RECOMMENDATION:
1) Highway 48 Wismer Commons
Design Guidelines
That the staff report titled Highway 48 Wismer
Commons Design Guidelines dated July 7, 2003, be received;
That the Highway 48 Wismer Commons Design
Guidelines (Appendix A) prepared by The MBTW Group dated May 2003, be received
and endorsed, as amended through staff comments contained in the staff report
dated July 7, 2003;
That the urban design guidelines outlined in
the Highway 48 Wismer Commons Design Guidelines prepared by The MBTW Group
dated May 2003 be used in the evaluation of development applications for
commercial development along the west side of Highway 48 within the Wismer
Commons Secondary Plan area;
That staff be directed to prepare a
Secondary Plan amendment to implement the Highway 48 Wismer Commons Design
Guidelines, and that a Public Meeting be held to consider the Secondary Plan
amendment.
2) 1065764 Ontario Limited (Major Mark
Centre) (ZA 01 106874)
That the Record of Public
Meeting held on September 24, 2002 regarding the zoning by-law for 9900 Highway
48, File ZA 01 106874, submitted by 1065764
Ontario Limited to permit shopping centre uses, be
received;
That the Zoning By-law application (ZA 01
106874) submitted by 1065764 Ontario Limited (Major Mark Centre), to permit
shopping centre uses, be approved and the draft Zoning By-law amendment
attached as Appendix “C” to the staff report dated July 7, 2003, be finalized
and enacted.
3) Wismer Markham Developments Inc. (ZA 02
113879)
That the Record of Public
Meeting held on December 3, 2002 regarding the zoning by-law for 9792 Highway
48, File ZA 02 113757, submitted by Wismer
Markham Developments Inc. to permit shopping centre uses,
be received;
That the Zoning By-law application (ZA 02
113879) submitted by Wismer Markham Developments Inc., to permit shopping
centre uses, be approved and the draft Zoning By-law amendment attached as
Appendix “C” to the staff report dated July 7, 2003, be finalized and enacted.
4) Wismer Markham Developments Inc. (OP 01
116736 & ZA 01 116747)
That the Record of Public
Meeting held on March 19, 2002 regarding the Official Plan and zoning by-law
amendments for 9792 Highway 48, Files OP 01 116736 and ZA 01 116747, submitted
by Wismer Markham Developments Inc. to
permit shopping centre uses, be received;
That the application to amend the
Official Plan (revised 1987) to permit shopping centre uses, be approved and
the draft amendment attached as Appendix ‘B’ to the staff report dated July 7,
2003, be adopted;
That the Zoning By-law application (ZA 01
116747) submitted by Wismer Markham Developments Inc., to permit shopping
centre uses, be approved and the draft Zoning By-law amendment attached as
Appendix “C” to the staff report dated July 7, 2003, be finalized and enacted.
5) Wynberry Developments Inc. (ZA 01
119040)
That the Record of Public
Meeting held on May 7, 2002 regarding the zoning by-law for 9462 Highway 48,
File ZA 01 119040, submitted by Wynberry
Developments Inc. to permit shopping centre uses, be
received;
That the Zoning By-law application (ZA 01
119040) submitted by Wynberry Developments Inc., to permit shopping centre
uses, be approved and the draft Zoning By-law amendment attached as Appendix
“C” to the staff report dated July 7, 2003, be finalized and enacted.
PURPOSE/EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The purpose of this report is to: 1) endorse
the Highway 48 Design Guidelines for lands on the west side of Highway 48
within the Wismer Commons Secondary Plan area and to provide a recommendation
for the implementation of the guidelines, and, 2) provide an evaluation of the
Official Plan and zoning by-law amendment applications submitted by Wismer
Markham Developments Inc., as well as for the zoning by-law amendment
applications submitted by 1065764 Ontario Limited (Major Mark Centre), Wismer
Markham Developments Inc., and Wynberry Developments Inc., to permit commercial
shopping centre uses on lands on the west side of Highway 48.
A number of applications have been received to
permit shopping centres uses on the west side of Highway 48 within the Wismer
Commons Community. The Design Plan for the Wismer Commons Community requires
the submission of Urban Design Guidelines prior to proceeding with site plan
approval of any Major Commercial development within the Wismer Commons
Community. The MBTW Group have prepared
design guidelines establishing criteria for site planning, built form,
streetscape, signage and the process for reviewing and approving site plan
applications for commercial development. Staff recommend that the Guidelines be
endorsed and that the Secondary Plan be amended by appending the Guidelines.
