January 6, 1998

To: North York Community Council

From: Bryan Tuckey

Acting Commissioner of Planning

Subject: PRELIMINARY EVALUATION REPORT

OFFICIAL PLAN AND ZONING AMENDMENT APPLICATION

Clairtrell Road Development Limited

6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16-23 Clairtrell Road

UDOZ-97-46

Ward 10 - North York Centre

Purpose:

This is a preliminary evaluation of the application to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit two 10 storey apartment buildings with 236 residential units and 76 stacked townhouse dwelling units on both sides of Clairtrell Road, north of Sheppard Avenue East, west of Bayview Avenue.

Source of Funds:

Not applicable.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) the Planning Department schedule a Community Consultation Meeting in consultation with the Local Councillors; and

(2) staff be directed to prepare a Principles of Development Report to evaluate this application in the context of the Official Plan Amendment 392 and the private appeals of this application against Official Plan Amendment 392. This should be settled prior to the scheduling of a statutory public meeting to consider this application.

Background:

Proposal:

The applicant has proposed that the existing single family homes be replaced with two 10-storey apartment buildings containing 236 units on the east side of Clairtrell Road and 76 stacked townhouse units to replace the single family homes on the west side of Clairtrell Road. Listed below is a breakdown of pertinent statistics:

Official Plan:

Residential Density One (RD1) which permits single detached and semi-detached dwellings at a density of 20 units/hectare.

Sheppard East Subway Corridor Secondary Plan:

The lands subject to the application are included within the Sheppard Corridor Plan as set out in Official Plan Amendment 392, but have not been included as a key development area.

The existing home owners are represented by a development interest who is prepared to acquire these properties subject to rezoning to a higher density.

Staff considered these lands in reports on the Sheppard Corridor in 1996 and recommended that the secondary plan not identify Clairtrell as a key development area in view of the principle that stable residential areas functioning well in fragmented ownership should be protected in the short term. This would not preclude further consideration if a comprehensive land assembly is achieved and a redevelopment proposal is submitted for review. It was noted that in the event that Council considered Clairtrell as a development area, development should not exceed a maximum density in the range of 1.5 to 2.0 FSI with lower densities located at the north end of Clairtrell Avenue and an adequate transition area relative to the residential uses on Greenfield Avenue and Spring Garden Avenue.

On September 17, 1997, Council adopted a Principles of Development Report for the lands abutting this development assembly to the south at the intersection of Clairtrell Road and Sheppard Avenue East. Council's direction is that these lands be developed at a maximum density of 2.0 FSI in accordance with the policies of the Arterial Corridor Area designation and other principles outlined in the report to ensure that the development is compatible with the abutting neighbourhood and is in an appropriate urban form.

Zoning:

R3 (One-FamilyDetached Dwellings Third Density Zone).

Discussion:

A Principles of Development Report should be prepared for these lands, taking into account development direction already established by Council for the lands to the south, at the intersection of Clairtrell Road and Sheppard Avenue East. The report will respond to this development application and will determine if this area should be identified as a key development area. The Community Consultation for all of the Clairtrell applications will be coordinated in consultation with the Local Councillors.

Issues:

(1) Comprehensive Development

The development proposal does not include all of the properties along Clairtrell Road. The single family homes at 8 and 14 Clairtrell Road as well as the church on the east side have been excluded from the development application. The issue of fragmented ownership on Clairtrell that was outlined in the Sheppard Corridor study has not been fully addressed by this application.

On a broader scale, the development of the northwest quadrant of Sheppard Avenue East and Bayview Avenue as a whole also needs to be evalutated in a comprehensive manner to ensure that it functions within the context of the principles set out for the various nodes in the Sheppard Corridor Plan while providing stability for the surrounding area. The properties towards Bayview Avenue on Teagarden Court and Mallingham Court need to be included in this comprehensive consideration. The development applications to the south and their relationship to the overall quadrant is another consideration.

(2) Density:

The proposed overall density proposed is 3.06 FSI. The Sheppard East Subway Corridor Secondary Plan excluded this area from the key development areas as it was functioning well as a residential area and was fragmented in ownership. In accordance with the previous consideration of the Clairtrell area within the Sheppard East Subway Corridor Study, if development is to occur on these lands, maximum density limits should not exceed the general range of 1.5 to 2.0 FSI with the lower densities to be distributed at the north end of Clairtrell Road.

(3) Urban Design

The highest density with the most massive building is proposed at the north end of Clairtrell Road. Consideration should be given to a transition built form to protect the single family homes to the north on Spring Garden Avenue. The overall design of the quadrant, as it relates to the properties east on Teagarden Court and the townhouses on Mallingham Court, also needs to be addressed.

(4) Parks, Recreational, and Community Facilities

Consideration needs to be given to the provision of parks, recreational facilities and other community services and how this application will impact on the existing facilities.

(5) Transportation:

It needs to be determined how this proposal would affect the transportation capacity for the corridor and the impact of the Sheppard Subway may have on the development. It also be determined whether or not this application would affect traffic infiltration into the adjacent stable residential neighbourhood.

City Wide Issues:

Conclusions:

This application for amendment to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law flows from objections by the land owners to the exclusion of the area from the Sheppard Corridor Plan OPA 392 as a key development site.

This application provides Council an opportunity to evaluate the use of these lands concurrent with applications on the abutting property with frontage on Sheppard Avenue East. Review of these lands should be considered through the preparation of a Principles of Development Report at the outset to ensure a consistent planning approach and provide the applicant with a general position early in the process.

Contact Name:

Karen Whitney, Planner

Phone: 395-7109 Fax: 395-7155

Bryan Tuckey,

Acting Commissioner of Planning

Schedules:

A Official Plan Map

B Zoning Map

C Site Plan

D Elevations