Report to: Development
Services Committee Report
Date: September 21, 2010
SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATION
REPORT
Times Group Inc.
South side of Highway 7,
west of Village Parkway
Application for site plan
approval for a mixed-use development being the first phase of the Uptown
Markham development
File No. SC 10 110395
PREPARED BY: Scott
Heaslip, Senior Project Coordinator, Central District
RECOMMENDATION:
1)
That the staff report entitled “Times Group Inc., South
side of Highway 7, west of Village Parkway, Application for site plan approval
for a mixed-use development being the first phase of the Uptown Markham
development,” be received.
2)
That the application be
endorsed, in principle, subject to the refinements to the plans and the
conditions outlined in the staff report.
3)
That site plan approval be delegated to the
Commissioner of Development Services, or his designate, to be issued following
execution of a site plan agreement (Site Plan Approval is issued only when the
Commissioner has signed the site plan “approved”), when the following
conditions have been met:
·
Plan of subdivision 19TM-070003 has been registered.
·
The Owner has entered into a site plan agreement with the Town and the
Region of York containing all standard and special provisions and requirements
of the Town and public agencies and the provisions outlined in Appendix ‘A’ to
the September 21, 2010 staff report.
·
The trustee for the applicable cost sharing
group has advised the Town in writing that the required servicing allocation
for the proposed development or any proposed phase thereof, is available and
has been assigned to the Times Group Inc.
·
The Trustee for the applicable cost sharing
group has advised the Town in writing that the Owner is in good standing with
the group.
·
The holding provision has been removed from the
zoning of the subject lands, or any proposed phase thereof, in accordance with
the provisions of the by-law.
4)
That, in the event the Owner participates in the
enhanced hoarding program for Markham Centre, the Mayor and Clerk be authorized
to execute a hoarding agreement with the Owner.
5)
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 discuss and recommend endorsement, in principle, of site
plan approval of the first residential buildings in the Times Group Uptown
Markham Development.
Subject Lands (Figures 1, 3 and 4)
The subject
lands have an area of 1.27 ha (3.14 acres) and are located at the south-west
corner of Highway 7 and future Birchmount Road.
The lands are a block on a draft approved plan of subdivision
19TM-070003, which was approved by the Ontario Municipal Board on May 19, 2010
(Figure 4). The lands are vacant and
contain no significant vegetation.
Official Plan and Zoning (Figure 2)
The subject
lands are designated COMMERCIAL – COMMUNITY AMENITY AREA in the Official Plan. They are further designated COMMUNITY AMENITY
AREA – MAJOR URBAN PLACE in the Markham Centre Secondary Plan.
The lands are
zoned “Markham Centre – Downtown Two” (MC-D2*11(H1 H2) by By-law 2004-196, as
amended. This zoning was approved by the
Ontario Municipal Board on May 19, 2010.
Proposal (Figures 5-8)
The proposed
development consists of two mixed-use buildings accommodating a total of 581
apartment units and 1114 square metres (11,992 square feet) of ground floor
commercial use.
The northerly
building comprises an 8-storey section along the Highway 7 frontage, a 7- storey section extending down
Street “B” (Birchmount Road) and a 3-storey section extending down Street “F.” This building will accommodate 206 apartment
units (186 1-bedroom and 20 2-bedroom units) and 480 square metres (5,167
square feet) of street related ground floor commercial area facing onto
Birchmount Road.
The southerly
building comprises two 20-storey towers, a 6-storey section along Street “B”
(Birchmount Road), a 2-storey section along Street “C,” a 5-storey section
along Street “F” and a 3-storey section in the area between the towers. This building will accommodate 375 apartment
units (203 1-bedroom and 172 2-bedroom units), 634 square metres (6,825 square
feet) of street related ground floor commercial area facing onto Birchmount
Road. The 3-storey component will incorporate a green roof.
The first two
floors of the buildings will be differentiated from the floors above through
the use of horizontal pre-cast concrete at the top of the second floor
level. The middle floors will be
primarily faced with medium brown brick with vertical pre-cast concrete banding
to accentuate the height of the buildings.
