July 9, 1998

 To:Toronto Community Council

 From:Angie Antoniou, Acting Assistant Director, By-law Administration and Enforcement, City Works Services

 Subject:Construction of an Overhead Service Corridor - Harbord Street Flank of 631 Spadina Avenue (Downtown)

 Purpose:

 To report on the construction of an overhead service corridor on the Harbord Street flankage of 631 Spadina Avenue. The service corridor will be used to facilitate maintenance of signage that will be affixed to the exterior of the service corridor. As this type of structure does not fall within the standard provisions of Municipal Code Chapter 313, Streets and Sidewalks, of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code, I am required to report to your Committee.

 Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

 Not applicable.

 Recommendation:

 That City Council approve the construction of an overhead service corridor over the City street allowance on the Harbord Street flankage of 631 Spadina Avenue, subject to the owner entering into an agreement with the City of Toronto, as prescribed under Chapter 313 of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code, and agreeing to:

 (a)indemnify the City from and against all actions, suits, claims or demands and from all loss, costs, damages, charges and expenses that may result from such permission granted;

 (b)maintain the service corridor in good and proper repair and a condition satisfactory to the Commissioner of City Works Services;

 (c)accept such additional conditions as the City Solicitor or the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services may deem necessary in the interest of the Corporation;

 (d)remove the overhead service corridor upon receiving notice so to do with the understanding that the City shall not give such notice in the first 75 years following completion of the proposed work or the life of the building, whichever period is less; and

 (e)pay an annual rental fee, as determined by the Commissioner of Corporate Services.

Comments:

 Mr. Chris Radigan of Stephen Teeple Architect Inc., 511 King Street west, Toronto, Ontario M5V 1K4, submitted an application on April 27, 1998, on behalf of the owner, University of Toronto, requesting permission to construct an overhead service corridor over the City street allowance on the Harbord Street flankage of 631 Spadina Avenue. The proposed corridor will be located 14.5 m above grade and extend 12.2 m over the City street allowance. It will be used to facilitate maintenance of signage that will be affixed to the exterior of the corridors.

 For your Committee's information, the former City of Toronto Council, at its meeting of May 28 and 29, 1990, adopted a general policy prohibiting the construction of overhead structures and pedestrian bridges over public rights-of-way, except for site specific locations where Council may approve such structures on the recommendations of the Commissioners of City Works Services and Urban Development Services providing appropriate justification and subject to the structure being accessible to people with disabilities.

 In this instance, discussions have been on-going with members of Urban Development Services, Development Approval Division, who in turn have submitted, for your consideration at this meeting, a separate report dealing with the signage at this location.

 With respect to the requirement of accessibility for people with disabilities, this would not be a concern at this location, as the service corridor would be restricted to maintenance personnel only.

Details of the overhead service corridor are shown on the attached sketches (Appendices 'A' and 'B').

 Conclusions:

 As this overhead service corridor will not impact negatively on the area, it should be permitted, subject to the owner entering into an agreement with the City of Toronto.

 Contact Name and Telephone Number:

 Fani Lauzon, 392-7894

Acting Assistant Director

KP

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