Report to: Development
Services Committee Report
Date: December 13, 2010
SUBJECT: PRELIMINARY REPORT
Kennison Properties Inc.
West side of Kennedy Road,
north of 14th Avenue
Rezoning application to
permit a 4-storey office building
File No. ZA 10 129153
PREPARED BY: Scott
Heaslip, ext. 3140
Senior Project
Coordinator
Central District
RECOMMENDATION:
- That the report dated December
13, 2010 entitled “Kennison Properties Inc., West
side of Kennedy Road, north of 14th Avenue, Rezoning application
to permit a 4-storey office
building, File No. ZA 10 129153, be received.
2. That
a Public Meeting be scheduled to consider the application.
3. That
Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to
this resolution.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Not applicable.
The purpose of this report is to provide preliminary
information regarding a rezoning application to permit an office building on
the west side of Kennedy Road, north of 14th Avenue, and to seek
authorization to schedule a statutory Public Meeting to consider the
application. 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.
Subject Lands and Area Context (Figures 1 to 3)
The subject
lands have an area of 0.43 ha (1 acre) and are located on the west side of
Kennedy Road, north of 14th Avenue.
The lands
comprise the front portions of three formerly residential properties (7792,
7802 and 7812 Kennedy Road). The rear portions were previously severed from the
subject lands and have been developed with a 5-storey apartment building for
East Markham Non-Profit Homes. One of the three original dwellings (7792
Kennedy Road) remains and was used until recently as the construction office
for the apartment building. This
building, which is not listed in the “Markham Register of Property of Cultural
Value or Interest”, is currently vacant and is proposed to be
demolished. A shared driveway has been
constructed across the north portion of the subject lands to connect the
apartment building to Kennedy Road and the subject lands to Deverill
Court.
The lands
slope down approximately 4 metres (13 feet) from
south to north boundaries. The only existing vegetation on the lands are trees and shrubbery associated with the one remaining
dwelling.
Proposal (Figures 4 and 5)
The Owner has
applied to amend the Town’s zoning by-laws to permit the property to be
developed with a 4-storey office building.
The proposed
building has a gross floor area of 3616 square metres
(38,924 square feet). A (152.5 square metre
or 1642 square foot) restaurant is proposed on the ground floor level. The remainder of the building is proposed to
be used for professional and business offices.
131 parking
spaces are proposed, 71 spaces in a 1-level underground garage and 60 spaces on
a surface parking lot.
The applicant advises that the
proposed building will be a “net zero” building. “Net zero” is a
general term for a building that, on an annual basis, produces as much energy
as it uses. A press release from the applicant (Appendix ‘A’) explains
in more detail how this building will achieve this objective.
A corresponding site plan application
has been submitted.
York Region Official Plan
The subject
applications were submitted after approval of the new York
Region Official Plan on September 5, 2010, and are therefore required to conform
with all applicable policies of the Plan.
From a preliminary review, staff have not identified any conformity
issues relative to the Regional Official Plan.
The application has been circulated to the York Region Planning
Department for comment.
Town of Markham Official Plan and Zoning (Figure 2)
The subject
lands are designated “Industrial - Business Corridor Area” in the Official
Plan. Lands in the “Business Corridor
Area” category are intended to be used primarily for a mix of high quality
industrial and office uses that require the exposure offered by locations along
major road frontages. The proposed development supports the planned function of this
designation.
The north and south portions of the
lands are zoned “Suburban Residential First Density” (SUR 1) under By-law
193-81. The centre portion is zoned
“Business Corridor” (BC) under By-law 108-81.
A zoning amendment is required to extend the Business Corridor zoning
over the entire site and incorporate appropriate development standards for the
proposed development.
Potential
benefits
The proposed multi-storey office
building is an appropriate use and built form at this location along the
arterial road frontage of an employment area, and will add to the Town’s
inventory of professional and business office floorspace.
Issues to be
addressed
Staff support the office
use at this location and are generally satisfied with the overall built form
and massing. The project plans need to
be reviewed to ensure that the building appropriately addresses Kennedy Road
along the full length of this significantly sloped site and the appearance of
the entry to the parking garage structure from Kennedy Road (north elevation) is
minimized and integrated by architectural detailing and landscape
features.
No technical issues have been
identified from a preliminary review of the proposed development. The
applications have been circulated to Town departments and public agencies, including
York Region Transportation and Works, for review. Any issues identified will be addressed in
future staff report(s) on the subject application and the corresponding site
plan application.
Not
applicable.
Not
applicable.
The proposed
development supports a number of the Town’s Strategic Priorities, as follows:
Economic Development - proposal is for an employment use
Growth Management - intensification along a transit corridor.
Transportation/Transit
- higher density, transit oriented
Environment - “net zero” building
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The application has 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 Jim
Baird, M.C.I.P, R.P.P
Senior
Development Manager Commissioner, Development Services
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure 1:
Site Location
Figure 2:
Area Context
Figure 3:
Aerial Photo
Figure 4:
Site Plan
Figure 5:
Building Elevations
Appendix
‘A’ Press Release
Applicant: Dave deSylva
Tel:
(905) 479-5793
Kennison Properties Inc. Fax (905) 479-2934
1151 Denison Street,
Unit 18 Email: howland@bellnet.com
Markham, Ontario
L3R 3Y4
File path:
Amanda\File 10 129153\Documents\Preliminary Report