by Mike Robinson
KENILWORTH – While a potential parking purgatory has probably been prevented, not all was smooth with a minor variance to allow a reduced number of parking spots at the Mount Forest First Baptist Church.
On Oct. 18, Wellington North councillors held a committee of adjustment to review the church application as it related to the minimum number of parking spaces at its property at 116 Fergus Street North in Mount Forest.
Church members intend to add a sanctuary to the building, which, according to the municipality’s current bylaw, would affect the required number of parking spots.
In her report to council, planner Linda Redmond stated the variance would provide relief from those requirements and allow a reduction from 102 to 70 spaces.
She noted the lands are designated as residential within the official plan which allows a church and hall.
Part of the land is also zoned institutional as the building was the former Mount Forest Public School before its purchase by the church.
She said the applicants intend to construct a 650 square metre sanctuary addition to the front of the building.
The reason for the required variance is with the addition, it would no longer meet the minimum requirements for parking.
Redmond stressed the parking spaces are determined based on the floor area of the sanctuary and the hall only – not the remainder of the building – the classroom and administrative office areas.
She did not foresee all of the building in use at the same time. Based on those areas, the required parking is 102 spaces, but Redmond understood the applicants intended to provide only 70 spots.
That information was a result of her discussions with the township building official, since actual numbers of spaces were not provided in the application. She was satisfied that the reduction can be justified and that there would be adequate on-site parking.
Redmond had concerns the site plan provided did not include dimensions for the parking stalls and aisle widths.
As a result, “in my review, I cannot confirm there are spaces for 70 vehicles.”
She felt the request for the reduced number of spaces is minor, but she asked for site plan that would provide assurances that the space does exist.
Typically, that could be dealt with via site plan approval, but if there is not a site plan, she would at least like dimensions provided with the building permit.
Dwight Benson, representing Mount Forest First Baptist Church members had concerns with information presented that night.
First, he referred to the site plan distributed to council.
“That site plan is drawn to scale, by Alec Wilson,” Benson said, adding the plans were redrawn three times following discussions with Wilson and the building inspector, to comply with what the township required.
“I find it interesting tonight that I’m told this involves 102 parking spots now.”
He explained that on the survey, it states there are 70 existing spots and 24 proposed.
“At the present time, we do not need parking for 425 people.” He explained the current congregation is about 200.
“This is a scale site plan and the parking spaces comply to with the zoning bylaw, so I don’t know why we have to revisit this again. You don’t pay a surveyor to mark out a map without it being to scale.”
Mayor Mike Broomhead offered that all Redmond was seeking was verification.
“We do not need the extra parking spots and do not want to build an extra lot because of the costs. We have 72 spots that are there at present and 920 feet of off-street legal parking. What the building department is requesting is 90 on-site parking spots, which is why we are asking for the minor variance.”
Redmond said that the 102 spots were for the entire building, current plus the proposed addition – not just for the addition.
Councillor Dan Yake said there still seems to be some confusion between the building department and what the church membership plans are.
But as far as the reduced number of spaces, Yake had no issue.
As council looked at the change once more, Broomhead said one of the conditions was “The circular driveway located at the intersection of Fergus and Wellington Streets does not meet the requirements of the zoning bylaw and could pose a safety issue and should be redesigned to meet the township requirement.”
Benson was unaware of that condition, and took exception to it being presented. He said those driveway entrances have existed since 1953 when the school was built.
“Why are we changing driveways all of a sudden? It’s a paved parking lot.”
He said the design of the driveway was based on the existing street entrances.
The school was built in 1953 with two additions since, and the entrance issue never surfaced, he said.
He asked why new rules would now apply when the entrances served a school of 600 kids and the church has a much smaller traffic flow.
Broomhead said the entrances do not currently meet the requirements of the zoning bylaw.
Redmond said that based on discussion with the chief building official, the entrances were existing, but the circular drive was an issue.
Benson still had concern because the circular driveway is on the interior of the property and does not change the entrance to the streets.
