Report to: Development Services Committee Report Date: February 16, 2010

SUBJECT: Recommendation Report

Morris Kansun (Markham Village Shoppes Limited) Site Plan Control Application for 58-72 Main Street North

Markham Village Heritage Conservation District

SC 09 111099

PREPARED BY: Peter Wokral, ext 7955

RECOMMENDATION:

1) That the Development Services Commission Report entitled “Recommendation Report, Morris Kansun (Markham Village Shoppes Limited) Site Plan Control Application for 58-72 Main Street North, Markham Village Heritage Conservation District” dated February 16, 2010 be received;

2) That Council has no objection to the demolition of the existing non-heritage building located at 58-72 Main Street North;

3) That the Site Plan Application (SC 09 111099) submitted by Morris Kansun (Markham Village Shoppes Limited) to construct a new 12, 246 m² 6 storey, 142 residential condominium and 1,221 m2 of retail space fronting Markham Main Street North, be endorsed in principal, subject to the conditions attached as Appendix ‘C’;

4) That site plan approval be delegated to the Director of Planning and Urban Design, to be issued only when the Director or her designate has signed the site plan;

5) That the development be allocated 142 units (322.3 people) of servicing allocation from the 152 units (345 people) that was originally assigned to this project and that 7 units (15.9 people) be returned to the Town’s Servicing Allocation Reserve;

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

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The owner of 58-72 Main St. North proposes to demolish the existing development known as the “Markham Village Shoppes” and replace it with a new building comprised of 142 residential condominium units and 10 retail units that front Main Street. The proposed development requires only Site Plan approval as the proposed uses comply with the Official Plan and Zoning By-law. The building has been designed to complement the heritage character and urban context of Main Street, as well as achieve Town goals of intensification along major transit routes, accessibility, good urban design and environmental sustainability.

The project was introduced to the Development Services Committee by the applicant and Heritage Staff on June 23, 2009 as a Part A presentation, and to the public and neighbouring property owners at a Public Information session hosted by the Wards 4 and 5 Councillors on September 14, 2009. Generally, the proposed redevelopment has been well received as it is an attractive design, and much more compatible with the historic character of downtown than the existing development. However, neighbouring property owners have expressed concerns regarding the potential impact that this project might have on downtown traffic flow over the long term, and while the building is being constructed. The Engineering Department has reviewed the traffic impact study and does not foresee any long term negative effects resulting from the traffic generated by this development. The Town’s Engineering Department has also requested the applicant to produce a Parking Utilization Study and a Traffic Management Plan, prior to site plan approval to provide information and recommendations on how certain potential negative impacts might be eliminated or mitigated.

In order to construct the proposed development, the owner required six variances to the zoning By-law related to development standards and parking requirements. The Committee of Adjustment approved the requested variances, with conditions, and there were no appeals of the Committee’s decision. One of the conditions of the Committee’s approval was for the applicant to illustrate an alternate access route to the site and the neighbouring property to the west from Dublin St., to be used when the private road on the southern boundary is blocked off during annual street festivals. The latest site plan from the applicant now shows this access route, and the applicant will have to establish an easement over this route permitting the tenants of the neighbouring apartment building to access their property by vehicle.

The proposed redevelopment of the property is to achieve a minimum LEED silver certification through measures such as the green roof and the architectural treatment of the facades is inherently bird friendly as there is a high proportion of masonry to glass, and the windows have smaller, traditional, pane divisions that are not easily confused as open sky by birds.

Servicing for the proposed building has been secured, and the re-development proposal is supported by Staff and Heritage Markham (See Appendix A). Approval of the site plan application is recommended, subject to the required studies, final plans and other conditions as outlined in Appendix ‘C’..

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

5. Others (HR, Strategic, Affected Units) 6. Attachment(s)

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to seek Council’s approval for the demolition of the existing one storey building located at 58-72 Main St. N., and to recommend site plan approval to re-develop the subject property with a 6 storey 142 unit condominium building combined with 10 retail units on the ground floor fronting Main St.

BACKGROUND:

Property

The subject property is addressed as 58-72 Main St. North and is located on the west side of Main Street North between Dublin St. to the north, and Highway 7 to the south. The property is approximately 0.58 ha (1.4 acres), and is occupied by a one storey retail mall constructed in the 1980’s, known as the “Markham Village Shoppes”. The property is also located within the Markham Village Heritage Conservation District and is designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act.