The lands subject of the applications are
designated Major Commercial and Community Amenity Arterial Area by the Wismer
Commons Secondary Plan. The lands located between Bur Oak Avenue and Castlemore
Avenue are designated Community Amenity Arterial Area and are also the subject
of an application submitted by Wismer Markham Developments Inc. to redesignate
the lands to Major Commercial. The applicant also owns lands on the south side
of Bur Oak Avenue designated Major Commercial and has indicated that the lands
on the south side of Bur Oak Avenue are not large enough to accommodate big box
retail development which typically has a gross floor area greater than 6,000
square meters. Staff recommends the approval of a proposed zoning by-law (see
Appendix F) that requires the development of residential uses on the south side
of Bur Oak Avenue.
DISCUSSION:
HIGHWAY 48 WISMER COMMONS
DESIGN GUIDELINES
Background
The Wismer Commons Secondary Plan
designates the lands along the west side of Highway 48 between the Markham
Museum and Major Mackenzie Drive as Major Commercial and Community Amenity
Arterial Area. Official Plan and zoning by-law amendment applications have been
submitted by Wismer Markham Developments Inc. to redesignate the one area
designated Community Amenity Arterial Area to Major Commercial. A number of
rezoning applications for commercial development have been submitted for the
lands designated Major Commercial making the study area a prime location for
commercial development in the near future. Design guidelines are required to
ensure that consistent streetscape and landscape treatments are considered when
reviewing future site plan applications.
The Wismer Commons Community Design Plan
requires the submission of Urban Design Guidelines prior to proceeding with
site plan approval of any Major Commercial development within the Wismer
Commons Community. The MBTW Group were retained by the major landowners in the
study area to prepare design guidelines. Town staff sent out a notice dated
April 26, 2002, to landowners/tenants of properties on the east and west sides
of Highway 48 announcing the initiation of the design study and requesting
comments and input. No written comments were received. The MBTW Group submitted
final design guidelines in May 2003 (see Appendix A). These guidelines
establish criteria for site planning, built form, streetscape, signage and the
process for reviewing and approving site plan applications for commercial
development.
The Study Area
The Highway 48 Wismer Commons study area
comprises the lands on the west side of Highway 48 between the Markham Museum
and Major Mackenzie Drive East as shown in Figure 1. The study area is within
the Wismer Commons Planning District that is a developing low-density
residential community.
The lands within the study area are
predominantly vacant (see Figure 2) however a considerable amount of
development is anticipated in the near future through a number of current development
proposals that are also the subject of this report. Existing land uses include
an unoccupied single detached dwelling designated as a heritage building on the
property, subject of an application submitted by 1065764 Ontario Limited (Major
Mark Centre), an automobile service station/restaurant and a detached dwelling.
Lands to the north of the study area
across Major Mackenzie Drive are vacant and outside of the Urban Area. To the
east across Highway 48 are vacant lands, industrial uses and a GO station.
Adjacent to and south of the boundary of the study area is the Markham Museum.
To the west of the study area is the developing Wismer Commons residential
community.
The study area includes the intersection
of three collector roads with Highway 48, Castlemore Avenue, Bur Oak Avenue and
Edward Jeffreys Avenue.
Design Objectives for Highway 48
The design vision for the study area
consists of two main objectives:
1) A streetscape addressing
Major Commercial shopping uses along the west side of Highway 48 between the
Markham Museum and Major Mackenzie Drive East; and
2) A streetscape addressing local neighbourhood
shopping uses along Bur Oak Avenue.
Staff
recommend that the following third component be incorporated into the
Guidelines:
3) A
design concept for high density residential uses at Bur Oak Avenue and Highway
48.
The three
components are summarized below.
Highway 48 Major Commercial
Streetscape Objectives and Principles
The
streetscape goals and objectives for Major Commercial development along Highway
48 are an attempt to achieve a balance between the higher order transportation
function of Highway 48 and the need for a pedestrian scale environment within
the corridor and a pedestrian connection with the GO Station. Built form along
Highway 48 should aim to strengthen the building street wall, with buildings
set close to the street to provide visual interest and a diversity of uses
along the street. Within the commercial development the guidelines seek to
create coherency and continuity among the buildings, streetscapes and
landscapes within a property. At the same time, a variety of individual
building and site expressions are encouraged to avoid a ‘single-style’, dull
and monotonous appearance to the whole of the commercial development. Building
groupings shall have a continuity of materials, colours, and details, but
contain a variety within that expression. Issues addressed by the Guidelines
are outlined in Appendix B.
