RECOMMENDATION:
That a Public Meeting be held to consider the above
noted zoning application submitted by the Unionville Homes Society.
PURPOSE:
The
purpose of this report is to provide preliminary information regarding
applications by the Unionville Homes Society for a site plan and zoning
amendment to permit the addition of a 160 bed long-term care facility to the
existing building, as well as to extend the temporary use by-law for their
fundraising trailer at 4300 Highway #7 East.
Staff request a public meeting be scheduled to obtain public input on
the zoning application.
BACKGROUND:
Site description and area context
The
total amount of land affected by this application consists of approximately
17.79 acres (7.2 ha) that comprise the existing Union Villa long-term care
facility. Approximately 2.243 acres (0.908 ha)
within the southeast corner of the site is subject to the rezoning application,
of which 0.948 acres (0.38 ha) will soon
be acquired from the Ontario Realty Corporation (see Figure 2). The site is located on the north side of
Highway #7 East, east of Village Parkway, and west of the CN Rail tracks and
Kennedy Road (Figure 1). Land uses to
the west of the site include residential townhomes, the temporary location of
the Mitsubishi car dealership, and the White Rose retail outlet. North of these lands is an existing
residential neighbourhood, and to the east, are a variety of retail land uses
and the Volvo car dealership. A plaza
(containing office, retail and restaurant uses) is directly to the south. The plaza shares a signalized intersection
onto Highway #7 with the existing Unionville Homes Society facility.
The Proposal
Union
Villa is a 162-bed, long-term care facility.
In order to upgrade this facility to current Ministry of Health
standards, the applicant is proposing to construct an addition to the existing
building. The addition will be a
3-storey (10.5 metres), 160-bed institutional building for the long-term care
of York Region seniors. The existing
facility to the rear of the property will be decommissioned, with the laundry
and kitchen facilities being renovated and upgraded to be used for the proposed addition. The gross floor area for the addition is
8,863 m² (95,401 ft²). The Unionville
Homes Society has submitted a decommissioning plan to the Town that is
currently under review by internal departments. The Society has agreed to enter into a development agreement,
stipulating the terms of maintaining the decommissioned building to the
satisfaction of the Town. The applicant
expects that the decommissioned building will eventually be renovated and
re-utilized for a similar use, once funding becomes available, and the need
arises.
A one-year temporary use by-law, granted approval on June 26, 2002,
permits a trailer on the property. The
trailer is used to promote fund raising efforts for a new Alzheimer and
Geriatric Care Centre. This trailer,
located off the existing driveway, along Highway #7 East, is currently located
at the corner of the future entrance and parking area for the facility (refer
to Figure 4). The applicant has
indicated this trailer may be re-utilized in the near future for a construction
office. Consequently, the applicant
will be applying to extend the temporary approval for this use. The proposal could also be considered at the
public meeting.
Current Official Plan designation
The subject
property is designated Institutional in the Official Plan (revised 1987), as
amended. This designation is
predominantly used for community, educational, health care, governmental, or
religious purposes, including hospitals, centers for the disabled, nursing
homes, homes for the aged, or similar residential health care facilities. The proposed use is permitted and an
Official Plan amendment is not required.
Currently,
the Town of Markham is developing a comprehensive Strategy for the Highway #7
Corridor, to address land uses, transportation, development, infrastructure and
financial incentives for intensification and redevelopment along Highway #7 and
the future Markham Centre. The future
development of this site will be required to have regard for and comply with
the recommendations of this study.
Existing Zoning
ORC land parcel will be transferred to the
Unionville Homes Society for this proposal
POTENTIAL
BENEFITS OF APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSAL:
Some of the anticipated benefits of the proposal
include:
q
Providing
up-to-date medical care facilities for the elderly within Markham and the
Region of York;
q
Maintaining
the existing structure will provide future opportunities for long-term care
facilities for the elderly;
q
Encourages a
diversity of uses in a variety of locations within the Town;
q
Utilizing
the remnant land parcel (ORC lands) and integrating it into the proposed
development;
q
The
preservation of a number of mature trees on the existing land parcel.
CONCERNS/ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED:
The
application has been circulated to other Town Departments and public agencies
for review and comment. The following
is a brief summary of concerns/issues raised to date.
q
Improving
the pedestrian environment in relation to safety and the interfaces of adjacent
land uses along Highway #7 East;
These
matters, and any others identified through the circulation and detailed review
of the proposal, will be addressed in a final staff report to be presented to
Committee following the Public Meeting.
FINANCIAL
CONSIDERATIONS:
The Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC) has agreed to release the
triangular land parcel fronting onto Highway #7 East, just west of the CN Rail
tracks to the Town of Markham for a nominal fee and administration costs. In turn, Town of Markham staff are reviewing
the opportunity to convey the land to the Unionville Homes Society for the
purposes of this development. Upon
completion of the land transfer, the Unionville Homes Society have agreed to
reimburse the Town for any administrative costs associated with this potential
transaction.
BUSINESS UNITS
CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The
applications have been circulated to all internal departments and external
agencies, and all comments will be addressed in the final report.
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Valerie
Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director
of Planning and Urban Design
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Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Commissioner
of Development Services
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DOCUMENT:
Q:\Development\Planning\APPL\SITEPLAN\00241797
Unionville homes\DSCFeb18-2003.doc
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure
1: Location Map
Figure 2: Context/Zoning
Map
Figure 3: Aerial
Photograph
Figure 4: Site Plan
Figure
5: Elevations
Figure
6: Elevations
APPLICANT: Contact: Mr. Stuart Watson
Unionville Homes Society
4300 Highway #7 East
Unionville,
Ontario L3R 1L8
Telephone:
905-201-9516 Fax: 905-201-1380
AGENT: Contact: Mr. Edward Applebaum, Associate
Montgomery Sisam Architects
Inc.
35 Britain Street
Toronto, Ontario M5A 1R7
Telephone: 416-364-8079 Fax: 416-364-7723
Figure
1: Location Map