There are 10 storey and 4 storey apartment buildings located on properties behind the subject lands and there are 2 storey, 19^th century commercial buildings on the properties immediately to the north and south. Directly across the street there are 1 ½ and 2 storey heritage and non-heritage commercial buildings. Vehicular access to the site is provided by a private road that runs along the southern boundary of the property, and by a private road to the north that connects to Dublin St. (See Figure 1 & 3). The owner has an easement to park and drive vehicles on these private roads.

A mixed use development comprised of 142 condominium apartment units and ground floor retail is proposed

The applicant proposes to demolish the existing development and replace it with a U-shaped building arranged around a south facing landscaped courtyard/piazza. The eastern portion of the building that fronts Main St. is to be 4 storeys in height comprised of 10 ground floor retail units with 3 storeys of residential condominium units above. The fourth storey is to be recessed back 15 ft from the face of the building. The north and west portions of the building are to be 6 stories in height, made up entirely of residential condominium units. (See Figures 4-8)

Parking for residents is to be provided by two levels of underground parking containing 202 parking spaces. There are an additional 22 parking spaces provided above ground for patrons of the retail stores. The 22 above ground parking spaces are located on abutting properties over which the applicant has easements that permit parking and vehicular access to the site. Patrons of the retail stores and visitors can also utilize on-street parking, and public parking lots located nearby.

A Public Information Meeting was held on September 14, 2009

Following a (Part A) presentation by staff and the applicant to the Development Services Committee on June 23^rd 2009, the Wards 4 and 5 Councillors held a public information session at the Markham Public Library on September 14^th 2009 to inform and solicit comments from residents and neighbouring property owners regarding the proposed development. The public information session was held because their was no requirement under the Ontario Planning Act to hold a statutory Public Meeting since the proposed re-development is permitted by the Town of Markham’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law. Generally, the proposal was well received by the public, but the primary concern of those in attendance was the anticipated disruption to Main Street traffic and business that the construction and construction traffic related to this development will cause. Residents were also concerned about increased traffic congestion once the development is complete and how the proposed development will fit into the existing streetscape.

Variances were obtained to address zoning by-law requirements

The applicant applied to the Committee of Adjustment for a number of variances to address setback issues, lot coverage, building height and parking. There were no objections to the requested variances and they were approved subject to conditions on November 18, 2009.

The variances for setbacks and lot coverage were supported by staff as they were consistent with the historical development and urban context of Markham Village. The building height variance was supported because the massing of the building and site lines of pedestrians were carefully addressed to minimize the impact of the proposed development on the existing streetscape. (See Figures 10 & 11). The six storey component of the development is set well back from Main Street and relates to the heights of adjacent 10 and 4 storey apartment buildings. The fourth storey of the Main Street wing of the building is recessed 15 feet from the front of the building, making the building appear as a 3 storey structure at the streetline. Although the Markham Village Heritage Conservation District Plan recommends a building height of 2-2 ½ stories for new infill buildings, it is acknowledged that there are some 3 storey commercial heritage buildings on Main Street and that the historical streetscape appearance will be enhanced and maintained. A condition of the variance approval was the submission of a Shadow Study showing the impact of the proposed development’s shadows on neighbouring properties. This study has been reviewed by the Town Architect and he is satisfied that there will be no significant impacts on neighbouring properties as a result of the shadows cast by the proposed development.

The parking variance obtained permits 198 parking spaces whereas the By-law required 272 parking spaces. There are 202 parking spaces provided underground, and another 22 parking spaces provided above ground on adjacent properties that the applicant has easements on, which allow vehicle parking. These 22 above ground parking spaces are not counted as they are not on the subject property. It is assumed that the underground parking spaces will primarily service the residents and their visitors, with some parking for the commercial shop owners. Shoppers will likely use the surface spaces as well as on-street parking and public parking in the area. The applicant has also dedicated 4 of the 202 parking spaces provided underground to autoshare vehicles.

Autoshare vehicles are vehicles that are provided by a third party for the condominium owners to rent as needed, so they can forgo personal vehicle ownership. A consultant report, recently prepared for the City of Toronto recommends that in general, one autoshare parking space can reasonably replace four parking spaces required by the zoning by-law.

A condition of the Committee of Adjustment approval was the provision of a parking utilization study to address the discrepancy in the amount of parking spaces provided, taking into account access to public transit, on-street parking, and public parking lots. The study prepared by URS Canada Inc. concluded that there is a sufficient number of onsite parking spaces provided for the retail customers of the proposed development and that the deficiency in the number of residential parking spaces is justified given the unique Main Street condition and urban characteristics of the subject property.

OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:

The proposed uses are supported by the Official Plan and do not require re-zoning

The subject property is designated as “Commercial Main Street” in the Official Plan. The subject property is zoned C2, Central Commercial which permits a range of commercial uses as well as apartment house dwellings and dwellings located above business premises. (See Figure 2) The intent of the Official Plan is to promote traditional, pedestrian oriented, retail uses located at grade with residential uses located on upper floors.

The existing building is not complementary to the Heritage District and demolition is supported

Although located in the commercial heart of the Markham Village Heritage Conservation District, the existing building’s architecture, form and massing are not considered to be complementary to the heritage character of the district, and the existing development has struggled to remain financially viable. The Markham Village Heritage Conservation Plan classifies the existing building as a Group C building, or a building that does not relate to the heritage character of the district. (See Figure 9) Heritage Section Staff and Heritage Markham have no objection to its demolition.

The proposed development has been designed to be complementary to the heritage character and urban context of the historical downtown core

Heritage Section Staff and Heritage Markham have worked closely with the project architects to ensure that the Main Street portion of the development fits into the existing streetscape in terms of its form, massing, materials, and employment of traditional architectural details. The Main Street portion is to be constructed of brick that is complementary to the size, colour, and texture of the historic brick used in Markham Village. Decorative brickwork, and slender, well proportioned, curved, arched, window forms echo the 19^th century Italianate architectural style of the more substantial historic commercial buildings of Main Street. The ground floor retail units are composed of traditional storefront details such as recessed entrances, low knee walls and large, plate glass, display windows that are topped with a classical entablature reserved for appropriate heritage signage. Unlike the current development which uses a raised podium to access the storefronts, the proposed retail units will follow the sloping grade of Main Street providing improved pedestrian accessibility from the street, and a gradual increase in ceiling heights of the retail units from north to south. The informal heritage character of Markham Village that has evolved over time is reinforced by creating distinct smaller architectural blocks through related architectural treatments with varied setbacks.

The six storey portions of the development take their inspiration from the historical industrial uses of the lands formerly located in behind Main Street, by employing a stripped down industrial aesthetic that is characterized by the use of exposed steel, subtle brick masonry detailing, and slightly larger expanses of multi-paned windows. The materials of this portion will be selected to complement the architecture of the Main Street portion of the building as well as the heritage character of downtown. (See Figures 12 & 13). Final details of materials and colours will be approved by Staff as a condition of Site Plan Approval. The proposed development also respects the established setbacks of neighbouring, historic, commercial, buildings and provides a physical transition between the predominantly two storey buildings of Main Street, and the four and ten storey apartment buildings on the properties to the west. Urban design features such as the landscaped, internal, south facing, piazza and pedestrian walkway connecting it to Main St. enhance and encourage pedestrian activity on the site and downtown.

The proposed development is intended to achieve LEED silver certification

The development is to achieve a minimum LEED silver certification through design features such as the green roof and through the provision of autoshare vehicles and reduced parking standards. The architects are working with a LEED consultant to ensure a minimum LEED silver certification through potential measures such as geothermal heating, greywater recirculation, rain water capture and reuse, increased insulation, heat recovery ventilation, construction waste management, white roofs and drought tolerant plantings. Servicing allocation is contingent upon obtaining LEED silver certification. In addition to helping the development achieve LEED silver certification, the green roof and landscaped piazza will provide a valuable amenity areas for the building’s residents and introduce green to a property that has long been devoid of any significant green space. (See Figure 14)

Potential bird collisions with the proposed development should be minimized

The architectural treatment of facades of the proposed development, decrease the potential for fatal collisions with birds because there is a high proportion of masonry in relation to windows and because the smaller traditional pane divisions of the windows eliminate large expanses of glass that can appear as sky to birds.

The proposed development will increase the vitality of Main Street and help the Town achieve its goals of intensification

The proposed development will increase the vitality of Markham Main Street by adding 142 additional condominium unit owners to the downtown as well as 10 attractive new retail stores. These new residents and their visitors would add to the support of the existing merchants and service providers and encourage new investment in downtown. The proposed development will also help the Town achieve goals of intensification along major transit routes, as the subject property is well serviced by public transit both on Main St. and nearby Highway 7.

Local residents and businesses are concerned about the development’s potential impact on Main Street traffic

As noted above, at the public information session held on September 14^th 2009, a concern expressed by neighbouring property owners and local residents was the potential negative impacts the redevelopment of the property may have on traffic both during construction and when the development is complete. There is a concern that the large trucks required for the delivery of construction materials to the site will interrupt traffic flow on Main Street, especially since most of the site will have to be excavated and there will be little or no land available for the onsite storage of construction materials. Neighbours of the proposed development and daily users of Main Street are also concerned that the introduction of 142 new residential units and their associated personal vehicles will only increase the traffic on Main Street which they feel is already too congested.

