September 21, 1998

To:Corporate Services Committee

From:Commissioner of Corporate Services

Subject:Carney Road - Proposed Land Exchange

The Park Avenues of North York (See Appendices A, B and C Attached)

(Ward 10 - North York Centre)

Purpose:

To obtain Council approval for a land exchange between the City and the Park Avenues of North York.

Financial Implications:

An exchange of vacant lands of equal value. No monetary consideration involved.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)the City owned land, being Part of Lot 11, Registered Plan 2056 designated as Part 4 on Appendix "C" be declared surplus;

(2)the City convey the land designated as Part 4 on Appendix "C" to the applicant in exchange for lands of equal size and value within Parts 2 and 3 on Appendix "C";

(3)the applicant be responsible for all costs incurred in the transaction;

(4)the City Solicitor be authorized to complete the transaction; and

(5)the appropriate City Officials be authorized to take whatever action is necessary.

Background:

The City owns a vacant parcel of residential land on the east side of Carney Road and shown as Parts 1 and 4 on Appendix "C". It has 20.72 metres frontage, the average depth is 53.05 metres and the area is approximately 1,060.63 square meters. The property was acquired in the 1930's and has been retained by the City to provide possible future access for development of rear lands within the block bounded by Finch Avenue West, Carney Road, Hendon Avenue and Altamont Road.

The rear lands within the subject block have recently been included in a land assembly. They now form part of a larger development site with frontage on Finch Avenue West. With the assembly of these lands the subject City property is no longer required to provide access.

North York Community Council at its meeting on June 24, 1998 received a final recommendation report - official plan and zoning amendment applications UDOZ-97-11 the Park Avenues of North York - 134 to 140 Finch Avenue West, 11 and 15 Carney Road and the rear of 16 to 18 Altamont Road - North York Centre, from the Acting Commissioner of Planning, North York Civic Centre.

The report deals with an application to amend the official plan and zoning By-Law to permit a residential development comprised of 148 condominium stacked townhouse units and a 0.43 acre (0.267 HA) public park.

To achieve their objective of a 0.43 acres (0.267 HA) park, the Parks and Recreation Division wishes to incorporate the City's property designated as Part 1 on Appendix "C" with Parts 2 and 3 to be conveyed by the applicant to satisfy the parkland dedication requirement. Parts 2 and 3 exceed the statutory parkland dedication requirement by approximately 2.5 percent and to rectify the difference in land area the Parks and Recreation Division recommend that the City exchange land designated as Part 4 on Appendix "C" for those lands within Parts 2 and 3 which represent more than the required 5 percent parkland dedication.

Section 6.4 of the recommendation report reads in part as follows:

Public Park

"A 0.43 acre public park is also proposed as part of this development. The amount of land to be conveyed by the applicant to the city for parkland, based upon the net site exclusive of any lands to be conveyed to the City, exceeds the 5 percent statutory requirement by approximately 2.5 percent. In exchange for the additional land, the Parks and Recreation Department has recommended that the eastern portion of the municipal lands on Carney Road (Shown as Part 4 on Schedule "F") be conveyed to the applicant to be included in the development proposal. In exchange for the City owned lands, the applicant will convey lands that have frontage on Carney Road. The proposed land exchange will be reported upon to Council through the Corporate Services Committee.

All of the proposed parkland should be redesignated from Residential Density One to Local Open Space and rezoned from R4 to O1 (Open Space Zone) to appropriately reflect the change in use."

Real estate staff have now reviewed the lands proposed to be exchanged. Both sites are to be 291.92m², they are both zoned (R4) one family detached dwelling zone and are both designated RD1-Residential Density Zone according to the official plan. Property values are considered to be equal.

Conclusion:

If the land exchange is approved the Parks and Recreation Division would realize their objective for this area.

Contact Name:

Wayne O'Brien, telephone (416) 395-6747, fax (416) 395-6703 (cs98179.wpd)

Margaret Rodrigues

Commissioner of Corporate Services