STAFF REPORT

January 27, 2000

To: Etobicoke Community Council

From: Director of Community Planning, West District

Subject: Preliminary Report

Applications to amend the Etobicoke Official Plan and Zoning Code

IKEA Properties Limited

1475 and 1505 The Queensway

File No.: Z-2310

Lakeshore - Queensway

Purpose:

To provide preliminary information on the above noted applications and to seek Community Council's direction on the further processing of these applications, including a community consultation process if deemed necessary by the Ward Councillors.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

There are no financial implications resulting from the adoption of this report.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that:

(1) If deemed necessary by the Ward Councillors, staff be directed to schedule a Community Information Meeting in consultation with the Ward Councillors.

(2) Staff be authorized to schedule a Public Meeting under the Planning Act to consider this application, targeted for the second quarter of 2000.

(3) Staff be directed to prepare a final recommendation report for the Public Meeting.

(4) Notice of the Public Meeting to be given in the manner prescribed in the Regulations under the Planning Act.

Comments:

Site Description

The subject site is approximately 6.4 hectares (15.9 acres) in size and comprises 2 former industrial parcels, which were previously owned by Panasonic. The property is located on the south side of The Queensway, west of Kipling Avenue and east of Algie Avenue. A CN Rail underpass at The Queensway (grade separation) is also located to the east of the site. Additional street frontage is provided for this site along Wickman Road and Fordhouse Boulevard on the north and south side respectively. (see Attachment 1)

Abutting land uses include the F. Gardiner Expressway to the south and Weston Foods (bakery) to the east. A number of smaller industrial operations, predominated by vehicle repair uses, are situated to the west along Algie Avenue. A variety of industrial and commercial uses are located immediately across the road on the north side of The Queensway.

Proposal

The applicant seeks permission to introduce Specialty Retail uses on the subject property, in addition to the currently permitted industrial uses, in order to sell home furnishings and housewares. Ancillary uses would also include an in-house restaurant and specialty shop to serve the prospective clientele. In order to facilitate this development, 2 existing industrial buildings will be demolished and replaced with a new 2-storey retail store. Details of the proposal are as follows:

Gross Site Area: 6.4 hectares (15.9 acres)

Gross Floor Area: 27 500 square metres (296,017 square feet)

Floor Space Index: 0.43

Coverage: 19 500 square metres (209,900 square feet) 30.3 %

Height: 12 to 15 metres (40 feet to 50 feet)- 2 storeys

Parking Provided: 1,700 spaces (605 in a parking structure- partially below grade)

Primary vehicular access to the site will be provided from The Queensway. Additional access points are proposed from Wickman Road and Fordhouse Boulevard, in order to facilitate additional access and vehicle movement on and off the site.

The only entrance to the store faces the parking area at the rear of the property and the loading docks face The Queensway frontage.

Official Plan

The subject site is currently designated Industrial. This designation provides for a variety of primary industrial and non-industrial uses, including but not limited to; manufacturing and warehousing, wholesale, research and training, data centres, and large scale recreational uses. Offices, showrooms, and retail uses accessory to the primary industrial use are also permitted as ancillary uses.

The Official Plan also sets out criteria with respect to Retail Market Study Guidelines. These guidelines were established to facilitate the review of retail development applications, given the on-going changes in the market place to traditional retail formats.

Zoning

The subject site is currently zoned Class 1 Industrial (I.C1) in the Zoning Code. This zone permits a variety of industrial and non-industrial uses, such as business, manufacturing, medical, institutional, commercial/recreational facilities, retail sales, and outside storage.

Site Plan Control

The subject property is subject to Site Plan Control under the Zoning Code. An application has been submitted concurrently with the Official Plan and Zoning Code amendment applications.

Reasons for the Applications

IKEA Properties Limited have recently purchased the subject site. As part of their on-going business expansion plans they are seeking to establish a presence in the western part of the City of Toronto. The site is currently designated Industrial and Class 1 Industrial in the Etobicoke Official Plan and Zoning Code respectively. Based on the current permissions, the proposed big box retail use is not permitted and therefore, amendments are required to the Official Plan and Zoning Code to permit a primary retail use.

