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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-08-121 - Demolition Control Application DC08/09/V/API~TCx~R Deve!©pment& Techrrica~ Services Report To: Date of Meeting: Submitted By: Prepared By: Ward~s~ Involved: Date of Report: Report No.: Subject: Development and Technical Services Committee August 11, 2008 Jeff Willmer, Director of Planning (519-741-2325) Andrew Pinnell, Planner (519-741-2668) Chicopee -Grand River (Ward 2) August 1, 2008 DTS-08-121 DEMOLITION CONTROL APPLICATION DC08/09/V/AP 1320 VICTORIA STREET NORTH PATENE BUILDING SUPPLIES LTD .~ ~~.:.~ ~ ~ ,. ,_~ ~t f ~', n ~a ~ -~: ""~ .~ ° ~~ ks,` °`, ,,~ ~. ' ~ fa ~~ .•B ~' ~_. ~* -' ~ ~ ~ _• e n , ,.. ~ ~ ..: ~' ,~ ~' pv I/. ~ /' a ~_ ;.. `r` ~~ ~ ~~ ~~~ * ~ ~ i rj ~ i ~Jf ~ ~' ~~, - ~. a a ~~ ~ ~'~' ~~• j@~~ ~;. s4 ~f 9 .A~~ b Q~. a ~ ~ ~: "I .~. ~ R~- ~ ~~"~'~~ ~ ~~.~°~r ~ a, .~ ~;a Subject Dwelling 4 ~1~ RECOMMENDATION: That Demolition Control Application DC08/09/V/AP requesting permission to demolish one single detached dwelling located at 1320 Victoria Street North, owned by Patene Building Supplies Limited, legally described as Part Lot 122, GCT, be approved without conditions. BACKGROUND: The subject property is located on the north side of Victoria Street North, between Natchez Road and Smetana Drive. The surrounding area is composed of a wide range industrial and commercial uses. The property contains a single detached dwelling constructed in approximately 1950. The applicant has stated that the dwelling is an uninhabitable wood structure. The owner also owns the two properties to the west, addressed as 1316 and 1290 Victoria Street North (though 1316 Victoria Street is under a different company name). The property addressed as 1290 Victoria Street North is contains the building supply retail store known as Patene Building Supplies. The owner is proposing to demolish the dwelling in order to extend the gravel surfaced outdoor yard to be used for product storage and parking from the store, through 1316 Victoria Street, to the subject property (see demolition plan attached as Appendix "A"). It should be noted that although the demolition plan attached as Appendix "A" also shows a 1- storey concrete block building on 1316 Victoria Street also being proposed for demolition, demolition control is not required for this building since it is not considered a "residential property" u nder the Planning Act. The subject property is designated Arterial Commercial Corridor in the Official Plan and is zoned Service Industrial Zone (M-3) in the Zoning By-law. REPORT: Planning Comments Under the Planning Act, the purpose of demolition control is to maintain residential properties within the municipality and to prevent their premature or unjustified removal. Seven criteria, as outlined in Council Policy I-1010, are used to evaluate the appropriateness of an application to demolish a residential property in circumstances where no building permit will be issued for a new building on the site: 1. Property Subject to the Ontario Heritage Act The City's Heritage Planner advises that there are no heritage concerns with the subject application. 2. Architectural and Historical Value The City's Heritage Planner advises that there are no heritage concerns with the subject application. 3. Condition of the Dwelling A City Building Inspector examined the dwelling on July 8, 2008 and advises that it is in very poor repair and that all services have been disconnected. In order to bring the property to a habitable condition, extensive repairs would be required in many areas of the dwelling (see comments attached as Appendix "B"). The inspector has further stated that the estimated repair cost of $200,000 exceeds the value of the building. 4. Impact of Demolition on Abutting Properties, Streetscape, and Neighbourhood Stability The subject dwelling is located in a Service Industrial (M-3) Zone and within an Arterial Commercial Corridor. Most of the buildings in the surrounding area are used for industrial or commercial uses. The closest single detached dwellings on Victoria are both approximately 200 metres away; one having been approved for demolition in June 2008 (1362 Victoria Street North). It is staff's opinion that the proposed demolition will not negatively impact the abutting properties or the streetscape. 5. Timeframe of Redevelopment No plans to reconstruct the dwelling are proposed as the owner intends to extend a storage yard onto the subject property. 6. Proposed Use In Terms of Zoning and Compatibility with Adjacent Properties The subject single detached dwelling is considered legal non-conforming, since the dwelling existed prior to the M-3 Zone, which does not permit such use. The proposed use of the property for the sale of building materials is permitted pursuant to the City's Zoning By-law and would be compatible with the adjacent properties. 7. Neighbourhood Consultation All property owners within 60 metres of the subject property were notified of the subject proposal and invited to submit comments. One verbal response was received as a result of the public circulation. The respondent requested clarification regarding the nature of proposed use of the property as a "gravel yard" (as outlined on the application form). The respondent expressed concern that the proposal description might entail uses such as crushing of stone to produce gravel, or storage of gravel for transport by Patene, or a loading area for customers to pick up gravel for purchase. Planning staff sought clarification from the applicant and determined that the proposed use referred to gravel as the base material for the yard (instead of, for instance, asphalt paving), the intent being to have a hard surface gravel base for parking and storage of some product. There would be no public or customer access. Heritage Comments Heritage Planning has indicated that it has no concerns with the subject application. Building Inspector Comments See 3. Condition of the Dwelling section under Planning Comments, above. Engineering Comments Engineering Services received a letter from the owners stating that they will be building a new showroom in the near future and therefore want to keep the existing services to this property. The services will be capped at the property line and reused later; therefore, Engineering Services has no concerns for the demolition control application at this time. Planning staff requested further information from the applicant regarding the owner's proposal to construct a showroom on the subject property. The applicant clarified that no formal plans are in place to develop a showroom in the immediate future, but that this may be proposed several years into the future. Staff advises that such a proposal would be subject to site plan approval. Site Plan Development Comments (verbal comments from the City's Supervisor of Site Plan Development) Site plan approval is not necessary for the extension of the storage yard onto the subject property. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: No new or additional capital budget requests are expected with this recommendation. COMMUNICATIONS: Preliminary circulation of the demolition control application was undertaken on July 3, 2008 to internal agencies and all property owners within 60 metres of the subject property. Comments were received from four internal agencies (see Appendix "B"). One verbal comment was received as a result of the neighbourhood circulation and is discussed in the Neighbourhood Consultation section of this report. This report will be circulated to all property owners within 60 metres of the subject property in advance of the August 11, 2008 Development and Technical Services Committee Meeting dealing with the subject application. CONCLUSION: Planning staff have considered this situation and are of the opinion that the proposed demolition is justified considering that a single detached dwelling is not a permitted use within the M-3 Zone, the absence of heritage issues, and the poor state of repair and high cost to renovate the structure. As such, Planning staff recommends that demolition control application DC08/09/V/AP, requesting permission to demolish one single detached dwelling located at 1320 Victoria Street North, legally described as Part Lot 122, GCT, be approved without conditions. Andrew Pinnell, BES Planner Jeff Willmer, MCIP, RPP Director of Planning Attachments: Della Ross, MA, MCIP, RPP Manager of Development Review Appendix "A" -Plan submitted with application Appendix "B" -Internal agency comments