Bur Oak Avenue Streetscape
Objectives and Principles
The
streetscape objectives for neighbourhood shopping and mix uses along Bur Oak
Avenue, present a more urban environment than elsewhere in the study area to
reflect the higher intensity uses envisioned. In addition, the intersection of
Bur Oak Avenue with Highway 48 should be designed to mark the ‘gateway’ into
the Wismer Commons Community. The goal along Bur Oak is to create a highly
animated street and a ‘front door’ appearance using articulation and details with
storefronts and display.
Buildings are to be located close to the
street, be more tightly spaced, and have greater frontage along the street, to
reinforce Bur Oak Avenue’s role as a ‘main street’ in the Wismer Commons
community. Small-scale outdoor displays are encouraged for local shopping and
merchandising uses to enhance street interest and activity. Guidelines proposed
to address these issues include:
·
75% building frontage;
·
Build-to lines of 3 metres;
·
No drive through facilities;
·
No loading;
·
Encouraging both temporary and
permanent canopy/shelter devices such as awnings, umbrellas or trellises to
shelter shoppers while outdoors; and,
·
Displays to be consistent in character
with the architectural expression of the store, its architecture and its
merchandise.
A pedestrian oriented environment is to
be created along Bur Oak Avenue by locating buildings close to the street,
articulating the buildings with windows, doors and other detailing to create a
main street image.
Bur Oak Avenue and Highway
48 High Density Residential Objectives and Principles
The lands in the vicinity of Bur Oak
Avenue and Highway 48 present a unique opportunity for the development of high
density residential uses in the Wismer Commons Community. The high-density
residential uses would be located at the edge of the community creating minimal
impact on the lower density residential uses internal to the community and
having a built form more compatible with commercial uses. Also, the higher
density residential uses would be serviced by and support the wider range of
commercial services provided by the Major Commercial development along Highway
48 as well as the local neighbourhood commercial development along Bur Oak
Avenue. In addition, the high-density residential development would be within
walking distance of the GO Station located southeast of Highway 48 and Bur Oak
Avenue.
The high-density residential development
would be sited to address both the north and south sides of Bur Oak Avenue and
provide an interesting pedestrian streetscape. These buildings would be
designed to accommodate housing as well as small businesses and retail located
at grade. These grade related uses such as restaurants, personal services, and
professional offices would serve the local neighbourhood. Staff recommend that
the proposed guidelines be amended to require the following:
·
Residential development consisting of
4-6 storey mid-rise buildings at the westerly limit of the study area adjacent
to the low density residential community, to limit any potential adverse
impacts;
·
Taller buildings (8-10 storeys) would
be permitted mid block and at Highway 48;
·
Graduation of building heights should
be considered, with the tallest buildings placed to minimize shadowing on other
buildings; and
·
Pedestrian scale to high-rise
buildings be achieved by including a consistent base of two to three storeys,
occupied whenever possible by grade-access residential units, and by required
setbacks in the building mass after the second or third storey.
Recommended
Implementation Strategy
The implementation strategy for the
proposed Highway 48 Wismer Commons Design Guidelines consists of the following
components:
- Adoption of zoning by-law amendments for current development
applications;
- Preparation of Secondary Plan amendment and public meeting (to
append the Guidelines to the Secondary Plan); and
- Collaboration with the Region of York regarding design and
streetscape improvements within the Highway 48 right-of-way.
Zoning By-law Amendments
A number of zoning by-law amendment
applications, and an application to amend the Official Plan, have been
submitted to permit shopping centres uses along the west side of Highway 48.
Public meetings for these applications were held throughout 2002. Zoning
by-laws have not been brought forward as the design guidelines required by the
Wismer Commons Community Design Plan were not complete. Staff is recommending
amendments to these guidelines as well as the adoption of the Highway 48 Wismer
Commons Design Guidelines. Staff is also recommending at this time the adoption
of the zoning by-law amendments for the development applications as well as the
adoption of the Official Plan amendment. The second part of this report deals
with the specific development applications and the recommended Official Plan
and zoning by-law amendments.
