CITY CLERK

Clause embodied in Report No. 7 of the North York Community Council, as adopted by the Council of the City of Toronto at its meeting held on July 8, 9 and 10, 1998.

45(e)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.

The North York Community Council recommends having received the following report and having authorized staff to schedule a public meeting:

(June 10, 1998) from the Acting Commissioner of Planning, North York Civic Centre, reporting on an application to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit a residential development comprised of 148 condominium stacked townhouse units and submitting recommendations with respect thereto.

June 10, 1998

To:North York Community Council

From:Bryan Tuckey

Acting Commissioner of Planning

Subject:FINAL RECOMMENDATION REPORT

OFFICIAL PLAN AND ZONING AMENDMENT APPLICATIONS

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

Lots 9, 10 and Part Lots 11, 23 and 26, R.P. 2056

Ward 10 - North York Centre

UDOZ-97-11

Purpose:

This is a recommendation report on an application to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit a residential development comprised of 148 condominium stacked townhouse units.

A 0.43 acre public park is also proposed on Carney Road next to the development.

This application represents a significant redevelopment within the Central Finch West Secondary Plan. It proposes a low rise residential condominium development in a concept which is premised on a series of grade related dwelling units, focused on an interior atrium space, larger than usual suites, and the creation of a new park space on Carney Road.

There are a number of municipal interests which this report will address. Among these:

- the arrangement of the site depends upon an exchange of lands between the applicant and the city to consolidate an existing municipal lot with additional lands suitable to develop a small park with frontage on Carney Road;

- the alignment of the access/egress for the proposal with the existing alignments of Edithvale Drive south of Finch Avenue West and the installation of a signalized intersection at this location; and

- the provision of public works improvements with an estimated cost of $91,000 including the construction of a storm inlet structure as part of an overall stormwater management plan;

Since the development application rests on the Community Council considerations of land use it is recommended that this be settled before the matter of any municipal land exchange be considered at the Corporate Services Committee. Both requests, however, should be considered at the same time when the matter comes before Council for approval.

The report also gives the applicant direction on urban design objectives to be achieved, all of which should be reflected in a revised conceptual site plan prior to the statutory public meeting at Community Council. It is important that the development proposal work within the context of the Central Finch Secondary Plan, relate well to the Finch Avenue West streetscape and to the abutting stable residential areas. Within the organization of the site there is an opportunity to maintain the new development concept and realize its full development potential with improvements to the internal ordering of the site such as site circulation for pedestrians, service and private vehicles, amount of open space and distance between buildings.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)Lands described as Parts 1, 2 and 3 on Schedule "F" be redesignated from RD1 to LOS;

Prior to the adoption of an amendment to the Official Plan and the enactment of a zoning by-law the following matters be addressed:

(a)The lands shown on Schedule "F" be described in a plan of survey reference satisfactory to the Acting Commissioner of Planning and the City Solicitor;

(b)Part 1 be retained in municipal ownership;

(c)Parts 2 and Part 3 shown on Schedule "F" be conveyed to the City for parkland purposes with terms satisfactory to the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation; and

(d)Prior to Council consideration of this application, the Property Section of the Finance Department report to the Corporate Services Committee on the conveyance of the City owned lands shown as Part 4 on Schedule "F" to the applicant in exchange for those lands within Part 3 which represent more than the required 5% parkland dedication that the applicant is prepared to convey to the City for parkland purposes .

(e)Parts 5 and 6 are to be retained by the applicant as part of their development site.

(2)The zoning for the subject site be amended to Multiple-family Dwelling First Density Zone (RM1) with the following exceptions:

(a)For the purpose of this exception, "Multiple Attached Dwelling" shall mean a building consisting of a series of one family dwelling units where each unit has access from an internal corridor or access from the outside, or any combination thereof.

