

On June 17, 2008 Development Services Committee recommended approval of the Village Nissan proposal (east of the subject lands), and directed staff to bring forward the adjacent BMW applications to the June 24, 2008 Development Services Committee meeting. 

 

Nissan and BMW originally submitted joint applications in 2006 for Official Plan Amendment and rezoning to permit two additional automobile dealerships in the South Unionville community (one on the BMW site and one on the Village Nissan site).  The applications were subsequently split by the applicants, and a public meeting was held for BMW on June 19, 2007, and for Village Nissan on April 8, 2008.   Neither owner has applied for site plan approval.

 

Maps and figures from the April 3, 2007 preliminary staff report on the BMW proposal are attached to this memo. Also attached, as requested by Development Services Committee, are the conditions of approval of the recently OMB approved minor variance to permit additional surface parking on the BMW site. 

 

COMMENT

 

In light of Development Services Committee’s recommendation to approve the Nissan applications, and direction to bring the BMW proposal forward, staff will raise no further  comment on these applications.  As discussed on June 17, staff will prepare draft Official Plan and zoning by-law amendments for both properties (Nissan and BMW) for consideration by Council on September 9, 2008.

 

The draft documents directed by Development Services Committee will:

  • extend the “Commercial” and “Community Amenity Area” designations across all of the Nissan and BMW sites.
  • incorporate site specific policies into the South Unionville Secondary Plan to permit one automobile dealership on the Nissan lands and one additional automobile dealership on the BMW lands, including associated outside storage.
  • amend the Town’s zoning by-laws accordingly.
  • incorporate specific criteria into the secondary plan and zoning amendments, as appropriate, related to landscaping, screening, residential interface and the proposed north/south road to the east of the Nissan lands.  

 

The previous approvals for the BMW lands reserved a future residential block on the north side of Helen Avenue to protect the residential character of this section of Helen Avenue.  In consideration of Committee’s direction to approve automobile dealership use with outdoor storage on the Nissan lands all the way to Helen Avenue, the BMW Helen Avenue block will be isolated from other residential uses, and will no longer be viable for residential use. In consideration of Committee’s direction, it is presumed that this block will also be permitted for automobile storage and/or surface parking use.  A decorative fence and landscape screening is to be provided along the entire BMW frontage of Helen Avenue as per the conditions of approval of the recent minor variance (attached).

 

Staff will work with the applicants and the other landowners in the area to address the outstanding technical issues, in particular the alignment and arrangements for construction of the north-south local road to the east of the Nissan lands, and the location of a required stormwater management facility.