Secondary Plan
Amendment/Public Meeting
To ensure that the Highway 48 Wismer
Commons Design Guidelines are instrumental in the review and approval of site
development applications, staff recommends that the Wismer Commons Secondary
Plan be amended to include the guidelines as an appendix. Staff also recommends
that the operative part of the Secondary Plan be amended to refer to the
guidelines in the appendix. A public meeting to obtain the public’s input into
the guidelines is required.
Collaboration with the
Region of York
As the transfer of Highway 48 to the
jurisdiction of the Region of York will coincide with the submission of site
development applications for the study area, any changes to right-of-way design
will require Regional approval. The Region of York is currently reviewing their
Streetscape Policy and developing a policy on funding partnerships for
streetscape improvements on Regional roads. Staff should enter into discussions
with the Region regarding the proposed design and streetscape improvements for
this segment of Highway 48 as part of this process.
OFFICIAL PLAN AND ZONING
BY-LAW AMENDMENT APPLICATIONS
BACKGROUND
Property and Area Context
The lands subject to the four development
applications are approximately 25.5 ha in total area and are located on the
west side of Highway 48 in the Wismer Commons Community (see Figure 3) where
much of the adjacent lands to the west are under construction for residential,
school and open space purposes. While the properties are primarily vacant,
existing land uses include an unoccupied single detached dwelling designated as
a heritage building on the property subject of an application submitted by
1065764 Ontario Limited (Major Mark Centre). Site characteristics, zoning,
secondary plan designation and surrounding land uses are contained in Appendix
B (also see Figures 2, 3 & 4).
Discussion
The proposals are for shopping centre uses
along the west side of Highway 48
The proposed Official Plan
and zoning by-law amendment applications are for shopping centre uses. As there
are no site plan applications accompanying the rezoning applications at this
time, there is no detailed information regarding the gross floor area of
shopping centre uses proposed. Site plan applications will be required before
development can proceed. The rezoning applications propose to rezone the
subject lands from Agriculture One (A1), Open Space One (OS1) and Rural
Residential Four (RR4) to Major Commercial Exception Hold (MJC) Zone to permit
shopping centre uses, Major Commercial Exception Hold (MJC) Zone to permit high
density residential uses and ancillary commercial uses and Open Space One
(OS1).
Public meetings were held
during 2002
Statutory public meetings were held for
each of the applications. Appendix D outlines the dates of each of the public
meetings and whether any member of the public spoke at the meetings.
Highway 48 Design Guidelines for have been
submitted
The Wismer Commons Community Design Plan
requires the submission of Urban Design Guidelines prior to proceeding with
site plan approval of any Major Commercial development within the Wismer
Commons Community. Major landowners in the study area retained The MBTW Group
to prepare design guidelines. Final design guidelines were submitted in May
2003 (see Appendix A). These guidelines establish criteria for site planning,
built form, streetscape, signage and the process for reviewing and approving
site plan applications for commercial development. The first part of this
report evaluates the Guidelines and recommends that, subject to amendment, the
Guidelines be endorsed and that a public meeting be held to consider the
public’s comments. Staff also recommends that the Wismer Commons Secondary Plan
be amended to add the Guidelines as an appendix to the Secondary Plan. Zoning
by-laws for the subject applications can be brought forward and approved now
that the Highway 48 Wismer Commons Design Guidelines have been submitted.
Official Plan Amendment
required to allow Major Commercial development to proceed on the lands owned by
Wismer Markham Developments Inc.
The application submitted by Wismer Markham
Developments Inc. for 9650 Highway 48 proposes to amend the Wismer Commons
Secondary Plan to redesignate the subject lands from Community Amenity Arterial
Area to Major Commercial. The lands to the north across Castlemore Avenue as
well as the lands to the south across Bur Oak Avenue are designated Major
Commercial. In support of their application for redesignation to Major
Commercial the applicant has stated that the fragmented ownership of the lands
to the north and south of the subject lands prevents the efficient and timely
implementation of the Major Commercial designation on the lands to the north
and south. As the subject lands are under one ownership, the opportunity exists
to provide for the uses permitted within the Major Commercial designation in a
timely and efficient manner.
The Official Plan designates the subject lands
Commercial and Schedule H, Commercial/Industrial Categories, of the Official
Plan identifies the subject lands as Community Amenity Area. An amendment to
Schedule H of the Official Plan to redesignate the lands from Community Amenity
Area to Major Commercial is also required.