(b)Subject to technical changes which may occur at Site Plan Approval, the Minimum Yards shall be as shown on Schedule "C";

(c)Gross Floor Area

(i)A maximum gross floor area of 8,039.16 m² shall be permitted on the lands shown as Part A on Schedule "G" designated Central Finch Mixed Use 1;

(ii)A maximum gross floor area of 9,679.39 m² shall be permitted on the lands shown as Part B on Schedule "G" designated Central Finch Residential 2 ;

(d)Parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with the following:

1.75 spaces per unit, of which a maximum of 11 spaces may be surface parking designated for visitors. All parking may be permitted below grade;

(e)Maximum Building Height:

(i)13.0m and 4 storeys on the area shown as Part A on Schedule "E";

(ii)10.0m and 3 storeys on the area shown as Part B on Schedule "E"; and

(iii)In no case shall the height of any portion of a building (except accessory structures) exceed 70% of the horizontal distance separating the building from the nearest residential property line that coincides with the boundaries of the Central Finch Secondary plan;

(f)A maximum of 148 units is permitted with an minimum average unit size of 100 m²;

(g)Based upon the revised drawings, Council shall be satisfied that the City's affordable housing policies will be met and Council may in the by-law require a minimum of 25% of the number of units provided shall have a maximum floor area of 70 m² for a one bedroom unit, 80m² for a two bedroom unit, and 120m² for a three bedroom unit;

(h)The RM1 provisions of Lot Area, Street Frontage, Lot Coverage, Floor Area and Distance Between Buildings may be regulated through the zoning by-law or addressed by the site plan;

(3)The zoning for the proposed park be amended to Open Space (O1).

(4)Staff be directed to do all things necessary to ensure that at the time of the enactment of any zoning by-law the following conditions have been satisfied:

(a)The conditions of the Transportation Department attached as Schedule "H",

(b)The conditions of the Works and Emergency Services Department attached as Schedule "I",

(c)The conditions of Parks and Recreation attached as Schedule "J";

(5)Prior to the enactment of the zoning by-law, the Acting Commissioner of Planning shall have granted site plan approval which shall achieve the objectives outlined in Appendix "A"; these shall be reported upon further at the time of the public meeting;

(6)In accordance with Council policy, the Owner shall execute an agreement of undertaking that the project will proceed to Condominium approval;

(7)The agreements which apply to the lands on Schedule "E", dated December 1, 1961 and October 14, 1964 between Beatrice and Harry Bentley and the former City of North York (Instrument No. 376624 and 444371), attached as Schedule "K", be released by the City. These agreements at present require that lands which now form a portion of the development site, and which previously were landlocked, proceed to development only through a plan of subdivision. Since these lands now form part of a larger consolidated assembly, with frontage on Finch Avenue West, they can be developed through rezoning and a condominium description.

Background

1.0Location and Existing Site:

The site is located on the north side of Finch Avenue West between Carney Road and Altamont Road. Generally, the site is surrounded by single family dwellings. However, east of the site on the east side of Altamont Road is an existing residential 3 and 4 storey stacked townhouse development.

Immediately to the west of the site at 142 Finch Avenue West there is a proposed zoning amendment application by Crown Tech to permit a dental laboratory (UDZ-97-14) (Refer to Schedule "B"). That proposal is currently in the circulation stage of the planning review. On the west side of Carney Road there are single family dwellings and a privately owned vacant parcel of land.

2.0Proposal:

The proposal is for a 148 unit, 3 and 4 storey stacked condominium townhouse development. An 8.5m wide internal driveway runs through the site from the east side lot line across to the west side lot line and down to Finch Avenue West to a proposed signalized intersection. The internal driveway will be aligned with Edithvale Drive. The access to the underground parking is located at the northeast corner of the site. The garbage pick up area is situated next to the parking ramp. Parking is provided below grade, except for 14 visitor spaces which are proposed to be located at the surface, along the sides of the internal driveway.

The proposal is summarized in the table below.

The proposed site plan is shown on Schedule "C".

