RECOMMENDATION
THAT the report entitled “Preliminary Report, Woodbine Cachet West Inc., Applications
for Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments, 2960 16th Avenue,
North Side of 16th Avenue, West of Woodbine”, be received (File Nos.
OP 03 119016 and ZA 03 119029);
AND THAT a Public Meeting be
held regarding the proposed Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is
to provide preliminary information regarding applications for Official Plan and Zoning By-law
Amendments submitted by Woodbine Cachet West Inc. for 2960 16th Avenue, and to recommend that a Public Meeting be
held.
BACKGROUND
Location and Property
The 7.6 hectare (18.78 acre) site is located at the north west corner of 16th and Woodbine
Avenues. There is a heritage building on
the property. The Daniel Quantz house (circa 1873) is listed
on the Markham Inventory of Heritage Buildings.
It is identified in the Woodbine North Planning District Secondary Plan
as a building having heritage significance.
Consequently, any development of the site should be respectful of the
heritage resource and the Cultural Heritage policies of the Woodbine North
Secondary Plan should continue to be applied to the property.
Area Context
The site forms
part of the Woodbine North employment lands, a large employment area located
between 16th Avenue and Major
MacKenzie Drive East. To the east, across Woodbine
Avenue is a retail shopping plaza,
which is designated Commercial (Community Amenity Area) in the Town’s Official
Plan. The lands to the west are being
used as a golf course. They are
designated Industrial (Business Park Area).
To the north is the developing community of Woodbine North and to the
south is the historic village of Buttonville.
Proposal
The applicant intends to develop the site for a major
food store, retail and automotive retail uses.
Amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law are required to
accomplish this. The Official Plan
Amendment proposes to re-designate the property from Business Corridor Area to
Major Commercial Area and the Zoning By-law amendment would re-zone the lands
from Select Industrial and Limited Commercial to a Major Commercial Zone
Category. The applicant has not
submitted a conceptual site plan, but in meetings with staff has displayed a
preliminary concept showing a retail shopping centre development.
The
site is zoned Select Industrial and Limited Commercial
The property is zoned Select Industrial and Limited
Commercial M.C. (60%) and M.C. (100%) by By-law 165-80, as amended. This zoning permits a range of Industrial
uses and, and a limited range of Commercial uses such as banks and professional
and business offices. The By-law, as
amended by By-law 246-97 also permits Public and Separate Secondary Schools.
Amending By-law 48-90 requires Industrial uses to be part of a mixed
Office/Industrial complex and prescribes a minimum Gross Floor Area to be
devoted to office space. Industrial uses
must also be setback at least 60 metres from Woodbine and 16th
Avenues.
Official
Plan policies for Business Corridor and Major Commercial Areas
The Town’s Official Plan contains a number of Land Use
Categories, which include Commercial and Industrial categories. These categories are further organized into
sub-categories of designations that include, amongst others, Business Corridor
Area (an industrial category) and Major Commercial Area (a commercial
category). In order to distinguish the
Land Use Categories from one another the Town’s Official Plan describes
specific category policies. The
following few sections compare extracts of these specific category policies
regarding the “Planned Function”, “Location Attributes” and “Land Use
Permissions and Exclusions” for the current Business Corridor Area and the
Major Commercial Area designation being requested by the applicant.
Planned
Function
The “Planned Function” characteristics of
the Business Corridor and Major Commercial Areas are described in the Town’s
Official Plan as follows:
A. Business Corridor Area Planned Function
i.
“High
quality business activities in corridors along major road frontages, primarily
adjacent to industrial areas. Business
Corridor Areas are intended for industrial and commercial uses that require the
exposure offered by such locations in order to accommodate the business and
service needs of companies and employees, and to accommodate at appropriate
locations certain businesses that may also serve the general public.”
B. Major Commercial Area Planned Function
i.
“To
provide for a large scale multi-purpose centre or area offering a diverse range
of retail, service, community, institutional and recreational uses serving a
major portion of the municipality and/or broader regional market. Major Commercial Areas shall serve as
identifiable destinations for major shopping needs, recreation, entertainment
and hospitality uses. This designation
is also intended to accommodate office development and medium and high density
housing at appropriate locations.”
The Business Corridor Area is intended
primarily as a commercial/industrial employment designation with retail and
service commercial only as a secondary component; whereas, the Major Commercial
Area designation, is intended as a regional shopping destination.
Location
Attributes
The “Location Attributes” of the Business
Corridor and Major Commercial Areas are described in the Town’s Official Plan
as follows:
A. Business Corridor Area Location Attributes
i.
“Generally,
this category will be applied to locations along major roads within, or at the
periphery of, industrial areas.”
B. Major Commercial Area Location Attributes
i.
“Development
shall be concentrated at key intersections of arterial roads and/or Provincial
Highways to conveniently serve many residential and business communities.
ii.
