Report to: Development Services Committee Report Date: November 18, 2008
SUBJECT: PRELIMINARY
REPORT
Fairview
& Lam Investments Limited
Application for Zoning
By-law Amendment to add a Place of Worship to the list of permitted uses.
9441
Markham Road
File Number ZA 08-125551
PREPARED BY: Doris Cheng, Senior Planner – East District, ext. 2331
RECOMMENDATION:
That the report dated November
18, 2008 entitled “Preliminary Report, Fairview & Lam Investments Limited,
Application for Zoning By-law Amendment to add a Place of Worship to the list
of permitted uses at 9441 Markham Road File Number ZA 08-125551” be received;
That Staff be authorized to schedule
a statutory Public Meeting to consider the proposed zoning by-law amendment
application;
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
The purpose of this report is to
provide preliminary information regarding the application for Zoning By-law
Amendment to add a place of worship to the list of permitted uses in the
Highway Commercial (M.HC) zone under By-law 188-84, as amended, for the lands
at 9441 Markham Road (north of 16th Avenue).
The report also seeks
authorization to hold a statutory public meeting with respect to the proposed
Zoning By-law amendment application.
The applications by Fairview
& Lam Investments Limited were received September 5, 2008. The applications were deemed
complete on October 1, 2008.
Property and Area Context
The subject property is
approximately 1.1 hectares (2.6 acres) in area and has a 66.79 metre frontage
and direct access from Markham Road.
Located south of Bur Oak Avenue and north of Edward Jeffreys Avenue, the subject lands contain a single-storey
multi-tenant industrial building which includes a Shoeless Joes restaurant,
Fairview Auto body shop and Markham Outdoor Motors. There is no vegetation on the site except for
a boulevard treatment across the frontage of Markham Road.
The area context is as follows:
- To the north of the subject lands is a building
containing Assinck Limited, a manufacturer of construction machinery,
specifically conveyor belts. Further
north is the Mount Joy GO Train Station and parking lot.
- To the south is a vacant land parcel and beyond this
property is the recently built Markham Subaru automobile dealership.
- To the east are the GO Rail line, Exhibition Creek, Merano
Park and the Mount Joy
Community Centre. Further east is
the Greensborough residential community.
- To the west, across Markham
Road is a woodlot and vacant lands which are
currently under review for a mixed use residential development and a
heritage house relocation project.
Beyond this property is the Wismer residential community.
The Proposal is to add a place of worship
to the list of permitted uses
The proposed
zoning by-law amendment application is to add a place of worship to the list of
permitted uses on the subject property to accommodate religious reading rooms,
which are to be free to the general public, within the existing building. The proposed place of worship will occupy a
maximum of five units within the existing industrial building and will have a
maximum gross floor area of 532.5m²(5,731 ft²). There are no changes proposed
to the existing building, parking layout, driveway entrances or landscaped
area.
The Official Plan
The subject
lands are designated Commercial - Community Amenity Area in the Official Plan,
as amended. This designation provides
opportunities for multi-use, multi-purpose centres offering a range of retail,
service, community, institutional and recreation uses serving the nearby
residential and business areas.
Places of
worships are provided for in the Commercial designation subject to Section 2.17
of the Official Plan. This section
identifies evaluation criteria for proposed locations. This includes (but is not limited to) access
to major roads, traffic impacts, sufficient parking, and accessibility by
vehicles and pedestrians alike.
Applicable Zoning Bylaw
The site is
zoned Highway Commercial (M.HC) under By-law 88-76, as amended. This zone permits various uses including
banks, professional business offices, hotels and motels, automobile service
centres, automobile sales establishments, marine sales establishments,
restaurants, equipment rentals and a banquet centre. A place of worship is currently not permitted
on the lands.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF THE PROPOSAL:
This proposal
would provide an additional location for a place of worship and spiritual
contemplation for residents of the Markham.
CONCERNS / ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED:
The following
is a brief summary of concerns/issues raised to-date. These matters, and any others identified
through the circulation and detailed review of the proposal, will be addressed
in a final staff report, if required, at a later date.
- Ensure that the subject lands satisfy
the parking requirements for the requested place of worship.
ALIGMENT WITH
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:
The proposed
application aligns with the Town’s strategic priority of Growth 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 final report, if required.
CONCLUSIONS:
Staff
recommend that a statutory public meeting be held to consider the proposed
Zoning By-law amendment.
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
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure 1 –
Location Map
Figure 2 – Area
Context and Zoning
Figure 3 – Air
Photo 2007
Figure 4 – Site
Plan
APPLICANT/AGENT: Simon Ng
Simon
Ng Architect
250
Consumers Road Unit 106
North
York, Ontario M2J 4V6
Telephone:
416-250-8488
Fax:
416-250-8148
sng.architect@rogers.com
FILE PATH:
Amanda\File ZA 08 125551\Documents\Preliminary Report
Figure 1: Location Map
