July 15, 1998

 To:Toronto Community Council

 From:Commissioner of Urban Development Services upon revised application filed June 11, 1998 by DeLisle Court Corp, 1200 Sheppard Avenue East #200, North York, Ontario M2K 2S5.

 Subject:Revised Preliminary Report: 1560 Yonge Street, 10 DeLisle Avenue and 22 DeLisle Avenue - Application No. 197004 for Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments and Site Plan Approval to permit a residential complex containing 274 units and a commercial parking garage. (Midtown)

 Purpose:

 To introduce a revised development proposal to maintain the existing two storey commercial building along Yonge Street and to construct a new residential complex containing 274 units and an underground parking garage for 258 residential parking spaces and 251 commercial parking spaces at 1560 Yonge Street, 10 DeLisle Avenue and 22 DeLisle Avenue and to seek authority to hold a public meeting on the required Official Plan Amendment and Rezoning Application.

 Source of Funds:

 Not applicable

 Recommendations:

 It is recommended that:

 1.I be requested to hold a public meeting in the community to discuss the revised application and to notify owners and tenants within 300 metres of the site and the Ward Councillors.

 2.The owner be advised that, prior to final Council approval of this project, the owner may be required to submit a Noise Impact Statement in accordance with City Council's requirements. The owner will be further advised of these requirements, as they relate to this project, by the Commissioner of Works & Emergency Services.

 Background:

 Site:

 The site is located on the west side of Yonge Street, between Heath Street West and DeLisle Avenue. The site is rectangular in shape and is currently occupied by the DeLisle Court shopping complex, the Parking Authority of Toronto parking lot and the former manse for Calvin Presbyterian Church.

On DeLisle Avenue, to the immediate west of the site is Calvin Presbyterian Church and to the north (on the north side of Heath Street) is Christ Church Deer Park. To the west of the Calvin Presbyterian Church there are two apartment buildings (10 and 11 storeys in height) which front onto DeLisle Avenue. The existing development along Heath Street is predominantly low density, 3 storey house form buildings.

 Application History:

 This application was originally filed January 31, 1997. A Preliminary Report (dated May 1, 1997) was submitted to the May 15, 1997 meeting of the former City of Toronto Land Use Committee. The Preliminary Report set out design and development guidelines which were prepared in conjunction with the review of the Yonge-St. Clair Part II Official Plan and were intended to guide the physical re-development of the site. These design and development guidelines are attached as Appendix A.

 A Planning Advisory Committee public meeting was held in the community on June 10, 1997, to discuss the original application. Issues raised at the meeting were: loss of surface parking; provision of public parking during construction; traffic; location of the garage entrance along Heath Street; and the massing and height of the proposed building.

 The original application was to maintain the existing commercial building fronting on Yonge Street (DeLisle Court shopping complex) and to construct a residential apartment complex containing 280 units in two towers and a row of 11 townhouses, all above an underground municipal parking garage for 253 cars. The two towers of 15 and 12 storeys were to be functionally integrated with the existing 2 storey DeLisle Court commercial building on Yonge Street and were to extend over the roof of DeLisle Court.

 This development was to replace the 147 space Parking Authority of Toronto surface parking lot and the former manse of Calvin Presbyterian Church.

 Current Proposal:

 Since the original application, the proposal has been modified to address concerns raised at the public meeting and to respond to the issues raised in the May 1, 1997 Preliminary Report. The revised application was submitted June 11, 1998 by the new owner. The application has been revised as follows:

 -the design has been changed from two apartment buildings to one building;

 -the gross floor area has been reduced from 32,154 square metres to approximately 26,332 square metres and the density has been reduced from 5.08 to 4.5 times the area of the lot;

 -the unit count has been reduced from 280 to 274 units;

 -the height has been amended from two buildings of 12 and 15 storeys, to a 14 storey building along DeLisle Avenue terraced down to a 3 storey building along Heath Street;

 -the internal motor vehicle court has been eliminated to provide for a landscaped courtyard, this courtyard would provide outdoor amenity space for the apartment building; and

 - a vehicle pick up/drop off area has been introduced at the front entrance of the apartment building along DeLisle Avenue.