Sites
shall be served by principal transit routes, and preferably be at an
intersection with other public transit routes to provide the greatest possible
accessibility to the wider community.
Integration of transit facilities with the development shall be
encouraged.”
Business
Corridor Area lands typically locate adjacent or in close proximity to
office/industrial uses; whereas lands with a Major Commercial designation do
not require a close geographic proximity to any particular category or land use
designation and can generally stand alone as a Regional Centre.
Land
Uses Permissions and Exclusions
The “Land Uses Permissions and Exclusions”
of the Business Corridor and Major Commercial Areas are summarized from the
Town’s Official Plan as follows:
A. Business Corridor Area Land Uses Permissions and Exclusions
i.
Limits
retail premise size - generally individual premises are limited to not more
than 6,000 m2.
ii.
Automobile
repair uses prohibited.
iii.
Retail
and industrial uses involving accessory outdoor storage and display of
merchandise prohibited.
B. Major Commercial Area Land Uses Permissions and Exclusions
i.
Retail
premise size not limited.
ii.
Automobile
repair uses are allowed (subject to the review of a specific development
proposal and rezoning).
iii.
Retail
and industrial uses involving accessory outdoor storage and display of
merchandise is allowed (subject to the review of a specific development
proposal and rezoning).
The
Major Commercial designation, with no limit to the size of premise, allows a
full range of retail options and some opportunity for office commercial and
residential uses; whereas, the ancillary retail and personal services focus of
the Business Corridor designation is limited to premises generally less than
6,000 m2, as an amenity to employees and businesses located in the
area.
Criteria
to be used to delete lands from an Industrial Category
The Town’s Official Plan contains criteria
to be used to assess and evaluate applications to delete lands from an
Industrial Category, such as Business Corridor Area. Prior to making a decision to remove lands
from an Industrial Category, such as Business Corridor Area, Council should
have regard for the following:
i.
the
availability of other designated lands to accommodate the uses proposed, and
the effect of a change in designation on the supply of land in the categories
affected;
ii.
the
policies and urban design guidelines applicable to the uses and categories
proposed including:
-
locational
attributes;
-
compatibility
and complementarity of uses;
-
development
impacts on adjacent uses, particularly residential development;
-
traffic
impacts; and
-
the
character of existing and planned development in the immediate area.
iii.
limiting
the extension or introduction of strip retail development in favour of
infilling and mixing of uses in comprehensively designed and developed
projects; and
iv.
consistency
with the goals and objectives for industrial and commercial development and
related policies of this Plan.
Applications will be assessed having regard for the
above matters and the impacts of the change in category on the surrounding
area.
Criteria
to be used to assign a Commercial Category
The Town’s Official Plan Official Plan contains
criteria to be used to assess and evaluate applications to assign lands to a
Commercial Category, such as Major Commercial Area. In assigning Commercial Land Use categories,
such as Major Commercial Area Council shall:
i.
Consider
existing patterns of commercial development, the planned function and urban
design requirements of the categories, and the locational attributes of sites,
while ensuring compatibility with adjacent land uses; and
ii.
Ensure,
having regard for the planned function, use profile and urban design
requirements of each commercial land use category, that the categories are
appropriately located within the Town to adequately serve the needs of
residents, employees and businesses.
Applications will be assessed on a comprehensive basis
for the relevant surrounding area having regard for the above matters.
CONCERNS/ISSUES
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 subsequent staff
report(s) to be presented to Development Services Committee at a later date.
Proposal represents a
significant change in policy and built form
The proposed
change of Official Plan land use designation for this property from Business
Corridor Area to Major Commercial Area to permit a retail shopping centre represents a significant policy
change. The proposal, if approved, would
not only change the anticipated urban development pattern/character, including
traffic patterns of the area but would also result in a reduction of the supply
of “employment lands” in the Town. The
anticipated impacts of the proposal need to be closely evaluated to ensure that
the change does not compete with the Town’s long term urban development goals
and objectives. The built form
implications of the proposal are also of concern, as preliminary concept plans
indicate a conventional shopping centre format which is not the preferred
“gateway” image leading into the Woodbine North Business Park area or the
Buttonville Heritage Conservation District Study Area.
The proposal does not meet the provisions and intent of the Official
Plan
As mentioned
above the land use permissions and exclusions in the Business Corridor Area
designation limits retail premise size to a maximum of 6,000 m2,
prohibits automobile repair and prohibits accessory outdoor storage and display. However, in the Major Commercial Area
designation these same restriction do not apply. Planning staff are concerned with the
proposed change of use from uses that would primarily accommodate the business
and service needs of business and employees to uses that primarily serve the
general public.
