Report to: Development
Services Committee Report
Date: April 20, 2010
SUBJECT: PRELIMINARY
REPORT
Application for Zoning Amendment
to permit a Place of Worship, with ancillary uses and a reduction in parking File No. ZA 09 126639
PREPARED BY: Richard Kendall, Manager of Development
Central District, extension 6588
RECOMMENDATION:
1)
That the staff report dated
2) That a Public Meeting be scheduled for the application upon satisfactory receipt of the phasing plan and detailed floor area breakdown (for the purpose of parking calculations) as discussed in this report.
3) That staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to
provide preliminary information regarding an application for zoning amendments
to permit a place of worship with ancillary uses and a reduction to the Town’s
parking standards, and to seek authorization to hold a statutory Public
Meeting. This report contains preliminary
general information regarding applicable Official Plan or other policies as
well as other issues, and should not be taken as Staff’s opinion or
recommendation on the applications.
BACKGROUND:
Subject Property and Area Context
The property has an area of 1.2 ha
(3.0 acres) and is located at the northwest corner of
To the north is a recently constructed industrial building, to the east across Rodick Road is a Hydro Corridor, to the immediate west and also to the south, across Highway 7, is a storm pond, Apple Creek and associated valleylands (Figure 3).
Proposal
The applicant is seeking zoning amendments to permit a place of worship and ancillary uses. Ancillary uses identified include a church office, day care facility, community centre (including youth room, banquet hall and gymnasium), and a private residence for the Bishop (when visiting). Relief from the Town’s parking standards is also being sought.
The conceptual site plan (full build out) and building elevations are attached as Figures 4 and 5. The applicant has not applied for site plan approval.
At full build-out the plans show a
building programme along the Highway 7 frontage consisting of the proposed
community centre, gymnasium, and outdoor play area for the daycare centre. The main sanctuary area is oriented towards
the intersection of Highway 7 and
Parking would be provided at grade to the rear of the site, adjacent to the storm pond and valleylands (115 spaces), and within a one-level below grade structure (85 spaces). As discussed later in this report a total of approximately 200 parking spaces are proposed. The applicant has been requested to provide a detailed phasing plan as it relates to construction timing and associated parking.
OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:
Official Plan and
Zoning
The site is designated Commercial – Community Amenity Area
in the Town’s Official Plan and Community Amenity Area – Major Urban Place in
the Markham Centre Secondary Plan (OPA 21).
Within the Secondary Plan, lands designated
The site is zoned Select Industrial and Limited Commercial M.C.
150% under By-law 165-80. Permitted uses
within this zone include, among others, warehousing, manufacturing, data
processing, research laboratories, banks and financial institutions, and professional
and business offices. A place of worship
is not currently permitted as-of-right.
In 1987, By-law 317-87 was enacted to increase the density permission on
this site from 60% to 150% with a corresponding increase to the height adjacent
to
A zoning by-law amendment is required to permit the place of worship within the Select Industrial and Limited Commercial zone. Relief from the Town’s parking standards is also being requested. According to the Site Parking Demand and Parking Supply Assessment undertaken by the applicant’s traffic consultant (Poulos and Cheung), the site (at full build-out) is required to provide 428 parking spaces relative to Town standards, whereas the applicant is proposing 202 spaces.
The proposed parking supply of 202 spaces relies on the
consultant’s breakdown of specific uses with associated demand based on a
combination of floor area and worship area capacity capacity measures. The Site Parking Demand and Parking Supply
Assessment supports full build-out based on the 202 spaces identified on the
site plan. However, based on preliminary
floor areas provided, the poten
Poten
The proposed development would introduce another community supportive element to Markham Centre, in the form of a place of worship.
Issues to be
addressed
Town Economic Development staff advise the property is a prime location for corporate offices in Markham Centre, which will benefit from its exposure to Hwy 7 and the neighbouring prestige business park usage. They note the site is particularly well located for transit access, and is located adjacent to VIVA’s future dedicated rapid transit corridor within Highway 7.
The estimated employment population for this site (which
forms the western gateway to Markham Centre), based on existing zoning
permissions, would range between 500 and 700 persons. The proposed F.S.I. for the place of worship
would be approximately 0.48, significantly less than 1.5 F.S.I. contemplated
under the employment permissions for this site.
As noted previously, the applicant’s traffic consultant has identified a parking shortfall of approximately 226 parking spaces or more than 50% of the total assumed requirement. Staff have requested more detailed information regarding the proposed floor areas of the individual programming components of the proposed place of worship to confirm the magnitude of the actual parking relief required. This information is required prior to the scheduling of a Public Meeting. The Site Parking Demand and Parking Supply Assessment requires peer review analysis.
The applicant has provided a plan demonstrating full build-out of this site with a limited amount of underground parking. Staff understand that this will be a phased development and have requested details of the phasing programme. Although a detailed phasing plan has not yet been provided, it is anticipated that a significant amount of surface parking will be required to support the interim phasing of this project, and even at full build-out the majority of the parking is proposed to be located at-grade.
The site is located adjacent to Apple Creek and associated
valleylands. The Markham Centre Greenlands
Plan contemplates an enhanced, green interface with the valley along the Highway
7 frontage adjacent to the site, and a poten
Most new projects in Markham Centre are connected to Markham
District Energy. The applicant should
explore poten
The application has been circulated to Town departments and public agencies, including York Region Transportation and Works, for review. Issues including traffic, parking, access, employment lands, phasing, greenlands implementation, sustainable development practices, and design and built form will be addressed in future staff report(s) on the application.
FINANCIAL
CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE: (external link)
Not applicable at this time.
HUMAN RESOURCES CONSIDERATIONS
Not applicable at this time.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:
The proposed development must
be considered in the context of the Town’s “Building Markham’s Future Together”
strategic ini
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The applications have been circulated to Town departments and public agencies for comment, which will be addressed in detail in the recommendation report.
RECOMMENDED BY:
______________________________ ________________________
Biju Karumanchery, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. James Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Senior Development Manager Commissioner of
Development Services
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure 1 - Property Location Map
Figure 2 - Air Photo
Figure 3 – Area Context/Zoning
Figure 4 - Site Plan
Figure 5 - Conceptual Building
Elevations
Agent: Ben Quan
QX4 Investments Limited
L3R 4H3
(416) 564-0351