STAFF REPORT

October 25, 1999

To: Toronto Community Council

From: Acting Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services

Subject: Preliminary Report on Official Plan, Rezoning and Site Plan Approval Application No. 299011 to permit an addition to an existing apartment building located at 45 Dunfield Avenue. (Ward 22 - North Toronto)

Purpose:

To permit a 168 unit addition to an existing apartment building located at 45 Dunfield Avenue. The addition will be located at the north end of the building and will be stepped down towards Dunfield Avenue with heights of 28 storeys, 20 storeys and 12 storeys. It will function as a stand-alone building although there will be connections between the two buildings to allow the residents full access to the indoor amenities. The existing building currently has 576 units.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

There will be no financial implications relating from the adoption of the report.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that:

I be requested to hold a public meeting in the community to discuss the application and to notify owners and tenants within 300 metres of the site and the Ward Councillors.

Background:

Site:

The site has an area of 16,885 m2 and is located immediately south of the Eglinton Mixed Commercial-Residential strip. It occupies approximately two-thirds of the block bounded by Eglinton Avenue East, Dunfield Avenue, Soudan Avenue and Lillian Street. A 28 storey apartment building with 576 units is located on the site and is surrounded by landscaped open space, including numerous mature trees. An open patio area, an indoor swimming pool, a recreation facility and a surface parking lot are located on site, south of the existing building.

Application History:

This site was the subject of two previous development applications (Application No. 2421 and Application No. 197010).

Application No. 2421 was submitted in 1994 and it proposed 36 infill townhouse units in the landscaped open space around the perimeter of the site and 4 apartment units within the existing building. Staff expressed concerns with the proposal and subsequently, the application was abandoned.

A new application was submitted in 1997 (Application No. 197010) which proposed 65 infill units. The townhouse units were to be in 3 stacked townhouse complexes, each containing a total of 20 units. The remaining 5 units were proposed as 2 semi-detached dwellings and 1 detached dwelling, all fronting on Soudan Avenue. The application raised a number of issues. The loss of landscaped open space was a concern and the layout of the stacked townhouses meant that only 5 units had direct access to the street. The rest of the units were accessed from an internal courtyard. In addition, there were concerns with privacy and overlook between the townhouse units and the apartment building and with access to the underground parking. Specifically, the main access to parking for the residents of the townhouse units was via the existing elevators in the apartment building.

Proposal:

The current application is for a 168 unit addition to the existing apartment building. It will be located at the north end of the building and will be stepped down towards Dunfield Avenue with heights of 28 storeys, 20 storeys and 12 storeys. The addition will function as a stand-alone building with its own separate entrance and lobby but there will be an underground connection between the two buildings at the garage level. Residents from both buildings will have full access to all indoor and outdoor amenities regardless of the location of those amenities. Both buildings will be oriented towards Dunfield Avenue and an additional drop-off area will be constructed next to the current drop-off and entrance to the existing building.

The addition will increase the density of the site from 2.32 times the area of the lot to 3.35. The existing apartment units are rental units. The proposed units will also be rental units. As part of the proposal, the two level underground garage and the surface parking lot will be expanded to provide an additional 56 parking spaces for a total of 605 parking spaces on the site. The existing surface parking lot will be partially decked to enable the construction of a tennis court.

Surrounding Area:

The south side of Soudan Avenue is occupied by single detached dwellings. To the east, on Lillian Street is a stacked townhouse development at 2 times density, a 16 storey apartment building and a small pocket of low rise dwellings at the corner of Lillian and Soudan. To the west, on Dunfield Avenue, are two 14 storey apartment buildings and a row of low rise dwellings at the corner of Dunfield and Soudan. Immediately to the north is a semi-detached house and a parking lot. Further north, along Eglinton Avenue are two approved projects which are currently unbuilt. One is for a 12 story commercial/residential building consisting of 185 units and at-grade retail uses and the other is for a 6 storey, 25 unit residential building.

Applicable Planning Controls:

The Official Plan and the Yonge-Eglinton Part II Plan designates the site as "High Density Residence Area" which permits residential uses up to a maximum gross floor area of 2.0 times the area of the lot. Zoning By-law 438-86, as amended, zones the entire site as R2 Z0.6 which permits residential development up to 0.6 times the area of the lot. The By-law also imposes a maximum height of 38 metres over most of the lot except for the landscaped strip abutting Soudan Avenue which has a height limit of 14 metres.

