June 4, 1999

To: Scarborough Community Council

From: Ted Tyndorf, MCIP, RPP

Director of Community Planning, East District

Subject: Official Plan Amendment Application SP1998018

Zoning By-law Amendment Application SZ1998036

George and Cindy Samonas

3291 Kingston Road

Part of Lot 20, Concession C

Scarborough Village Community

Scarborough Bluffs

Purpose:

To recommend approval of applications to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law for the Scarborough Village Community, with respect to 3291 Kingston Road, to recognize the existing multiple-family (sixplex) residential building, to provide for up to 15 residential units on this property and to permit the development of a new 520 square metre (5,600 square foot) day nursery facility.

Financial Implications:

None.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that City Council:

(A) Official Plan:

amend the Scarborough Village Community Secondary Plan with respect to 3291 Kingston Road, by repealing Numbered Policy 5.

(B) Zoning By-law:

amend the Scarborough Village Community Zoning By-law No.10010, as amended, with respect to Part of Lot 20, Concession C, known municipally as 3291 Kingston Road, as follows:

(1) one dwelling unit per 199 square metres (2,140 square feet) of lot area;

(2) Day Nursery maximum 520 square metres (5,600 square feet) gross floor area;

(3) an enclosed refuse storage room shall be provided on the site;

(4) minimum front yard setback 3 metres (10 feet);

(5) minimum building setback of 7.5 metres (25 feet) abutting the Single-Family Residential Zone;

(6) parking for Day Nurseries 1.5 spaces per 100 square metres of gross floor area;

(7) parking is permitted in the front yard;

(8) the provisions of this By-law shall apply collectively to this property notwithstanding its division into two or more parcels;

(9) delete Exception Numbers 15 and 22; and

(C) Miscellaneous:

authorize such unsubstantive technical, stylistic or format changes to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments as may be required to properly carry out the intent of this resolution.

Background:

Site Statistics:

Site Area: 0.3 hectare (0.74 acre)

3,010 square metres (32,400 square feet)

Gross Floor Area:

Residential: 710 square metres (7,620 square feet)

Proposed Day Nursery: Maximum 520 square metres (5,600 square feet)

Proposed Parking: 16 spaces

The site is designated Medium Density Residential in the Official Plan, but development on the property is restricted to a fourplex building. The Medium Density Residential designation permits a variety of dwelling unit types including townhouses and low-rise apartments to a maximum height of four storeys and a maximum net density of 100 units per hectare (40 units per acre). Single-family and semi-detached dwellings are also permitted. The Official Plan provides for Day Nurseries in the Medium Density Residential designation.

The land is zoned Multiple-Family Residential. Exception Number 22 presently restricts the use of the property to one fourplex. The By-law also provides for a minimum building set back of 10.7 metres (35 feet) on the west side of the existing building, abutting the single-family dwellings. A 1.5 metre (5 feet) landscape buffer strip is required along the west property line abutting the single-family homes. A Day Nursery is a permitted use in the Multiple-Family Residential Zone.

A Site Plan Control Application (SS1998095) has also been submitted, indicating the location of the existing residential building, the proposed day nursery, parking and landscaping areas (Figure 2).

Comments:

The site is triangular in shape, with its principal exposure and orientation to Kingston Road. The site is bounded by an apartment building and townhouses to the east, single-family dwellings to the west and south, and a motel and a vacant gas station site on the north side of Kingston Road. A solid wood fence, several mature coniferous and deciduous trees and mature landscaping exist along the west property line. Extensive landscaping also separates this property from the apartment building to the east.

Notwithstanding the Zoning By-law restricting the development of the lands to one fourplex, the owners advise that they acquired the property in 1994 as a sixplex. It would appear the two additional residential units were created through the conversion of storage space located in the basement.

The applicant originally requested that the Official Plan and Zoning By-law be amended to recognize the existing sixplex and to permit an approximately 460 square metre (5,000 square foot) two-storey day care facility to be constructed on the west side of the existing residential building. An additional 140 square metres (1,500 square feet) of vacant main floor space from the sixplex was to be part of the day nursery.

An informal meeting with the abutting residents was held on October 22, 1998, with 10 people in attendance. The applicant presented the proposal for the site. Several issues were raised by the residents at that meeting related to: the size and location of the proposed day care building and possible loss of privacy for abutting properties, traffic, parking, noise from the play area, snow storage and on-site garbage storage.

Following this meeting, the applicant retained an architect to provide alternative design options to address these concerns. On May 4, 1999, Planning staff and the local Councillors held another meeting with the neighbours to discuss changes to the proposed development which included a separate building for the Day Nursery that would be located close to Kingston Road and relocation of the proposed playground further to the north. This option addressed some of the concerns regarding privacy for abutting property owners. The new day care building is smaller than originally proposed, because the new configuration provides for a more efficient layout for the day care centre. The site can adequately support a day care facility with a maximum 520 square metres (5,600 square feet) of gross floor area. Also, the applicant addressed the issue of garbage storage by providing a garbage room within the residential building in one of the former parking garages. The applicant has undertaken to address some landscaping and site grading issues raised at the second meeting and will present revised proposals to the abutting residents.

The applications were circulated to all technical agencies and departments for their comments. There were no concerns raised to the proposed applications and the development of the property.

