1405, 1407, 1409 and 1409A Bloor Street West and 229, 231 and 231A Sterling Road – Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Applications – Preliminary Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
REPORT FOR ACTION 1405, 1407, 1409 and 1409A Bloor Street West and 229, 231 and 231A Sterling Road – Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Applications – Preliminary Report Date: December 14, 2020 To: Toronto and East York Community Council From: Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District Ward 9 - Davenport Planning Application Number: 20 199975 STE 09 OZ Notice of Complete Application Issued: November 6, 2020 Current Uses on Site: The site supports five buildings consisting of a two-storey mixed-use building fronting on Bloor Street West containing automotive service use on the ground floor and residential units above and four automotive use buildings to the south. SUMMARY This report provides information and identifies a preliminary set of issues regarding the application located at 1405, 1407, 1409 and 1409A Bloor Street West and 229, 231 and 231A Sterling Road. The application proposes an 18-storey mixed-use building which steps down to 12, and 4-storeys to the south (67.5m inc. mechanical penthouse), 326 residential units, a total of 21,384m2, FSI of 5.35, 101 vehicular parking spaces on three levels underground, 330 bicycle parking spaces and a public park. Staff are currently reviewing the application. It has been circulated to all appropriate agencies and City divisions for comment. The application, as currently proposed is not supported by staff based on the issues outlined in this report. Staff will continue to work with the applicant to address these issues. Staff will proceed to schedule a community consultation meeting for the application with the Ward Councillor. Staff Report for Action - Preliminary Report - 1405, 1407, 1409 and 1409A Bloor Street West and 229, 231 and 231A Sterling Road Page 1 of 29 RECOMMENDATIONS The City Planning Division recommends that: 1. Staff schedule a community consultation meeting for the application located at 1405, 1407, 1409 and 1409A Bloor Street West and 229, 231 and 231A Sterling Road together with the Ward Councillor. 2. Notice for the community consultation meeting be given to landowners and residents within 120 metres of the application site, and to additional residents, institutions and owners to be determined in consultation with the Ward Councillor, with any additional mailing costs to be borne by the applicant. FINANCIAL IMPACT The City Planning Division confirms that there are no financial implications resulting from the recommendations included in this report in the current budget year or in future years. DECISION HISTORY On July 28, 2020, City Council adopted the Bloor Street Study - Perth Avenue to St. Helens Avenue instructing staff to undertake a study to evaluate appropriate built form, transportation and pedestrian networks, public realm strategy for parks and open spaces and potential heritage sites, to establish a community consultation process, and to report back with a planning framework. The subject site is located within the study area. Weblink to City Council Motion Adoption: http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.TE16.77 A pre-application meeting was held with the applicant on March 4, 2020. Issues discussed were related to: building height, density, massing, shadowing onto Neighbourhoods to the north, streetscape improvements, eliminating building overhang above the first level, requirement for an Official Plan Amendment application, the southern extension of Ruttan Street public street as a public street extension to provide public frontage, review of the location and configuration of an on-site parkland dedication. At its meeting of December 16, 2013, City Council adopted a final report for the lands abutting the CN railway, "Local Area Study - Lands Along the CN Rail Tracks from Queen Street West to Dupont Street". The subject site is included in this study area. The final staff report is on the City's website at: http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2013.TE28.9 The Bloor-Lansdowne Avenue Study was initiated in 1999 as a pilot Avenue Study under the new Toronto Official Plan and was approved by City Council in November 2002. The subject site is included in the study area. Weblink to City Council decision: Staff Report for Action - Preliminary Report - 1405, 1407, 1409 and 1409A Bloor Street West and 229, 231 and 231A Sterling Road Page 2 of 29 https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/2002/agendas/council/cc021126/yk13rpt/cl005.pdf ISSUE BACKGROUND Application Description This application proposes to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law for the property at 1405, 1407, 1409 and 1409A Bloor Street West and 229, 231 and 231A Sterling Road to permit an 18-storey (67.5 metres including mechanical penthouse) mixed-use building, stepping down to 12 and 4-storeys towards the south, 326 residential units, with 237 square metres of commercial uses at ground level and 21,147 square metres of