MEMORANDUM

TO: Mayor and Members of Council

FROM: Jim Baird, Commissioner of Development Services

Valerie Shuttleworth, Director of Planning and Urban Design

PREPARED BY: Dave Miller, Coordinator, Special Projects

DATE: December 13, 2005

RE: Sky Homes (formerly Caster Developments Inc.) and Centennial Community Baptist Church

8232 McCowan Road and part of 8176 McCowan Road

Draft Plan of Subdivision and Zoning By-law Amendment

19TM-040002 File Nos. SU 04 009913 and ZA 04 009915

Background

On December 6, 2005 Development Services Committee received a staff recommendation report entitled “Recommendation Report, Sky Homes (formerly Caster Developments Inc.) and Centennial Community Baptist Church, 8232 McCowan Road and part of 8176 McCowan Road, Draft Plan of Subdivision and Zoning By-law Amendment, 19TM-040002 File Nos. (SU 04 009913 & ZA 04 009915) ”.

Development Services Committee received correspondence from the South Unionville Community Association stating concerns regarding the proposed development. (See attached e-mail dated December 5, 2005 and letter dated December 6, 2005). Mr. Ming Chiu, representing the adjacent property owner, also made a deputation outlining some concerns. Consequently, Committee asked staff to meet with representatives of the South Unionville Community Association and Mr. Ming Chiu and to provide an update regarding their concerns.

Comment

Development Services staff met with Ms. Bev MacDonald and Mr. Chris Sauer, representatives of South Unionville Community Association on Wednesday, December 7, 2005.

Prior to the meeting with the representatives of the South Unionville Community Association staff spoke on the phone with Mr. Chris Sauer and Ms. Martha Mingay (the association’s solicitor) about the concerns raised in the December 5, 2005 e-mail. Staff explained:

that the TRCA has reviewed the proposal and provided Draft Approval conditions with respect to Special Policy Area requirements;
that the 8.5 metre future access (Block 37) is proposed to be a private drive, not a public street, to provide private access from Street ‘A’ to future medium density residential on the lands comprised of 8192 and 8202 McCowan Road and Block 36;
the conditions of Draft Approval include a requirement for the owner to submit landscape and tree preservation plans;
that the elementary school, conceptually shown, south of South Unionville Avenue has been re-located to a more central location within the Secondary Plan area (the Sky Homes lands to the north were never shown as a school site in the Secondary Plan);
that the Fire Department had been consulted about the width of Laneway ‘A’ right-of-way, which meets our normal 7.5 metre requirement; and
that the Street ‘A’ 17 metre right-of-way conforms to Town standards.

At the December 7, 2005 meeting with Ms. MacDonald and Mr. Sauer staff discussed a number of further issues including:

the conveyance of the valley land plus 10 metre buffer and the removal of the existing dwelling;
the South Unionville parkland strategy, including the relocation of the elementary schools;
that money contributed by developers for cash-in-lieu of park land, is being held by the Trustee for the South Unionville Landowners Group and is expected to be used for park purposes in South Unionville;
tree preservation and naturalization of the valley buffer (removal of the dwelling and the restoration of the buffer to a natural state is a condition of Draft Approval).

Staff have agreed to provide updates and meet with representatives of the South Unionville Community Association, as the owner works to clear the conditions of Draft Approval. Staff will ensure that copies of the landscape and tree preservation plans are provided to the Community Association for comment. Staff will also forward a copy of the draft plan of subdivision, that includes, amongst other redline revisions the Regional Storm Flood elevation line of 172.3 metres above sea level, to the Community Association. A copy of the South Unionville Planning District Master Land Use Plan has been provided to Mr. Sauer.

A copy of this memo has been sent to Mr. Sauer by e-mail.

Staff also met with Mr. Ming Chui, who represents the owners of 8192 and 8202 McCowan Road, on Thursday December 8, 2005. Mr. Chui’s concerns are primarily related to opportunities to obtain future access to these properties through the Sky Homes development.

The proposed draft plan of subdivision protects for a private 8.5 metre wide future access block (Block 37) that connects from Street ‘A’ to the west side of 8202 McCowan Road. Town staff anticipate that this future access block (Block 37), a 0.06 hectare (0.14 acre) future development block (Block 36) and of 8192 and 8202 McCowan Road will be combined to form a single development parcel. These lands are designated Medium Density I Housing. (See attached.)

To develop a comprehensive proposal for these properties the owners will have to cooperate. Staff have indicated that they are willing to facilitate discussions about the development of these lands.

The Clerk’s Department also received a copy of a letter from Su Li Hou to Mr. Daniel Musso (a lawyer fro Sky Homes) dated December 5, 2005 requesting that the turning radius on Block 37 be changed to 15 metres. Staff advised Mr. Chui that the turn in the private road should not occur on the Sky Homes draft plan but on the 8192 and 8202 McCowan Road lands.

The local Councillor has been informed of the discussions with South Unionville Community Association and Mr. Chui.

Staff are of the opinion that the South Unionville Community Association and Mr. Chui now more fully understand the recommendations and draft conditions contained in the report and that staff will keep them informed as the development progresses.

The Development Services Committee December 6, 2005 recommendation to Council to approve the draft plan, subject to conditions should be endorsed.

c. Mr. Chris Sauer

Mr. Ming Chui

Attch.

Q:\Development\Planning\APPL\SUBDIV\04 009913 Sky Homes (Caster)\memo to Council December 13 2005.doc