RECOMMENDATION:
That a Public Meeting be held to consider the official plan amendment
application (OP.04-013980), submitted by Minto Markham Partnership to
redesignate the subject lands from Neighbourhood Commercial to Low Density
Housing.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is
to provide preliminary information regarding an official plan amendment
application submitted by Minto Markham Partnership and to recommend that a
statutory public meeting be held to consider this application.
BACKGROUND:
The subject lands consist of approximately
0.77 hectares (1.9 acres) located at the northwest corner of Rouge Bank Drive and 9th Line
(Figure 1) in the Legacy Community. The
property is currently vacant with no vegetation or natural features (Figure
3).
The subject property is bounded to the north
and to the south, across Rouge Bank Drive, by existing single
detached houses and to the west by a neighbourhood park and a vacant parcel of
land, which has been purchased by York District School Board to be developed as
a public elementary school. The property
is bounded to the east across 9th Line by vacant lands, which
recently received draft plan approval (Box Grove Hill Developments Inc. &
Box Grove North & Box Grove Centre Inc.) to permit single/semi-detached
houses, employment uses, and a community park.
The lands directly to the east across 9th Line are proposed
to be rezoned to permit a place of worship.
Proposal to redesignate the lands from
Neighbourhood Commercial to Low Density Housing
The subject property is designated as Urban Residential by the Official
Plan and Neighbourhood Commercial by the Rouge Northeast Secondary Plan. The
intent of the Neighbourhood Commercial designation is to accommodate
convenience commercial uses to primarily serve the surrounding residential
area. The applicant is proposing to redesignate the lands from Neighbourhood
Commercial to Low Density Housing, which would permit single detached,
semi-detached, and street townhouses units.
The applicant has indicated that the lands could accommodate
approximately 10 single detached dwelling units, but no conceptual plans have
been submitted at this time.
It should be noted that throughout the Box Grove Secondary Plan process,
the applicant’s position has been that the parcel’s viability as a commercial
site would be compromised by any shift of the 9th Line alignment,
and that the property should be redesignated to residential. The proposed realignment of the 9th
Line is discussed in greater detail below.
OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:
Zoning By-law Amendment will also be
required for residential development
The subject lands are currently zoned Neighbourhood Commercial
One*17-Hold [NC1*17(H)], under By-law 177-96, as amended. The exception (*17) applying to these lands
restrict the size of the lot to a maximum of 0.8 hectares (1.97 acres). If the current official plan amendment
application is successful the site may be rezoned to permit residential uses.
Commercial policy review recommends reserving Neighbourhood Commercial
areas within Secondary Plans
The Town is
currently in the process of reviewing Official Plan polices related to
commercial uses. The report entitled,
“Markham’s Commercial Policy Review” received by the Development Services
Committee on May 18, 2004 recommended review of a number of commercial
policies, including review of policies related to Neighbourhood Commercial
uses. Council has referred this item to
a Special Subcommittee, and requested that staff report back in the fall.
With respect to
neighbourhood commercial uses, the report recommends that staff identify key
locations within Secondary Plans where a minimum number of Neighbourhood
Commercial and Community Commercial facilities should be provided, in order to:
- Create a strong sense of place in the community through the
development of walk to commercial centres as focal points. These locations are to be generally
located at the intersection of various streets or arterial roads.
- Pursue small neighbourhood retail focus/community gathering places
in a central location.
Council’s
Strategic Priorities for 2004 also identify a need for commercial centres as
focal points within communities in Markham where
possible.
The Rouge
Northeast Secondary Plan (Legacy Community) identifies the subject property and
the existing Club House within the IBM golf course as Neighbourhood Commercial
Centres. It should be noted that a
portion of the Club House currently functions as a Community Centre (Rouge
River Community Centre) with meeting rooms and a public swimming pool, but
there is no indication that it will be developed as a neighbourhood commercial
centre in the future. Given the above,
the retention or elimination of the Neighbourhood Commercial designation on the
subject parcel, to serve the Legacy Community with local convenience commercial
uses, requires careful review.
Access to 9th Line will be eliminated when the 9th
Line By-Pass is constructed
The property
currently has access onto Rouge Bank Drive and 9th
Line. The 9th Line is
proposed to be realigned south of Highway 407 to the east around the existing
Box Grove Hamlet, and this By-Pass is expected to be completed by spring
2006. When the 9th Line
By-Pass is constructed, access from the property to 9th Line will be
eliminated (Figure 4). The viability of
this commercial site may be affected by the lack of visibility from a major
road such as 9th Line By-Pass.
Also, when the 9th Line By-Pass is completed, the 9th
Line right-of-way north of Rouge Bank Drive will no longer be required for road purposes by the Region of York and
would be downloaded to the Town. A
portion of these lands may be needed to provide a road connection to a future
transitway proposed west of 9th Line, south of Highway 407, within
the Legacy Secondary Plan area. If not
required for access to a future 407 transitway, the lands could be deemed
surplus and made available for purchase by adjoining landowners.
Staff will investigate opportunity of
exchanging land use permissions with the place of worship site east of the
property
The lands immediately to the east (Box Grove Hill Developments Inc.
& Box Grove Hill North & Box Grove Centre Inc., and Animate
Construction Ltd.) of the subject property are currently zoned to permit a
place of worship. Exchanging land use
permissions (Neighbourhood Commercial) on the subject property with the place
of worship site to the east, would again locate the neighbourhood commercial
site at the intersection of the future 9th Line By-Pass and Rouge Bank Drive. Staff will investigate the opportunity of exchanging
the land uses on these two blocks.
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. Such issues
may include, but are not limited to:
·
Impact of eliminating the
subject neighbourhood commercial site
·
Need for neighbourhood
commercial shopping facilities in this area
·
Explore feasibility of
Neighbourhood Commercial land use exchange with the Place of Worship site to
the east (or an alternative site) to service the Legacy Community
·
Recommendations of the Commercial
policy review with respect to Neighbourhood Commercial uses and Council 2004
priority of developing community focal points.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
There are no financial implications for the Town in
this report.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The applications were circulated to internal
departments (Fire, Building, Engineering, Design, Waste Management), and
external agencies for comments.
Public Meeting should be held to obtain pubic input
It
would be appropriate to hold a Public Meeting to obtain comments on the
official plan amendment application.
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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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FIGURE
1
FILE:
Q:\Development\Planning\APPL\OPAPPS\04 013980 Minto Markham\DSC_June15.dot
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure 1: Location Map
Figure 2: Area Context/Zoning
Figure 3: Aerial Map
Figure 4: Relocation of 9th Line
