September 3, 1998

To: East York Community Council - September 16, 1998

From: David Oikawa

East York Office

Subject: Applications for Official Plan and

Zoning By-law Amendments

By the Greek Orthodox Metropolis

86 Overlea Boulevard

East York File No. L.O. ZBA. 1/98

Purpose:

This is a report to the September 16, 1998 meeting of the East York Community Council. Its purpose is to provide Council with Staff recommendations on applications for Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments filed by M. Rendl Associates on behalf of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto. The applicants propose to convert approximately 1,815 m² (19,540.0 sq. ft.) portion of an existing 3,472 m² (37,375.0 sq. ft.) office building at 86 Overlea Boulevard to a theological school with living accommodations for up to 20 theological students, one residential suite for the Greek Orthodox Church’s archbishop and a small museum and chapel.

There are no financial implications.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that Council approve the Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendment applications by Martin Rendl Associates on behalf of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto, to permit the use of existing premises at 86 Overlea Boulevard, currently operating as a religious and administrative headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Church, for the following additional uses:

• one 300 m² maximum gross floor area residential suite located on the fourth floor of the premises and intended for the exclusive use of the churches religious and administrative chief;

• a 775 m² maximum gross floor area, theological seminary located on the second floor of the premises and capable of accommodating up to 20 seminarians; and,

• a 740 m² maximum gross floor area chapel and museum.

Introduction:

Additional relevant information concerning the project’s statistics, applicable planning framework etc., is contained in Staff’s July 28,1998, Report to the August 26, 1998 Community Information Meeting. That report, is attached to this report as Appendix # 1, and it should be read together with this September 3, 1998, report.

Proposal:

These applications by Martin Rendl Associates, on behalf of the Greek Orthodox Church of Toronto request Council’s approval of an Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments for an existing premises at 86 Overlea Boulevard. These premises are currently used as administrative offices for the Greek Orthodox Church of Canada. The amendments are required to allow the following additional uses:

• one 300 m² residential suite intended for the exclusive use of the church’s religious and administrative head. This residence is to be located on the fourth floor, and will adjoin the church’s administrative headquarters;

• a 775 m² theological teaching facility with accommodations for up to 20 seminarians. It is to occupy the entire second floor area of the building; and,

• uses ancillary to the primary office and teaching functions including a chapel and a museum.

Results of the August 26, 1998, Community Information Meeting:

This site is located within an industrial area which, during the formulation of this areas’ Official Plan policies, had been the subject of considerable dialogue between municipal planning staff and local stakeholders. At that time, Planning Staff assured these stakeholders that we intended to ensure that our Official Plan policies restrict this area to largely employment generating uses and protect its status as a municipal centre and a nucleus of the municipality’s employment activity. Thus, we considered it prudent to hold a Community Information Meeting to appraise them of this application and to obtain their input. The meeting was held on August 26, 1998. No one from the public attended the meeting.

Review of the Adequacy of the Proposed Parking -

The "Parking Demand Study" which was not available in time to be included in Staff’s July 28, 1998 report, has now been submitted. It was prepared by Entra Consultants Inc., and it was submitted for our review on August 26, 1998. The study estimates the maximum weekday peak period demand for parking to be 56 parking spaces. This demand is less than the existing supply of 70 parking spaces. Based on this information and given the requirements of East York’s Zoning By-law 1916 which equate to 63 parking spaces, the Transportation Engineer for the East York office has advised us that he considers the on-site parking supply to be sufficient.

.

Staff recommend these applications for approval, based on the following considerations:

• the proposed residential and educational uses are being requested as part of a larger package of uses, the majority of which comprise uses that are already permitted;

• the proposed uses are supportive of and related to the primary use as an administrative centre of the Greek Orthodox Church, whose operations, in many respects are not like those of other conventional offices. The church’s archbishop, for instance, also doubles as its chief executive and may be required to perform some of the functions of that position within a residential setting. Along the same lines, the seminary could be considered to be a training centre for the church’s religious and administrative operations and thus an integral part of it’s larger administrative operations;

• the site is located at the extreme periphery of the Overlea Boulevard business area and is separated from the majority of the area’s office-industrial uses by other intervening uses - i.e. a religious office and a church;

• the additional uses will not involve any alterations to the external appearance of the existing building nor require any changes to the site design, parking areas and entrance locations or landscaping; and,

• the existing parking supply is adequate to meet the expected parking demand.

In accordance with the provisions of the Planning Act, a copy of the proposed amendment to the municipal Official Plan must be available at the public meeting. A copy of this document, demonstrating how the Official Plan would be amended is attached as Appendix #2 to this report. The draft Zoning By-law amendment is likewise available and can be obtained from staff on request.

Contact Name:

Jean Besz,

Senior Planner East York Community Office

(416) 778-2045-tel no.

(416) 466-9877-fax

planning@borough.eastyork.on.ca

David Oikawa

Director of Planning

East York Office

JB/jb