February 8, 1999

To:Scarborough Community Council

From:Ted Tyndorf, MCIP, RPP

Director Community Planning, East District

Subject:Zoning By-law Amendment Application SZ98034

Sherway Centre Limited

55 Town Centre Court

Part of Blocks I and L, Registered Plan M-1410

City Centre

Scarborough City Centre

This report recommends amending the Progress Employment District Zoning By-law for the property located at 55 Town Centre Court, as shown on Figure 1, to permit educational and training facility uses in the existing office building.

Recommendations:

A.Zoning By-law

That Council amend the Employment Districts Zoning By-law No. 24982 (Progress), as amended, with respect to the lands located at 55 Town Centre Court, being Part of Blocks I and L, Registered Plan M-1410 as follows:

Additional Permitted Uses:

-Educational and Training Facility Uses

B.Miscellaneous

That Council authorize such unsubstantive, technical, stylistic or format changes to the Zoning By-law as may be required to give effect to this resolution.

Background:

Scarborough Community Council on December 9, 1998 considered a Preliminary Evaluation Report and directed that the Public Meeting, for consideration of this file, be targeted for the first quarter of 1999 subject to staff providing the required Notice.

The details of the building and parking supply are as follows:

*Lot presently located on the west side of Town Centre Court, and permitted until December 21, 2015 by way of minor variance.

Although the site enjoys office zoning, the applicant advises that there have been numerous requests to lease vacant space for educational and training facility uses. The Committee of Adjustment has on two separate occasions granted minor variance applications permitting educational and training facility uses on the subject site for temporary periods. One variance will expire in May 2005, and the other variance will expire in July 2008. Combined both minor variances have allowed 2 954 square metres (31,800 square feet) of the building's total floor area of 21 059 square metres (226,685 square feet), or 15 percent, to be used for educational and training facility uses. Educational and training facility uses have operated in the subject office building since January 1996 without any known adverse impacts.

This office building is located at a prominent entrance-way into the core of the City Centre and is strategically located between two RT stations (McCowan and Scarborough Centre). Accordingly, public transit service is available (RT and surface routes) to accommodate the expected number of students that would be generated by the addition of educational and training facilities to the list of currently permitted uses. The proximity of this office building to public transit also complies with the City's Official Plan (Scarborough) objective to foster and encourage a high degree of transit usage throughout the City Centre by optimizing the access between lands uses and the transit system.

The subject site is designated City Centre Uses in the City Centre Secondary Plan, which provides for all uses appropriate to form a business, cultural, social, recreational and governmental regional centre to serve primarily the eastern region. The existing City Centre Office (CCO) zoning permits offices and the following accessory uses; day nurseries, financial institutions, parking areas, personal service shops, recreational uses, restaurants and retail stores. Except for offices, day nurseries and parking areas, the list of permitted uses are allowed to a maximum gross floor area of 10 percent of the building's total gross floor area. Staff are proposing that no limitation be placed on the floor area dedicated to educational and training facility uses, since the proposed use functions similarly to an office.

Consistent with the City Centre Secondary Plan, the Zoning By-law establishes a parking standard for this site which requires a minimum of 1 parking space per 100 square metres (1,076 square feet) of gross floor area to a maximum of 3 parking spaces per 100 square metres (1,076 square feet) of gross floor area respectively for all uses. It is appropriate to regulate the parking for educational and training facility uses using the existing zoning standard.

The subject site is designated as a Site Plan Control area. There are no changes proposed for the building or parking area, and no Site Plan Control application is required.

In October 1995 Scarborough Council directed that the Commissioner of Planning and Buildings (now the Director of Community Planning, East District) to consider the addition of educational and training facility uses when making recommendations on the rezoning of office and commercial properties. In recent years, Scarborough Council approved educational and training facility uses in offices and plazas in a variety of locations throughout the former City of Scarborough.

It is in the best interests of the property owner, the business community and the City to see this building successfully leased. The addition of the proposed use at this City Centre location is not only suitable but would also provide the owner with more flexibility in leasing the existing office space. It would also create the opportunity to attract businesses which will serve the business community located in the City Centre, while diversifying business and employment opportunities. Therefore, staff support the request to broaden the range of permitted uses to include educational and training facility uses.

Contact Name:

Bill Kiru, MCIP, RPP

Planner, Community Planning Division

Scarborough Civic Centre

Telephone:(416) 396-7014

Fax: (416) 396-4265

E-mail:kiru@city.scarborough.on.ca

Respectfully submitted,

Ted Tyndorf, MCIP, RPP.

Director of Community Planning, East District

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