August 31, 1999

To:Scarborough Community Council

From:Ted Tyndorf, MCIP, RPP

Director of Community Planning, East District

Subject:PRELIMINARY EVALUATION REPORT

Official Plan Amendment Application SC- P19990013

Zoning By-law Amendment Application SC- Z19990016

Convention Plaza Limited Partnership

Blocks 1 and 6, Registered Plan 66M-2288

City Centre

Scarborough City Centre

 Purpose:

This report provides preliminary information regarding applications to re-designate and rezone the subject lands to provide for a residential townhouse development containing 396 units. As part of a future phase, the applicant also seeks permission for retail stores, hotel and residential uses on a residual portion of the site, as shown on Figure 1. The townhouse development plus the future phase would result in a total of 600 additional residential dwelling units on the entire site.

Financial Implications:

None.

Recommendations:

That the Scarborough Community Council direct staff to:

(1)hold a Community Meeting and invite adjacent Condominium Corporations and land owners;

(2)require the applicant to submit the following in support of these applications: Traffic Impact Study, and Wind and Micro-Climate Study;

(3)process the applications in the normal manner and work with the applicant to achieve a high quality development appropriate for the City Centre, having regard for the City Centre Design objectives, including a strong identifiable image to provide an attractive addition to the Scarborough City Centre;

(4)negotiate with the applicant to secure Section 37 contributions towards the City's Capital Revolving Fund for affordable housing, as established by Council, as well as other potential community benefits which may result from emerging City-wide Section 37 guidelines that are currently being developed; and

(5)target the Public Meeting of Council for the first quarter of 2000, subject to the recommendations above. Notice of the Public Meeting to be provided to all property owners within 120 metres (400 feet) of the subject property.

Background:

In June 1991, Scarborough Council approved the redevelopment of the lands shown outlined by a heavy black line on the key map above (as part of the expanded City Centre). The approved "Lee" development contemplated a high quality residential and office development. The approved zoning included a tie-in limiting the built residential space to no more than the amount of built office space on the property. The intent of the tie-in was to maintain the employment focus of the overall City Centre. In November 1992, Scarborough Council removed the tie-in and allowed the development of the current residential component. The remaining blocks (shown hatched on the key map) were zoned for employment generating uses in order to meet a key objective of the City Centre Official Plan, which is to establish the City Centre as the pre-eminent employment node in Scarborough. The 1992 removal of the tie-in was justified on the basis that the project still preserved the opportunity for a substantial amount of employment generating development.

The subject site is designated City Centre Uses in the Official Plan which provides for "all land uses appropriate to form a...regional centre to serve primarily Scarborough." A portion of the site, comprising 2.29 hectares (5.9 acres) of vacant land and subject to these redevelopment applications, is currently zoned City Centre Office (CCO) permitting offices and a variety of employment generating uses. The remaining lands are zoned City Centre Residential (CCR) permitting all types of dwelling units.

Existing development on the overall land holdings include 3 high-rise apartment buildings containing 725 dwelling units. A fourth tower, containing 271 dwelling units, is being finalized through the Site Plan Control process. The remaining lands (shown hatched on the key map) are vacant and subject to these applications.

The Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendment applications contemplate the development of 396 townhouse units with a building height of 3-4 storeys on the majority of the development site. As part of this application, the owner is also seeking permission to allow for the future development of a residual portion of the site with the following uses; retail stores, hotel and residential uses. Based on the proposed amendments, a total of 600 residential dwelling units would be provided over the entire land holdings. With respect to the potential future phase no additional information has been provided for this component at this time. Staff will work with the applicant to develop a better understanding of this phase, prior to reporting to Council in the new year.

The details of the current permissions and the proposal for the development area are as follows:

Note:

uph- represents units per hectareupa- represents units per acre

Comments:

Benefits

The subject site is located east of McCowan Road along the Highway 401 corridor and is in close proximity to Scarborough's most prominent shopping centre. A high quality development on this block will continue the development of the City Centre as an urban core and contribute to the growth of a vibrant active City Centre for the Scarborough Community.

Concerns

Site Design

The current built form has created an interesting focal point at this area of the City Centre through their design and shape. This development has created a physical image which is unique in the City Centre. To maintain the high quality established by the first two phases a positive edge treatment facing Highway 401 needs to be developed. This aspect of the project design needs to be reviewed more thoroughly to ensure a positive relationship with the existing development.

Technical Studies and Services

A traffic impact study is required to assess the effect of this development. The study should address site access and capacity of the nearby street network, in particular, having regard for the Lee Centre Drive and Corporate Drive intersections.

The Design Policies of the City Centre Secondary Plan state "buildings shall be designed to be climatically comfortable." A wind and micro-climate assessment study should be submitted in order to ensure that the proposal creates a positive environment for the future occupants of a mid-rise development such as the one proposed.

School capacity and hard services for the proposal also need to be addressed. These issues will be dealt with in the usual manner with the School Boards, Works and Emergency Services Department and other review agencies.

Official Plan Policies

Section 4.1.2.3 of the Official Plan states "in considering development proposals in the City Centre, the City will ensure that the total amount of residential floor space ¼ does not exceed the total amount of office floor space throughout the entire City Centre". Staff have prepared preliminary estimates of current zoning permissions for the overall City Centre. Based on these estimates, permissions for office floor space exceed current permissions for residential floor space by approximately 364,100 square metres (3,919,200 square feet).

Re-designating and rezoning this site, as proposed, will reduce the amount of zoned floor space for offices by 61,075 square metres (657,400 square feet), while increasing the residential permission by approximately 50 000 square metres (538,200 square feet). Approval of these applications would reduce the differential between zoned office and residential floor space, but zoned office space would still exceed the residential space by an estimated 253,000 square metres (2,723,400 square feet). If all of the other current City Centre rezoning applications were also approved, the zoned office floor space would still exceed zoned residential floor space by an estimated 185,500 square metres (1,997,000 square feet). Accordingly, it can be concluded that the Zoning By-law establishes ample opportunity for office floor space to exceed residential floor space, thereby maintaining the intent of Official Plan Policy 4.1.2.3.

Section 37

Planning staff are currently developing new policies for the use of Section 37. Examples of the types of public benefits that can be secured include: affordable housing, heritage preservation, day care facilities, parks and open space, and cultural or institutional facilities. With respect to the current application, it is appropriate to consider the use of Section 37 because the proposal seeks to increase the residential density of the development. A contribution to the City's Capital Revolving Fund, under Section 37, for affordable housing would be in keeping with Toronto Council's approved policy established from the Homelessness Task Force (May 11, 12 and 13, 1999). Any Section 37 recommendations brought forward with respect to this project, will be developed with full consideration of emerging City-wide Section 37 guidelines and will be negotiated with the applicant on this basis.

Contact Name:

V. Bill Kiru, MCIP, RPP

Planner, Community Planning Division

Scarborough Civic Centre

Telephone:(416) 396-7014

Fax: (416) 396-4265

E-mail:kiru@city.scarborough.on.ca

Respectfully submitted,

  Ted Tyndorf, MCIP, RPP.

Director of Community Planning, East District

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