STAFF REPORT August 29, 2006 To: Etobicoke York Community Council From: Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York District Subject: Preliminary Report OPA & Rezoning Application 05 114554 WET 05 OZ Applicant: Gagnon Law Bozzo Urban Planners Architect: Salmona Tregunno Ltd 5555 Dundas St W Ward 5 - Etobicoke-Lakeshore Purpose: To report on an application for an Official Plan Amendment and Rezoning to redevelop the Honeydale Mall site with 2,400 residential units, retail, commercial and office uses. Financial Implications and Impact Statement: There are no financial implications resulting from the adoption of this report. Recommendations: It is recommended that: (1) staff be directed to schedule a community consultation meeting together with the Ward Councillor; (2) staff continue to work with the applicant and adjacent land owners to develop a planning framework for the local area; (3) notice for the community consultation meeting be given to landowners and residents within 120 metres of the site; and (4) notice for the Public Meeting under the Planning Act be given 2 according to the regulations under the Planning Act. Background: Applications for Official Plan and Zoning Code amendments for 5555 Dundas Street West (Honeydale Mall) to permit residential uses were submitted on March 10, 2005. An application on the adjacent property to the west at 5559 Dundas Street West and 25 Vickers Road (the A&P site) was filed a few weeks later on March 24, 2005. The A&P application requested an Official Plan Amendment and the same uses and densities as the Honeydale application, detailed later in this report. Given the size of the combined sites (22.07 hectares), and the planning context of the area, staff requested the applicants consider funding a Secondary Plan Study for the area. Discussions regarding the extent and the cost of the studies took place but have not concluded. In addition, both applicants have filed appeals with the Ontario Municipal Board. Honeydale has an appeal outstanding before the Board related to the new Official Plan, discussed later in this report. On July 24, 2006, A&P appealed its Official Plan Amendment application on the grounds that the City has not made a decision nor has a public meeting been held to deal with the application or the area study. The new Official Plan policies and designations do not apply to Honeydale because of their appeal yet they do apply to A&P because their appeal was related to the application process and not the new Plan. While both sites are located on Dundas Street West at the East Mall and share many attributes, their underlying designations in the new Official Plan are different and warrant an approach which takes this into account. This report reviews the Honeydale application and discusses the need for area planning framework. A future report will address the A&P application. Comments: Proposal The proposed mixed use development on the Honeydale site consists of 8 residential buildings (18 & 20-storeys) on the southern half of the lands, one mixed use building (8-storeys) and two free standing commercial buildings (1-2-storeys) along the Dundas Street West frontage. Three new public roadways and a public park are also proposed. A floor space index of 3.13 gross and 2,400 units are proposed as summarized below and in Attachment 1: Site Plan and Attachment 5: Application Data Sheet. Description Statistic Lot Area 6.87 hectares Gross Floor Area 214,044 m2 Commercial Floor Area 4,116 m2 3 Residential Floor Area 209,928 m2 Number of Units 2,400 Number of Buildings 11 Floor Space Index 3.13 Height 2 to 20 storeys Parking Spaces 3,421 (including 480 visitors) Parkland 0.4 hectare Site Description The 6.9 hectare site is located on the south side of Dundas Street West, east of Highway 427. It is currently occupied by a 20,200 square metre retail mall that was built in the 1970’s. Some of the stores are vacant, including a major tenant space. The building is situated on the rear portion of the lot, near the southern boundary. The customer parking lot is located on the front portion of the lot. There are three small lots located on the Dundas Street West frontage that are not in Honeydale ownership. The property has a 3.9 metre grade change from the highest point on the Dundas Street West frontage dropping to the south property line adjacent to the Canadian Pacific Railway. The abutting properties contain the following uses: North: An indoor mall (Cloverdale Mall), commercial uses and a low rise residential neighbourhood South: Canadian Pacific Railway line and industrial uses East: Car dealership, industrial uses and the Etobicoke Centre Secondary Plan Area West: head office, warehousing and a grocery store (A&P) Provincial Policy Statement The current Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) was issued under Section 3 of the Planning Act and came into effect on March 1, 2005. The application is subject to the policies of the PPS. Decisions affecting