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February 3, 1998
To: Scarborough Community Council
From: Lorne Ross, MCIP, RPP.
Commissioner of Planning and Building
Subject: PRELIMINARY EVALUATION REPORT
Zoning By-law Amendment Application Z97040
Metropolitan Separate School Board
Mother Teresa Secondary School
40 Sewells Road
Scarborough Malvern
Purpose:
The Metropolitan Separate School Board (MSSB) has submitted a rezoning application to increase the maximum allowable gross floor area from 42.5 percent to 48 percent of the site area. This would allow for the continued presence of a locatable school building on the site.
Recommendations:
That Scarborough Community Council direct the Commissioner of Planning and Buildings to:
1. Continue discussions with the MSSB and Recreation, Parks and Culture staff regarding the provision of community recreation facilities, improving the appearance of the school and the provision of additional secondary school capacity.
2. Conduct a community information meeting, in consultation with the Ward Councillors for March 1998.
3. Report further to Council on further information and proposals arising from discussions with the MSSB and on comments raised at the community information meeting.
Background:
In 1987 a Arelocatable@ school building was installed on the vacant Mother Teresa Separate School site for the temporary housing of students of St. Bede Separate Elementary School in Malvern=s easterly neighbourhood. The City=s understanding with the MSSB was that when the St. Bede school was completed, the Arelocatable@ facility would be dismantled and moved off the site. Removal of the Arelocatable@ would allow for completion of a running track and playing field which were part of the approved site plan for the Mother Teresa School (Figure 2).
On June 15, 1988, the MSSB signed a Site Plan Control Agreement for the Mother Teresa school which was subsequently constructed. A time extension to the end of 1992 was given for completion of the site works specified in the agreement and for the continued school use of the Arelocatable@ building and portables. A minor variance to accommodate the increase in gross floor area for the secondary school, the relocatable building and 5 portables was also granted by the Committee of Adjustment, with a time limit of April 6, 1994.
On July 18, 1994, Council considered a report from staff concerning the relocatable buildings at this and another site. Council directed that the MSSB be requested to enter into a financially secured agreement with the City to specify the time period for removal of these buildings. Failing removal of the buildings, the City instructed staff to initiate legal action against the Board.
Discussions were unsuccessful in resolving the matter. The Board then applied for another variance to deal with the gross floor area issue. This was granted in 1995, for a three year period, subject to several conditions. The conditions included removal of the portable classrooms (since done) and exclusion of adult education programs. This variance expires in February of 1998.
The Metro Separate School Board now states that the relocatable school is required to serve the present and projected student enrolment. The current enrolment at the school is several hundred in excess of capacity. Further, it cannot find the estimated $320,000 cost of demolishing or
$1.2 million cost of relocating this structure (1994 estimates). Finally, the Board submits that the track and playing field are unbudgeted expenses which are not considered to be required elements of a secondary school by the Ministry of Education.
Comments:
By itself, this application seeks only to perpetuate the status quo. In the opinion of staff this would not adequately address important issues related to the Mother Teresa site, such as:
- addressing the run-down appearance of the relocatable building;
- the provision of long-term secondary school capacity to serve existing and proposed development in the Malvern Community; and
- the provision of recreational facilities which are needed by the community.
There is strong evidence that the community =s recreation needs have changed since the MSSB proposed a running track in 1986. Recreation staff now offer drop-in programs for youth
13-24 years of age at the Malvern Community Centre and at two public schools in the community. Basketball is a large component of these programs.
In recognition of the increasing popularity of the sport and the deficiency in the number of courts in the community, in 1996 the Recreation, Parks and Culture Department budgeted for the reconstruction of four of the eight outdoor tennis courts in the Recreation Centre for basketball courts. This proposal was not supported by the clubs and the Board of Education which use the tennis courts and was subsequently deferred by Council. The residents of the seniors apartment building to the west currently complain about the noise generated from the tennis courts. Basketball courts would increase the noise level.
This Department sees an excellent opportunity in the Mother Teresa site as an alternative location for these outdoor basketball courts. A running track located elsewhere in the community is not heavily used and there seems little justification now for another track on this site.
With respect to the locatable building itself, discussions were held between City and Board staff and the architect of the Mother Teresa school in 1996. The architect prepared a programme for the upgrading of the building =s appearance including painting, new lighting, tree planting and provision of sports facilities and a new parking lot. Some of these measures have been implemented.
Mother Teresa Secondary School now has an enrolment of over 100 students in excess of its capacity. Planning staff are currently dealing with applications by the Ontario Realty Corporation and others in Malvern which could collectively add a substantial number of students in the future.
Based on these considerations, it seems timely to reassess the situation with respect to the Mother Teresa School site to see what opportunities it may provide.
Conclusions:
My staff and that of the Recreation, Parks and Culture Department have had discussions with MSSB staff to explore opportunities for rehabilitation of the relocatable building and improved landscaping in conjunction with new facilities for basektball. I am recommending that, should these discussions prove successful, that a community information meeting be held to present new proposals for the site.
I will report back to Council on the outcomes of the discussions and community information meeting.
Contact Name:
David Beasley
Principal Planner
Telephone: (416)396-7026
Facismile: (416)396-4265
E-mail: beasley@city.scarborough.on.ca
Respectfully submitted,
Lorne Ross, MCIP, RPP
Commissioner of Planning and Building
Functional Lead - Planning
DB/mk
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