A primary difference between the current
Community Amenity Area designation of the subject lands and the Major
Commercial designation requested is the planned function stated in terms of the
areas served by retail, service, community, institutional and recreational uses
permitted. The multi-use, multi-purpose retail centres permitted by the
Community Amenity Area designation of the Official Plan are intended to serve
the local market of nearby residential areas. Whereas, the multi-use,
multi-purpose retail centres permitted by the Major Commercial designation are
intended to serve a larger market being a portion of the municipality and/or
broader regional market.
While both the Community Amenity Area and Major
Commercial designations permit similar uses, retail premises permitted within
the Community Amenity Area designation are generally limited to not more than
6,000 square metres of gross floor area per premise. This gross floor
restriction is intended to encourage retail uses serving local community needs
such as food stores and convenience services. The Major Commercial designation
does not have a gross floor area limitation thereby permitting larger retail
establishments having a broader regional draw, including big box retail uses.
The Highway 48 Wismer Markham Design Guidelines encourage smaller buildings
accommodating retail uses serving local community needs along the north and
south sides of Bur Oak Avenue while larger retail establishments having a
regional draw are permitted on other lands along the west side of Highway 48.
Both the existing Community Amenity Area and
the proposed Major Commercial designations permit medium and high-density
residential uses. Section 3.4.6.1 of the Official Plan permits medium and high
density residential uses in the Major Commercial designation subject to the
review of a specific development proposal and rezoning.
Staff have prepared and recommend for approval,
an Official Plan amendment (see Appendix E) amending Schedule H of the Official
Plan redesignating the subject lands from Commercial Amenity Area to Major
Commercial and amending the Wismer Commons Secondary Plan redesignating the
subject lands from Commercial Amenity Arterial Area to Major Commercial. The
Region of York was circulated the Official Plan amendment application and
indicated that they have no objection to its approval, that the proposal is a
matter of local significance and does not affect Regional interests.
Zoning By-law amendments are
required to allow Major Commercial development to proceed
The subject lands are currently zoned
Agriculture One (A1), Open Space (OS1) and Rural Residential Four (RR4) under
By-law 304-87, as amended (see Figure 4). The applicants propose to amend this
zoning to incorporate the lands within the Town’s Urban Expansion Area By-law
177-96 and adopt the appropriate zoning, to permit the requested commercial
shopping centre uses.
The Town is currently undertaking a review of
employment area zoning standards and proposed as part of this review is an
Employment Area Zoning By-law. This by-law will include a zone category and
zoning provisions for lands designated Major Commercial. The Employment Area
By-law is only in draft form and is expected to be ready for approval by the
Town later in 2003 or early in 2004. Although not approved, the zoning
classification under the new by-law for Major Commercial will capture the essence
of what the Town is attempting to achieve. The zoning by-laws recommended for
approval (see Appendix F) to implement the proposed rezoning applications
accomplish the following:
- Delete the subject lands from the Rural Area Zoning By-law 304-87;
- Add the subject lands to the Urban Area By-law 177-96;
- Add the new Major Commercial (MJC) Zone category and zoning
provisions to By-law 177-96;
- Zone the subject lands Major Commercial Exception Hold (MJC) Zone
to permit shopping centre uses and Major Commercial Exception Hold (MJC)
Zone to permit a mix of residential and commercial uses. Site plan
approval is required to lift the (H); and
- Establish in By-law 177-96 an exception section for the subject
lands setting out site-specific provisions.
Site-specific provisions include:
- A full range of commercial uses would be permitted;
- Within an area of 85 metres from Highway 48, 80% of the wall that
faces Highway 48 of any building shall be located no further than 11
metres from Highway 48;
- At-grade patios are permitted in the front yard. Parking areas and
driveways are prohibited in the front yard;
- No less than 60% of any wall of any building that has a floor area
of less than 557 square metres has to be the site of openings (window,
door, entrance feature or any combination);
- Highway 48 area will be divided into components. Within each
component, the walls facing Highway 48 shall occupy no less than 40% of
the length of the front lot line;
- Drive-through service
facilities will not be permitted at the intersection of Highway 48 with
Castlemore Avenue and Bur Oak Avenue;
- Drive-throughs
at the side and/or rear of buildings will be permitted at property
frontages along Highway 48 and at the intersections of Highway 48 with
Edward Jefferys Avenue and the central site driveway access midway between
Bur Oak Avenue and Castlemore Avenue;
- Drive-throughs
with lanes in any location in relation to the building are permitted in
the remainder of the lands and where they are internal to the blocks;
- The lands on
the south side of Bur Oak Avenue
are zoned to permit medium and high density residential uses with at grade
retail and office. The maximum height of the buildings is 10 storeys
requiring a stepping back of the height from the Bur Oak Avenue frontage.
