Item - 2018.SC32.17

Scarborough Community Council recommends that:

1.   City Council direct City Staff to continue to negotiate with the applicant to resolve the outstanding issues detailed in this report, including the directions given to staff by Scarborough Community Council and City Council as part of the preliminary report submitted to Scarborough Community Council on February 21, 2018.

2.   City Council direct the City Solicitor and appropriate City Staff to attend and oppose the application in its current form, should the application be appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (the "LPAT") on the basis of Council's failure to make a decision on the application within the statutory timeframe of the Planning Act.

3. That City Council request staff to minimize the parking standards to a ratio seen in similar applications located in the downtown core.

This Report responds to an application where staff are currently not in a position to provide a Final Report to Council, but which could be appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal due to a lack of decision during the break in Council's meeting schedule (July to December 2018).

The report sets out outstanding issues related to the application and makes an initial determination that the proposed development, in its current form, is not consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2014), conflicts with the Growth Plan (2017) and does not conform with the Toronto Official Plan.

This application proposes to establish a plan of subdivision and to amend the Zoning By-law for the entire 3.56 hectare site known municipally as 670, 680 and 690 Progress Avenue to permit the redevelopment of the lands with seven tall, residential buildings ranging in height from 14 to 48 storeys and twelve four-storey back-to-back townhouse blocks.  A total of 2,245 residential units are proposed and a total of 1,654 vehicular parking spaces are proposed in two levels of below grade parking.

City Planning staff have identified concerns with respect to: the proposed street and block plan; built form, height, density, building massing, transition in scale within the existing and planned context overall; site circulation around and through the site; parking and loading; range of housing options, including tenures and unit sizes; enhancement of employment opportunities; determination of the adequacy, location and configuration of the proposed public park; adequacy of  site servicing, including sanitary sewer analysis, stormwater management, hydrogeological matters and solid waste collection; adequacy of community services and facilities to serve the proposed development; and impacts on the environment.  These issues and all additional matters that arise through the development review process will need to be addressed prior to the submission of the Final Report to City Council.  While staff will continue to work with the applicant to address the issues noted here, since it is an election year, it is recommended that City Council direct the City Solicitor and appropriate City Staff to attend and oppose the application in its current form should the application be appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) on the basis of City Council's failure to make a decision on the application within the statutory timeframe of the Planning Act.

Should the application not be appealed to the LPAT, a Final Report will be submitted for City Council's consideration following the resolution of outstanding issues related to this application, and the holding of a statutory Public Meeting under the Planning Act.  The target timeline for the Final Report is anticipated to be in the first quarter of 2019.