The applicant has increased the size of their original development site which consisted only of a landlock parcel of land shown on Schedule "E" attached, by acquiring lands along Finch Avenue West. The additional lands provide the necessary frontage on and access to the site from an arterial road.

There are two agreements on title that date back to the early 1960's which apply to the portion of the site shown on Schedule "E ". The agreements state that the said lands may only be developed as part of a plan of subdivision (Refer to Schedule K). As these lands are being included as part of a comprehensive development the agreements can be released from title.

3.0Planning Controls:

3.1Official Plan and Zoning:

The site is located within the Central Finch Area Secondary Plan. The southerly third of the site fronting onto Finch Avenue West, is designated Central Finch Mixed Use 1 (CFMU-1). The balance of the site is designated Central Finch Residential Two (CFR-2). Specific policies relating to the Central Finch Plan that apply to the site are outlined in Appendix "B". The entire site is zoned R4 (One-family Detached Dwelling Zone).

For the Official Plan designations and zoning for the site and the surrounding area, refer to Schedules "A" and "B" attached.

4.0Other Department Comments:

A summary of the relevant comments received from the circulated departments and agencies is outlined below.

The Transportation Department has advised that the proposed development requires a signalized intersection at Edithvale Drive. The internal driveway on the site is to be aligned with Edithvale Drive. A Traffic study prepared by BA Consulting dated May 1998, supports the proposed signalized intersection. The cost for constructing the proposed signalized intersection is to be paid for by the applicant. The Transportation Department further advises that three surface visitor parking spaces shown as numbers 1, 2 and 3 on Schedule "C" be deleted as they are located too close to the proposed signalized intersection. The Transportation Department requires an easement agreement with the applicant and the owners of the properties to the west (142 Finch Avenue West and 7 Carney Road) to allow them to have access to the proposed signalized intersection on Finch Avenue West

(Refer to Schedule "H").

The Parks and Recreation Department advises that as the City owns a 20m wide parcel of land on Carney Road which is shown as Parcels 1 and 4 on Schedule "F". The applicant is conveying to the City the bulk of 11 and 15 Carney Road which is shown as Parts 2 and 3 on Schedule "F", for the statutory parkland dedication requirement. The amount of land being conveyed by the applicant exceeds the statutory requirement. The Parks and Recreation Department has suggested that the City convey the eastern portion of the municipal lands on Carney Road, which is shown as Part 4 on Schedule "F' to the applicant in exchange for the additional lands. The amount of land to be exchanged is approximately 290 m² in area (Refer to Schedule "I").

The Works and Emergency Services Department reports that the stormwater management report submitted by the applicant's Engineering consultant provides an acceptable strategy for controlling the storm water runoff from the site. Details relating to refuse collection will form part of the site plan review (Refer to Schedule "J").

5.0Public Consultation:

A community consultation meeting was held on February 18, 1998 attended by approximately 50 people (Refer to Schedule "L"). The key issues that arose from the meeting were:

- Improving the safety for pedestrians crossing this section of Finch Avenue West;

- The existing high levels of traffic infiltrating through the area;

- Parking of construction workers on local streets during construction;

- How the applicant proposes to manage the storm water on site without adversely impacting the neighbouring properties; and

- Providing sufficient parking on site.

The proposed signalized intersection at Edithvale Drive and Finch Avenue West will help in making it safer for people crossing this section of Finch Avenue West.

The only vehicular access to the site will be from Finch Avenue West. Traffic from this site will not be expected to infiltrate through the abutting residential area.

Provided that there is an agreement between the applicant and the Parks and Recreation Department, construction workers will be able to park on the proposed parkland rather than on Carney Road during the construction period.

Storm water will be managed on site through the use of an underground retention tank. The storm water will be collected through the use of catchbasins on site which will lead to the retention tank. The storm water will then be released at intervals into the storm water trunk sewer along Finch Avenue West.

With respect to the issue of parking, the applicant is proposing to provide more parking than is required under the Zoning By-law.

