Report to: Development Services Committee Date of Meeting: March 18, 2008
SUBJECT: PRELIMINARY REPORT
Ruland Properties Inc.
Verdale
Project – Downtown Markham – Phase
1
Zoning By-law Amendment
Application
151
Upper Duke Crescent
Plan 19TM01012
Markham
Centre
ZA 08 107542
PREPARED BY: Richard
Kendall, Manager of Development, Central District
Extension 6588
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Preliminary Report titled
“Ruland Properties Inc., Verdale Project – Downtown Markham – Phase 1, Zoning
By-law Amendment Application”, be received;
That staff be authorized to
schedule a public meeting on the requested zoning amendments;
That the enhanced notice procedure
for Markham Centre applications not be applied to this application, and that
the notice for public meeting be based upon the statutory requirement of 120
metres from the property line, as well as a direct mailing to members of the
Markham Centre Advisory and all those on record of requesting notice; 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
The vacant, 0.817 hectares (2.02 acre)
property is located within the Remington Group’s ‘Downtown Markham’ project, at
the southwest corner of the future intersection of Rouge
Valley Drive West and the southerly extension of
Verclaire Gate (Figure 1). Council granted initial draft plan
approval to the comprehensive, mixed-used project ‘Downtown Markham’ in July,
2003. The ‘Downtown Markham’ project
implements many of the Town’s objectives for Markham Centre, and in
July, 2004, the Markham Centre Zoning By-law (2004-196) was enacted to
implement the plan.
In June, 2007, Council considered a report recommending endorsement of
an application for site plan control approval for three apartment
buildings (Verdale) 6 and 10 storeys in height containing a total of 421 units within
the first residential phase of the ‘Downtown Markham’ project (which also
includes the four Rouge Bijou buildings currently under construction). At that time, concerns were identified with
respect to certain design elements and the proposed colour palette and Council
referred the application to the
Unionville Sub-Committee.
The Sub-Committee,
following its meeting in July, endorsed the recommendations contained in the
staff report, subject to final approval
of brick colour and balcony details. Since
then the Remington Group, working with staff and the local Councillor have finalized
the design, and staff are in the process of issuing endorsement of the site
plan application.
Height Policies are set out in the Secondary Plan
The Markham Centre Secondary Plan
contains a series of provisions relating to height, with the final
determination to be addressed through the Precinct Plan process. Higher buildings may be permitted at key
strategic “landmark” locations, subject to Council being satisfied as to the
quality of the design, and provided there is a proper gradation of overall height. Policies are also in place which allow for
residential buildings to have an equivalent height to the 13 storey office
building module, which has resulted in the 16 storey residential buildings
which have been approved in the Highway 7 and Town
Centre Boulevard area (a “landmark” location).
Key strategic or “landmark”
locations for taller buildings within Markham Centre are set out in Schedule DD
– Community Structure Plan in OPA 21.
The Secondary Plan also provides Council with the flexibility to allow
for a building or buildings to exceed the general maximums as set out in the
Plan, without amendment, provided the purpose and intent of the Secondary Plan
are otherwise met. A key consideration
in achieving this height programme is Council being satisfied with the quality
of the building design.
Zoning
Amendments are Proposed
The vacant lands are designated
“Community Amenity Area” by the Markham Centre
Secondary Plan (OPA 21), and in 2004, were zoned “Markham Centre Downtown Two
(MC-D2)” in the Markham Centre Zoning By-law (No. 2004-196) (Figure 2). The comprehensive Markham Centre Zoning By-law
contains a series of detailed schedules articulating a built-form vision and
standards for the development of the ‘Downtown Markham’ lands, consistent with
the approved Precinct Plan and Markham Centre Secondary Plan (OPA 21).
The Zoning By-law also establishes
minimum and maximum height provisions for these lands of 12 metres (3 to 4
storeys) and 31 metres (10 storeys) respectively. The applicants are seeking to increase the
maximum permitted height for the northerly-most building – ‘I’ (Figure 4) by
12.43 metres to 43.43 metres, or to 14 storeys from 10 storeys.