The top two floors will be faced with pre-cast concrete panels, which
will extend up to enclose the roof top mechanical penthouses and ventilation
equipment.
Subdivision and implementing zoning have been approved
by Ontario Municipal Board
On May 19,
2010, the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) approved the Times (Uptown Markham)
draft plan of subdivision (see Figure 4), subject to conditions, together with
implementing zoning by-laws.
The zoning
by-law approved by the OMB permits:
·
up to a total
of 4500 residential units in the entire subdivision.
·
a minimum of 40,800 square metres (approx. 440,000
square feet) of employment – primarily office – uses, focused on the Warden
Avenue/Highway 7 intersection.
·
commercial uses
mandated in the ground floor level of buildings in key locations including the
Birchmount Road and Verdale Crossing frontages and permitted on the ground
floor level of buildings throughout the development.
·
an “interim
commercial development” in a conventional suburban format with surface parking
in the block east of Birchmount Road.
These commercial uses are intended to ultimately be relocated into
mixed-use buildings on this or other blocks within the plan of subdivision,
facilitating the redevelopment of this block with high density mixed-use
buildings.
·
maximum building
heights ranging from 8 storeys to 20
storeys, with the lower buildings generally along Highway 7 and the taller
buildings generally towards the south and west portions of the plan.
·
maximum tower
floorplates, minimum tower separations, minimum podium heights and minimum
building setbacks in accordance with the principles of the precinct plan and
the Built Form and Massing Study.
Proposed development complies with zoning by-law
approved by OMB and is consistent with Town’s built form objectives
The proposed
development is street related and incorporates mid-rise (3-8 storey)
podiums along the street frontages, ensuring a comfortable human scale,
enhanced by a high quality public realm, including generous sidewalks. With the
exception of a small number of visitor parking spaces, all of the parking is
within a two level underground parking garage and an enclosed one level above
grade parking structure.
The proposed
built form and massing are generally acceptable
Refinements are required to the
architectural detailing and the exterior materials to address the following
items:
The final landscape plans will be
required to include usable and well-designed outdoor patios, pedestrian scale
lighting, bicycle parking, street furniture, public art, and adequate screening
of garbage/loading facilities and mechanical equipment (such as switchgear and
transformers).
The proposed development is scheduled
to be reviewed by the Markham Centre Advisory in September. The comments of the Advisory will be
addressed in the final project plans.
Environmental and sustainability initiatives
The proposed
development will:
·
be LEED Gold
certified.
·
be connected to
District Energy.
·
incorporate extensive
green roof areas.
·
incorporate a
state-of-the-art stormwater management system that will enhance water balance
while achieving quality objectives through the use of permeable paving,
underground infiltration, detention galleries and other techniques.
·
incorporate bicycle
storage facilities.
·
incorporate car share
facilities.
Staff will
ensure that appropriate Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) measures are
incorporated into the final project plans.
Allocation needs to be confirmed and required
infrastructure secured
The trustee for the Markham Centre
Landowners Group is currently holding an approved 2011/2012 allocation of 1160
units and advises that the group proposes to assign 349 units of this
allocation to the Times Group for the proposed development. Factoring in a 40% bonus (232 units) for the
proposed LEED Gold certification, this translates to a potential available
allocation of 581 units, which is the total number of units currently proposed.
Written confirmation of assignment of
sufficient allocation will be required prior to the removal of the holding
provision from the zoning and the issuance of building permits (including
conditional permits).
The applicant
has applied to the Town for a subdivision agreement for the first phase of the
draft plan, which includes the subject lands.
Staff are currently reviewing technical
submissions from the Times Group addressing the conditions of draft approval,
and are processing the required subdivision agreement.
Staff will
work with the applicant to expedite the issuance of building permits for this
project. However, before any building
permits (including conditional permits) can be considered, servicing allocation
needs to be confirmed and the required sanitary and storm sewer, water and road
infrastructure, including the Highway 7 sanitary sewer, needs to be secured. The grading of the adjoining roads also needs
to be finalized in order to ensure that the ground floor level of the buildings
properly meets grade.
