PUBLIC CONSULTATION STRATEGY REPORT 630-686 Finch Avenue East City of Toronto August 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 Purpose of Report 1 The Proposal 1 The Subject Site 1 PURPOSES AND OUTCOMES OF CONSULTATION 2 KEY MESSAGES 3 Proposal Highlights 3 Themes and Key Messages 4 SCOPE OF CONSULTATION 5 Proposed Consultation Area 5 AUDIENCES 6 Neighbourhood Context 6 Key Stakeholders 7 Demographic Profile 7 MATTERS TO BE ADDRESSED 8 List of Matters to be Addressed 8 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND TOOLS 9 Communication Strategy 9 Communication Tools 9 City of Toronto Standard Public Consultation Methods 10 CONCLUSION 10 APPENDIX A 11 INTRODUCTION The proposal is permitted within the Mixed Use Areas Purpose of Report designation and will contribute to achieving policy directions This Public Consultation Strategy Report has been prepared that promote intensification in these areas and the creation in support of an application by 2715649 Ontario Inc. to of complete communities. From a built form and urban design amend the City-wide Zoning By-law 569-2013 and Zoning perspective, the proposal represents a unique opportunity to By-law 7625 of the former City of North York, with respect redevelop a topographically-distinct site given its significant to a 0.95 hectare property on the north side of Finch Avenue change in grade from Finch Avenue East north to Banstock East, between Bayview Avenue and Leslie Street, municipally Drive. addressed as 630-686 Finch Avenue East (the “subject site”). See Figure 1, Location Map. The Subject Site The subject site includes two parcels, 630 Finch Avenue East The Proposal and 636-686 Finch Avenue East. The proposed rezoning application would allow a 12-storey 1. 630 Finch Avenue East: one-storey commercial building mixed use building with residential and retail uses. The with an automotive business (Beck Automotive Ltd. Sales building includes a 2-storey mechanical penthouse level. In and Service) total, the building would contain 206 dwelling units, 897 m2 of retail gross floor area (GFA) at the ground floor, and 2. 636-686 Finch Avenue East: 2-storey commercial a three-level parking garage with 311 parking spaces. The building (Bayview Woods Plaza) with various retail and proposal will have a total GFA of 2 28,333 m . service tenants including café, spa, and TD Bank, and surface parking
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Figure 1 – 630-686 Finch Avenue East and its immediate surroundings (Bousfields Inc.)
Page 1 PURPOSES AND OUTCOMES OF CONSULTATION The ultimate purpose of this public consultation is to share information about the proposal with key stakeholders and the broader public, and offer opportunities for anyone interested in the proposal to ask questions, share comments, and take part in the City-led consultation process. The following chart describes:
• Goals: what the applicant seeks to accomplish in consulting with the public with regard to their proposal
• Outcomes: what the applicant hopes to achieve by the end of the consultation period with regard to the proposal
Goal Outcome The public and interested stakeholder groups have Share information about the proposal with the the information they need about the proposal and public and interested stakeholders understand where they can go to learn more Questions and comments received from the public Determine the public’s matters of interest in the informed the applicant’s understanding of matters of proposal interest related to the proposal Ensure the public is aware of the consultation The public understands the overall consultation process and its associated timelines processes and timelines City Staff have additional information from public Support the City of Toronto’s application review consultation that helps inform their overall review process process
Page 2 KEY MESSAGES The applicant has prepared Proposal Highlights and Key Messages to communicate the overall proposal and its components as part of the public consultation process. If there are additional questions or matters that arise through the consultation process, or as a result of any amendments to the proposal, the applicant will update these key messages to ensure that information is clear and up-to-date.
Proposal Highlights Site Area 9,547 m2 Gross Floor Area Retail 897 m2 Residential 27,848 m2 Total 28,333 m2 (excluding required amenity areas) Type of Building Mixed-use with residential and retail uses Residential Units 1-Bedroom/+ Den Units 35 (17%) 2-Bedroom/ + Den Units 150 (73%) 3-Bedroom/Townhouse Units 21 (10%) Total 206 Storeys 12 + 2-storey mechanical penthouse Stepbacks above the 4th storey Amenity Space** Indoor 754 m2 Outdoor 472 m2 Total 1,226 m2 Car Parking Spaces Resident 251 spaces Visitor 31 spaces Commercial 29 spaces Total 311 spaces Bicycle Parking Spaces Resident Long Term 187 spaces Resident Short Term 21 spaces Retail Long Term 4 spaces Retail Short Term 4 spaces Total 216 spaces
*Numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number. **Indoor and outdoor amenity space will be connected at the ground floor and 4th floor.