Issues to be Resolved

Site Plan and Design

Prior to the submission of these applications Planning staff met, on several occasions, with the applicant and representatives of IKEA to discuss the site plan organization, design and massing of the proposed retail operation. Of utmost concern are the function of the building in relation to the primary street-edge, and the on-site function and location of the loading area.

One of the goals contained in the Urban Design component of the Etobicoke Official Plan is to "encourage a high standard of design". With respect to big box retail, the new development should strive to create a positive urban context and a clear sense of the public realm. It should also contribute to the achievement of an attractive, inviting, comfortable and safe public realm, which meets high standards of urban design. As a result, it encourages a good relationship between the building and street-edge, as well as minimizing the impact of parking and servicing facilities. This approach to siting big box retail has been previously used by Etobicoke staff and is contained in the Big Box Retail Design Guidelines established by the former City of Toronto. Staff in the other District Offices have also used these Big Box Retail guidelines in reviewing similar development applications.

The proposed site plan organization does not allow the building to address The Queensway street frontage. The site plan has been laid out to encourage motor vehicle movement and parking, while offering little support for pedestrian activity or a proper relationship to the street. The main entrance to the store is geared to the parking area at the rear of the property with the intended focus being the F. Gardiner Expressway and the visibility that it provides. Landscaping and pedestrian paths leading from The Queensway to the main entrance of the building need further consideration with respect to detail and design.

The loading facilities provided for this development are located at the front of the building, adjacent to The Queensway frontage. Staff are concerned that this visual presence detracts from the appearance of the building in relation to the street front and establishes a harsh visual environment for pedestrians and passing vehicular traffic.

Previous big box type of developments processed by staff in Etobicoke have carefully reviewed the relationship between the building and street-edge. In most of these cases, as a result of rotating or re-orientating buildings, servicing areas (loading docks) have been moved into the side or rear yard of the development and improved the street relationship. Staff will continue to discuss with the applicant revisions to their proposal to achieve a design which is a positive addition to this portion of The Queensway.

Transportation

IKEA is considered to be a destination retail facility. Matters to be addressed within the scope of the transportation assessment should include the ability of The Queensway and the local intersections to accommodate the expected traffic demand of the development proposal. Accordingly, mitigation measures should be identified through the review of the transportation study.

In anticipation of a high demand for parking IKEA is providing 1,700 parking spaces. Based on the information submitted, the number of parking spaces proposed equate with a provision of 6.2 parking spaces per 100 square metres (1,076 square feet) of gross floor area. The proposed supply exceeds the Zoning Code requirement for standard commercial/retail uses, which have typically required from 3 to 5.5 parking spaces per 100 square metres (1,076 square feet) of gross floor area. In order to accommodate the amount of parking spaces, a parking structure/deck is being proposed. Staff have not seen the details of this parking structure at this time. Further review of this matter and other transportation matters will have to be discussed.

Studies

A Planning Justification Report and a Market Study have been submitted in support of the applications. This material is being circulated to the appropriate departments and agencies for comment. A Traffic Impact Study has not been submitted at this time.

Conclusions:

The subject site is currently occupied by 2 under-utilized industrial buildings, which are to be demolished. The requested amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning Code pertain to the appropriateness of the proposed use and will be evaluated in the context of current Official Plan policies with respect to deleting industrial designations. The use of the site for a retail store, with an ancillary restaurant and speciality shop, will be an adjunct to the existing industrial uses. Details pertaining to site design, access and pedestrian connections are matters relevant to the site plan control approval application, which require further in-depth analysis, and will be addressed as part of the Official Plan and Zoning Code amendment applications.

No citywide issues have been identified. A staff report on the application will be distributed to Councillors and will be available to the public, prior to the Public Meeting. A Community Meeting will be held prior to the staff report being prepared, if deemed necessary by the Ward Councillors.

Contact:

V. Bill Kiru, MCIP, RPP

Senior Planner

Community Planning, West District

Tel: (416) 394-8230

Fax: (416) 394-6063

E-mail: kiru@toronto.ca

Gary Wright,

Director of Community Planning, West District

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z-2310/prelimrep.dot

List of Attachments:

Attachment No. 1 - Zoning

Attachment No. 2 - Site Plan