planning matters must be ‘consistent with’ the policy statements issued under the Planning Act. The application will be reviewed for consistency with the PPS with regard to the policies which promote strong communities, a clean and healthy environment and a strong economy. The PPS provides for growth primarily through intensification and redevelopment. Land use patterns are to be based on densities and a mix of land uses which efficiently use land and resources and are appropriate for and efficiently use infrastructure and public service facilities which are planned or available. Toronto Official Plan On July 6, 2006 the Ontario Municipal Board issued Order No. 1928 bringing the majority of the new Official Plan into full force and effect. The Order also repealed most of the policies of the 4 former City of Etobicoke and Metro Plan that were previously in effect. However, the Order did not bring into force the new Plan policies related to Section 37, Housing and the flood plain “Special Policy Areas”. The effect of Honeydale’s appeal of the Toronto Official Plan to the Ontario Municipal Board for the lands subject to these applications is that the policies and land use designations of the new Plan are not in effect as they pertain to this site. It is nevertheless important to review the applications in the context of the new Plan as Council’s current and in-force vision for the future of Toronto and as the relevant policy framework affecting development on surrounding lands. On Map 2 Urban Structure, the site is within an Employment District with the north portion of the site also shown as Avenues. The entire Honeydale site is designated as Mixed Use Areas on Land Use Map 15. The land use designation policies of the Plan apply and prevail on the lands broadly shown on Map 2. Re-urbanizing the Avenues will be achieved through the preparation of an Avenue Study which sets out a framework for creating new housing and job opportunities while improving the pedestrian environment, the look of the street, shopping opportunities, and transit services for the community. An Avenues Study has not been prepared for this segment of Dundas Street West. The policies of Section 2.2.3 specify requirements and conditions for development to proceed on Avenues prior to completion of an Avenue Study. Development in Mixed Use Areas on Avenues prior to an Avenue Study will provide a review that includes assessment of the impact of development of the entire Avenue segment at a similar form, scale and intensity; consider if that development would negatively impact any adjacent Neighbourhoods or Apartment Neighbourhoods; consider if the proposed development is supportable by available infrastructure; and, be considered together with the Official Plan and Zoning Amendment at the statutory public meeting. Development requiring a rezoning will not be allowed to proceed prior to completion of an Avenue Study unless a review is undertaken that demonstrates to Council’s satisfaction that subsequent development of the entire Avenue segment will have no adverse impacts within the context and parameters of the review. In advance of an Avenue Study, development on the Avenues will implement the policies of the relevant designation if that development precedes an Avenue Study. In addition, because development in Mixed Use Areas on Avenues prior to an Avenue Study, has the potential to set a precedent for the form and scale of re-urbanization along the Avenue, the plan sets out considerations to be addressed in a review in connection with such a development application. This review would consider the existing context and implications of the development application including assessment of existing infrastructure and impacts of the development on adjacent Neighbourhoods or Apartment Neighbourhoods. In terms of the land use designation, Mixed Use Areas encourage a broad range of commercial, residential, institutional and open space uses. Mixed Use Areas will absorb most of the 5 anticipated increase in retail, office and service employment in coming decades as well as much of the new housing. The Plan’s policies provide for future redevelopment of these areas to accommodate appropriate increases in population and jobs along transit lines including ensuring adequate services and infrastructure will be provided and impacts will be addressed. Other policies of the Plan pertaining to growth, integrating land use and transportation, building healthy neighbourhoods, the built environment and community services and facilities will be considered. Policies respecting Secondary Plans, large sites and building whole communities are discussed further below. Metropolitan Toronto Official Plan The south part of the site is within a Metropolitan Industrial/Employment Area in the Metropolitan Toronto Official Plan. The policy objective is to maintain a sufficient supply of industrial lands and a diversity of employment necessary to enhance Toronto’s economic competitiveness.