January 27, 2000

To: North York Community Council

From: Rob Dolan

Director, Community Planning, North District

Subject: PRELIMINARY REPORT

Application for Zoning By-law Amendment

Applicant: Terence Van Elslander

76 - 80 Finch Avenue East

UDZ-99-32 and UDSP-99-143

Purpose:

To provide preliminary information on the above-noted application and to seek Community Council's directions on further processing of the application and on the community consultation process.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

None.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) Staff be directed to schedule a Community Information Meeting in consultation with the Ward Councillors.

(2) Staff be authorized to schedule a Public Meeting under the Planning Act to consider this application, targetted for the second quarter of 2000.

(3) Staff be directed to prepare a Final Report for the Public Meeting.

(4) Notice of the Public Meeting be given in the manner prescribed in the Regulations under the Planning Act.

Background:

In 1997, North York Council approved a zoning amendment (By-law No. 33030) to permit a two-storey medical office building and dispensing pharmacy at 80 Finch Avenue East. The property owner did not pursue construction of the approved building, but subsequently purchased the adjacent property at 76 Finch Avenue East to achieve a larger frontage. This application is intended to supersede the 1997 permission.

Comments:

Proposal and site description

The applicant has proposed to build a three-storey mixed commercial-residential building on the lands at 76-80 Finch Avenue East (at the north-west corner of Finch Avenue East and Dudley Avenue). The ground floor and basement would be used for medical offices, a dispensing pharmacy and residential common spaces. Five two-level rental apartment units would occupy the second and third floors. At the rear of the site, 20 surface parking spaces would serve the medical/commercial and residential uses.

The site is currently occupied by a single detached dwelling, and single detached dwellings abut to the west and north. Directly across the street, on the south side of Finch, is an 8 storey condominium apartment building.

Official Plan

The site is subject to the Central Finch Area Secondary Plan, and is designated CFMU-2 (Central Finch Mixed Use - Two) which permits single detached and multiple-unit residential uses, offices, mixed commercial-residential uses, places of worship, public parks and recreational facilities, and institutional uses. The proposal follows the Secondary Plan's emphasis on mixed-use development with ground floor commercial uses and residential uses above, and complies with the list of permitted uses.

Under the Secondary Plan, for mixed-use development on a site with 30 or more metres frontage on Finch Avenue east of Yonge Street:

- a maximum overall density of 1.5 FSI is permitted, of which the commercial component shall not exceed 0.75 FSI, and

- a height limit of 4 storeys or 13 metres is permitted.

Buildings are required to be set back a minimum of 9.5 metres from a rear lot line which abuts low-density residential lands outside the Secondary Plan area.

The proposed development has a density of 1.1 FSI (0.5 commercial and 0.6 residential), a building height of 3 storeys/10.6 metres, and a setback of 11.2 metres from the rear lot line.

Zoning

The lands at 76 Finch Avenue East are currently zoned R4 (one-family detached dwelling fourth density zone), which permits one-family detached dwellings. The lands at 80 Finch Avenue East are currently zoned C1(65), to permit a two-storey medical office building.

The proposed zoning for 76-80 Finch Avenue East would be C4 (Mixed Use Commercial Zone) with exceptions for gross floor area and side yard setbacks.

Site Plan Control

Concurrent with the rezoning application, a site plan application has been filed (UDSP-99-143).

Reasons for the application

The lands at 76 Finch Avenue East are currently zoned R4 (one-family detached dwelling fourth density zone), which permits one-family detached dwellings. The lands at 80 Finch Avenue East are currently zoned C1(65), to permit a two-storey medical office building. Therefore, to permit a three-storey mixed commercial residential building on the lands at 76-80 Finch Avenue East, both portions would need to be rezoned to a C4 designation, with exceptions for gross floor area and side yard setbacks.

Issues to be resolved:

1. Built form

Ensure that the Finch and Dudley Avenue façades relate to pedestrians.

2. Servicing

Ensure that on-site vehicular circulation and servicing can be acceptably accommodated within the development site.

3. Parking

Given that the basement gross floor area is included in the calculation of parking, 32 parking spaces are required by the Zoning By-law No. 7625. The application proposes 20 parking spaces. If the applicant is requesting an exemption from the required parking, they will be required to submit a parking demand analysis in support of the exemption.

4. Landscaping

The applicant should submit, as soon as possible:

- a complete landscape plan incorporating the City's standard submission requirements, including screening of the parking at the rear of the site from the public sidewalk, and landscape buffering from the residential properties to the north; and

- a tree survey and arborist's report, with consideration given to the maintenance of large trees on the site wherever possible.

Conclusions:

It is recommended that a Community Consultation meeting be scheduled by staff, in consultation with the local Councillors, and that staff be directed to prepare a Final Report on the application and provide Notice of the Statutory Public Meeting at the appropriate time.

Contact:

Anne Milchberg, Senior Planner

North York Civic Centre

Telephone: (416) 395-7129

Fax: (416) 395-7155

E-mail: amilchbe@toronto.ca

Rob Dolan

Director, Community Planning, North District

List of Attachments:

A Official Plan Map

B Current Zoning Map

C Applicant's proposed site plan

D1,2,3 Applicant's proposed elevations