Not a great idea to build a drive-thru on a flood plain, conservation authority says

Even if a developer's plan to build a McDonald's drive-thru restaurant on a northeast London flood plain is approved by city council, the plan may be vetoed by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), an official says.

As it stands, Royal Premier Development's plan for two commercial buildings at the southeast corner of Adelaide Street and Windermere Road — one a standalone drive-thru restaurant — doesn't meet UTRCA requirements for flood plain development, said Jenna Allain, the conservation authority's manager of environmental planning and regulations.

"If the proposal continues to move forward as it's currently proposed, with a strip mall and drive-thru McDonald's, we would recommend refusal," said Allain. Flood plain developments need to be approved by the UTRCA's hearings committee, which consists of five area politicians and experts, she added.

On Jan. 30, a committee of city councillors gave the development plan the green light, despite staff rejecting it due to its location. In their report, city staff said the property's existing zoning is restrictive and doesn't allow for new higher-intensity uses due to its location on a flood plain and proximity to the Thames River. The plan still has to be heard by full council. 

The site, which in the past has experienced significant flooding, was formerly home to tennis courts and a small Goodlife Fitness Centre.

"A drive-thru McDonald's is much more intense than what was previously existing on the site. We don't want to see more people, traffic, and property added," said Allain, who said if the drive-thru component was removed and other adjustments were made, the application could be more plausible.

Not everyone agrees that the development as proposed will add intensity, however. 

"It's time to put this one in the closed file," says deputy mayor

"We're hung up on intensity. We're already using the land just as intensely as we would if this application gets approved," said deputy mayor Shawn Lewis, who voted in favour of bringing the development proposal forward for approval by full council.

"It doesn't matter whether it's parking spots or drive-thrus. I find it to be an ideological argument, not a planning argument."

During the Jan. 30 committee meeting, Lewis pointed to potential community and commercial benefits as reasons to move forward. Royal Premier Development's President Farhad Noory told CBC News in the past that it plans to improve drainage on the property to reduce flood risk, and that "from an engineering perspective, it's flood-proof".

"All of us need to do a better job at sticking to our lanes," said Lewis, who said he has hopes that the provincial government can further define and tweak the role of conservation authorities to streamline development and avoid conflicts. "We need some some further discussion about what the role of a conservation authority is versus what the role of city planning staff is."

Ultimately, Lewis told CBC that he believes it's time for council to wash their hands of this particular development application, which has been pending approval in one form or another for eight years under two separate applicants.

"I think for us it's time to move it past the planning committee and past the council level regardless of the outcome," said Lewis, who said he doesn't want city staff spend more time on the application. "It's time to put this one in the closed file."

If the application is denied by the UTRCA, the developer must deal with a separate appeal process that doesn't involve city council, Lewis said.

City council will decide on the fate of the application on Tuesday.