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.198019
Urban Planning and Development Services
January 28, 1999
To:Toronto Community Council
From:Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services
Subject:Preliminary Report on Application No: 198019 to amend By-law 438-86 and Site
Specific Zoning By-law No. 1996-0279 to permit minor modifications to the site plans and the
designs of all single and semi detached houses and town houses in phases 1 and 2 of the
Woodbine Park subdivision. (East Toronto - Ward 26).
Purpose:
To introduce zoning amendments which will allow, the construction of second storey
verandahs in the front yard, including exempting the second storey verandah from the
maximum building depth and including permission to allow the verandah to be used as
habitable outdoor space. This report introduces zoning amendments to reduce side yard
setback requirements from 0.90 metres to 0.45 metres for side walls with openings in
semi-detached or row houses on lots which abut a public walkway, lane or other public open
space and to allow increased maximum front yard setbacks from 6.0 metres to 7.5 metres.
Zoning amendments are also requested to increase the maximum height of porches for the
Woodbine Avenue townhouse lots, to exclude these porches from maximum building depth
and to permit them to encroach up to 2.3 metres into the minimum front yard setback.
Source of Funds:
Not Applicable.
Recommendation:
This application is related to application No. 199002 (also a request for zoning amendments in
Woodbine Park). It is recommended that I be requested to hold a public meeting in the area to
discuss both application and to notify tenants and owners within 120 metres of the site and the
Ward Councillors.
Background:
The applicants, E.M.M. Financial Corporation, Kewick Developments Incorporated and The
Daniels Corporation are, the developer and the two primary builders in the Woodbine Park
subdivision. The applicants are requesting zoning amendments that are intended to add to the
interest of the streetscape and to increase the marketability of the houses. Typically, when a
limited number of houses are involved, such amendments would be considered minor
variances. However, since the applicants are seeking these amendments for over 500 units, the
rezoning process was considered more appropriate and efficient for this application.
In the interest of ensuring that the same zoning is applied to all similar lots within Woodbine
Park these amendments are also recommended for the single and semi detached houses that
are now built or under construction in phase 1 of the plan.
Comments:
1.PROJECT: to permit the construction of front yard second storey verandahs, to reduce
side yard setbacks for semi-detached and town houses where such yards abut a public space,
to permit deeper front yard setbacks, and to permit an increase in maximum height, an
exclusion from building depth and a 2.3 metre encroachment into minimum front yards for
porches on Woodbine Avenue lots only.
2.LOCATION: the proposed amendments are to apply to the Woodbine Park plan of
subdivision which is located east of Northern Dancer Boulevard, south of Queen Street East,
west of Woodbine Avenue and north of Lakeshore Boulevard.
3.SITE: the site is comprised of the lots and blocks in Phases 1 and 2 of the Woodbine Park
plan of subdivision. Included are, single and semi-detached lots 1 to 161, townhouse blocks
numbered 164 to 168 and numbered 169 to 182 in phase 2 of the plan. Also included are
single and semi detached lots numbered 1 to 135 and townhouse blocks 136 to 139 all in
phase 1 of Woodbine Park.
4.REASONS FOR THE APPLICATION
a)Amendments Related to Two Storey Verandahs (figures 2, 3, 4, 5):
When drafting site specific By-law 1996-0279 the developer had not contemplated that second
storey verandahs would be constructed and would therefore extend into the required minimum
4.5 metre front yard setbacks of Woodbine Park homes. The By-law allows for first storey
verandahs to project 2.3 metres into the minimum front yard setback area but does not
acknowledge that second storey verandahs could be located above them. The applicants have
researched the existing Beaches neighbourhood and found that second storey verandahs are a
commonly occurring and desirable feature. Therefore, the applicants have requested to amend
the By-law to permit second storey verandahs to have the same projection (2.3 metres) into
the minimum front setback area as a first storey verandah.
By-law 1996-0279 also limits the maximum depth of buildings to 17 metres but exempts first
storey verandahs. The applicants are requesting that second storey verandahs located in the
front yard are also exempted from the calculation of maximum depth of the building.
Finally, in order to use the second storey verandah as habitable outdoor space, the applicant
also needs an amendment to Section 6 (3) Part II 8 F of By-law 438-86 to allow the use of the
roof above a first floor platform or terrace as a deck or terrace (verandah).
b) Amendments Related to Side Yard Setbacks of Semi Detached or Row Houses Abutting
a Public Space (figures 6, 7):
Section 6 Part II 3 of By-law 438-86 requires that single and semi detached and town houses
having openings in the side wall be set back 0.90 metres from the side lot line. The applicants
are requesting a reduced side yard setback of 0.45 metres for houses with side yards that abut
public walkways or open spaces. The By-law currently allows a 0.45 metre side yard setback
for buildings with no side wall openings but makes no exception for houses with windows or
other openings that have the additional separation of a walkway or open space.
c)Amendments Related to Maximum Front Yard Setback (figures 2, 3, 4):
By-law 1996-0279 requires that all parts of the front wall of the houses in Woodbine Park
are set back no further from the front lot line than 6.0 metres. The By-law also requires
minimum front yard setbacks of 4.5 metres.