Figure 2 – Roof Plan (Kirkor Architects and Planners)
Page 3 Themes and Key Messages Revitalizing an underused site Adding housing to the Bayview Woods-Steeles neighbourhood • Adding a mixed-use building to a site currently occupied by low-density commercial uses would respond to policy • Adding new housing in a midrise form would complement guidance for intensification inMixed Use Areas near higher surrounding residential uses in the neighbourhood. order transit. • A mix of unit sizes, as well as both indoor and outdoor • The subject site has access to frequent transit service, as amenity space, would provide a new housing option for defined by A Place to Grow, Growth Plan for the Greater this neighbourhood. Golden Horseshoe, and is therefore located within a Strategic Growth Area. • A high percentage of 2-and 3-bedroom units would provide housing options to respond to the existing larger • The proposal would contribute to a more attractive household sizes in this neighbourhood. streetscape along Finch Avenue East, creating a better environment for people walking, cycling, and taking • The proposed 206 residential units would contribute to transit. the housing supply in this neighbourhood, and in the City of Toronto, on a site with convenient access to transit. • The building has been designed to fit this unique site, where its rear grade elevation, facing Banstock Drive, is Enhancing the streetscape with active uses higher than its front, facing Finch Avenue East. • Maintaining active retail uses at the ground floor would • The building has been sited and oriented to provide for contribute to the existing character while adding new appropriate transitions to the surrounding low-rise retail and services to the community. dwellings on Banstock Drive to the north. Setbacks above the fourth storey would contribute to this transition. • Creating north-south pedestrian connections through the site from Finch Avenue East to Banstock Drive • Through these transitions, the building has been carefully would create a safe and welcoming pedestrian realm and designed to minimize potential built form impacts, improve accessibility. including shadowing, overlook, and privacy.
Figure 3 - Building Rendering (Kirkor Architects and Planners)
Page 4 SCOPE OF CONSULTATION Proposed Consultation Area The area within a 120 metre radius of the subject site has been identified as the consultation area for this proposal. This area includes those who will likely take an interest in the engagement process. They include neighbouring residents on Banstock Drive, to the immediate north and west of the subject site (south of the Sawley Banstock Greenbelt) and existing commercial tenants at 680-686 Finch Avenue East. Notification for the City-led community consultation meeting will be distributed to residents within the 120 metre radius described, which is the notice area outlined in the Planning Act. Councillor.
The applicant intends to continue conversations from initial meetings with the Ward Councillor, which may include how best to notify populations within the consultation area shown below about the development proposal over the course of the application review process.
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Figure 4 – Area for Public Consultation (Bousfields Inc.)
Page 5 AUDIENCES Neighbourhood Context In order to define the audiences for consultation (described in the next section), the applicant has considered theimmediate area and broader neighbourhood. It is anticipated that immediate neighbours (on Banstock Road to the north of the subject site) will be the most interested in the proposal; however, the applicant will be responsive to broader interest, from those who live nearby and may be interested in potential changes coming to their neighbourhood.
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Figure 5– Broader Neighbourhood Context (Bousfields Inc.) Newtonbrook Creek Page 6 Bayview Woods-Steeles Neighbourhood Key Stakeholders The site is located in Toronto’s Bayview Woods-Steeles The applicant intends to consult with key stakeholders as a neighbourhood which is characterized by low-rise residential component of the public consultation process. Thus far, the communities as well as extensive natural systems and following local stakeholders have been identified as those parkland. This area has seen little recent development. The who may wish to be involved in the process. Stakeholders may subject site is located on the main east-west arterial, Finch include other individuals and groups who express interest Avenue East, and is in between two major north-south streets, in the proposal over the course of the application review Bayview Avenue to the West and Leslie Street to the east. Key process. features of this neighbourhood are: • Ward Councillor Shelley Carroll • A mix of low-rise and high-rise built form • City Staff » Low-rise residential areas immediately to the north of the subject site (predominantly 1-2 storey single- • Nearby residents on Banstock Drive detached dwellings) • Broader community » Apartment buildings on Bayview Avenue and Finch Avenue ranging from 9 to 18 storeys » Townhouse developments on Leslie Street, to the Demographic Profile east Neighbourhood • Low-density commercial uses along arterial roads, e.g. A snapshot of the Bayview Woods-Steeles neighbourhood retail plazas in comparison to the City of Toronto reveals key differences from the City of Toronto statistics. This information informed • Don Valley ravine system the Key Messages and Communication Tools for this proposal. A complete demographic profile, including the adjacent • Finch Hydro Corridor neighbourhood to the south (Bayview Village) is found in Appendix A. • Relatively well-served by public transit
Age Adjacent Neighbourhoods • Higher proportion of seniors (aged 65+): 26% compared Given the subject site’s location near the southern boundary to 16% of Bayview Woods-Steeles, it is also helpful to consider the adjacent neighbourhood to the south of Finch Avenue East, • Lower proportion of working age population (25 to 54 known as Bayview Village. This neighbourhood has seen years): 35% compared to 45% a higher rate of population growth compared to Bayview Woods-Steeles. It has experienced recent residential and Income and education mixed-use development concentrated around the Sheppard • Higher median household income: $78,965 compared to Subway Line, notably at Concord Park Place near Sheppard $65,829 Avenue East and Leslie Street. • Higher educational attainment (Bachelor’s degree or The City of Toronto’s Neighbourhood Profiles reveal that, higher): 58% compared to 44% compared to Bayview Woods-Steeles, Bayview Village has: Housing size and type • Fewer single- and semi-detached dwellings • Larger average household size: 2.69 compared to 2.42 • More apartments of 5+ storeys • Higher percentage of residents living in single- and semi- • Smaller average household size and more 1-person detached homes: 44% compared to 30% City-wide households
Page 7 List of Matters to be Addressed MATTERS TO BE ADDRESSED The following list outlines topics that may be brought forward for discussion and consultation with regards to the proposal: In addition to using the Proposal Highlights and Key Messages in Section 3.0 to clearly communicate the proposal and its • Project Description components, the following list of matters may be brought forth for discussion with interested persons or parties. The • Design & Built Form list may be updated depending on comments from key stakeholders, such as the Ward Councillor and immediate • Pedestrian Realm neighbours. • Vehicular Access
• Construction and TImelines
• Development Process & Estimated Timeline
• Public Consultation Process
CITY OF MARKHAM
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Figure 6–Bayview Woods-Steeles and Bayview Village Neighbourhoods (Bousfields Inc.)
