June 26, 1998

  To:Scarborough Community Council

 From:Lorne Ross, MCIP, RPP

Commissioner of Planning and Buildings

 Subject:ZONING BY-LAW AMENDMENT APPLICATION SZ98015

Mondeo Developments Inc.

740 Ellesmere Road

Part of Lot 30, Concession 2

Dorset Park Community

Scarborough Wexford

Purpose:

 This report presents recommendations to amend the Dorset Park Community Zoning By-law for the residentially zoned property at 740 Ellesmere Road, east of Birchmount Road, as shown on Figure 1. The request is for adjustments to the Zoning By-law to allow for a greater range of house designs.

 The changes requested are as follows:

 1.to permit semi-detached dwellings in addition to the street townhouses currently permitted on the southerly portion of the subject site;

 2. increased building heights to permit a broader range of roof designs; and

 3. modified setback regulations pertaining to the block serviced by the rear laneway. These involve (a) changes to rear yard setbacks, and, (b) for units with a breezeway connection between the dwelling and garage, reduction of the setback from the main wall of the dwelling to the garage, and permission for a common semi-detached breezeway.

  Recommendations:

A.Zoning By-law

 That Council amend the Dorset Park Community Zoning By-law No. 9508, as amended, with respect to the lands located at 740 Ellesmere Road, being Part of Lot 30, Concession 2 as follows:

Additional Permitted Uses:(Applies only to the southerly portion of the site, shown hatched)

-Two-Family Dwellings.

  Development Standards:

 1.1Maximum Height 11 m (36 feet).

 1.2Minimum Rear Yard Setback- 12.5 m for rear lane lots with dwellings having a connecting breezeway between the dwelling and garage.

 1.3Minimum of 6.4 m from the main wall of the dwelling to the garage, for rear lane lots with dwellings having a connecting breezeway between the dwelling and garage or having detached garages.

 1.4The lot line abutting the narrower street shall be deemed to be the rear lot line, except for corner lots.(Applies only to the lots abutting the rear lane)

 1.5Common semi-detached breezeways may be centred on the side lot line.

  B.Miscellaneous

 That Council authorize such unsubstantive, technical, stylistic or format changes to the Zoning By-law as may be required to give effect to this resolution.

 Background:

 Preliminary Evaluation

 Scarborough Community Council on May 27, 1998 considered a Preliminary Evaluation Report requesting modifications to the existing single-family and street townhouse zoning on the Phase II lands of the Mondeo development. The request to conduct a public hearing to consider changes to the housing form, house design and building heights was endorsed and staff were directed to convene a Public Meeting prior to Council's summer recess, subject to staff negotiating with the applicant to ensure the highest quality design for the single and two-family dwellings (semi-detached dwellings).

 Holding Provision

 In order to allow the developer flexible and timely Zoning By-law approvals for marketing purposes, while ensuring the development occurs in a controlled and orderly fashion, Scarborough Council applied a Holding Provision. Removal of the Holding Provision can only be recommended once the required subdivision agreement has been executed.

  Comments:

 Proposal

 Mondeo Developments Inc. (Mondeo) are proposing to rezone the subject site, as shown on Figures 1 and 2, in order to allow for a greater range of house designs. The application applies to the low density residential development within the interior of the Phase II lands and excludes the live/work units located along Birchmount Road (see Figure 2).

 Dwelling Type

 Mondeo is requesting permission for "semi-detached" homes in addition to the "townhouse" dwellings currently permitted on a portion of the subject site (south side of Street "B"- Figure 2). The proposal will somewhat reduce the building massing on this block. The introduction of semi-detached/two-family dwellings would be compatible with the residential fabric that is being created in the remaining blocks of this development. The lot size and configuration would remain the same within the plan of subdivision, which has now received draft plan approval (by the former Metro Toronto Planning Department). The existing development standards will also remain unchanged with respect to the siting of the dwellings. [As discussed below, an increase in the height of these units is also requested]

 It is appropriate to allow semi-detached dwellings as a permitted use, thereby giving the applicant the flexibility to construct either semi-detached or street townhouse units.