While not part of the zoning
amendment application, the additional height would accommodate approximately 29
more units within the combined project for a total of 450. These units would be permitted under the
current zoning, and allocation is available from the earlier assignment to the
Remington Group for their first phase residential component.
Height and Density Review is Underway
In September, 2007, Council
considered a staff report on height and density issues in Markham Centre. The report validated the original vision for
Markham Centre, as set out in the Markham Centre Secondary Plan (OPA 21), which
is based on human-scale, pedestrian-oriented buildings, generally 6 to 8
storeys in height. The report also discussed
various technical amendments to the Secondary Plan, and the need to respond to
issues associated with taller buildings in Markham Centre, including developing
design criteria and examining “landmark” location policies. This review is underway and staff will be
evaluating this application in the context of the on-going study, the approved
Precinct Plan and the Secondary Plan.
The streetscape relationship to
height is important and Markham Centre approvals to-date have included a very
strong, urban, built-form next to the street edge, generally with a
well-defined building base. In certain
instances buildings have been stepped back from the main wall at upper levels
(i.e. at 8 storeys and above) to ensure that a comfortable pedestrian environment
is maintained at street level. The
on-going review of the height policies will look to formalize specific design
criteria above the 8 storey benchmark to ensure appropriate massing,
streetscape relationship and architectural design, while addressing potential
impacts relating to sun/shadow and wind.
Applicant has Responded to Massing Issues
During preliminary discussions with
the applicant on the proposal to increase the height of Building ‘I’, staff
identified a number of matters which should be addressed in the design of the
upper floors (10 – 14) of the building.
The applicant’s architect has responded to these matters and has modified
the elevations to provide additional stepping at the upper levels for a more
distinct building profile and larger green roof terraces for the top 5
floors. New architectural elements have
been introduced for the upper floors of this building which are distinct from
the other two buildings in the project, including a precast concrete sill at
the 10th floor datum line (Figures 6 and 7).
As noted in Figure 6 the design
study undertaken by the applicant’s architect indicates that the additional
height proposed comprises approximately 7% of the combined site area for the
three buildings. The applicant has also
reduced the size of the floor plate for the upper floors of the project. Staff are generally comfortable with the
treatment of the building as it relates to the additional storeys and the
interface with the approved building elevations.
Enhanced notification procedures for Markham Centre applications
In February, 2003, Council
adopted procedures to better promote Markham Centre meetings, including an
expanded notice for statutory public meetings that would apply to this
application. These enhanced procedures include:
- Newspaper
notice
- Direct
mailing to all advisory group members
- Direct
mailing to all property owners within 1 kilometre of the property
- Direct
mailing to all persons on record requesting notice of Markham Centre
matters (including 200 names collected at the Unionville Traffic
Infiltration Meeting).
Given the nature of this proposal (revisions to approved
plans) and the lack of an established residential community within the area of
the Remington Draft Plan, staff recommend that the expanded notice procedure
not be applied to this application and that the notice be based upon the
statutory requirement of 120 metres, as well as a direct mailing to members of
the Markham Centre Advisory and all those on record of requesting notice.
Markham Centre Advisory will be Consulted
This application will be presented
to the Markham Centre Advisory for discussion.
It is noted, when the original concept for the three 6 to 10 storey
buildings within the Verdale project was first before the Advisory (February,
2007), the Advisory rated the proposal Gold for its Built Form, Open Space and
Green Infrastructure components, while Transportation was rated Silver. The Advisory complimented the project’s
architecture and rated the project “on-target”.
As with other projects within their Downtown Markham project, the
applicant is committed to L.E.E.D. principles and is targeting a “Silver” ranking.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:
This
previous site plan proposal was evaluated against the Markham Centre
Performance Measures and the applicants advise they are targeting a ’Silver’
L.E.E.D. ranking.
ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:
There are no accessibility implications for the
Town in this report.
ENGAGE 21ST CONSIDERATIONS:
The
proposal aligns with the following key Town of Markham Corporate Goals: Managed Growth, Quality Community
and Infrastructure Management.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The application has been
circulated to applicable departments and agencies for comment, and their
requirements will be addressed in the recommendation report.
RECOMMENDED BY:
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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
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