The existing apartment building was built in accordance to site specific By-law 22418, which was passed in March 1965. The By-law permitted an apartment house having a gross floor area not exceeding 2.325 times the area of the lot provided that, among other things, at least 70% of the lot is maintained as landscaped open space.

The site and the proposed development are subject to site plan control. Application No. 299011 includes a request for site plan approval.

Comments:

The proposal raises several planning issues, which will require further review. These issues are discussed briefly below.

Density:

The provisions of By-law 22418 permitted the existing apartment building to exceed building height and density requirements subject to a number of provisions. One notable provision is the requirement that a minimum of 70% of the lot be set aside as landscaped open space. The intent of this requirement is to ensure that the residents of the apartment have sufficient outdoor amenity space and that there is a visual and physical separation for the abutting residential dwellings. The increase in density must be considered in light of the minimum requirement for landscaped open space. Also, increasing the number of residents in the area will add to the need for landscaped open space.

Height and Massing:

The maximum height of the addition will be 77.3 metres (28 storeys) which matches the height of the existing building. The addition will be located at the north end of the site and will be oriented in a north south direction so that the bulk of the building is stepped down towards Dunfield Street to a height of 20 and 12 storeys. The applicant has submitted a shadow impact report that will need to be assessed to determine the building's impact on surrounding streets and open spaces.

Parking and Vehicular Access:

Parking for the enlarged apartment building will be provided by the two level underground parking garage that extends underneath the entire site and by the surface parking lot south of the existing building. The underground garage and the surface parking lot will be expanded to provide an additional 56 parking spaces for a total of 605 spaces.

The existing vehicular access will be reconfigured so that inbound access into the underground parking garage is from Lillian Street and outbound access is to Dunfield Street. Since Lillian Street is one-way south bound and Dunfield Street is one-way north bound, vehicular traffic to and from the enlarged apartment building will be directed towards Eglinton Avenue. Also proposed are an additional circular drop-off area and a relocated loading lane. Access to the surface parking lot is still from Dunfield Street.

The applicant has submitted a traffic report and parking study that will need to be assessed to determine the impact of the building on parking needs and vehicular access to the site.

Tree Protection:

The existing building is surrounded by landscaped open space, including numerous mature trees. The applicant has submitted an arborist report for review by the City Aborist. An application to injure or destroy trees will need to be submitted in accordance with Chapter 331 of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code.

Landscaping:

The application, I believe, provides an opportunity to create smaller landscaped open spaces that are more amenable, usable and comfortable. The applicant is proposing to upgrade the landscaping and to improve the existing recreational amenities for the existing and new residents by providing meeting/party rooms and an outdoor barbecue area.

The applicant has submitted a landscaping plan that needs to be assessed to determine the impact of the new driveways, parking ramps and new pedestrian entrances to the parking garage on the existing landscaped open space.

Public Benefits:

The former City of Toronto Official Plan has policies which seek to secure public benefits as part of an application which includes a request for an increase in height and density. These benefits included but are not limited to social housing, non-profit community, cultural and institutional facilities, heritage preservation and parks. Ideally, these benefits are provided and secured as part of the proposed development on the site (eg. a social housing development, the dedication of a piece of the site for a park, an on-site daycare). If these public benefits cannot be included on site, a financial contribution in-lieu is provided. The means by which these benefits are commonly secured is through an agreement pursuant to Section 37 of the Planning Act.

The approval of Official Plan and Zoning amendments is a mechanism, which can be used to achieve public benefits and other objectives of the Official Plan. It is based in part on the acknowledgement that development, which includes an increase in height and density, is a substantial private benefit. This kind of development should in some form contribute to both local and city-wide planning objectives. One specific city-wide planning objective is the provision of affordable housing. In May of this year, City Council directed staff to seek cash contributions to the Capital Revolving Fund for Affordable Housing.

The applicant is proposing improvements to the outdoor amenity area and to make them available for use by the public. The public use of these benefits would be secured through a Section 37 agreement. Specifically, the applicant is currently proposing the public use of the following facilities: a tennis court with an entry pavilion/seating area; a seating area and "tot lot" to be located at the southwest corner of the site; a canine station; and, an outdoor fitness centre. The maintenance and upkeep of all of the facilities will be borne by the applicant (see Appendix A).

The acceptability of these proposed benefits and their value relative to the cost of the extra height and density being requested will have to be evaluated. An appropriate cash contribution to the Capital Revolving Fund will also be have to be determined.