6.0Planning Issues:

6.1Land Use:

The applicant's proposal for a residential only development with stacked townhouse units conforms to the Central Finch Secondary Plan. The proposed stacked townhouse development is in context with the developments that have been approved along Finch Avenue West, in particular the existing development to the east at the northeast corner of Finch Avenue West and Altamont Road.

6.2Official Plan Amendment

An Official Plan amendment is recommended for the proposed park on Carney Road which would appropriately redesignate the lands from Residential Density One to Local Open Space.

The Official Plan under Section 1.3.1 states that "minor adjustments to boundaries between land use designations shall not require an amendment to the Official Plan." After the redesignation of the proposed parkland from RD1 to LOS, there will be a small portion of land designated RD1 that is shown as Parts 4, 5 and 6 on Schedule "F", that will remain. A minor adjustment to the CFR-2 boundary is appropriate to include these lands. The lands included are now all internal to the site. The new park now becomes the boundary of the Plan along the west side of the development lands. The density attributed to these lands is nominal. As these lands are adjacent to the proposed public park they will have a minimal impact on the surrounding residential lands.

6.3Urban Design

The proposed residential development is contained within three buildings that are laid out on the site in a row going north from Finch Avenue. The proposed building fronting on Finch Avenue West provides an opportunity for strong streetscape presence.

There are a number of urban design issues with the proposed site plan that need to be addressed more fully, such as the location of garbage and recycling facilities, opportunities to increase amenity space throughout the project, layout and width of the internal driveway(s), grade related units which complement the various street frontage(s), distance between buildings, and the size of the building foot prints particularly Building 'A' on the Finch Avenue W frontage. A list of urban design objectives outlined on Appendix "A" have been established to assist the applicant in revising their site plan.

It is important that the proposed site plan satisfy the urban design objectives outlined on Appendix "A" and be available to the public at the statutory public meeting.

The enacting by-law can be implemented after the applicant has received site plan approval. The site plan process will allow for the review of the submission in further detail with respect to urban design issues and will allow for refinement of the zoning by-law.

6.4Public 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% statutory requirement by approximately 2.5%. 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. In terms of timing, it is important that the Community Council's recommendations on the official plan and zoning amendment proceed to Council concurrently with and those of the Corporate Services Committee's on the land exchange.

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.

6.5 Parking

The applicant's proposal at 148 units would require a total of 259 parking spaces, based upon the Zoning By-law's minimum requirement of 1.75 spaces per unit for multiple attached units. The applicant is providing a total of 307 spaces, 296 in the underground garage and 11 surface spaces on the side of the internal driveway. The Transportation Department indicates that minor changes will need to be made to the below grade parking arrangement to separate the required visitor parking area from the residents' parking area. Revisions to the plans to address this concern and the urban design issues may impact on the overall level of parking. This will be reported on further at the time of the public meeting.

6.6Ingress and Egress

Ingress and egress to the site will be off Finch Avenue West at a proposed signalized intersection. The internal driveway is proposed to be aligned with Edithvale Drive. The proposed signalized intersection should improve the level of safety for pedestrians crossing this section of Finch Avenue West while making it easier for vehicular traffic entering and leaving the site.

Conclusions:

This proposal for a 148 unit, 3 and 4 storey stacked townhouse development is an appropriate development for this site and conforms to the Central Finch Secondary Plan.

The proposed signalized intersection at Edithvale Drive will improve the level of safety for pedestrians crossing this section of Finch Avenue West while making it easier for residents entering and leaving the proposed development site.

Council needs to approve the proposed land exchanged prior to amending the Official Plan or zoning by-law.

It is important that the applicant submit a revised site plan that incorporates the urban design objectives outlined on Appendix "A" to assist the public at the time of the statutory public meeting.

An RM1 exception zoning with provisions for setbacks, building height, gross floor area, parking, unit count and affordable housing is recommended.

Contact Name:

Randy Jones, Planner

Phone: 395-7137Fax: 395-7155

Bryan Tuckey

ACTING COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING

RJ