Toronto City Hall

100 Queen Street West

Toronto, Ontario

Canada M5H 2N2

www.toronto.ca

Tel: 416-392-0412

Fax: 416-392-1330

File No.199002

Urban Planning and Development Services

January 29, 1999

To:Toronto Community Council

From:Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services

Subject:Preliminary Report on Application No: 199002 to amend By-law 1996-0278 to permit an increase in maximum building height of the townhouse units in blocks 169 to 173 in phase 2 of the Woodbine Park subdivision plan. (East Toronto - Ward 26)

Purpose:

To introduce a zoning amendment to permit an increase in the maximum building height from 10 metres to 12 metres for the above noted townhouse blocks.

Source of Funds:

Not Applicable.

Recommendation:

This application is related to application no. 198019 (also a request for zoning amendments in Woodbine Park).It is recommended that I be requested to hold a public meeting in the local area to discuss both applications and to notify tenants and owners within 120 metres of the site and the Ward Councillors.

Background:

The applicants are requesting a zoning amendment that will allow them to construct 3 storey townhouses on the subject site. Currently, By-law 1996-0278 permits a maximum height of 10 metres for these blocks which, due the grade differential between the front and back yards, would not allow a third storey.

The proposed zoning amendment could have been considered as a Committee of Adjustment application. However, in the interest of dealing with Woodbine Park zoning matters in a comprehensive manner, this proposal is being dealt with as a zoning amendment and will be processed concurrently with application 198019 which is also a rezoning for Woodbine Park.

Comments:

1.PROJECT: to permit an increase in height of 40 townhouse units from 10 to 12 metres.

2.LOCATION: the proposed amendments are to apply to the townhouse blocks extending southwards along Woodbine Avenue from the Queen Street rear lane to the pedestrian walkway.

3.SITE: the site is comprised of the northern-most townhouse blocks (blocks 169 to 173) on Woodbine Avenue all of which back onto the rear yards of the single and semi-detached houses on the east side of Boardwalk Drive.

4.REASONS FOR THE APPLICATION:

The applicant is proposing to construct a mix of 2 and 3 storey townhouses on this site similar to the townhouses permitted on other blocks in Woodbine Park. The townhouse blocks which extend eastwards from Northern Dancer Boulevard on the south side of the Queen Street lane, can accommodate 3 storeys within the 10 metre height restriction because these lots have the same grade from front to back. The subject lands, blocks 169 to 173, are not flat. Woodbine Avenue slopes down towards the lake while the new streets and lanes in Woodbine Park slope up or in the opposite direction towards the lake. As a result the laneway at the rear of the subject lots is higher than the sidewalk, on Woodbine Avenue, at the front of those lots. In some cases, the Woodbine Avenue frontages are as much as 1.7 metres lower than the rear elevations.

By-law 1996-0278 designates these blocks as an area with a maximum height of 10 metres. By-law 1996-0279 defines 'height' as measured from the sidewalk rather than as normally defined as being measured from the average grade along the building flank. Given that the sidewalk face of these lots is up to 1.7 metres lower than the rear yard and given that the By-law requires height to be measured at the sidewalk, the 10 metre height restriction will not allow construction of 3 storey townhouses on these lots. The applicant requires an amendment to By-law 1996-0278 to permit 12 metres in building height and to be able to mix 3 storey townhouses with the 2 storey units currently achievable.

5.REASONS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERING THE APPLICATION:

The applicants consider that the proposed height amendment to allow a mix of 2 and 3 storey townhouses on the subject blocks would result in an aesthetically more interesting streetscape than would the current zoning which would result in more uniform heights.

6.ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED:

The applicants will need to indicate that the proposed increase in height will not negatively impact the abutting houses to the west.

Conclusions:

I am recommending that this application proceed to a meeting, held in conjunction with application 198019, in the neighbourhood to describe the proposal to local residents and to be advised of any comments or concerns that they may have with respect to the application.

Contact Name:

Tim Burkholder

Community Planning, East Section

Email:tburkhol@toronto.ca

Phone: 392-0412

Fax: 392-1330

Beate Bowron

Director, City Planning, South District

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