 Access and egress to the commercial parking garage has remained the same, however the total number of parking spaces proposed has been reduced from 594 to 509 parking spaces. In the current proposal 251 would be operated as a commercial parking lot by the Parking Authority of Toronto and 258 are to serve the residential component of the development.

 Applicable Planning Controls:

 a)DeLisle Court shopping complex - Yonge Street frontage:

 Yonge-St. Clair Part II Official Plan: Yonge St. Clair Commerce Centre - Sub Area 3

 This designation permits residential uses and commercial uses up to a maximum total floor area of 4.25 times the area of the lot, provided the residential floor area does not exceed 3.0 times the lot area and the commercial floor area does not exceed 2.0 times the lot area.

 Zoning By-law 438-86:CR T4.25 C2.0 R3.0

 This permits residential uses and commercial uses up to a total floor area of 4.25 times the area of the lot, provided the residential floor area does not exceed 3.0 times the lot area and the commercial floor area does not exceed 2.0 times the lot area.

 The height limit is 30 metres.

b)Parking Authority parking lot and Calvin Presbyterian Church manse:

 Yonge-St. Clair Part II Official Plan: Special Residence Area 'A'

 Under this designation, it is the policy of City Council that this area provide a transition between the adjacent Residence Area and the Yonge-St. Clair Commerce Centre. The plan also states that these municipally owned lands should be considered a resource for municipally sponsored housing provided that the new buildings are physically compatible with surrounding areas and that municipal short term parking is provided in the long term in addition to the required parking for residents.

 The Official Plan permits residential buildings with floor areas up to 2.0 times the lot area provided:

 i)the housing is municipally sponsored,

ii)at least 50% of the land is made available as public open space which is on the Heath Street frontage,

iii)at least 50% of the units are for seniors housing,

iv)traffic on Heath Street is discouraged, and

v)the public open space is not compromised by the vehicular traffic access and egress.

 Zoning By-law 438-86:

 The northern part of the parking lot is zoned R2 Z0.6. This permits residential uses with a floor area up to 0.6 times the area of a lot. The height limit for this area is 16 metres.

 The southern part of the parking lot and the manse are zoned R2 Z2.0. This permits residential uses with a floor area up to 2.0 times the area of a lot. The height limit for this area is 11 metres.

 c)My department is currently conducting a review of the Yonge-St. Clair Part II Plan. As part of this review it is proposed that the policies for this site be changed. The current set of policies for this site provide inadequate guidelines for the review of a development application. In my May 1, 1997 Preliminary Report on this application I set out the design and development guidelines that were developed in conjunction with the Yonge-St. Clair Part II Official Plan review. I intend to submit the final report on the review to the Toronto Community Council later this year.

 Comments:

 The Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments should be reviewed in accordance with the usual circulation process, including holding a new public meeting in the area on the revised application. Site Plan Approval would occur concurrently with the Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments.

 Issues that will require review and resolution prior to final reporting on the revised applications include the following:

 1.The density and height of the proposed building are higher than permitted by the current planning controls. The acceptability of allowing extra density and height is an issue which must be assessed against the surrounding context, and in terms of the City's planning and built form objectives. The ultimate size of the proposal, its final form and detailing, and micro-climatic effects on surrounding properties will be subject to further evaluation. The articulation of the building needs to be studied to ensure it minimizes the impact of the bulk on the adjacent streets and open spaces. The shadow impact needs to be studied to ensure the current massing provides a three hour sunlight window on Heath Street and Yonge Street.

