May 14, 1998

To:North York Community Council

From:Bryan Tuckey

Acting Commissioner of Planning

Subject:RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT, Zoning by-law Amendment Application, L & A International Management Inc., William Carson Crescent, Lot 12, Con 1, EYS, Being Part 2 on Plan 64R-1611,  Ward 9 - North York Centre South, UDZ-97-32

Purpose:

The purpose of this report is to recommend a zoning by-law amendment to permit a six storey 134 unit apartment building on the east side of William Carson Crescent.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that the application be approved subject to the following:

(1)The site be rezoned from C1 to RM6 exception subject to the following:

(i) A maximum of 1,035 m5 of private recreational amenity area and the 800 m5 of below grade mechanical floor area shall be exempted from the gross floor area;

(ii)A minimum of 1.5 m5 of recreational amenity space per dwelling unit shall be provided;

(iii)A minimum of 25% of the total number of dwelling units provided shall have a maximum floor area of 55 m5 for bachelor units, 70 m5 for one-bedroom units, 80 m5 for two-bedroom units, 120 m5 for three-bedroom units, or any combination thereof;

(iv)general provisions with respect to lot coverage and landscaping shall not apply;

(v) the minimum yard setbacks shall be generally as set in Appendix AB@;

(vi)the height of the building including all structures shall not exceed 167 m above sea level;

(vii) notwithstanding (vi), an extra 1 m in height for mechanical roof equipment, parapets, stair railing and building structure on the roof shall be allowed, but shall not exceed 8 % of the roof area;

(viii)the height of the pool roof shall not exceed 1.5 m above grade; and

(ix)the face of each balcony may encroach up to 1.0 m into the yard setback.

(2)Prior to the enactment of the zoning by-law, the proponent obtain site plan approval which addresses the items identified in Appendix AA@. As a result of the site plan approval, any change in gross floor area and setbacks will be reflected in the zoning by-law.

Background:

Proposal:

The proponent wants to develop the site with a six storey 134 unit apartment building with 230 underground parking spaces (33 visitor and 197 resident). The following chart summarizes the site strategy.

Site:

The property is located on the eastern side of William Carson Crescent (see attached Schedule AB@), a small street having sole access from the east side of Yonge Street at a signalized intersection.

Three eight-storey condominium apartment buildings containing 495 units (Rose Park Wellesley) have been approved for the adjacent lands to the north of the site. To the east above the top of bank, there is an established low density residential neighbourhood (St. Andrews residential community). To the south, there is a wooded area along a ravine and on the top of the ravine=s bank - the St. John=s Anglican Church complex. To the west, on the other side of William Carson Crescent, Fire Hall No. 17 (North York) and an office complex exist.

Official Plan:

The western portion of the subject land is designated York Mills Office (YMO) and the eastern ravine portion is designated Valley Open Space (VOS). The site is in Area #1 of the York Mills Secondary Plan and almost all of it is in a Special Control Area. The strategy for the development of this area is to permit office and residential uses in the YMO designation. Residential uses are considered appropriate for lands fronting onto William Carson Crescent with limited or no Yonge Street visibility or frontage. The maximum density permitted in the official plan for these lands is 1.5 fsi.

The applicant=s proposal conforms to these policy requirements. An official plan amendment is not required to accommodate this project.

Zoning:

The lands are zoned General Commercial (C1) subject to By-law No. 30094 and Greenbelt (G). The C1 zone is on the western portion of the site fronting onto William Carson Crescent, and permits an office building with underground parking, a maximum building height of 165.2 m above sea level, a maximum gross floor area of 16,650 m5 and site specific yard setbacks. The Greenbelt zone applies to the ravine portion of the lands.

A zoning by-law amendment is needed to accommodate the applicant=s residential apartment proposal.

Comments from Other Departments or Agencies:

The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority has no objections to the proposal given the current greenbelt zoning is maintained on the eastern portion of the property. The recommendations of the geotechnical investigation regarding slope stability will need to be addressed during the site plan application stage and at the time of building permit issuance. See attached Schedule AG@.

The City=s Parks & Recreation Department requires a 5% cash-in-lieu of parkland dedication payment and encourage the provision of more outside recreational amenity space within the landscaped area. See attached Schedule AH@.

The Toronto Transit Commission notes that the site is within convenient walking distance to the York Mills subway station, and in order to encourage transit use, would like the implementing zoning by-law to have an upper limit of on-site parking. In addition, attenuation measures should be incorporated to reduce noise and vibration levels from the TTC facilities to the lowest technically possible. The attenuation measures will be dealt with at the site plan application stage. See attached Schedule AI@.

The Transportation Division is satisfied with the proposed development. See attached Schedule AJ@.

The Engineering Division notes issues related to the solid waste collection area, site drainage and slope stability. See attached Schedule AK@.

Toronto District School Board have advised that the schools designated to accommodate students emanating from the proposed development are at capacity, and alternative accommodation arrangements will be required. See attached Schedule AL@.

The Toronto Catholic School Board objects to the proposal due to a lack of permanent facilities and overcrowding in existing schools designated to serve this area. See attached Schedule AM@.

Community Consultation:

A community meeting was held on February 26, 1998.