A
large retailer would change the anticipated urban development pattern in the
area
A site of this size, with retail premises in excess of
6,000 m2, is quite likely to trigger other land use changes, thus
modifying the urban development pattern in the area, including vacant lands in
the Woodbine North Business Park Area and the character of the Buttonville
Heritage Conservation District Study Area.
Consequently, there is a need to proceed cautiously and review possible
impacts before decisions to allow retailers of this size are made.
Anticipated
traffic patterns in the area would change
A change in policy of this type would likely change
anticipated traffic patterns not only on the arterials roads but also on the
local roads in the area, thus impacting on the business activities and
residences in the area. Proposals of
this type draw shoppers from a larger trade area, travelling longer distances. A detailed review of the anticipated change
to the traffic patterns is required so that Town staff can fully understand the
impact on the community.
The proposal would reduce the amount of
Business Corridor Area lands in proximity to the Woodbine North Business Park
The
proposed change from Business Corridor Area to Major Commercial Area results in
a loss of office and industrial use location options for businesses that would
typically locate along a major road frontage near a Business Park. The remaining location options in the
immediate area are limited if this site is designated Major Commercial Area.
Business
Corridor Area commercial and industrial uses, on this site, would appropriately
supplement the prestige character of and uses in the Woodbine North Business
Park. Consequently, Planning staff are
concerned that the complementary role afforded this site, due to its adjacency
to the Business Park, may be lost, ultimately compromising the character of and
uses in the business park.
The
amount of vacant Business Corridor Area land would be reduced to 77.15 hectares
Planning staff are concerned with the potential loss
of “employment land”, should this application to re-designate the lands from
Business Corridor Area to Major Commercial Area occur. Changing the Official Plan designation of the
7.6 ha (18.78 acres) site would reduce the amount of vacant land designated
Business Corridor Area, in the Town, from approximately 84.75 hectares (209.41
acres) to approximately 77.15 hectares (190.64 acres), a decrease of
approximately 8.97%. Planning and
Economic Development staff have identified the need to retain existing
employment lands, and to seek opportunities for additional employment lands, in
order to meet employment targets and maintain a healthy live:work balance. (Land area figures are based on 2004 data.)
The Town has commissioned
a review of its Commercial Land Use policy structure
The Planning Department retained John Winter
Associates Limited, a retail consultant, to review and comment on the Town’s
Commercial Land Use policies. The
analysis included a review of evolving retail trends, the suitability of
current commercial designations in light of projected retail growth, the
appropriateness of specific retail policies in the Markham Official Plan and in
Secondary Plans.
The John Winter Associates’ study includes a review of
the large-format retail development policy provisions of the Official
Plan. It evaluates the appropriateness
of large-format retail development within the context of the Town’s overall retail
structure. The report identifies that
the planned function of Business Corridor lands should not be for large scale
retail, but for high quality business, primarily office with some retail and
service commercial ideally on the ground floor.
John Winter recommends a reduction in the maximum size of a retail
premise in a Business Corridor Area from the current 6,000 m2
(64,585 sq. ft) to 1,000 m2 (10,764 sq. ft.) with an exception for
office supply stores and computer software stores to 3,000 m2
(32,293 sq. ft.). The report also
concludes that the Town appears to have sufficient vacant retail land supply to
meet the broadly defined commercial needs of Markham to the year 2011, which is
the time horizon of the current Official Plan.
CONCLUSION
The issues
raised in this report include a concern for: significant policy change; built
form implications; potential changes to the urban development pattern in the
area; changes to traffic patterns in the area; and the loss of
employment-oriented lands to other uses.
Taken with the conclusions of the John Winter Associates’ study,
conversion of this site from Business Corridor Area to Major Commercial Area is
of concern to Planning Department staff.
Therefore, while it would be appropriate for Committee to schedule a
Public Meeting to receive public input on the proposal, the applicant and
Committee are advised that staff have concerns with the proposed policy
change. Staff would prefer to see uses
and built form on the site more in keeping with the current applicable Business
Corridor policies of the Official Plan.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
None
at this time.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
There are a few
trees at the south end of the site, in the area of Daniel Quantz Heritage
dwelling. A tree inventory and landscape
plan will be required as part of a site plan application. A site plan application has not been
submitted. Recommendations and comments
on Environmental issues will be incorporated into subsequent reports.
ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS
Accessibility
considerations will be reviewed as part of the site plan approval process for
any future development on the site..
ENGAGE 21st CONSIDERATIONS
There
are no Engage 21st considerations associated with this application
at the present time.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED
The proposal has been
circulated to other Town Departments and public agencies.
ATTACHMENTS
Figure
1 – Applicant/Agent + Location Map
Figure
2 – Area Context and Zoning
Figure
3 – Aerial Photo
Appendix ‘A’ –
Applicant’s Draft Official Plan Amendment
|
|
|
|
|
Valerie
Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director of Planning &
Urban Design
|
|
Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Commissioner of
Development Services
|
