STAFF REPORT
November 12, 1999
To: Scarborough Community Council
From: Ted Tyndorf
Director of Community Planning, East District
Subject: PRELIMINARY EVALUATION REPORT
Official Plan Amendment Application SC-P19990018
Zoning By-law Amendment Application SC-Z19990036
Shell Canada Products Limited
3101 Victoria Park Avenue
Part of Lot 35, Concession 3
L'Amoreaux Community
Scarborough Wexford
Purpose:
This report provides a preliminary evaluation of the applications to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law for the
property on the southeast corner of Victoria Park Avenue and Finch Avenue East, to permit retail sales and an automatic
car wash in addition to currently permitted automobile service stations. The proposal involves demolition of the existing
automobile service station building and construction of a new gas bar and 185 square metre (2,000 square foot) retail
convenience store with a drive-thru facility, and a 152 square metre (1,636 square foot) automatic car wash building.
Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
None.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that Scarborough Community Council convene a Public Meeting to consider the applications, targeted
for the first quarter of 2000, subject to:
(1) staff hosting a community information meeting and inviting all assessed persons within 120 metres (400 feet) of the
subject site.
(2) the applicant submitting a landscape and tree preservation plan.
(3) The applicant submitting a noise study recommending measures that mitigate noise impacts generated by the automatic
car wash facility and convenience store drive-thru facility onto abutting residential properties.
Background:
The Official Plan designates the subject lands Highway Commercial providing for commercial facilities serving the
travelling public. Numbered Policy 2 of the L'Amoreaux Community Secondary Plan provides for only a Service Station
use on the subject lands and requires that special provisions shall be made for all necessary protective measures including
screening, lighting, landscaping, and signs, and access, for the protection of the adjacent residential lands on Hepscott
Terrace.
The property is zoned 'Highway Commercial' (HC) permitting only Automobile Service Station Uses. The lands are subject
to Site Plan Control and the applicant has submitted a Site Plan Control application in conjunction with these applications.
The subject property has a site area of approximately 5126 square metres (55,200 square feet) and currently contains a
one-storey automobile service station. There are landscaped buffer strips along the east and south portions of the property
containing rows of mature maple trees. There is also a 1.2 metre (4 foot) brick wall along the south and east property line.
To the immediate south of the subject property there is a public pedestrian walkway which connects Hepscott Terrace with
Victoria Park Avenue. Surrounding uses include one-storey single-family and two-family dwellings to the south and east, a
6 storey residential apartment building on the west side of Victoria Park Avenue, single family dwellings with reversed lots
on the northwest corner of Victoria Park Avenue and Finch, an automobile service station on the northeast corner, and a
commercial plaza on the north side of Finch Avenue East.
In 1987, applications were submitted to the former City of Scarborough to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law for
the subject property to permit a convenience store. The applications were closed in June, 1988 due to inactivity by the
applicant.
In 1995 a Zoning By-law Amendment application was submitted to the former City of Scarborough to permit a restaurant
on the subject property (Coffee Time Donut Shop with drive-thru facility). The application was considered by the former
City of Scarborough on a preliminary evaluation basis and proceeded to a community information meeting. Approximately
40 residents attended the meeting and there was a general consensus of the residents opposing the introduction of a donut
shop on the subject lands. Land use incompatibility concerns raised included potential noise from the visitors to the
restaurant, fumes from the vehicles using the drive-thru facility, odours and garbage generation. The application was
subsequently withdrawn by the applicant because Shell wanted to explore alternative redevelopment options.
Comments:
A provision in the Zoning By-law requires a minimum building setback of 7.5 metres (25 feet) from the abutting residential
uses which shall be used for landscaping purposes only. The site plan submitted with the applications maintains this
minimum landscaping requirement.
There is currently a 17 metre (55 foot) wide landscape buffer strip along the south portion of the property which contains
mature trees. This landscaping serves as a separation and screen between the automobile service station and abutting
residential uses to the south. The car wash stacking lane will reduce this buffer strip down to 10 metres (33 feet) and some
trees may have to be removed. In this regard, a landscape and tree preservation plan should be submitted by the applicant.
To properly assess the introduction of an automatic car wash facility and a convenience store drive thru facility on this
property, a noise study analyzing potential impacts and recommending mitigating measures should be submitted to the City
by the applicant.
The introduction of a convenience store and car wash on this property will provide additional commercial facilities to serve
the surrounding area and travelling public on two arterial roads.
Given the history on this property and the land use issues raised by the applications, planning staff believe a community
information meeting should be convened to enable Shell to present their proposal to the surrounding neighbourhood.
Contact:
Joe Nanos
Senior Planner
Scarborough Civic Centre
Telephone: (416) 396-7037
Fax: (416) 396-4265
E-mail: nanos@city.scarborough.on.ca
Ted Tyndorf, MCIP, RPP
Director of Community Planning, East District
JMN/mk
