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MINUTES - Special Council - 20000126 TOWN OF AURORA SPECIAL COUNCIL - PUBLIC PLANNING MEETING MINUTES NO. 03-00 Council Chambers Aurora Town Hall Wednesday, January 26, 2000 ATTENDANCE COUNCIL MEMBERS Mayor Jones in the Chair; Councillors Griffith, Healy, Hinder, Hogg and McKenzie. Councillors Hartwell was absent on a personal matter. Councillor Morris was absent due to a death in her family. Councillor West was absent on vacation STAFF MEMBERS Director of Corporate Services, Director of Planning, Planners (2) and Administrative Coordinator. The Mayor called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were no declarations of interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. II APPROVAL OF AGENDA Moved by Councillor McKenzie Seconded by Councillor Hinder THAT the content of the Agenda be approved as outlined herein. CARRIED III PLANNING APPLICATIONS Mayor Jones advised that the meeting had been called as a Public Meeting under the Planning Act with respect to considering (1) a Zoning By-law Amendment Application submitted by Altaf Ahmed and Sharp Fashions, respecting property described as Part of Lots 1 and 8, Plan 9 and being municipally known as 15160 Yonge Street and 5 Tyler Street, Aurora; and, (2) a Zoning By-law Amendment Application submitted by Sydney Roth (In Trust), respecting property described as Part of Block A, Registered Plan 289 and being municipally known as 19 Ross Street and 24 Industrial Parkway, Aurora. Mayor Jones outlined the procedures that would be followed in the conduct of the public meeting. The Town Clerk confirmed that appropriate notice had been given and that signs had been posted on the subject properties in accordance Aurora Special Council – Public Planning Minutes No. 03-00 Page 2 Wednesday, January 26, 2000 with the relevant provisions of the Planning Act. 1. PL00-006 - Zoning By-law Amendment Application Altaf Ahmed and Sharp Fashions 15160 Yonge Street & 5 Tyler Street Part of Lots 7 & 8, Plan 9; File: D14-04-96 Planning Staff Mr. Rob Hughes, Planner, advised that the application was a revised submission from a zoning by-law amendment application that had been considered by Council in March, 1996. Mr. Hughes outlined the purpose of the application and summarized the contents of Planning Report No. PL00-006 relating to the proposal. Specific reference was made to the exceptions being requested by the applicant, together with the relevant planning considerations pertaining to the proposal. Mr. Hughes noted that an urban design consultant should be engaged by the owner to ensure that the development would complement the historical character of the downtown area. He concluded by outlining the recommendations outlined in the staff report. Public Comments Ms. Angela Daust, 31 Tyler Street, Aurora, circulated a letter and petition dated January 25, 2000 in opposition to the proposed rezoning. Ms. Daust read the contents of her written submission, expressing concern with inadequate on-site parking, increased traffic on Tyler, Temperance and Mill Streets, and the loss of the historic structures on the property. Mrs. Cheryl Clifford, 7 Tyler Street, Aurora, advised that she was the owner of the abutting property to the west of the subject lands. Mrs. Clifford stated that her driveway encroached on the property and she questioned the precise location of the dividing lot line in light of the proposed yard reductions contemplated by the development. Mrs. Clifford expressed concern with potential impacts from lighting, noise, inadequate on-site parking, insufficient buffer strips, increased traffic and the resultant safety impacts for children and changes in site grading elevations. Mr. Tely Spasopoulos, 15171 Yonge Street, Aurora, appeared before Council in support of the application, noting that the mixed use building would enhance the downtown area. Mr. Spasopoulos suggested that the residential apartment units were needed in the Town and he questioned the timing of the proposed development. Mr. Spasopoulos expressed concern that the site would remain undeveloped for another four years and suggested that if the application was approved, time frames should be imposed to encourage the project to proceed. Mr. Michael Evans, 15086 Yonge Street, Aurora, appeared in support of the application, commenting that the project would assist in revitalizing the downtown. Mr. Vincent Krasna, 15136 Yonge Street, Aurora, also appeared before Council in support of the application, suggesting that the residents in the apartment units would likely patronize the commercial businesses in the downtown core. Applicant/Agent Mr. Robert Podreciks, architect for the applicant, appeared before Council and acknowledged the concerns raised by the local residents. He advised that the development had been designed around the provision of adequate on-site parking, noting the amount of commercial floor space proposed and the fact that all the apartments were one-bedroom units. Mr. Podreciks stated that they were in the preliminary design stages and that revisions might be required to address the concerns raised by staff and local residents and to ensure that the historic Aurora Special Council – Public Planning Minutes No. 03-00 Page 3 Wednesday, January 26, 2000 character of the downtown area