Official Plan and Zoning Amendment

Application UDOZ-98-24 -

City of Toronto - 29 Lorraine Drive -

North York Centre

The North York Community Council, after considering the deputations and based on the findings of fact, conclusions and recommendations contained in the report (November 6, 1998) from the Director, Community Planning, North District, and for the reasons that the proposal is an appropriate use of the lands, recommends that the application submitted by the City of Toronto regarding Official Plan and Zoning Amendment for 29 Lorraine Drive, be approved.

The North York Community Council further reports having directed the Director, Community Planning, North District, to prepare:

(a)an implementing Official Plan amendment which generally complies with the draft Official Plan Amendment attached as Schedule "D" to the report dated November 6, 1998; and

(b)an implementing zoning by-law which generally complies with the draft by-law attached as Schedule "E" to the report dated November 6, 1998.

The North York Community Council reports having held a statutory public meeting on December 9, 1998, with appropriate notice of this meeting, in accordance with the Planning Act.

The North York Community Council submits the following report (November 6, 1998) from the Director, Community Planning, North District:

Purpose:

The purpose of this report is to recommend the approval of a proposal to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to remove all attributable density and recognize the use of City owned lands at 29 Lorraine Drive as a public park. The density of the site has been transferred through a Committee of Adjustment approval to the adjacent development site at 15-27 Lorraine Drive.

Financial Implications:

At its meeting of July 29, 30 and 31, 1998, City of Toronto Council approved the sale of the density (1,826 square metres) from 29 Lorraine Drive to Symphony Square Ltd. (15-27 Lorraine Drive) for the sum of $400,000 (Appendix A). The City has received the funds from the sale of the density.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that the application be approved and staff be directed to prepare:

(a)an implementing Official Plan amendment which generally complies with the draft Official Plan amendment attached as Schedule "D" to this report; and

(b)an implementing zoning by-law which generally complies with the draft by-law attached as Schedule "E" to this report.

Background:

1.0History:

In July 1997, North York Council approved a zoning by-law amendment for 15-27 Lorraine Drive (UDZ-95-31 known as Royal Mansions Inc.) to permit a 304 unit, 20 storey apartment building. This development, approved in accordance with the Uptown Secondary Plan, achieved additional density through density incentives and transfers. A total gross floor area of 29,885 square metres (321,690 sq.ft.) is permitted by the RM6(73) zoning on the site (Appendix B).

In August 1998, the Committee of Adjustment approved a variance request by the applicant (known then as Symphony Square) to increase the maximum permitted gross floor area for the site at 15-27 Lorraine Drive (Appendix C). No appeals were received. The approval was based on a Council decision of July 29, 1998 to approve the sale of density from the City owned site at 29 Lorraine Drive to the Symphony Square lands (Appendix A). The City has received the funds from this sale. The amount of density sold from 29 Lorraine Drive (1,826 square metres) is identical to the gross floor area increase approved by the Committee of Adjustment.

2.0Proposal:

The application advanced by the City of Toronto in this report proposes a technical change to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to recognize the transfer of all density from the site to lands at 15-27 Lorraine Drive. This property will be developed as part of a public park. A statistical breakdown of the site is set out below:

3.0Location and Existing Site:

The site is located on the south side of Lorraine Drive east of Blakeley Road. There is an existing dwelling on the site which will be demolished. On the abutting lands to the east is a 7.5 m strip of land zoned O1(14) to be used for park purposes. The subject parcel would adjoin this 7.5 m. strip creating a parkette. To the north and west of the site are detached homes also located within the Uptown area. A zoning amendment application has been received for redevelopment of all of these remaining lands east of Blakeley Road (UDZ-98-19).

4.0Planning Controls:

4.1Official Plan:

The site is located within the Uptown of the North York Centre. The site is designated Uptown Residential 2 which permits residential, recreational and institutional uses and parks at a maximum density of 2.6 FSI as shown on Schedule "A". While the UR2 designation permits public parks, it has been the practice of the former North York Council that lands used as public parkland be designated as public parks in the Official Plan (Appendix D). The proposal is to change the Official Plan designation to Local Open Space (LOS) which would only permit public parks, recreational uses, community centres and libraries, and some essential services and public utilities. The proposed use of the site for a public park would conform with this designation.

4.2Zoning:

The site is zoned R4 (One Family Detached Dwelling Fourth Density Zone) which generally permits single detached dwellings as shown on Schedule "B". The proposal is to rezone the site to O1(14) (Open Space Zone) with a site specific exception indicating that the only permitted use shall be a public park, public playground and a play lot with 0 square metres of gross floor area. The O1(14) zoning currently applies to the 7.5 metre strip of land abutting the east side of this site.

Discussion:

5.0Other Department Comments:

Comments received from the departments and agencies to which the application was circulated indicate no concerns (see Schedules "F" to "K").

6.0Community Consultation

Given the technical nature of this application, a community consultation meeting has not been required.

7.0Planning Issues:

7.1Density Transfer:

Section 3.4 of Official Plan Amendment 447 (North York Centre Secondary Plan) permits the transfer of density from land owned by the City. Density transfers are to be implemented by rezoning the donor site and the receiving site and a record of the density transfer is to be kept as an appendix to the Official Plan.

This application implements the density transfer by rezoning the subject parcel to recognize its use for parks purposes only, and to remove its density. A record of this density transfer will be kept in Appendix 11 to the Official Plan (Monitoring of Transferred Density in the Uptown Area).

Given Council approval of the sale of density from 29 Lorraine Drive and the Committee of Adjustment approval for an increase in the gross floor area for 15-27 Lorraine Drive, the proposed Official Plan and zoning change to 29 Lorraine Drive is a technical change which further implements these approvals.

7.2Parks Use:

The City purchased 29 Lorraine Drive with the intent of developing it for parks purposes, along with the westerly portion of 27 Lorraine Drive. This area was targeted for parkland at the time of review of the Royal Mansions application (File No. UDZ-95-31) at 15-27 Lorraine Drive. As a condition of the sale, the existing tenant is permitted to remain in the dwelling at 29 Lorraine Drive until their current rental lease expires in January 1999. Lease extension options may be possible.

Conclusions:

This proposal by the City is for a technical amendment to the Official Plan and zoning by-law to remove all attributable density and recognize the use of City owned lands as a public park. This implements recent City Council and Committee of Adjustment approvals for the sale and transfer of density from this site to the adjacent development site at 15-27 Lorraine Drive.

Contact Name:

Nimrod Salamon

Telephone: (416) 395-7134

(A copy of the Schedules and Appendices referred to in the foregoing report is on file in the office of the City Clerk, North York Civic Centre.)

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No individuals appeared before the North York Community Council in connection with the foregoing matter.