Residents opposing the relocation of Bolton clinic
By Bill Rea

The question may not be what does the Bolton Secondary Plan permit, but what was intended by the people who passed it years ago.

That's the issue that developed last Wednesday night at a public information meeting the Town council chambers over a proposal to set up a foot-care clinic in a house on the northwest corner of the King and Temperance Streets.

The property is designated low density residential office commercial in Caledon's Official Plan, but the question that developed during the meeting was whether that meant commercial could be permitted in a residential area, or the other way around.

The proposal will require a rezoning from residential to core commercial to permit the establishment of the clinic. The application has been made by a numbered company, 1733315 Ontario Inc. (Family Foot Care).

Ruth Hammett, community development planner with the Town, said this operation is proposed for a residential house. She understood the exterior of the house will be left pretty much alone, although she said the parking area will be upgraded. As well, she said site plan approval will be needed, meaning more requirements could be tacked on. A permit will also be needed from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).

Planning consultant Paul King said the proposal is to move the clinic from its existing site in in the Royal Courtyards in Bolton. He added the property has a been purchased on the strength of its Official Plan standing as allowing commercial operations. He also said it's located in the Bolton core, and that professional uses are permitted there.

There was some difference of opinion on the number of parking spaces required. King argued the Official Plan policies indicate the site shouldn't have an over-powering parking lot presence, so three spots should be enough, while planners indicated the zoning requires something on the order of seven spots. He added there is parking available on both King and Temperance. "I've never experienced any parking issues with the property," he remarked.

King also said they propose to have a hard surface in the parking area, with two of the spots facing Dalton Street to the north, with the other at the front of the site.

At about 750 square feet, King said this is not slated to be a large operation. He said the clinic will occupy the ground floor of the house.

In addition, King said Peel Region is asking for a small road widening at the front of the property. There might also be calls for a site triangle at the intersection of King and Temperance, but that hasn't been addressed yet.

Several local residents were puzzled why the clinic would be moved from its present location.

Gerry Tobin, who lives just south of the property in question, said the current clinic is located in a welldefined part of the local Business Improvement Area (BIA), with numerous amenities nearby. He added there are plenty of vacant commercial buildings along Highway 50 (Queen Street) that could accommodate such and operation, and he objected "strenuously" to putting it in a residential building.

He also said rulings from the 1980s from the Ontario Municipal Board could refute much of what King had said.

As well, Tobin charged there were some people living nearby who had not been told of last week's meeting, as they should have been. He also said study information was lacking for the meeting.

He charged they are talking about a property with 60 feet of frontage, 102 feet deep, bordered on three sides by roads, when the clinic is already just a couple of hundred metres away, in a location with plenty of parking.

Approving something like this will set a precedent for all of King Street West, Tobin charged, adding he wanted to see details of the possible impacts on local homes. He said the boundary for the core area of Bolton is Temperance, adding the lands to the west are supposed to be residential. "This is setting a dangerous precedent," he said.

Hammett told Councillor Allan Thompson, who was chairing the meeting, that the applicant had had a pre-consultation with staff representatives of several departments. From that session, it was determined there was no need for more traffic studies.

Sylvia Smith, manager of development for the Town, said a traffic study was conducted in 1993, and there was no need seen for another.

"We want that information," Tobin replied, adding traffic has increased a lot in the area in the last 15 years.

That was followed by an exchange between Tobin and Smith, which Thompson eventually halted.

"This is a public meeting," he declared. "It's not a hearing."

"We have a right to object to Mr. King's presentation," Tobin countered.

Tobin had several other local residents backing him in opposing the plan. Jane Street resident Bob Romanyk charged the lands to the south have been taken over by developers, adding one doesn't see many homes driving south on Highway 50. People have to drive east or west to see that. He added last week's meeting should have taken place on the property, so everyone could see what's likely to happen.

Temperance is the "absolute line" between residential and commercial development, hew added.

"Once that line is crossed, that whole residential area is gone," he declared. "We cannot allow this to happen."

Romanyk also said the traffic situation on King Street cannot handle another business.

Councillor Richard Whitehead said he was on the village council when official plan designations were first imposed. He said the idea at the time was to have the area low-density residential with opportunities for office commercial uses. This proposal, he said, sounded like an attempt to have commercial with no residential component, and that was not what he understood was intended years ago.

Town planners will be preparing a report on the issue for council.