The intent of the existing By-law is to exert control over the streetscape massing by not
allowing building faces to be located too distantly from the street line. However the applicants
have found, from their experience in building homes in phase 1 of this development, that the
articulation of housing designs is limited by the narrow 1.5 metre range between the minimum
and maximum front setbacks. To ensure a more interesting streetscape in which the housing
alignment is varied and not overly regimented, the applicants have requested that the
maximum front yard setback for those houses on the attached plan be increased from 6.0 to
7.5 metres. A 3.0 metre range in the minimum and maximum front yard setbacks will result in
a streetscape which is more typical of the existing Beach neighbourhood.
d)Amendments Related to Porches on Woodbine Avenue (figures 8, 9):
By-law 1996-0279 permits porches up to 1.2 metres in height to encroach up to 2.3 metres
into the minimum front yard setback (6.0 metres on Woodbine Avenue). The By-law also
exempts the above described porch from maximum building depth.
Due to extreme grading conditions of this area of the site, the applicants are requesting
amendments to increase porch height. Woodbine Avenue slopes down towards the lake while
the new streets and laneways slope up or in the opposite direction towards the lake. As a
result, the laneway to the rear of the lots is higher than the sidewalk at the front or the
Woodbine Avenue side.
To allow a front door entry that accesses the main floor of these dwellings rather than the
basement level, the applicant proposes to raise the porch from 1.2 metres to 1.9 metres.
- REASONS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERING THE APPLICATION:
The site specific zoning by-laws which regulate the Woodbine Park Community were passed
by Council on May 23, 1996. The applicants consider that certain modifications to the house
designs (eg., second storey verandah's) would have a positive impact on the streetscape of the
new community and on the marketability of the new homes.
In February of 1998, approximately 60 lots in phase 1 of this development had amendments to
permit second storey verandahs approved as minor variances by the Committee of
Adjustment. In the interest of proceeding in a comprehensive fashion the applicants are now
requesting similar zoning changes for the remaining approximately 500 single and
semi-detached houses and townhouses as a zoning amendment application. The Planning
Department is also recommending that the application of these amendments be broadened to
include those single and semi detached houses in phase 1 which are built or under
construction so that the new home owners will have the same zoning permission as does the
rest of the development.
6.ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED:
(i)increasing the maximum front setback as well as permitting a maximum 2.3 metre
encroachment into the minimum front setback area could allow extremely large verandahs
(first and second storey) with depths of 4.8 metres (15.75 feet).
(ii)the reduction of open space in the rear yard due to increased front yard setbacks, the
impact of the side wall in the rear yard of houses with 7.5 metre front setbacks on the rear
yards of an adjacent dwelling with a lesser front yard setback are also issues that need to be
examined.
(iii)the impact of these proposed amendments on Woodbine Avenue traffic sight lines needs
further consideration.
Conclusions:
I am recommending that this application proceed to a meeting held 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
e-mail:tburkhol@toronto.ca
Beate Bowron
Director, Community Planning, South District
(p:\1999\ug\uds\to991819.pln)-tm
APPLICATION DATA SHEET
| Site Plan Approval: |
N |
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Application Number: |
198019 |
| Rezoning: |
Y |
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Application Date: |
December 10, 1998 |
| O. P. A.: |
N |
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Date of Revision: |
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Confirmed Municipal Address:1669 Queen Street East.
| Nearest Intersection: |
South side of Queen Street East; west of Woodbine Avenue. |
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| Project Description: |
To amend Site Specific By-Law 1996-0279 and Zoning By-Law
438-86 respecting setbacks, maximum depth of a building, etc. |
| Applicant:
Keywick Developments inc.
1-1815 Ironstone Manor
839-3500 |
Agent:
Keywick Developments Inc.
1-1815 Ironstone Manor
839-3500 |
Architect:
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PLANNING CONTROLS (For verification refer to Chief Building Official)
| Official Plan
Designation: |
LDRA |
Site Specific
Provision: |
96-0280; 96-0279 |
| Zoning District: |
R2 Z0.6 R2 Z1.0 |
Historical Status: |
No |
| Height Limit (m): |
10.0; 12.0 |
Site Plan Control: |
Yes |
PROJECT INFORMATION
| Site Area: |
0.0 m2 |
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Height: |
Storeys: |
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Outdoor |
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Parking
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GFA: |
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Loading
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type) |
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| DWELLING UNITS |
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| Tenure: |
Freehold |
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| DENSITY |
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| Residential Density: |
Non-Residential Density: |
Total Density: |