Zoning by-laws for other lands within
the Highway 48 Wismer Commons Design Guidelines study area will be brought
forward for approval at later dates
There are five other properties along the
west side of Highway 48 that are within the Design Guidelines study area. These
properties are not addressed by this report. A recommendation report and zoning
by-laws will be brought forward for approval for these properties once
applications have been submitted and/or statutory public meetings held. In the
case of the rezoning application submitted by Matrundola, Pacitto, Rizzi &
Blackmore Construction a final recommendation report and zoning by-law for the
commercial and woodlot blocks will be brought forward for approval once further
information regarding the limit of the woodlot and buffer areas are submitted
to the satisfaction of the Director of Planning and Urban Design.
Exhibition Creek
The Exhibition Creek
watercourse traverses the lands subject to the rezoning application submitted
by 1065764 Ontario Limited. On August 31, 1999, Council approved a plan to
reconfigure Exhibition Creek whereby the watercourse is maintained in a largely
open state and realigned along the property boundaries between 9900 and 9982
Highway 48. The approved plan addresses concerns raised by the Development
Services Committee and members of the public at the Public Meeting held May 18,
1999. A 14 metre wide, open channel is
proposed along the mutual lot line running south and then to the east to
Highway 48. The lands subject to the realignment of the Creek are zoned Open
Space One (OS1). Outdoor amenity areas are to be provided along the mutual
property line at Major Mackenzie Drive and Highway 48 adjacent to the open
channel. The open channel is to be
heavily vegetated while the piped areas will be landscaped. There is no change
proposed for the lands zoned Open Space One (OS1). Details of the realignment
will be reviewed during site plan approval for 9900 Highway 48.
Heritage house located at
9900 Highway 48 (1065764 Ontario Limited) is to be
preserved
On September 20, 2002, Heritage Markham,
recommended that the heritage house located at 9900 Highway 48 be preserved and
restored in an early phase of the proposed commercial development and that the
building be designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, and subject
to a heritage conservation easement. The preservation and restoration of the
building will be reviewed during site development approval for the property.
Interface of future
residential lots backing onto major commercial lands
At the public meeting held for the Wismer
Markham Developments Inc. rezoning application, the Development Services
Committee raised concern about the interface of future low-density residential
lots backing onto lands developed for major commercial uses and the possible adverse
impacts this future commercial development may have on the residential use. It
is recommended that site plan approval for the commercial developments be
subject to submission of acceptable noise feasibility studies to determine any
measures necessary to mitigate possible adverse impacts on the residential
lots. In addition, the Highway 48 Wismer Commons Design Guidelines outline two
possible service area configurations for commercial buildings near to
residential areas providing the opportunity for hard and soft landscape
screening of the service areas. One approach is to design the loading/servicing
area/function parallel to the commercial building with a notch or bump-out in
the building to permit access to the vehicle. The second approach is to provide
a service courtyard, pushed in from the commercial building edge and screened
with hard and soft landscape elements. Details will be resolved at the site
plan stage.
Additional Studies Required
The Engineering Department requires the
submission of traffic studies for each individual development to ensure
adequate access, site circulation, parking and any other traffic related
requirements. In addition, for each development application, conceptual
servicing reports are also required to identify method and location of
municipal services. These reports will be provided prior to site plan approval.
Water and Sanitary Allocation
At its December 15, 1998 meeting, Council
approved a policy and guidelines with respect to the allocation of water for
future development. The Allocation Update report before Council at it’s meeting
on April 3, 2001, indicates that the water supply restrictions apply only to
residential developments. Institutional, industrial and commercial lands are
not subject to these restrictions. Therefore, there is no constraint on water
allocation to the proposed commercial developments. The residential portion of
the lands on the north and south sides of Bur Oak Avenue will require water
allocation from the Town’s water reserves based on the criteria adopted by
Council in December 2002.