A full
building permit cannot be issued until after registration of the plan of
subdivision and execution of the required site plan agreement.
It should be
noted that the applicant has entered into an agreement with the Town committing
not to market any residential units for which servicing allocation has not been
confirmed. This was a pre-condition of
the Ontario Municipal Board order approving the applicant’s subdivision and
zoning applications.
Not
applicable.
Not applicable.
The proposed
development supports a number of the Town’s Strategic Priorities, as follows:
Growth
Management and - intensification along a transit corridor
Transportation/Transit - project to be LEED Gold certified and
incorporate a
Environment broad range of
sustainable development features.
BUSINESS
UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The proposed
development has been circulated to internal Town departments and external agencies.
All comments/requirements of these departments and agencies are or will be
reflected in the final project plans, or will be secured in the site plan
agreement.
RECOMMENDED BY:
_______________________________ ________________________
Biju Karumanchery,
M.C.I.P., R.P.P. James
Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Senior
Development Manager Commissioner, Development Services
Figure 1 -
Location Map
Figure 2 -
Area Context
Figure 3 -
Air Photo
Figure 4 -
Draft approved plan of subdivision
Figure 5 -
Site plan
Figure 6 -
Elevations
Figure 7 -
Elevations
Figure 8 -
Elevations
APPENDIX ‘A’ – Conditions of
Site Plan Approval
APPENDIX
A
Conditions
of Site Plan Approval
Times Group Inc.
South side of
Highway 7, west of Village Parkway
Markham
Centre Community
Prior
to the execution of the site plan agreement, the Owner shall submit:
- site plans, elevation drawings (including building materials,
colours and details), underground parking garage layout plans, grading,
servicing and engineering drawings that comply with all requirements of
the Town, the Markham Centre Advisory, and authorized public agencies, to the
satisfaction of the Commissioner of Development Services. The final plans shall incorporate
appropriate Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) components to ensure more
bird friendly buildings, to the satisfaction of the Town.
- landscape plans, including streetscape details,
prepared by a Landscape Architect having membership with the Ontario
Association of Landscape Architects.
- a storm water management report and a functional
servicing report.
- a geotechnical report.
for endorsement or approval by the Town.
The
Owner shall enter into a Site Plan Agreement with the Town and the Region of
York, containing all standard and special provisions and requirements of the
Town, the Region and other public agencies including, but not limited to, the
following:
- Provisions
for the payment by the Owner of all applicable
fees, recoveries, development charges, parkland dedications (including cash-in-lieu)
and financial obligations related to applicable Developers Group
Agreements.
- That the
location, size and construction of all refuse storage areas and recycling
facilities, and arrangements for waste collection to be to the
satisfaction of the Town of Markham Waste Management Department.
- That the
site be designed to ensure that there is no permanent underground
encroachment into any municipal road right-of-way.
- That the
Owner shall provide and implement a comprehensive Green Infrastructure
plan to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of Development Services. The plan shall include the following
minimum elements - LEED gold certification, green roof technology on the
lower building elements, connection to the District Energy network, and
the provision of bicycle storage facilities.
- Provisions
to ensure implementation of the recommendations of the approved reports.
- Provisions
to secure implementation of the of the approved Transportation Demand
Management (TDM) plan.
- Provisions
for satisfying all requirements of Town departments and public agencies.
- Provisions
to ensure that any
restaurant uses are equipped with odour control units.
- Provisions
to ensure implementation of the recommendations of an Environmental Noise
and Vibration Feasibility Study.
- That the
Owner comply with all requirements of the Town
and authorized public agencies, including Power Stream to the satisfaction
of the Commissioner of Development Services.
- That the
Owner provide provided confirmation the height of
the buildings meets the requirements of Transport Canada, including
applicable warning clauses.
This
endorsement shall lapse and site plan approval will not be issued, after a
period of three years commencing on September 21, 2010, in the event that the
site plan agreement is not executed within that period.
File path:
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