Residential Density:

Upon further review of the applicants revised proposal and the contextual location of the property, it is evident that additional residential units could be accommodated on this site. Initially, the relocation of the proposed day nursery into a separate building creates an opportunity to develop another apartment unit in the existing building, in the vacant area originally intended to be occupied by the day care facility. However, given the orientation of the subject site to Kingston Road and the abutting more intense land uses, staff are of the opinion that the Official Plan and Zoning By-law should provide sufficient flexibility for any potential future redevelopment of this property.

The Medium Density Residential Official Plan designation would provide for a maximum density of 30 units on this property which, given the triangular configuration of the site and the economics of apartment construction, is likely not attainable. Staff recommend that the land be zoned to accommodate a maximum of 15 units to provide sufficient flexibility to expand the existing residential building or convert the proposed day nursery to residential uses should it not prove successful in the future. This approach would provide good planning for the area, is consistent with the Citys intensification policies and would be consistent with City Councils direction to provide for more affordable rental housing throughout the City.

Traffic:

Kingston Road is a six-lane divided arterial road at this location. Only eastbound right-in right-out vehicle movements can be accommodated on the site. To provide for improved on-site circulation for day care pick-up and drop-off, a dual driveway providing right-in and right-out vehicular movements is proposed. This configuration is acceptable to the Citys Transportation Division. There is good public transit accessibility on Kingston Road, with bus stops at Windy Ridge Drive and at Whitecap Boulevard. Staff do not anticipate that vehicular traffic to this site will impact the abutting residential properties on Windy Ridge Drive.

Parking:

Sixteen front yard parking spaces are proposed by the applicant for the residential tenants and the proposed day nursery. This is considered sufficient based on the Zoning By-law parking requirements of one space per dwelling and 1.5 spaces per 100 square metres (1,076 square feet) of gross floor area for the day nursery. Front yard parking has been established on this site for many years without adverse impact. Staff will work with the applicant to ensure adequate landscaping is provided to screen the parking area from the street.

Day Care Use:

The proposed day nursery fronting on Kingston Road is a permitted use in the Official Plan and the Zoning By-law. The proposed facility will provide day care for up to 65 children ranging in age from infants to five years. No before and after school care is proposed.

According to the Childrens Services Division, as of April 27, 1999, there are 13 child care centres in the Scarborough Bluffs Ward, with a total capacity of 1,568 spaces. The data indicate that there were 82 vacant spaces. However, there appears to be a shortage of pre-school day care spaces in this area. The applicant advises that this facility is specifically intended to provide the needed pre-school spaces to the surrounding community and to the Citys east area.

As requested by Scarborough Community Council, the Childrens Services Division submitted a report discussing the demand for day care services at this location. This report is attached for information.

Noise:

Kingston Road is a divided highway with significant traffic volumes. Traffic noise presently penetrates the subject site and may be impacting the abutting single-family dwellings fronting on Windy Ridge Drive. The proposed day care building situated close to Kingston Road would provide some shielding of traffic noise to abutting neighbours.

Another noise concern arises from the proposed playground. The Day Nurseries Act requires that children in day nurseries be provided supervised outdoor activity for one hour in both the a.m and p.m. periods. It is not anticipated that all 65 children of the facility would be in the yard at the same time as outdoor activity will be staggered. In addition to the existing solid wood fence, the applicant is proposing to provide a 1.5 metre (5 feet) landscape strip along the west boundary of the property which will contain a variety of coniferous trees and landscape material to provide privacy and visual separation between the uses and minimize the noise impact on the neighbours.

Side Yard:

The Zoning By-law presently requires a minimum setback of 10.7 metres (35 feet) on the west side abutting the existing single-family dwellings. This appears to represent the setback of the original fourplex, which was situated in the centre of a relatively large site. The applicants site plan indicates that the proposed day nursery building, which is to be located close to the Kingston Road frontage, will be situated a minimum of 7.5 metres (25 feet) from the west side lot line. Although the applicant is proposing a reduced side yard set back in this area, there will be a significant separation between the proposed day nursery and the existing dwellings on Windy Ridge Drive, which should minimize any perceived intrusion on the rear yards.

The ultimate location of the day nursery building will be addressed through the review of the Site Plan Control application. Special attention will be given to site grading, landscaping and fencing to address the issues raised by the abutting property owners.

Conclusions:

The proposal to recognize the existing sixplex multiple-family dwelling and also permit an additional rental residential unit in vacant space within the building, for a total of seven units, is considered appropriate development for this land. It will provide affordable rental housing in the area, consistent with the Citys objectives. This building will maintain the residential character of the area, while providing a gradual change in intensity from the large single-family dwellings on Windy Ridge Drive to more intense apartment development on Kingston Road. Also, providing flexibility for potential additional units in place of the day care facility on this site, constitutes good planning consistent with the Official Plan and with the Citys objectives for intensification along major roads.

The development of a day nursery facility on the applicants site would also address the need for pre-school day care in this area. Planning staff support the proposed Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments.

Contact Name:

Aristotle Christou, Senior Planner

Scarborough Civic Centre

Telephone: (416) 396-5228

Fax No.: (416) 396-4265

E-Mail: christou@city.scarborough.on.ca

Ted Tyndorf, MCIP, RPP

Director of Community Planning, East District

ATC/atc