July 6, 1998

 To:Toronto Community Council

 From:Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services, upon application by St. Michael's Hospital on behalf of the Sisters of St. Joseph for the Diocese of Toronto, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8

 Subject:Preliminary Report, Rezoning Application No. 198011, St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond Street, to permit a 4-phased expansion of the existing hospital. (Ward 24: Downtown)

 Purpose:

 To introduce Rezoning Application No. 198011 to Community Council to permit a 4-phased expansion of the existing St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond Street, upon application by St. Michael's Hospital on behalf of the Sisters of St. Joseph for the Diocese of Toronto, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8.

  Funding Sources:

 Not applicable.

  Recommendations:

1. That I be requested to hold a public meeting in the community to discuss the application, and to notify owners and tenants within 300 metres of the site, the Toronto East Downtown Residents Association, and the Ward Councillors.

1. That the owner submit to the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services the following additional information and plans:

1. Revised plans for the desired Site Plan Approvals for the Queen Street renovations and the 5-storey addition to Wing C on Victoria Street, containing floor plans and more detailed elevations; and

1. As required by the Official Plan, a statement from the agency primarily responsible for approving the construction of the expansion, indicating the need for, and authorizing the planning or construction of, the expansion.

1. That the applicant be advised that, prior to final Council approval of this project, the applicant may be required to submit a Noise Impact Statement and a Material Recovery and Waste Reduction Plan, and if necessary for the development, a Transportation Demand Management Plan, in accordance with City Council's requirements. The applicant will be further advised of these requirements, as they relate to this project, by the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services.

  Background:

 In 1977, a site-specific zoning by-law (By-law No. 755-77) was adopted to permit a major expansion and renovation of St. Michael's Hospital, with a minor revision in 1978. Those expansion plans called for a major new wing on Victoria Street (Wing C), and the demolition of Wing D in the northeast corner of the block. Loading facilities and common outdoor space were required by the by-law to be constructed in the northeast corner of the block, and common outdoor space was also required in the southwest corner of the block. The 11-storey Wing C has recently been completed, but the demolition of Wing D has never been carried out, and the southwest corner of the block is still used for surface parking. The existing complex is thus not in compliance with the site-specific zoning by-law.

  Comments:

 Location:

 The 13,260 m2 site comprises the entire city block bounded by Queen, Victoria, Shuter and Bond Streets, and currently contains the main St. Michael's Hospital complex.

 Development Proposal:

 With the recent amalgamation with Wellesley Hospital, St. Michael's Hospital is again planning for future expansion, in a 4-phased program. The first phase involves improvements to the grade-related facade and main entrance on Queen Street East. The proposed improvements include an improved entrance lobby and an improved relationship to the street. Another phase involves the expansion of the existing emergency facilities in the northwest corner of the hospital into the existing Wing D to the east. This will be an internal renovation. A third phase involves adding 5 more floors (24.4 m), including a mechanical floor, to the existing, newly constructed 11-storey Wing C on Victoria Street, and a long-term future phase involves the replacement of the existing 9-storey Wing D with a 9-storey building. This last phase will include the consolidation of loading and garbage handling facilities and a 3-level below-grade parking garage (138 spaces) in the new Wing D, and will include new landscaped open spaces in the southwest corner of the block as well as on either side of the existing Bond Street pedestrian entrance.

  The 5-storey addition to Wing C will add 14,820 m2 of gross floor area to the existing 77,343 m2 of floor area in the hospital, and the replacement of Wing D will result in a further net increase of 9,424 m2. This translates in total to a density increase from the existing 5.8 times the lot area to 7.7 times the lot area, according to the applicant's figures. The height of Wing C will be increasing from approximately 47 m to approximately 71.4 m.

 Planning Controls:

 The Official Plan Part I designates the block as a "Hospital Area". The general Zoning By-law designates the block as "Q T6.0", which permits the hospital uses at a maximum density of 6.0 times the lot area. Site-specific Zoning By-law 755-77, as amended by By-law 358-78, permits a maximum gross floor area of 78,036 m2, a maximum height of 54.9 m excluding mechanical penthouses, establishes a building footprint, and includes various requirements for the location, size and/or quantity of loading and parking spaces, common outdoor space, vehicular access ramps, ambulance bays, landscaping, and provision for a future pedestrian tunnel under Victoria Street. A Development Agreement is registered on title.

 Amendments to Planning Controls:

 Amendments are required to the Zoning By-law to permit the increases in density and height, to alter the building footprint, to permit the phasing of the various additions and renovations, and to alter the specifications and location of various loading, parking, vehicular access and common outdoor space requirements. Amendments are also required to the existing Development Agreement.

 Planning Issues:

 The following planning issues will require review and resolution prior to final reporting:

1. Submission of more detailed plans for the Site Plan Approvals sought for the Queen Street renovations and the 5-storey addition to Wing C. The plans submitted with the application are concept plans only, and floor plans and more detailed elevations are required.

1. Compliance with Official Plan section 11.15, which requires a statement from the agency primarily responsible for approving the construction of the expansion, indicating the need for expansion at that location, and indicating whether the agency is prepared to authorize the planning or construction of such expansion.

1. Shadow impact of the 5-storey addition to Wing C on the public pedestrian environment. This may not be a significant issue given the higher buildings in the financial core to the west and southwest. I am prepared to carry out a shadow impact analysis in-house.

1. Parking and loading, and related vehicular access, in terms of location, type, design and/or quantity, as applicable.

1. Verification of the existing gross floor area, and thus the total gross floor area after expansion. Past submissions have indicated a higher existing gross floor area than indicated in the current application. The City's own records indicate a higher existing floor area.
2.  Other issues have also arisen, which do not necessarily need resolution prior to final reporting. In a preliminary briefing by the proponent for the Toronto East Downtown Residents Association (TEDRA), prior to submission of the application, TEDRA members raised concerns about the safety and security of the proposed landscaped open spaces on Bond and Queen Streets. While a legitimate concern, the applicant is not currently seeking Site Plan Approval for these areas. When such approval is sought in the future Phase 4, design elements to mitigate such concerns will then be considered.

 The applicant has advised that a construction start for the Queen Street renovations is desired for the Fall of 1998. While it should be possible to complete the rezoning this Fall, the Site Plan Approval, and thus the issuance of a building permit for these alterations, is not likely to precede the adoption of a new site-specific Zoning By-law, given the current state of non-compliance of the hospital complex with the existing site-specific Zoning By-law, as discussed above. The applicant has expressed a desire to proceed with such a Site Plan Approval in advance of the rezoning, and that may not be possible. I will be reviewing this matter in greater detail.

  Conclusions:

 The application should proceed to a community public meeting, after which, subject to resolution of the relevant concerns outlined above and any other concerns which may arise in response to the circulation of plans and public comment, a final report will be prepared.

  Contact Name:

 Peter Langdon

City Planning Division, East Section

Tel: 416-392-7617

Fax: 416-392-1330

Email: plangdon@city.toronto.on.ca

Beate Bowron

Acting Director, City Planning

Toronto Community

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APPLICATION DATA SHEET

 Confirmed Municipal Address:30 Bond Street

 PLANNING CONTROLS (For verification refer to Chief Building Official)

 PROJECT INFORMATION