Most of the residents attending the meeting were from the adjacent residential neighbourhood to the east. In general, the residential proposal was supported. Most of the questions were related to architectural matters, and in particular, the proposed height of the building and the decorative treatment of any equipment on the roof. The residents do not want the height to exceed the top-of-bank of the ravine. The community would like to see a limited amount of roof equipment with screening.

Several residents indicated their desire for as much on site tree preservation as possible.

The Yonge Ridge Homeowners= Association Inc. has confirmed that they are able to support the proposed apartment development subject to a maximum 1.5 fsi, a maximum 167 metre building height above sea level, restrictions on roof equipment to 1 metre above the building height, protection of the adjacent valley slope and construction of the development in accordance with the plans reviewed by their association in April 1998.

Discussion:

(1)Residential Development on William Carson Crescent

The proposed development is in keeping with the policies of the City=s official plan, and in particular, the York Mills Office Centre secondary plan. A six storey residential apartment building is a good fit with the existing office complex and fire hall on the west side of William Carson Crescent and the approved residential development to the north of the site.

(2)Building Height

The proposed building height meets the official plan requirements. The by-law will include provisions to restrict the height of the building to 18.6 metres (167 m above sea level), and to allow an extra metre in height only for mechanical roof equipment, parapets, stair railing and building structure. The building does not exceed the 167 m top of the bank height. This is compatible with the Yonge Ridge Homeowners= Association position concerning the height of the proposed building.

(3)Yard Setbacks

The previous office zoning for the site established a building envelope which supported a workable footprint for an office use while allowing for the preservation of trees and the adjacent valley slope. In comparison, the proposed building envelope for the residential building increases the front yard from 0 metres to 4.5 metres. The proponent is looking at further revisions to the building envelope to achieve a 7.5 m front yard setback. The achievement of an increased front yard setback will be finalized as part of the site plan review. The proposed northern and southern yard setbacks remain similar to those of the office building envelope, however, at the rear, the building has been setback from the valley slope to create the opportunity for an outdoor amenity space.

The proposed changes to the building envelope creates a more appropriate context for residential uses. Accordingly, the building setbacks resulting from the site plan approval, should be specifically regulated in the amending zoning by-law. The proposed setbacks are listed in Appendix AB@.

(4)Urban Design

The context for the development of this site has been established by the high quality of urban design which is encouraged by the Official Plan and which is and proposed to be built in the area. The limitation on height and the preservation of the valley and trees ensures that the impact on the residential community on the top of the slope are minimized. The front yard should create a landscaped edge which reflects the valley context and the existing commercial and residential development along this local street. The architectural treatment of the building, to be secured at site plan, will also reflect this high quality building design.

 During the site plan review, the applicant will also need to demonstrate that the solid waste collection area can be accommodated on the easement and that any changes to the servicing within this easement does not impact the slope stability. Any changes to the building gross floor area and setbacks as a result of this review should be reflected in the amending zoning by-law. Accordingly, site plan approval is recommended prior to the enactment of a zoning by-law.

(5)Recreational Amenities

William Carson Crescent and the adjacent area along Yonge Street has limited access to public recreational facilities due to its location within the valley. Similar to the adjacent residential apartment development, on-site recreational facilities for the future tenants are provided. This proposal includes a 1,035 m5 (11,141 ft5) indoor pool as a private recreational amenity. This is 7.7 m5 (83.1 ft5) of amenity space per apartment unit.

Conclusion:

The apartment proposal is an appropriate development in a small residential enclave at the north end of William Carson Crescent. The proposal conforms to the intent of the York Mills Office Centre secondary plan including the height and density requirements. The design of the project will be resolved further at the site plan approval stage.

A zoning by-law amendment to implement the proposed six storey apartment building is recommended.

Contact Name:

Michael SaundersTel: 395-7104

Fax: 395-7155

Bryan Tuckey

Acting Commissioner of Planning

APPENDIX "A"

 The site plan approval shall include provisions on the following: (a)measures to ensure stability of slope;

(b)a drainage plan satisfactory to the City;

(c)the creation of an appropriate outdoor recreational amenity space;

(d)a tree preservation plan with a view of preserving and protecting as many trees as possible;

(e)the rooftop mechanical equipment shall be screened from view and incorporated into the overall design of the building;

(f)measures to mitigate potential noise impact and vibration from the subway line;

(g) the servicing and truck manoeuvring areas must be signed and marked to prevent vehicles from parking in these areas;

(h)grading satisfactory to the City for the solid waste collection facilities area and any changes in setbacks and gross floor area to accommodate these facilities will be reflected in the amending zoning by-law;

(i) the pick-up/drop-off facility must be signed with ADo Not Enter@, AOne-way Only@ and ANo Parking@ signs to ensure a one-way counter-clockwise driveway operation; and

(j)enhanced front yard landscaping and appropriate street edge within an increased front yard building setback.

APPENDIX "B"

The implementing zoning by-law shall include the following yard setbacks:

Front Yard Setbacks (along William Carson Crescent)

4.5 m to building face,

Side Yard Setbacks

4.8 m to building face,

1.2 m to pool roof edge,

Rear Yard Setbacks

Northern Portion 5.0 m to building face,

Southern Portion 26.0 m to building face,

21.5 m to ground floor terrace patios, and

Entrance Canopy Setback

0 m from lot line.

(Copies of Schedules "A", "B", "C", "D", "E", "F", "G", "H", "I", "J", "K", "L" and "M", are on file in the office of the City Clerk.)