July 8, 1998
To:Toronto Community Council
From:Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services
Subject:Status Report on the Ontario Municipal Board appeal respecting 1947-97 Bloor
Street West (High Park)
Purpose:
To provide the Toronto Community Council with the update they requested on the Ontario
Municipal Board appeal for the residential project on this site, and the latest community
meeting, held on July 6, 1998.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
Not applicable.
Recommendation:
It is recommended that this report be received for information.
Council Reference:
At its meeting of June 25, 1998, Toronto Community Council requested the Commissioner
of Urban Planning and Development Services and the City Solicitor to report to its meeting
on July 22, 1998, on the "progress of the Ontario Municipal Board hearing". The Toronto
Community Council also requested the City Solicitor to attend the Board hearing, with an
outside planning consultant, if necessary, in support of the decision of the Committee of
Adjustment refusing variances for the project.
Background:
The 1947-97 Bloor Street site is a sensitive, steeply sloping site on the south side of Bloor
Street West, at the corner of High Park. The Official Plan permits a project with a maximum
density of 3 times the lot area.
On March 10, 1998 the Committee of Adjustment considered variances to permit a
six-storey residential condominium on the site, after three community meetings held prior to
the Committee of Adjustment hearing. The project had been scaled down from the original
seven storey proposal, reducing the density from 3.98x to 3.64x the lot area. The Committee
refused the variances and on March 25, 1998, the refusal was appealed to the Ontario
Municipal Board by the proponent.
Current Status:
The Ontario Municipal Board has set a date of August 12, 1998 to begin a three-day hearing
to consider planning evidence regarding this proposal. The planning staff letter on the
variance application recommended conditions the Committee of Adjustment should impose,
if it chose to approve the downsized project. For this reason, the City Solicitor will be
required to retain an outside planning consultant for the Ontario Municipal Board hearing.
Public Meeting:
On Monday, July 6, 1998 a community meeting was held to discuss the latest changes to
the project which has now been further reduced to a density of 3.33x, but is still 18.9 m high
rather than the 14 m permitted by the Zoning By-law. It also encroaches somewhat into
required angular planes. Thirteen members of the public attended the meeting. Most of these
people preferred a lower building, within the Official Plan density limit and the height and
angular plane provisions of the Zoning By-law.
Contact Name:Barry Brooks
Telephone: (416) 392-0758
Fax: (416) 392-1330
E-Mail: bbrooks@city.toronto.on.ca
Beate Bowron
Acting Director, City Planning, Toronto Community
(p:\1998\ug\uds\pln\to981664.pln) - smc