The developer acknowledges that the demolition of the existing building and the construction of the new development will have some negative impacts on local traffic and business, and estimates that the development can be completed in 18-20 months after a demolition period of about 2 months. The developer is confident that he can address and overcome any obstacles that present themselves as he has experience in redeveloping more restrictive urban properties in downtown Toronto. The applicant proposes to use Dublin St. for the purposes of deliveries of construction materials. As to the vehicular impact of new traffic from the completed development, the applicant has provided a traffic impact study to the Town’s Engineering Department. The Engineering Department has reviewed the traffic impact study and does not foresee any long term negative effects resulting from the vehicles of the development’s residents as their personal vehicle trips are typically evenly distributed over all hours of the day. To address the concerns of neighbouring property owners regarding traffic and business interruptions when the development is being constructed, the Engineering Department has also requested a Traffic Management Plan. The Traffic Management Plan will describe how local traffic will be dealt with during the different phases of the construction, and detail where workers will park, where traffic signs will be posted, truck routes, access for the delivery of materials and where materials will be stored, etc. This Plan will have to be prepared to the satisfaction of the Engineering Department prior to Site Plan Approval.

BIA and local residents request alternative access route through the site

One of the issues raised by members of the community is how local residents will be able to obtain access to the neighbouring, residential apartment buildings when Main Street is closed for festivals. At present, secondary access to the 4 storey apartment building at 56 Main Street North is provided through Dublin Street and the existing parking lot at the rear of 58-72 Main Street. As part of the Committee of Adjustment approval, the applicant was required to revise the Site Plan to illustrate an alternative access route through the subject property to allow residents to travel from Dublin Street to the apartment building at 56 Main Street North and the entrance to the underground parking garage of the proposed development when Main Street is closed. The Site Plan has been revised to illustrate this alternate route and the applicant will be required, as a condition of site plan approval, to grant access and easements to the abutting property to the west for this purpose.

Servicing allocation is available for this project

This project originally consisted of 152 units. Applying the Region’s LEED Benefit program (ie. 35% water/sewer reduction =53 bonus units), required a servicing allocation of 99 units. The project has been revised and now only consists of 142 units. Therefore, the project should be allocated 92 units (208.8 people) of servicing allocation with 50 units (113.5 people) to be gained through LEED Benefit for a total of 142 units (322.3 people). This will result in 7 units (15.9 people) being returned to the Town’s Servicing Allocation Reserve.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE: (external link)

“Not applicable”

HUMAN RESOURCES CONSIDERATIONS

“Not applicable”

ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

The proposed development aligns itself with four of the Town’s six areas of strategic focus. The proposed development addresses Growth Management and Transportation/Transit by providing intensification to an area that is well serviced by Public Transit. The proposed development strives to achieve this goal in one of the Town’s heritage conservation districts without compromising the historical character of the downtown core.

The proposed development aligns itself with the Town’s Environmental goals by achieving LEED silver certification through features such as the planned green roof.

The proposed development addresses the Town’s Accessibility goals by creating 10 completely accessible retail units that are at street level which is an improvement to the existing building which has a podium that is only accessible at the north end.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

The application was circulated to internal departments and to Heritage Markham for comment.

RECOMMENDED BY:

Biju Karumanchery, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Senior Development Manager

Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Commissioner of Development Services

ATTACHMENTS:

Appendix ‘A’ June 10, 2009 Heritage Markham Extract

Appendix ‘B’ Consultant Recommendation for City of Toronto regarding Auto Sharing parking spaces

Appendix ‘C’ Conditions of Site Plan Endorsement

Figure 1 Location Map

Figure 2 Area Context/Zoning

Figure 3 Air Photo

Figure 4 Site Plan

Figure 5 East Elevation

Figure 6 South Elevation

Figure 7 West Elevation

Figure 8 North Elevation

Figure 9 Photo of Existing Building

Figure 10 Street Section Sight Line Study

Figure 11 Street Elevation

Figure 12 Street Perspective looking North

Figure 13 Street Perspective looking South

Figure 14 Plan of Green Roof

Owner/Applicant: Morris Kansun

Markham Village Shoppes Limited

8965 Woodbine Avenue

Markham Ontario L3R 0J9

(905) 947-1116

morris@sierra.ca

File path: Amanda\File 09 111099\Documents\Recommendation Report