RECOMMENDATION:
That a Public Meeting be
held to consider the Zoning Amendment application (ZA 04 011184) submitted by
Blush Bridal Boutique, to permit a temporary retail use at 7693 Kennedy Road.
PURPOSE:
Blush Bridal Boutique has submitted a zoning by-law amendment
application to permit a temporary retail use of a bridal salon within the
existing residential building. The
purpose of this report is to provide preliminary information on the application
and to recommend that a statutory public meeting be held to consider the rezoning
application to permit a temporary use.
BACKGROUND:
Property and Area Context
The subject property is located on the east side of Kennedy Road between
14th Avenue and Lee Avenue, and is 0.218 ha (0.54 acres) in area
(See Figure 1). A vacant single-family
dwelling is situated on the property.
The site contains a number of mature trees and other vegetation,
particularly along the southerly property line and at the rear of the property. The site is accessed by an existing driveway
from Kennedy Road.
The property abutting to the north contains a heritage house and
commercial operation owned by the applicant, and further north is a Bell Canada
switching station. Immediately to the
south is a vacant property, which was recently acquired by the applicant, and
further south is an existing local commercial plaza. To the east are existing single detached
residential dwellings and to the west, across Kennedy Road, is the Milliken Mills Community
Centre and existing commercial/office buildings (Figure 2 & 3).
Proposal to permit a temporary
retail use within the existing residence
The
applicant has requested a temporary zoning by-law amendment to permit a retail
use (a bridal salon) within the existing residential dwelling for a period of
three (3) years. There are no external
changes proposed to the building or the site, with the exception a small
gravelled area, located at the rear of the property, for four parking
spaces. All trees and hedges are to be
retained (Figure 4).
As
noted previously, the applicant also owns the abutting properties to the north
and south (7703 and 7861 Kennedy Road).
In 1990, Council approved Official Plan, Secondary Plan and Zoning
By-law amendments and granted site plan approval to convert the existing
heritage residence on the northerly property into a bridal salon and flower
shop. Over the past 14 years the
applicant’s business has outgrown the heritage building. The applicant would therefore like to use the
existing house on the subject property to expand the current operation, while
they examine permanent options for business expansion, including the
feasibility of a comprehensive redevelopment of all three properties.
Official Plan and Zoning
The Official Plan designates the subject property as Urban Residential,
which is intended to be used for housing and related purposes. However, the Official Plan has provisions
that would allow Council to pass a by-law to authorize temporary use of land,
buildings or structures for an appropriate purpose provided that the proposed
use is of a temporary nature and does not entail any major construction or
investment on the part of the owner. In
addition, Council may extend a zoning by-law permitting a temporary use for
further periods of up to three years each, provided such extension does not
jeopardize the long term development potential of the subject lands as
specified in the Official Plan or Secondary Plan. The applicant is not proposing any
significant alterations on the property or to the existing building; therefore,
the proposal would conform to the Official Plan’s temporary use policies.
The property is currently zoned “Suburban Residential Third Density’
(SUR3) under By-law 193-81, as amended.
The current zoning permits single-family detached dwelling and home
occupation, but does not include permission for a retail use. The proposed zoning amendment would add a
retail use to the list of permitted uses on the property for a period of three
(3) years to accommodate the proposed retail use on a temporary basis.
POTENTIAL
BENEFITS OF APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSAL:
The proposed temporary use would allow an established business
in the Town of Markham to expand and continue to grow
without incurring major construction and investment costs, while the Owners
review long term options for business expansion.
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. Issues identified to date
include:
- Appropriateness of the proposed temporary
use in relation to surrounding uses.
- Impacts of the proposed development on
adjacent uses, particularly the residential development to the east.
FINANCIAL
CONSIDERATIONS:
No financial impacts are present at this time.
ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSIDERATIONS:
There are no significant environmental issues at this time.
ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:
Accessibility considerations will be reviewed as part
of a site plan approval process or in conjunction with future redevelopment of
the subject lands.
BUSINESS UNITS
CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The
application was circulated to all Town departments and external agencies, and
their recommendations/comments will be incorporated in the 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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FILE PATH:
Q:\Development\Planning\APPL\ZONING\04 011184 - blush
bridal salon\preliminary report.doc
ATTACHMENTS: Figure 1 –
Location Map
Figure
2 – Area Context and Zoning
Figure
3 – Aerial Photo
Figure
4 – Site Plan
AGENT: Mr. Ben Quan
QX4
Investments Ltd. - Consulting Services
17 Bauer Crescent
Markham ON L3R 4H3
Tel:
416-564-0351, Fax: 905-479-4517
Figure 1
