Report to:  Development Services Committee                         Report Date:  February 17, 2009

 

 

SUBJECT:                 INTERIM STATUS REPORT

Gemcross Developments

(ConStrada Aggregate Recycling Facility)

350 Yorktech Drive

Application for zoning by-law amendment to permit the existing aggregate recycling facility for an additional three years

                                    ZA-08-119862

 

PREPARED BY:        Scott Heaslip, Senior Project Coordinator, ext. 3140

                                    Central District

________________________________________________________________________

 

RECOMMENDATION:

 

That the staff report dated February 17, 2009 entitled “INTERIM STATUS REPORT; Gemcross Developments (Constrada Aggregate Recycling Facility); 350 Rodick Road; Application  for zoning by-law amendment to permit the existing aggregate recycling facility for an additional three years,” be received.

 

PURPOSE:

 

The purpose of this report is to update Committee on the status of the investigation of the issues raised by Committee at the November 18, 2008 Public Meeting to consider the requested zoning by-law amendment.  

 

BACKGROUND:

 

Gemross Developments (Constrada) operates an aggregate recycling facility on the east side of Rodick Road, south of Highway 7.  

 

This facility was approved by the Town in 2002 as a temporary use, not to exceed 6 years.  This temporary approval lapsed and the applicant applied for zoning by-law amendment, requesting that the use be permitted for an additional three years.  

At the  November 18, 2008 Public Meeting to consider the requested extension to the temporary use by-law, Committee raised a number of issues and concerns that need to be addressed in the final staff report, including:

·        Status of contamination on the subject property

·        Amount of truck traffic eliminated as a result of having the facility in Markham

·        Assurance that the property will eventually be cleaned of contaminated soils (economics of environmental remediation)

·        Percentage of materials produced from the facility (both concrete and asphalt) that is used for construction within Markham

·        Truck circulation patterns

·        Procedural guarantee that an application for permanent use will not be filed in future

·        Status of the on-site sediment control facility

 

Committee referred the application back to staff for a report and recommendation, and  directed staff to report back by February, 2009 with an interim status update. 

 

COMMENT:

 

Staff requested the applicant to respond to the issues raised by Committee at the Public Meeting.

 

On January 16, 2009, the applicant’s planning consultant submitted a letter (Appendix ‘A’) with an attached report from an environmental engineer (Appendix ‘B’) outlining the status of their investigation of the issues, as follows: 

 

Site contamination: The environmental engineer’s report advises that approximately 150,000 tones of contaminated soil would need to be removed from the site to remediate the contamination, at an estimated cost of $12,750,000.

 

Truck traffic and destination of product:  The applicant has retained Poulos and Chung Limited (transportation engineers).  Poulos and Chung “are preparing this documentation and expect to have it available at the end of February.”

 

Procedural guarantees:  The letter advises that “we are unable to provide such a guarantee, although it is not our client’s intention to file such an application at this time.”

 

Status of sedimentation control:  The letter advises that the sediment control facility can be installed as soon as the weather permits.

 

Staff will address these items in detail in the final recommendation report on the subject application, which is anticipated to be presented to Committee in April.    

 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE: (external link)

 

Not Applicable.

HUMAN RESOURCES CONSIDERATIONS:

 

Not Applicable

 

ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

 

Not applicable.

 

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

 

The applicant’s submissions will be reviewed by the Town’s Planning and Engineering Departments.

 

 

RECOMMENDED BY:

 

 

 

________________________                        ________________________

Biju Karumanchery, M.C.I.P, R.P.P                 Jim Baird, M.C.I.P, R.P.P

Senior Development Manager               Commissioner, Development Services

 

 

ATTACHMENTS:

 

Figure 1            Location Map

 

Appendix ‘A’   letter dated January 16, 2009 from Macauley Shiomi Howson Limited.

Appendix ‘B’   letter dated December 23, 2008 from Barenco Environmental 

                         Engineering and Site Remediation Services   

 

 

APPLICANT/AGENT:      Tony Cupani

                                          Operations Manager

                                          Strada Aggregates Inc.

                                          Concord, Ontario

                                          L4K 4R1

                                          Tel:  905-660-6000

                                          Fax:  905-660-5242

                                          Email:    tcupani@constrada.com   

 

Q:\Development\Planning\APPL\Zoning\ZONING\08 119862 Con Strada\supplementary  report