March 15, 1999

To:Toronto Community Council

From:Angie Antoniou, Manager, Right of Way Management, Transportation Services, District 1

Subject:Appeal of Driveway Widening at 723 Coxwell Avenue (East Toronto)

Purpose:

To comment on a request for an exemption from Municipal Code Chapter 248, Parking Licences, of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code, to permit the existing concrete paving to remain in connection with the driveway widening application, as it does not meet the paving specifications as required by the Code. As this matter is of public interest, it is scheduled as a deputation item.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Not applicable.

Recommendation:

1.That City Council request the excessive paving fronting 723 Coxwell Avenue be removed, and that the parking area be paved in semi-permeable materials such as ecostone or equivalent permeable paving treatment acceptable to the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services, as per the conditions of approval;

OR

2.That the existing paving fronting 723 Coxwell Avenue be permitted to remain.

Background:

Councillor Tom Jakobek, in his communication of February 3, 1999, together with a communication dated February 3, 1999 from Ms. Rosie Dogantzis, owner of 723 Coxwell Avenue, Toronto, OntarioM4C 3C3, requested an appeal to staff's decision that the newly paved area fronting the subject property be changed, in order to meet the City's paving specifications, and requested me to report to the Toronto Community Council.

Comments:

In our letter of approval dated December 3, 1998 to Ms. Rosie Dogantzis, we advised her that the submitted proposal was approved subject to the paving of the parking area in semi-permeable material as per attached City specification sheet (Schedule 'A'). The letter also requested her to obtain clearances from the utility companies and to obtain a construction and paving permit from the department prior to any work being undertaken.

Driveway widening is currently governed by the criteria set out in Chapter 248 of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code. The current criteria of the Code:

(a)requires that the proposed parking area be paved with semi-permeable material or equivalent permeable paving treatment acceptable to the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services;

(b)requires that the parking area not exceed a maximum of 2.6 metres in width;

(c)requires that a minimum of 50% of the front yard on private property be maintained as landscape open space; and

(d)requires a minimum of 15% of the area on the City boulevard be soft landscaping, and all other areas other than the walkway and the parking area must be maintained as soft landscaping.

On February 2, 1999, the applicant came to the office, wanting to pick up the parking licence in order to park on the parking pad. She was advised that she needed to obtain a construction and paving permit as indicated in the letter and to pave the area with semi-permeable materials. She advised the staff that the full front yard was recently paved in concrete prior to receiving the approval letter.

An inspection was conducted on February 16, 1999, and determined that most of the front yard was paved in concrete. The existing conditions of the front yard do not meet the criteria of Chapter 248 as follows:

(1)the area paved is 6.2 metres in width, instead of 2.6 m;

(2)the landscape open space on private requirement is only 23% instead of 50%; and

(3)the parking area is not paved in semi-permeable materials as required by the Code.

Conclusions:

The paving does not meet the City's specifications and the current criteria of the Code because;

(a)the amount of paving exceed 6.2 m in width instead of 2.6 metres maximum;

(b)the landscape open space on private property is 23% instead of 50%; and

(c)the paving is not semi-permeable.

Given that the owners have paved most of the front yard in concrete, without receiving prior approval, and have deviated from their submitted proposal, it is therefore recommended that this appeal be denied by Council.

Contact Names and Telephone Numbers:

Nino Pellegrini, 392-7778

Manager

NP

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