Bayview Institutions Context Plan (Don Valley West - Ward 26)
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CITY CLERK Clause embodied in Report No. 7 of the Midtown Community Council, as adopted by the Council of the City of Toronto at its meeting held on October 2, 3 and 4, 2001. 30 Final Report - Bayview Institutions Context Plan (Don Valley West - Ward 26) (City Council on October 2, 3 and 4, 2001, adopted this Clause, without amendment.) The Midtown Community Council recommends adoption of the following report (August 27, 2001) from the Director, Community Planning, North District: Purpose: This report recommends Principles and Guidelines to guide consideration of future development proposals for lands included within the Context Plan area. Financial Implications and Impact Statement: There are no financial implications resulting from the adoption of this report. Recommendations: It is recommended that City Council: (1) adopt the Context Plan Principles and Guidelines as an Appendix to the Official Plan for use as an implementation tool to guide the review of future development applications; (2) ensure that road access to the Canadian Institute for the Blind, the Bloorview MacMillan Centre, and the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Rumsey Centre is provided by a public right-of-way to be established between Bayview Avenue and Rumsey Road by a common plan of subdivision, whereby the CNIB and the Bloorview MacMillan Centre will convey a 20 metre wide right-of-way to the City; (3) ensure that road access between Bayview Avenue and Rumsey Road will be restricted by a controlled access gate to be located between the stub end of Rumsey Road and the future public right-of-way. The block of land on which this gate will be erected will form part of the common plan of subdivision and be conveyed to the City for that purpose; and (4) ensure that residents and adjacent landowners have opportunity to be involved in any future applications for site plan through a formal program of community consultation. Toronto City Council 2 Midtown Community Council October 2, 3 and 4, 2001 Report No. 7, Clause No. 30 Background: Midtown Community Council, at its January 17, 2001 meeting, directed staff to undertake a Context Plan in conjunction with the continued review of the rezoning application by the Bloorview MacMillan Centre. The purpose of the Context Plan was to address the road network, parking, servicing, built form, open spaces and pedestrian linkages for all 5 institutional properties which share the larger campus with the Bloorview MacMillan Centre. A report recommending the built form, massing, and footprint of the proposed Bloorview MacMillan Centre was considered by Midtown Community Council on July 10, 2001. The Final Report on the rezoning application by Bloorview MacMillan will be before Midtown Community Council when details of implementing the restricted road access are finalized. Proposal The Bloorview MacMillan Centre submitted an application for rezoning to the City in August 2000. The application was premised on a new building, approximately 3 times higher than the RM3 zoning permitted and relying on access from a private driveway owned by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, (CNIB). In considering this proposal, it became apparent that the application could not be looked at in isolation from the surrounding land uses. As well, during the past year, the CNIB has initiated a review of the potential redevelopment of its site. It was therefore recommended that an overall context plan for all the institutional lands would provide a useful framework for reviewing individual development applications. Site and Surrounding Area The Context Plan study area is 19 hectares or 47 acres in size. The study area is bounded by Bayview Avenue to the west, the Burke Brook ravine to the north, Sunnybrook Park to the east, and a low density residential neighbourhood to the south. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority has identified the ravine, including a setback from stable top of bank of 10 metres as an important Environmentally Sensitive Area, (ESA). Besides the CNIB and the Bloorview MacMillan Centre (BMC), the Context Plan area is also home to the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI) Rumsey Centre and Lyndhurst Hospital, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Currently, a private driveway from Bayview Avenue owned by the CNIB, provides access to that institution as well as Bloorview MacMillan, and the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Rumsey Centre. These institutions along with the TRI Lyndhurst Hospital and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health also take access from local streets located in the Leaside neighbourhood to the south: Rumsey Road, Sutherland Drive, and Brentcliffe Road. Official Plan The Context Plan area is designated General Institutional which is intended to accommodate major institutions serving the broader City. The northern edge is designated Valley Open Space and identified within the former City of North York’s Valleyland Impact Zone which prohibits buildings within a 10 metre setback from the top of bank. A small section south of the access Toronto City Council 3 Midtown Community Council October 2, 3 and 4, 2001 Report No. 7, Clause No. 30 road on Bayview Avenue and within the former Borough of East York, is designated for housing. Permitted uses in the General Institutional land use district include health, educational, religious, and government uses. Ancillary uses at an appropriate scale intended to serve the needs of the primary institutional facility may also be permitted. In the case of major health care institutions, ancillary and complimentary uses include retail, office, educational and conference facilities, hostel, day care, research, limited health care manufacturing and various health care programs. In considering new or expanded institutional uses, Council shall be guided by policies set out in Part C.6, Section 3.0 of the Official Plan which are intended to limit the physical impact any development would have on adjacent uses and roads. Two site specific Official Plan Amendments also cover the site: C.9.144 applies to the CNIB site and C.9.145 applies to the 3 institutions to the east: Bloorview MacMillan, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Both site specific amendments give recognition for the need to provide flexibility for use of these lands to meet changing health care demands by permitting a wide range of uses and programs associated with the principle use of the lands. Both policies also gives recognition to the institutions sharing resources and facilities including, but not limited to, shared access from Bayview Avenue and shared parking, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of each institution. Zoning By-law The majority of the subject area, located in the former City of North York, is zoned RM3, which permits semi-detached, duplex, townhouse and apartment forms of residential as well as hospital, nursing home and religious institutions. The small area south of the access road in the former Borough of East York, is zoned R3A permitting apartment and institutional buildings. Community Consultation Transportation options and urban design principles were presented to the community at a meeting held March 5, 2001 and were included in a status report presented to Midtown Community Council April 3, 2001. Further refinements were made as a result of a series of meetings with a stakeholders group which included representatives of the City, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), four of the five institutions, and the residents. The CNIB decided not to participate in further stakeholder group meetings, but were kept informed by staff on an on-going basis of the process and its outcomes. Correspondence from the landowners and North Leaside Residents Association outlining their interests is found in Attachment 4. Agency Circulation The draft Context Plan was circulated to all appropriate agencies and City Departments. As well, representatives of other departments participated in the stakeholder group meetings. Responses received have been used to assist in formulating the Plan. Toronto City Council 4 Midtown Community Council October 2, 3 and 4, 2001 Report No. 7, Clause No. 30 Comments: Transportation and Access One of the main challenges facing potential redevelopment of the Context Plan area is accommodating the traffic generated by the new and/or expanded uses. Three primary issues arise out of the prospect of redevelopment of these institutional properties: 1. Traffic impact on the Leaside community to the south of the institutions. • With the exception of the CNIB lands, the institutions take their primary access and address from the north-south local streets located in the residential neighbourhood to the south. Traffic increases on the local streets have the potential to affect the amenity of the residential neighbourhood. • The current shared access provides an uncontrolled cut-through route which encourages traffic infiltration through the North Leaside neighbourhood. 2. Coordinated access to Bayview Avenue and the legal status of a shared access road. • A coordinated, formalized access scheme serving the institutional lands is key to mitigating the impact of increased traffic on the residential neighbourhood to the south. • The access road is a private road owned by CNIB but used by Bloorview MacMillan and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Rumsey Centre as well as the general population. Staff recommend that a public road be created through a plan of subdivision. 3. Capacity constraints