residential uses for a total of 21,384 square metres, resulting in a FSI of 5.35. Also proposed is a public park located at the south end of the site. A total of 101 residential vehicular parking spaces are proposed, and 330 bicycle parking spaces; 296 residential and 34 visitor spaces. Proposed indoor amenity space of 665 square metres and 769 square metres of outdoor amenity space. The proposed vehicular access would be from Ruttan Street towards the north end of the site. The subject site has an area of 4,000 square metres with 25.3 metres of frontage on Bloor Street West, 73.8 metres on Ruttan Street and 34.7 metres on Sterling Road, and a depth of 179 metres. The site is generally rectangular in shape and flat with a gradual downward slope from north to south of approximately one metre. Detailed project information is found on the City's Application Information Centre at: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/application-information- centre/ See Attachments 1 and 2 of this report, for a three dimensional representation of the project in context, 3 Location Map, 4 Site Plan, 7, 8, 9 and 10 for Elevations and 14 for Application Data Sheet. Provincial Policy Statement and Provincial Plans Any decision of Council related to this application is required to be consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2020) (the "PPS"), and to conform with applicable Provincial Plans which, in the case of the City of Toronto, include: A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020). The PPS and all Provincial Plans may be found on the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing website. Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020) Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020) (the "Growth Plan (2020)") came into effect on August 28, 2020.This new plan replaces the previous Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2019. The Growth Plan (2020) continues to provide a strategic framework for managing growth and environmental Staff Report for Action - Preliminary Report - 1405, 1407, 1409 and 1409A Bloor Street West and 229, 231 and 231A Sterling Road Page 3 of 29 protection in the Greater Golden Horseshoe region, of which the City forms an integral part. The Growth Plan (2020) establishes policies that require implementation through a Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR), which is a requirement pursuant to Section 26 of the Planning Act. Policies not expressly linked to a MCR can be applied as part of the review process for development applications, in advance of the next MCR. These policies include: Directing municipalities to make more efficient use of land, resources and infrastructure to reduce sprawl, contribute to environmental sustainability and provide for a more compact built form and a vibrant public realm; Directing municipalities to engage in an integrated approach to infrastructure planning and investment optimization as part of the land use planning process; Achieving complete communities with access to a diverse range of housing options, protected employment zones, public service facilities, recreation and green space, and better connected transit to where people live and work; Retaining viable lands designated as employment areas and ensuring redevelopment of lands outside of employment areas retain space for jobs to be accommodated on site; Minimizing the negative impacts of climate change by undertaking stormwater management planning that assesses the impacts of extreme weather events and incorporates green infrastructure; and Recognizing the importance of watershed planning for the protection of the quality and quantity of water and hydrologic features and areas. The Growth Plan (2020), builds upon the policy foundation provided by the PPS and provides more specific land use planning policies to address issues facing the GGH region. The policies of the Growth Plan (2020) take precedence over the policies of the PPS to the extent of any conflict, except where the relevant legislation provides otherwise. In accordance with Section 3 of the Planning Act all decisions of Council in respect of the exercise of any authority that affects a planning matter shall conform with the Growth Plan (2020). Comments, submissions or advice affecting a planning matter that are provided by Council shall also conform with the Growth Plan (2020). Major Transit Station Areas The Growth Plan (2020) as amended contains policies pertaining to population and employment densities that should be planned for in major transit station areas (MTSAs) along priority transit corridors or subway lines. MTSAs are generally defined as the area within an approximately 500 to 800 metre radius of a transit station, representing about a 10-minute walk. The Growth Plan (2020) requires that, at the time of the next municipal comprehensive review (MCR), the City update its Official Plan to delineate Staff Report for Action - Preliminary Report - 1405, 1407, 1409 and 1409A Bloor Street West and 229, 231 and 231A Sterling Road Page 4 of 29 MTSA boundaries and demonstrate how the MTSAs are planned for the prescribed densities.