Report to: Development Services Committee Report Date: May 5, 2009

SUBJECT: PRELIMINARY REPORT

Markham Stouffville Hospital

Zoning By-law amendment application for additional Hospital lands

File No: ZA.09-112246

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

RECOMMENDATION:

1. That the report dated May 5, 2009 entitled “PRELIMINARY REPORT, Markham Stouffville Hospital.  Zoning By-law amendment application for additional Hospital lands. File No: ZA.09-112246” be received. 

2. That Staff be authorized to schedule a statutory Public Meeting to consider the proposed Zoning By-law amendments.

3. 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:

The purpose of this report is to provide preliminary information regarding the application by Markham Stouffville Hospital for Zoning By-law amendments for additional lands to facilitate a hospital expansion, and to recommend that a statutory public meeting be held to consider the application.

BACKGROUND:

Zoning amendment and site plan applications submitted in 2008 to permit a 35,000 m² (370,000 ft²) expansion of the Markham Stouffville Hospital, are currently being processed. Since the submission of these applications, the Hospital has acquired additional lands, and this new acquisition as well as certain lands already in the Hospital’s ownership require zoning amendments to facilitate the expansion.

The applications have been deemed complete

The zoning amendment application subject to this report was submitted by Markham Stouffville Hospital on March 25, 2009 and was deemed complete on April 14, 2009.

Property and Area Context

Three separate parcels are subject to the proposed zoning amendments. Two of the parcels, approximately 1.1 ha (2.8 acres) and 0.8 ha (2.0 acres) in size, are part of the Hospital’s original landholdings between Church Street and Riverlands Avenue, and are located on either side of Country Glen Road (Figure 1). The parcel located east of Country Glen Road is currently used as a Hospital parking lot. The parcel on the west side of Country Glen Road is vacant. Surrounding land uses include an ambulance station to the west, Cornell neighbourhoods across Riverlands Avenue to the north, the Woodhaven seniors’ residence to the east, and the main Hospital campus to the south across Church Street.

The third parcel, located to the south of the hospital campus, is a 0.95 ha (2.3 acres) parcel recently acquired through severance from an abutting property fronting Highway 7 (Figure 3). Surrounding uses include the main Hospital campus to the north, vacant lands designated Institutional to the west, and vacant lands designated for residential purposes to the south and east.

The lands are part of the larger Hospital expansion plans

The final site plan for the hospital expansion, which will be brought forward for endorsement at the May 5, 2009 Development Services Committee meeting, includes the subject lands.  The subject lands north of Church Street are proposed to accommodate parking, partly to replace existing parking areas south of Church Street that will be displaced during the construction of the Hospital expansion. The subject lands to the south of the main Hospital campus are intended for future parking.

OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:

Official Plan designation and applicable Zoning By-law

The subject lands are designated ‘Institutional’ in the 2008 Cornell Secondary Plan, which provides for the proposed uses.  

The two parcels north of Church Street are currently zoned Institutional (Special) in By-law 1229. The recently acquired lands to the south are currently zoned Rural Residential 4 (RR4) in By-law 304-87, as amended. All three parcels are proposed to be zoned Institutional in urban expansion area By-law 177-96, with permitted uses and development standards that are appropriate for the lands given its context.

Potential Benefits of the Proposal

The proposed amendment will bring the recently acquired lands and the lands north of Church Street into conformity with the new zone category of the remainder of the Hospital lands, and into conformity with the intent of the Cornell Secondary Plan. 

Concerns/Issues to be resolved:

The proposed zoning amendments accommodate the proposed Hospital expansion.  No concerns or issues have been identified at this time.

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 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:

______________________________ ______________________________

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

Senior Development Manager Commissioner, Development Services

Development Services Commission

ATTACHMENTS:

Figure 1 – Location Map

Figure 2 – Area Context/Zoning

Figure 3 – Air Photo 2007

AGENT: Mr. Jim Kirk

Malone Given Parsons Ltd.

140 Renfrew Drive, Suite 201

Markham ON L3R 6B3

Tel: 905-513-0170 Fax: 905-513-0177

Email: jkirk@mgp.ca

File Path: Amanda\File 09 112246\Documents\Preliminary Report

Figure 1 – Location Map