Building Height

 In the Preliminary Evaluation report we advised that a height limit of 10 m (33 feet) was requested for the single family dwellings, as well as the proposed semi-detached units. The applicant has now requested a building height of 11 m (36 feet). The basis of the request is to allow the units to have more articulated and dramatic roof lines thereby creating a distinctive visual treatment to the overall development. This compares to a height limit of 12.5 m (41 feet) for the existing (and under construction) town house development on the east side of Mondeo Drive.

 It would be appropriate to increase the building height to allow this development the flexibility to achieve the highest possible standard with respect to building design.

 Setbacks- Rear Lane Block - Units with Breezeways

 As a result of changes to the proposed housing design and siting of the dwelling units, it is necessary to adjust the existing rear yard setback requirement of 15 m (49 feet), and the required space of 7.5 m (25 feet) between the dwelling unit and garage. Staff are satisfied that the proposed 12.5 m rear yard setback will provide sufficient space to accommodate the garage and breezeway, while maintaining a separation distance of 6.4 m (21 feet) between the garage and the rear of the dwelling unit for the required rear yard amenity space.

 The applicant now proposes that the breezeway connection between the dwelling unit and garage be enclosed and linked at the garage. To achieve this, the zoning by-law must permit a dividing wall situated on the side lot line. This is similar to an existing standard in the Zoning By-law that allows a garage to have a common semi-detached wall along the lot line.

 Setbacks- Rear Lane Block - Other Unit Types

 The 15 metre setback requirement described above was intended to regulate the units with separate garages but was inadvertently applied to all dwelling unit types on this block. The existing standard of 15 m (49 feet) would effectively prohibit development of some of the lots and would severely limit the range of dwelling unit styles which could be built overall. It is appropriate that these other dwelling units be regulated in accordance with the City's normal rear yard setback standard of 7.5 metres. It should be noted that the units that have an attached garage at the rear of the dwelling unit and access from the rear lane have amenity space provided in the form of a deck above the garage. Larger setbacks on these lots would simply mean longer driveways and would make it more difficult to provide amenity space.

 Conclusions:

 The proposed changes include the housing type, changes to the building standards, and an increase in the height of the residential units. These changes slightly reduce the overall density of development, and provide the opportunity to create a more attractive building form and design. The existing regulations make it difficult to implement the present scheme of development. The recommendations presented in this report will facilitate the development of the Mondeo Community, while continuing to provide appropriate development standards. Therefore, staff support the request to introduce semi-detached dwellings on this portion of the development, adjustments to the zoning standards and setbacks, and the requested height increase.

 Contact Name:

 Bill Kiru, MCIP, RPP

Planner, Community Planning Division

(416) 396-7014

(416) 396-4265 Fax Number

kiru@city.scarborough.on.ca

Lorne Ross, MCIP, RPP

Commissioner of Planning and Buildings

     APPENDIX "A"

  CURRENT PLANNING STATUS

  Existing Official Plan Provisions (Figure 4.12):

 The subject lands are designated Commercial Mixed Use providing for a variety of residential, office, commercial, hotel and community facility uses, which may be developed in separate buildings or in multi-use buildings or projects.

 A Numbered Policy in the Dorset Park Community Secondary Plan allows High Density Residential uses to a maximum density of 160 units per hectare (64 units per acre) based on the total site area, to a maximum of 1950 residential units. Medium Density Residential and General Employment uses are also provided for in addition to the Commercial Mixed Use designation under this numbered policy.

  Existing Zoning By-law Restrictions (Figure 4):

 The subject lands are zoned Single Family Residential (S), Street Townhouse Residential (ST), and Residential/Employment (RE). All zone categories are subject to a Holding Provision (H). An Exception in the By-law limits the permitted uses on the subject site to warehousing (wholly within an enclosed building) and two model homes prior to the removal of the holding provision. A further Exception, for the Block proposed for semi-detached dwellings, prohibits single-family and two-family dwellings.