Page 8 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND TOOLS Communication Strategy The applicant intends to implement a communication strategy that meets the following goals:
• Continue discussions about the proposal with Ward Councillor Shelley Carroll
• Share information with immediate neighbours during the application review process
• Support the City-led application review process
The applicant has met with Ward Councillor Shelley Carroll several times prior to the submission of their application, and intends to continue those conversations over the course of the application review process. Meetings were held on the following dates:
• July 31, 2019
• February 5, 2020
• May 12, 2020
Communication Tools The following tools may be used to achieve the goals listed above. These tools are designed to share information about the proposal and collect feedback. They may be adjusted based on ongoing conversations with City Staff and the Ward Councillor*.
Communication Tool Audience Purpose City-hosted Community Ward Councillor Present the proposal Consultation Meeting Immediate neighbours Hear questions and feedback General public Tools to support the City-led Ward Councillor Respond to City Staff’s direction on further application review process communication City Staff Collect questions and comments from Immediate neighbours interested persons and parties to be considered General public alongside City Staff’s comments
*The applicant recognizes that City Staff are using virtual formats for public consultation in response to public health direction due to COVID-19 and intends to be responsive to evolving direction from City Staff.
Page 9 City of Toronto Standard Public Consultation Methods The applicant will support the following standard public consultation methods used by the City:
• The community will be made aware of the complete development application (once deemed complete by Community Planning) with the on-site application notice sign, and an update on the City’s online Development Application Centre;
• Residents and stakeholders can review the submission materials, including drawings and reports, either on-line on the City’s Development Application Centre, or in- person at North York Civic Centre;
• Members of the public can direct comments and questions about the application to the assigned City Planner on the file throughout the review process;
• A Community Consultation Meeting will be organized by Planning Staff in consultation with the Ward Councillor (date to be determined) for which the City will send meeting notice to residents within a 120 metre radius of the subject site;
• A Statutory Public Meeting will take place at North York Community Council (date to be determined). CONCLUSION
The applicant is pleased to discuss this Public Consultation Strategy Report with City Staff, and if appropriate, make adjustments to the plan based on staff’s feedback. The goal with public consultation is to share information with key stakeholders to support the City-led review process. As such, the applicant will provide a summary of consultation undertaken and make this summary available prior to the Development Application proceeding to Toronto City Council for approval or refusal.
Page 10 APPENDIX A: DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 6% 6% 4% 9% 2.42 44% 24% 15% 44% 53% 47% 32% 30% 16% 13% 71% 29% 15% 12% 45% 12% 16% <1% $65,829 City of Toronto 1% 9% 1% 6% 5% 34$ 11% 11% 2.22 62% 21% 62% 59% 41% 34% 17% 12% 48% 13% 16% 57% 43% <1% $67,355 Bayview Village 4% 2% 11% 2.69 58% 21% 32% 20% 17% 10% 12% 37% 58% 42% 33% 56% 43% 12% 13% 35% 14% 26% <1% 78,965$ Bayview Woods-Steeles French Duplex English Owners Renters Average 1-person 2-person 3-person 4-person Row House Non-Official Semi-detached 5 or more persons Seniors (65+ years) Apartment <5 storeys Apartment 5+ storeys Youth (15 to 24 years) Youth Children (0 to 14 years) Single-Detached House Bachelor’s Degree or Higher Working Age (25 to 54 years) Working Pre-Retirement (54 to 65 years) Socio-Economic Indicator Housing Tenure Household Size Home Language Education Housing Structure Type Age Median household income
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