Item - 2019.TE6.12

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council refuse the application for the Zoning By-law Amendment at 210 Bloor Street West for the reasons set out in the report (May 3, 2019) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor, together with appropriate staff, to appear before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (the "LPAT") in support of City Council's decision to refuse the application, in the event the application is appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.  

3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and other appropriate staff to take any necessary steps to implement City Council's decision.

4. City Council request the City Solicitor to request the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal to withhold its order in the event that the project is approved in some form, until the following have been secured:

a. the final form of the Zoning By-law Amendments are to the satisfaction of the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District and the City Solicitor;

b. the owner has revised the Site Servicing and Stage 2 Stormwater Management Report to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services; and

c. community benefits and other matters in support of the development are secured in a Section 37 Agreement executed by the owner and registered on title to the satisfaction of the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District and the City Solicitor.

At its meeting on May 22, 2019, the Toronto and East York Community Council also considered the report (May 16, 2019) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, which confirms the proposal does not conform with the "A Place to Grow" Plan, 2019.

This application proposes to amend the Zoning By-law for the property at 210 Bloor Street West to permit a 29-storey mixed use building (115 metres including the mechanical penthouse) containing 42 dwelling units and 116 square metres of commercial space. A total of 80 parking spaces are proposed within a three-level underground garage accessed by two car lifts.

This report reviews and recommends refusal of the application to amend the Zoning By-law as it is overdevelopment of the small narrow property and it results in a significant density of 20.25 times the area of lot. Given the small site size, the proposed building cannot provide appropriate stepbacks above the Canyon Form Base building height of 20-storeys (62 metres) as required in the Downtown Tall Buildings - Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelines.  

The proposed development is not consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2014), as it sets out inappropriate development standards including inadequate setbacks and tower stepbacks.  As a result, the proposed development negatively impacts the access to sunlight for existing residents by locating the proposed building too close to existing and planned buildings on neighbouring properties.

The proposal fails to conform with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2017). It does not provide the appropriate scale of development and transition of built form to adjacent areas.

The proposal does not adequately address policies contained in the City's Official Plan, including Official Plan Amendment 352 and Official Plan Amendment 406 which provide direction on tall building setbacks and separation distances, as well as the appropriate transition in scale of buildings within the Downtown.

On May 2, 2019, the Province of Ontario released A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2019 ("A Place to Grow") which amends the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2017).

The "A Place to Grow" Plan has come into effect on May 16, 2019 and all planning decisions are required to conform with it, on or after May 16, 2019.  Planning staff have reviewed the proposed development with respect to the "A Place to Grow" Plan 2019 and can advise that for this proposal, the relevant policies of the "A Place to Grow" Plan carry on the direction of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2017).

Staff confirm that this proposal does not conform with the "A Place to Growth" Plan.