RECOMMENDATION:
That a Public
Meeting be held to consider the zoning by-law amendment application submitted
by 1612861 Ontario Limited to permit a banquet hall at 361 John Street, located
east of Bayview Avenue on the south side of John Street within the Thornhill
Secondary Plan Area.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report
is to provide preliminary information regarding applications submitted by 1612861
Ontario Limited for a zoning by-law amenment and site plan approval to permit a
banquet hall at 361 John Street, and to recommend that a Public
Meeting be held to consider the zoning application.
BACKGROUND:
Subject lands and area context
The
subject lands are approximately 0.54 hectares (1.33 ac) in area and contain an
existing vacant industrial building. The
subject lands are municipally identified as 361 John Street and are situated within
the Thornhill Secondary Plan Area (please refer to Figure 1).
Adjoining
the property are:
- The Canadian National Railway (CNR) line
to the south
- A single tenant industrial building to
the north (Canac Kitchens)
- Industrial buildings to the east and
west
Official Plan and Zoning
The
subject lands are designated “Industrial” in the Official Plan. This designation is further refined by the
Thornhill Secondary Plan to “Business Corridor Area – John Street/Green Lane”. The “Business Corridor Area” designation in
the Thornhill Secondary Plan provides for the banquet hall use that is being
proposed by 1612861 Ontario Ltd.
By-law amendment required to a banquet hall
The
lands are zoned “Industrial” (M) by By-law 77-73, as amended, which permits a
variety of both heavy and light industrial uses. An amendment is required to permit the
proposed banquet hall use (Figure 2).
The
requested By-law amendment would rezone the lands to permit the banquet hall
use that is being proposed. A companion
site plan has been submitted for the proposal (Figure 4).
POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF APPROVAL OF THE
PROPOSAL:
The
potential benefits of the proposed development are as follows:
- The banquet hall will help meet the
needs of both nearby residents and members of the general public who will
use the facility for a variety of purposes such as weddings, parties, business
conferences, etc. As such, the
proposal will also help to foster the growth of Markham’s Hospitality Sector.
- The proposed amendment will allow for a
use that is currently not permitted on the property and, as such, has the
potential of increasing the functionality of a currently vacant industrial
building.
CONCERNS/ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED:
The following is a brief summary of
concerns/issues raised to date. 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 at a later date.
Number of parking spaces available for
members of the public
The
number of parking spaces that are required for the proposed banquet hall use
has been calculated at 136 spaces. Presently,
there are 91 spaces on the site. This
number is further impacted by a provision in the zoning by-law which stipulates
that the minimum required setback for a building on John Street may be reduced provided
that the yard adjoining John Street is used for no purpose
other than landscaped open space. Since
there are currently nine (9) parking spaces located in the front yard of the
subject lands, the number of parking spaces that can be provided on site is
further reduced to 82 spaces, 54 spaces deficient from By-law requirements. Amending the By-law to permit parking in the
front yard is an option to be examined. To
address this issue, the Applicant will have to reduce the net floor area of the
building that is dedicated to the proposed banquet hall use and bring it in
line with the actual number of parking spaces provided.
In order
to reduce the net floor area that is dedicated to the proposed banquet hall
use, the Applicant will have to ensure that there is a physical interior
separation creating a separate industrial unit within the building. A separate exterior entrance leading into
this unit will also be required. In
addition, a certain number of parking spaces will be required to support this separate
unit and calculations determining the number of required spaces will be
determined upon its net floor area.
Ensuring that an adequate number of parking spaces are provided for both
the proposed banquet hall use and the separate industrial unit may prove to be
an issue that might require additional consideration. The Applicant may also wish to consider
demolition of a portion of the building to reduce the banquet hall floor space
and increase the area available for parking.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
None at this time.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
All Town
departments and external agencies have been circulated with these applications
and all comments will be considered in a final report.
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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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DOCUMENT: Q:\Development\Planning\APPL\ZONING\ZA 04
029181\Preliminary report.doc
ATTACHMENTS: Figure 1 –
Applicant/Agent and Location Map
Figure
2 – Area Context and Zoning
Figure
3 – Air Photo
Figure
4 – Site Plan
APPLICANT/AGENT: Joseph
D. Battaglia Architects
Attn: Joseph Battaglia
5631 Yonge St., Unit B1
Richmond Hill, ON
L4C
0M5
Phone
# (905) 508-2168
Fax
# (905) 508-5802
