Zoning By-law Amendment Application SZ98034
Sherway Centre Limited, 55 Town Centre Court
Ward 15 - Scarborough City Centre
The Scarborough Community Council, after considering the deputations and based on
the finding of fact, conclusions and recommendations contained in the report, dated
February 8, 1999, from the Director of Community Planning, East District, recommends
that the report of the Director of Community Planning, East District, be adopted.
The Scarborough Community Council reports having held a statutory public meeting on
March 30, 1999, in accordance with Section 17 and Section 34 of the Planning Act, and that
appropriate notice of this meeting was given in accordance with the Planning Act and the
regulations thereunder.
The Scarborough Community Council submits the following report (February 8,1999)
from the Director of Community Planning, East District:
Purpose:
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:
It is recommended that City Council:
(A)Zoning By-law:
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:
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:
Total Gross Floor Area 21,059 square metres (226,685 square feet)
Parking Supply:Underground219
Surface Parking Lot*159
Total Parking378
*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 2,954square 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) 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
Mr. Ron Blake, on behalf of Sherway Centre Limited, appeared before Community Council in
connection with the foregoing matter and expressed support for the staff recommendation.