 2.A landscape plan should be submitted. Details of the ground floor and related open spaces need to be reviewed as follows:

 -the grading and landscape treatment between the grade related units and the public sidewalk and Heath Street;

-scale of openings in the building and curb cuts on the sidewalks for the 4 service entrances proposed for the building;

-pedestrian entrances to the parking garage from both Heath Street and DeLisle Avenue;

-impacts of stairs and vents on the landscaped setbacks on both DeLisle Avenue and Heath Street; and

-the preservation of the large oak tree in the forecourt of the church hall.

 3.Parking and loading, and related vehicular access, in terms of location, type and design.

 4.The traffic impact of the proposed residential development and commercial parking needs to be accessed. A traffic impact study should submitted by the applicant for the City's review.

Contact Name:Gregory Byrne

City Planning Division, North Section

Telephone:392-0881

Fax:392-1330

E-mailgbyrne@city.toronto.on.ca

Beate Bowron

Acting Director, City Planning, Toronto Community

 (p:\1998\ug\uds\pln\to981660.pln) - st

Appendix A

 Design and Development Guidelines (Contained in the May 1, 1997 Preliminary Report)

 I have prepared development and design guidelines to guide the physical re-development of this site in conjunction with the review of the Part II Plan policies. They are as follows:

 New development must be contextual, acknowledging the existing built context of the neighbourhood and providing a good neighbourhood fit. The site development plan should generally reflect the following principles:

 MASSING

 -Building mass should be concentrated along the three street frontages.

 -On DeLisle Avenue and Heath Street, the building mass, at grade, should be set back to complement the setbacks along those streets. The building types should be compatible with existing buildings on each street.

 -The DeLisle Court/Yonge Street frontage is the best location for higher heights and densities. The existing height limit of 30 metres is a good one and appropriate for the area. It would permit a 10 or 11 storey building. The 15 storey building exceeds this.

 YONGE STREET

 -Along Yonge Street, it is desirable that heights are lower at the north end of the property than the 10 or 11 storey maximum that I am recommending for the south end of the property. The 12 story tower exceeds this.

 -Setting back upper levels of the building mass along Yonge Street, above the street wall of the commercial buildings in the area, is desirable as a means to retain the more open aspect of Yonge Street.

 DELISLE AVENUE

 - The DeLisle Avenue frontage is the transition from the intense commercial activity of Yonge Street to the High Density Residence Area on DeLisle Avenue. While the current height limit is 16 metres, existing and approved apartment development on DeLisle is 11 and 12 storeys in height. Development on the DeLisle Avenue frontage, if done well, could be of a similar scale.

 HEATH STREET WEST

 -The Heath Street frontage is the transition area from the intense commercial activity of Yonge Street to the adjacent Low Density Residence Area. The current height limit is 11 metres. This is an area where tall buildings are not appropriate. Any development in this area should reflect the transition from the taller buildings on Yonge to the houses on Heath.

 PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICLE ENTRANCES AND PARKING

 -Servicing and underground parking entrances should occur immediately adjacent to the rear of the existing DeLisle Court building with access from DeLisle Avenue and Heath Street. Any building west of the vehicle entrances should be clearly residential in character. The entrances to the commercial and residential parking could act to divide this part of a development from the taller buildings and commercial uses closer to Yonge Street.

 -All retail services should have direct pedestrian entry from Yonge Street and not from DeLisle or Heath. There should be no store entrances from an interior mall.

 -All arrangements affecting traffic generation, movement and parking must protect the adjacent residential area from undesirable effects.

 GREEN SPACE AND LANDSCAPING

 -There is a need for landscaped space on Heath, DeLisle and adjacent to the residential neighbourhood to the west.

 -Green space should be of a generous size, at grade and not compromised by space for vehicles.

 APPLICATION DATA SHEET

 Confirmed Municipal Address:1560 Yonge Street, 10 DeLisle Avenue and 22 DeLisle Avenue.

 PLANNING CONTROLS (For verification refer to Chief Building Official)

 PROJECT INFORMATION