Next Steps:

As a next step, a public meeting should be held in the neighbourhood to provide a forum for public discussion and feedback on the development proposal. Subsequently, I will meet with the applicant to review any required changes to the proposal in response to public concerns and those raised by civic officials.

Conclusions:

This application has been given a preliminary evaluation and a number of issues have been identified which will require further assessment and community consultation. The recommendation is that a meeting should be held in the community to discuss the application and to provide an opportunity for feedback.

Contact:

SoMei Quan

Telephone: (416) 392-1812

Fax: (416) 391-1330

E-mail: squan0@toronto.ca

Beate Bowron

Director, Community Planning, South District

[p:\1999\ug\uds\pln\to992026.pln] - st

List of Attachments:

Application Data Sheet

Appendix A: Letter from Applicant Re: Proposed Section 37 Benefits

Key Map

Maps 1, 2, 3 and 4

APPLICATION DATA SHEET

Confirmed Municipal Address: 45 Dunfield Ave.

PLANNING CONTROLS (For verification refer to Chief Building Official)

Official Plan Designation:		Site Specific Provision:	22418
Zoning District:	R2 Z0.6	Historical Status:	No
Height Limit (m):	38.0; 14.0	Site Plan Control:	Yes

PROJECT INFORMATION

Site Area:	16887.0 m2		Height:	Storeys:		28
Frontage:	91.4 m			Metres:		77.34
Depth:	180.6 m
				Indoor		Outdoor
Ground Floor:	2134.0 m2		Parking Spaces:	530		75
Residential GFA:	56602.3 m2		Loading Docks:			1	G
Non-Residential GFA:			(number, type)
Total GFA:	56602.3 m2

Appendix A

Letter from Applicant

Re: Proposed Section 37 Benefits

In our telephone conversation last week, you asked for a brief description of the way in which our client might address the City's desire for a contribution pursuant to Section 37 of the Planning Act, assuming Council sees fit to approve the subject application. We are aware that the City is in the midst of a comprehensive review of the use of Section 37 and the following comments are based on the assumption that the City will continue to seek Section 37 contributions from developments such as this one.

In addition to the various site improvements and amenities being provided for the use and benefit of the existing and future tenants of 45 Dunfield Avenue (which might ordinarily be secured by the City through the site plan approval process), there are four distinct areas of the property which are being redesigned for public use and benefit in connection with this proposal. Our client contemplates that the public use of these areas and the facilities provided therein, would be secured through a Section 37 Agreement.

The first of these public benefits is a tennis court to be constructed at the southeast corner of the site above the existing depressed visitor parking area. The tennis court will feature an entry pavilion/seating area as a place to enter the court or wait for the next available court time. It is anticipated that the court will be lit for night use, up until 10:00 p.m., and reservations for court times will be managed through the superintendent's office at 45 Dunfield Avenue. Members of the public and residents of 45 Dunfield will have equal (unrestricted) opportunities to book court times. The applicant will remain responsible for the maintenance and administration of the facility for the benefit of the tenants in this development and members of the surrounding community.

The second area of the site applicant is prepared to make available for public use, as part of a Section 37 contribution, is the open space landscaped area at the southwest corner of the site, which area will be designed to include a seating area and a "tot lot". The area which will be made available for public use has dimensions of approximately 30m by 15m and an area of approximately 450m2. Again, the applicant will be responsible for creating and maintaining this space.

The third and fourth elements of the site which the applicant is prepared to make available for public use as part of a Section 37 contribution are located along the east side of the development. The first is a canine station. This area has dimensions of approximately 15m by 12m and will feature a wrought iron fence and entry gate on the street edge with a wooden privacy fence on the other three sides and an overhead trellis above. The area will include a small seating pavilion, shrub planting around the perimeter and will have a properly drained gravel surface. There are a large number of dog owners within the existing building and in the surrounding neighbourhood who will benefit from this facility. Again, all maintenance and upkeep of the facility will be borne by the applicant.

The final component of the site which constitutes a public benefit is the provision of a outdoor fitness centre of "cours vitae", which will feature a series of exercise stations to provide neighbourhood residents with the opportunity to extend their workout beyond their jog on local streets.

All of the above described areas have been depicted on a preliminary basis on the drawings submitted in support of the application. We recognize that all four areas will be subject to refinement during the ongoing processing of this application, and we look forward to any further feedback from staff with respect to these elements. Details with respect to securing the public availability of these areas will also be worked out during the process, but we trust this initial feedback is sufficient for your purposes at this time. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to call.