March 18, 1998
To: Scarborough Community Council
From: Lorne Ross, MCIP, RPP.
Commissioner of Planning and Buildings
Subject: PRELIMINARY EVALUATION REPORT
Official Plan Amendment Application SP98004
Zoning By-law Amendment Application SZ98011
First Alliance Church
3250 Finch Avenue East
Block R, Registered Plan M-1391 and
Part of Lot 33, Concession 4
L=Amoreaux Community
Scarborough Agincourt
Purpose:
The above applications have been filed by the First Alliance Church (Eastern Canadian District of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada), purchaser of abutting lands from Ontario Hydro, to enable redevelopment of the combined holding with a 4 875 square metre (54,475 square foot) addition to the existing place of worship, and a 54 unit, seven storey apartment building (see Figure 2). A total of 200 surface parking spaces would be provided together with a currently unknown amount of underground parking.
Recommendation:
1. That staff process the applications in the normal manner and convene a community information meeting with notice to be provided to assessed property owners and community associations within 120 metres (400 feet);
2. That Scarborough Community Council convene a Public Meeting to consider these applications during the second quarter of 1998; subject to the applicant:
1) Clarifying whether an increased building height limit is sought under the requested Medium Density Residential designation or whether the current four storey limitation will be satisfied;
2) Submitting a Site Plan Control application for the proposed development;
3) Clarifying all proposed uses and their floor areas within the Place of Worship and submitting a parking demand analysis for the overall development.
Background:
1. Following a year of land use review of the corridor which the City commenced in May, 1996, the former Scarborough City Council in September, 1997 approved Official Plan Amendment 1001 which added an Open Space designation to the existing Ontario Hydro Corridor designation, and which designated three Special Study Areas, including the corridor portion of the subject site. The amendment also provided for ACouncil=s consideration of applications for a Place of Worship@ within these Special Study Areas . The amendment was approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on December, 1997 and has been referred to the Ontario Municipal Board by Ontario Hydro. A pre-hearing conference on that amendment has now been scheduled by the Board for Friday, May 1, 1998 in the Scarborough Civic Centre, with the full hearing anticipated this fall.
2. The First Alliance Church has joined in the appeal of Official Plan Amendment 1001, objecting to the Special Study Area designation. The church is seeking Medium Density Residential and Place of Worship designations to enable the existing site and the lands acquired from Ontario Hydro to be used for the expanded place of worship and residential use now being purposed.
The church=s site is zoned Place of Worship (PW), while the corridor lands are presently zoned Agricultural Uses (Ag) permitting agricultural uses as an interim use including only field and berry crops, flower gardening and livestock grazing, and day nurseries.
3. The current proposal does not incorporate a 13.75 metre (45 foot) wide pipeline easement down the west side of the corridor in favour of Consumers Gas, which is negotiating purchase of the easement from Ontario Hydro separately. (Under the Planning Act, Ontario Hydro, like a municipality, does not need consent approval for this purpose.) Similarly, it appears the church will be assuming a lease to Mediacom Inc. by Ontario Hydro for a pylon sign on the Finch Avenue frontage, which expires in February, 2006. Third party signs are permitted under the current Agricultural Uses zoning of the corridor.
Comments:
1. The current proposal responds closely to the June, 1997 land use concept developed by staff for the corridor. The former Scarborough City Council did not include the subject lands in the Open Space designation and established the Special Study Area policy instead, as it was intended that proposed Places of Worship would be considered in response to specific applications. The City now has such applications, and I believe there is every reason to process them in the normal manner and proceed to a Public Meeting within the second quarter of this year.
2. The proposed 54 apartment units represents a density of 35.3 units per hectare (14.3 units per acre) which is well within the Medium Density Residential limits of the Official Plan, however the maximum 4 storey height limit under the Plan would be exceeded. The siting and massing of the building, and its relationship with neighbouring uses particularly need to be addressed. Similar concerns arise with respect to the expanse of surface paving proposed and adequacy of the proposed parking supply, particularly since approximately 350 parking spaces to fully satisfy the City=s requirements will likely have to be provided underground. In this regard I believe it appropriate to require submission of a Site Plan Control application as a condition for the further processing of the subject applications, in order to better assess this proposal.
Contact Name:
Rod Hines, Principal Planner
(416) 396-7020
(416) 396-4265 Fax Number
hines@city.scarborough.on.ca
Lorne Ross, MCIP, RPP
Commissioner of Planning and Buildings
RGH/
