Item - 2019.SC7.5

Scarborough Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council amend Zoning By-law 24982, for the lands at 6351 Steeles Avenue East substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Attachment No. 5 to the report (June 21, 2019) from the Director, Community Planning, Scarborough District.

2. City Council amend City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013 for the lands at 6351 Steeles Avenue East substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Attachment No. 6 to the report (June 21, 2019) from the Director, Community Planning, Scarborough District.

3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Zoning By-law Amendments as may be required.

4. In accordance with the delegated approval under By-law 229-2000, as amended, City Council be advised that the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning intends to approve the Draft Plan of Subdivision as generally illustrated in Attachment No. 7 to the report (June 21, 2019) from the Director, Community Planning, Scarborough District, subject to:

a. the conditions as generally listed in Attachment No. 7 to the report (June 21, 2019) from the Director, Community Planning, Scarborough District, which, except as otherwise noted, must be fulfilled prior to final approval and the release of the Draft Plan of Subdivision for registration; and

b. any such revisions to the proposed Draft Plan of Subdivision or any such additional modified conditions as the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning may deem to be appropriate to address matters arising from the on-going technical review of this development.

5. Prior to passing of the Bills by City Council, City Council require the owner to carry out a Stage 1 archaeological resource assessment of the lands included in the Zoning By-law Amendment application that have not been previously subject to archaeological assessment and submit this report to the City. Should the Stage 1 archaeological assessment recommend further property assessment (i.e. Stage 2), the applicant shall confirm in writing that current development applications contemplate no alteration of these additional lands, and that no demolition, construction, grading or other soil disturbances shall take place on the subject lands identified by the Stage 1 report as requiring further archaeological assessment.

6. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services, to negotiate in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor with the applicant and/or its design consultants and/or construction contractors as the case may be, to design and construct the segment of Morningside Avenue between Steeles Avenue East and Passmore Avenue, including that:

a. the design and construction of the road segment be undertaken such that it would be ultimately integrated into broader street network improvements to be undertaken by the City in the future widening of Steeles Avenue East from Tapscott to Ninth Line and Morningside Avenue from Passmore Avenue to McNicoll Avenue.

7. Upon Council approval of funding for the Morningside Ave. Extension capital project, as part of the 2020 Capital Budget process, City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services to enter into and execute an agreement, or separate agreements, in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor with the applicant and/or its design consultants and/or construction contractors as the case may be, to design and construct the segment of Morningside Avenue between Steeles Avenue East and Passmore Avenue.

Scarborough Community Council held a statutory public meeting on June 25, 2019 and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This application proposes to amend the Employment Districts Zoning By-law No. 24982 (Tapscott Employment District East), as amended, for the property at 6351 Steeles Avenue East to permit the construction of a single-storey warehouse and distribution centre having a gross floor area of approximately 152,498 square metres. The resulting FSI is approximately 0.72 times the area of the lot along with 1024 surface parking spaces.

The proposed development is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2014) and conforms to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2019) and the Greenbelt Plan (2017). The proposed building would generate between 600 and 1200 jobs, intensifying lands that form part of a Provincially Significant Employment Zone and are designated municipally as suitable for employment growth with non-residential uses.

Development of the subject lands will necessitate the construction of a segment of the Morningside Avenue Extension between Steeles Avenue East and Passmore Avenue. The extension of Morningside Avenue from its existing terminus at McNiccoll Avenue to Steeles Avenue East is a long standing transportation infrastructure project to improve connectivity in northeast Scarborough. The segment under consideration to be advanced at this time would provide necessary access to the subject lands while helping to integrate the site with employment uses emerging to the west.

This report reviews and recommends approval of the application to amend the Zoning By-law and Draft Plan of Subdivision.