June 19, 1998

 To:Scarborough Community Council

 From:Lorne Ross, MCIP, RPP

Commissioner of Planning and Buildings

 Subject:City-initiated Official Plan Amendment Application W98009

Ellesmere Employment District

Scarborough Wexford Malvern

 Purpose:

 This report presents recommendations to amend the Scarborough Official Plan, specifically Schedule "C", the Roads Plan, to identify a new road connection linking the eastern terminus of Metropolitan Road southerly to Warden Avenue through Continental Place, as shown.

 Recommendations:

 It is recommended that City Council:

 (A)Official Plan:

 amend Schedule "C" of the Official Plan, the Roads Plan of the former City of Scarborough, by identifying a new 23 metre (75 foot) road right-of-way connection linking the eastern terminus of Metropolitan Road southerly to Warden Avenue through Continental Place, and by amending Schedule "A" of the Official Plan, the Land Use Plan, to also reflect the proposed road; and

 (B)authorize such unsubstantive technical, stylistic or format changes to the Official Plan amendment as may be required to properly carry out the intent of this resolution.

 Background:

 In September 1997, the Council of the former City of Scarborough considered a preliminary report on Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendment applications for the vacant Ontario Hydro lands on the east side of Warden Avenue south of Metropolitan Road. (Those lands were declared surplus by Hydro in 1996 and subsequently tendered for sale. The applications propose commercial development on the Warden frontage with industrial and vehicle service and repair uses toward the rear. A Public Meeting on the applications is also scheduled on this agenda.)

 Council at that time saw an opportunity to develop a new road in the area that could provide frontage for the proposed industrial user on the former Hydro corridor and additional frontage for other vacant lands in the vicinity in the future. The City already owns a 24 m (80 ft.) wide strip that runs between 41 Metropolitan Road (iCom Information and Communications Inc.) and 100 Metropolitan Road (Zellers Inc. Distribution Centre) southerly from the eastern terminus of Metropolitan Road to the eastern extremity of the Hydro corridor adjacent to the CP rail line.

 With the concurrent applications on the former Hydro lands, there is an opportunity through conveyance to extend this strip to facilitate a looped connection to Warden Avenue through Continental Place, as has already been informally presented to staff by the owners of land surrounding Continental Place, Pensionfund Realty Ltd. (Morguard Investments Ltd.). Council therefore, in directing the normal processing of the applications on the Hydro corridor, further directed that an amendment to Schedule "C", the Roads Plan of the Official Plan, be initiated to identify such a new road link in the Plan.

 The Official Plan designates most of the subject lands General Industrial Uses permitting industrial, office, education and training, recreation, technical research and development, and subordinate incidental retailing. The eastern end of Continental Place is also designated High Performance Standards permitting possible use, siting, landscaping, parking, exterior materials, signs and screening limitations. The area north of the Hydro corridor is also designated to permit Vehicle Service and Repair Uses. The remainder of the land is Ontario Hydro Corridor, providing for the primary transmission of the public utility, with limited secondary uses permitted which include parking lots, walkways, bikeways, gardening plots and recreational uses.

 The subject lands have various zoning under the Employment Districts Zoning By-law. The lands south of the Hydro corridor on Continental Place are Industrial (M) permitting industrial uses, offices, educational and training uses and day nurseries. The same uses are permitted under the General Industrial (MG) zoning north of the corridor, together with open storage. Additionally, Vehicle Service Uses (VS) zoning permits vehicle repair and service garages, sales and service station uses north of the corridor. The Public Utilities (PU) zoning on the former Hydro corridor permits public utilities, pipelines and horticulture. Public streets are permitted in all zones.

 Comments:

 1.This City-initiated application was circulated to various agencies, none of whom have expressed concerns. Statutory Public Notice has been provided to all assessed persons within 120 m (400 feet) of the subject property. Notice of the City's initiative was also provided to affected abutting owners (Ontario Hydro, iCom, Zellers, Pensionfund and CPR) who have not responded with concerns to date.

 2.The current City ownership north of the former Hydro corridor is 24 m (80 ft.) in width. Transportation staff advise that given the function of this road, a 23 m (75 ft.) right-of-way will be sufficient for the proposed future road..

 3.There are benefits to considering this road connection. This would complete a collector road system for this portion of the Employment District and improve traffic operations on Warden Avenue, particularly for the intersection with Metropolitan Road which provides the only means of egress to Warden Avenue for most businesses on that street. In addition, this road would provide approximately 915 m (3,000 ft.) of additional frontage to enable redevelopment and intensification opportunities for the adjacent properties, which would assist in promoting needed business development in this City.

4.The September 1997 direction of the former City of Scarborough Council was for an amendment to the Schedule "C" Roads Plan. Most people consulting the Official Plan, however, generally refer to the various Secondary Plans and rarely the Roads Plan. To better inform parties interested in the planning for this portion of the Employment District in future, I feel it appropriate that the Ellesmere Employment District Secondary Plan also be modified to reflect the proposed new road connection, in the same manner as "proposed roads" are indicated in the Neilson and Rouge Employment District Secondary Plans.

 Contact Name:

 Rod Hines, Principal Planner

Phone: (416) 396-7020

Fax: (416) 396-4265

E-Mail: hines@city.scarborough.on.ca

Lorne Ross, MCIP, RPP

Commissioner of Planning and Buildings