would be preserved. Mr. Podreciks stated that they would submit a traffic study for the proposed development and that the sideyard encroachments were the result of balconies in the current design. He submitted that the project would enhance property values in the area. Mr. Podreciks advised that his client had paid $1.2 million for the property and that financing was currently in place to enable the project to proceed as soon as possible. He expressed his willingness to work with local residents during the site plan review. Members of Council suggested that a soils analysis be undertaken by the applicant to determine the suitability of the site to accommodate the proposed development. M. Altaf Ahmed, the applicant, advised Council that he intended to proceed with the development as soon as the necessary approvals were in place. The public portion of the meeting closed at 7:30 p.m. and Council’s deliberations began. Moved by Councillor Griffith Seconded by Councillor McKenzie THAT Council approve, in principle, the revised zoning by-law amendment application submitted by Altaf Ahmed and Sharp Fashions (File D14-04- 96), to permit the redevelopment of property municipally known as 15160 Yonge Street and 5 Tyler Street, Aurora, for a mixed use building having commercial uses on the ground floor and residential apartment units above; THAT the applicant and Town staff work together to address the issues outlined in Planning Report No. PL00-006 and the concerns raised by local residents, and that third reading of an implementing by-law be subject to the processing of a site plan agreement, taking into consideration such issues and concerns; THAT the applicant retain an urban design consultant for the project and that a traffic impact study be submitted to the Town as part of the review process; and, THAT Planning staff be directed to review the current Official Plan policies that apply to commercial floor space in the downtown area and report back on the appropriateness of adopting an Official Plan standard on this issue. CARRIED 2. PL00-007 - Zoning By-law Amendment Application Sydney Roth (In Trust) 19 Ross Street and 24 Industrial Parkway South Part of Block A Registered Plan 289, D14-23-99 Planning Staff Mr. David Loker, Planner, explained the purpose of the application and summarized the contents of Planning Report No. PL00-007. Mr. Loker noted that the application was a revised submission of an earlier application approved back in 1995. He added that the revised application proposed an increase in total units from 80 to 96, together with a setback reduction for the wall of the underground parking structure, in order to accommodate the required increase in parking. Mr. Loker summarized the concerns of a letter submitted by Geotech Ltd., the owner of the abutting property to the west. Aurora Special Council – Public Planning Minutes No. 03-00 Page 4 Wednesday, January 26, 2000 Public Comments No members of the public appeared before Council concerning this application. Applicant/Agent Mr. Gary Templeton, Planning Consultant, appeared on behalf of the applicant, and explained the history of the development. Mr. Templeton advised that 80 units had been previously approved on the basis of provincial housing funding, but when such funding ceased in 1995, the development didn’t proceed. Mr. Templeton summarized the relief requested by the application, being an increase in units from 80 to 96; a reduced setback for the underground parking structure from 55m to 35m to the south lot line; and, a per-unit reduction in amenity space from 35 sq.m. to 29 sq.m. per unit. In reference to the letter submitted by Geotech Ltd., Mr. Templeton suggested that the current Official Plan and zoning provisions relating to the subject lands had been in existence for some time and that the owner should have been aware of the potential uses that could be permitted. Mr. Paul Northgrave, architect for the applicant, explained the site plan for the property, noting that the tot-lot and the ½-court basketball court that had been previously proposed as amenity space, were proposed to be deleted to accommodate a different tenant base. He noted that the same area would be provided, but that the usage would be different. The public portion of the meeting concluded at 8:15 p.m. and Council’s deliberations began. Moved by Councillor Healy Seconded by Councillor Griffith THAT Council approve, in principle, the zoning amendment application submitted by Sydney Ross (In Trust) (File: D14-23-99) respecting an increase in residential units and a setback reduction for the development of property municipally known as 19 Ross Street and 24 Industrial Parkway South, Aurora; THAT as part of their review, staff consider the preservation of amenity space, the possibility of relocating the driveway entrance to mitigate the concerns of the abutting property owner to the west, and the impact of adjacent uses on the proposed development; and, THAT third reading of an implementing by-law be subject to the processing of a site plan agreement, taking into consideration the issues noted in Planning Report No. PL00-007. CARRIED IV ADJOURNMENT Moved by Councillor Griffith THAT the meeting be adjourned at 8:20 p.m. CARRIED ______________________ _________________________________ T. JONES, MAYOR B. PANIZZA, MUNICIPAL CLERK