Currently, the Wismer Commons development is
restricted for sanitary capacity due to a temporary connection to the
downstream sewers. In June 2002 Council authorized the construction, if
necessary, by the Wismer Commons Developers’ Group of a temporary sanitary
storage facility to permit additional development prior to the completion (in
November 2003) of the Region of York’s Sixteenth Avenue trunk sanitary sewer.
In any case, site plan approval will not be granted until sanitary capacity is
available.
Development Phasing Plan and Wismer
Commons Phasing Plan – Traffic Study final updates are required prior to site
plan approval
A development phasing plan for the Wismer
Commons Community Planning District dated July 1998, was approved by Council on
December 15, 1998 and updated February 2001. The Wismer Commons Phasing Plan –
Traffic Study establishes the timing of development to ensure growth is managed
in a proper and orderly manner and indicates internal and external
infrastructure requirements. The Trustee of the Developers’ Group entered into
a phasing agreement with the Town on March 7, 2001, to ensure the external
infrastucture identified in the phasing plan is completed before additional
units could be developed.
Prior to any further development in
Wismer Commons, both commercial and residential, an update to the Wismer
Commons Phasing Plan – Traffic Study, is required to confirm assumptions made
in the original reports, use current date from other traffic or transportation
studies (i.e., MTPS, Greensborough) and recommend any internal or external road
improvements. This plan has been updated through the recent draft plan approval
(June 24, 2003) of four plans of subdivision up to the maximum number of units
(2,632) allocated to the Wismer Commons Community. In addition, an update to
the Development Phasing Plan and the Development Phasing Plan agreement will
also be required to identify the timing of the infrastructure up to the full
build out of the Wismer Commons Community.
The Ministry of Transportation has no
objections in principle to the proposed development applications
The Ministry has no objection to the
development applications subject to, among other requirements, a setback of 14
metres from the Highway 48 property line to all new structures above or below
ground, the requirement of Ministry Building/Landuse/Sign/Entrance permits
prior to any development of the property and limiting access to property
fronting onto an internal road (other than Highway 48) to the internal road
network (Castlemore Avenue, Bur Oak Avenue and Edward Jefferys Avenue.
On June 24, 2003, Council approved
a Transportation Committee report to request the Ministry of Transportation of
Ontario to transfer the ownership of Highway 48 fronting the Wismer Commons
Community to the Town in 2005 when the Markham By-pass is constructed. After
the transfer the Ministry will not be commenting on applications and therefore
the above requirements would not apply.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
None at this time.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The Official Plan and zoning amendment
application submitted by Wismer Markham Developments Inc., as well as the
zoning amendment applications submitted by 1065764 Ontario Limited (Major Mark
Centre), Wismer Markham Developments Inc., and Wynberry Developments Inc., have
been circulated to various departments and external agencies. Requirements of
the Town and external agencies have been reflected in the preparation of this
report.
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure 1 –
Location Map, Highway 48 Wismer Commons Design Guidelines
Figure 2 –
Aerial Photo, Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Applications
Figure 3 –
Location Map, Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Applications
Figure 4 –
Area Context/Zoning, Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Applications
APPENDIX:
Appendix A –
Highway 48 Wismer Commons Design Guidelines
Appendix B –
Issues Addressed by Guidelines
Appendix C –
Site Characteristics
Appendix D –
Public Meetings
Appendix E –
Draft Official Plan Amendment, Wismer Markham Developments Inc.
Appendix F – Draft Zoning By-laws, 1065764 Ontario
Limited (Major Mark Centre), Wismer Markham Developments Inc., & Wynberry
Developments Inc.,
Applicant/Agent
|
|
|
|
1065764
Ontario Limited (Major Mark Centre)
|
Mr. Scott
Smith
1065764
Ontario Limited
(Major
Mark Centre)
720
Spadina Avenue
Unit 220
Toronto,
ON M5S 2T9
|
Tel.:
(905) 922-4840
Fax:
(905) 922-4510
|
|
Wismer
Markham Developments Inc., & Wynberry Developments Inc.
|
Mr. James
Kennedy
KLM
Planning Partnership
64 Jardin
Drive
Concord,
ON L4K 3P3
|
Tel.:
(905) 669-4055
Fax:
(905) 669-0097
|
|
|
|
|
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Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director of Planning & Urban Design
|
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Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Commissioner of Development Services
|
Q:\Development\Planning\APPL\ZONING\01116747
Wismer Markham\DSC final report.doc
