August 26, 1999
To:North York Community Council
From:Rob Dolan
Director, Community Planning, North District
Subject:PRELIMINARY EVALUATION REPORT
ZONING AMENDMENT APPLICATION
Brown Dryer Karol
200 Finch Avenue West
Ward 10 - North York Centre
File #:UDZ-99-22
Purpose:
This is a preliminary evaluation of an application to amend the Zoning By-law to expand the list of permitted commercial
uses in the existing three-storey commercial building at 200 Finch Avenue West.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1)staff, in consultation with the local councillors, schedule a community consultation meeting with area residents;
(2) staff prepare a Final Report evaluating the application, and provide Notice of the Statutory Public Meeting at the
appropriate time; and
(3)the applicant be requested to submit a Site Plan Application and fee prior to the scheduling of a community
consultation meeting.
Background:
Proposal:
This rezoning application is for an existing three storey professional office building at 200 Finch Avenue West, which was
originally built in 1970 and added to in 1979. The building's overall gross floor area is 2,625.5 m2, and it has a total of 75
parking spaces, including 59 below-grade and 16 surface spaces.
The site has three frontages: Glenborough Crescent to the west, Grantbrook Avenue to the east, and Finch Avenue West to
the south. Single family detached houses on Glenborough and Grantbrook abut to the north. A small strip plaza is located
immediately east on Finch.
The application requests an expansion of the list of commercial uses permitted on the site, without any physical additions
to the existing built form.
While the sole use currently permitted is a Professional Office Building, the expanded use list is proposed to include:
business offices, financial institutions, personal service shops, dry cleaning establishments, professional medical offices,
commercial schools, clinics, retail stores, clubs, fitness centres, show rooms, and day nurseries.
Official Plan:
The site is subject to the Central Finch Area Secondary Plan, in which it is designated Central Finch Commercial
(CFCOM). This designation permits office and retail and service commercial uses, other than hotels and motels (as per Part
C.5, Section 2 of the Official Plan).
Lands designated CFCOM are governed by the following policies:
- a maximum height of 3 storeys or 11 metres, whichever is the lesser, for exclusively commercial buildings;
- a maximum commercial density of 1.0;
- a requirement that the lands along the north boundary of the site be landscaped in order to provide a buffer and
transition to the adjoining neighbourhood; and
- a requirement that main pedestrian access to commercial uses be from the sidewalk and accessible from grade level.
The existing building, which is not proposed to be altered, complies with the built form, density and landscaping
provisions noted above.
The expanded use list requested through this rezoning application conforms with the use provisions of the Secondary Plan,
although Council has the discretion to limit the permitted commercial uses to exclude specific uses that would be a
nuisance to adjacent properties, incompatible with the "Main Street" concept, or of a regional scale in character or size.
Zoning:
The site is subject to site-specific By-law No. 27550 (of the former City of North York), enacted in 1979. The by-law
changed the zoning classification of the site from R4 (One-family Detached Dwelling Fourth Density Zone) to C1 (General
Commercial Zone), with the provisions that:
- the sole use permitted is a Professional Office Building;
- the maximum height shall not exceed three storeys;
- side yards shall be provided in accordance with the by-law schedule;
- the maximum gross floor area shall not exceed 89% of the lot area;
- a minimum of 75 parking spaces shall be provided, with not less than 59 underground; and
- landscaping shall be provided in accordance with the by-law schedule.
This rezoning application seeks to expand the range of permitted uses to include the following, in addition to professional
offices: business offices, financial institutions, personal service shops, dry cleaning establishments, professional medical
offices, commercial schools, clinics, retail stores, clubs, fitness centres, show rooms, and day nurseries.
The applicant has advised that no alteration to the existing built form is proposed, and that all other existing by-law
requirements will be complied with, including parking.
In 1996, this site was the subject of a Committee of Adjustment application requesting a variance to permit the expanded
use list noted above. When the Committee refused the application on the basis that it was not minor in nature, the property
owner appealed the matter to the Ontario Municipal Board. The Board, in its written decision, advised that:
"the application was neither minor not appropriate until the access to and egress from the parking area was resolved. In
order to resolve this problem it, in the opinion of the Board, should be dealt with by Council via an amending zoning
by-law which will obviously require input from the neighbouring residents... The Board warned the residents who appeared
that the dismissal of this appeal should not be taken as a victory. It simply means the applicant has to take a different route
to try to achieve the new uses sought after."
Discussion:
Each of the proposed uses should be examined for the following potential impacts:
-traffic generated;
-impact (if any) of the new uses on the existing site circulation;
-sufficiency of parking; and
-environmental impacts such as noise, fumes, dust, wind or vibration.
In addition, the applicant should be requested to submit a Site Plan Application and fee prior to the scheduling of a
community consultation meeting. The application should focus on vehicular access and parking layout on the site, offering
improvements that could be made to accommodate the expanded list of uses, taking into account the Design and Layout
criteria set out in Section 4 of the Secondary Plan. In addition, the application should address opportunities to improve the
relationship of the ground floor to the abutting streets, especially Finch Avenue West.
Conclusions:
This application conforms with the density limits and permitted uses set out in the Official Plan. However, each of the
proposed new uses should be examined for the impacts noted directly above, and a Site Plan application should be
submitted in support.
Contact Name:
Anne Milchberg
Senior Planner, Community Planner
North District
Telephone: (416) 395-7129
Fax: (416) 395-7155
E-mail: amilchbe@toronto.ca
ROB DOLAN
Director, Community Planning
North District
APPENDIX
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