Item - 2020.TE21.35

The Toronto and East York Community Council:  

1.  Authorized the City to enter into an encroachment agreement (the "Agreement") with the owners of 375-381 Queen Street and 134 Peter Street permitting the pedestrian bridge (the "Encroachment") on the terms and conditions set out below, and on any other or amended terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Transportation Services (the "GM"), and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor: 

a. the Owner shall submit a report, stamped and signed by either the architect or professional engineer who designed the Encroachment, addressing how vehicles, pedestrians and City-owned infrastructure will be protected from any snow and/or ice or other materials that may fall from the bridge;

b. the Owner shall design, construct, repair and maintain the Encroachment, at its own expense to the satisfaction of the General Manager and shall not make or permit any additions or modifications to the Encroachment beyond what is permitted under the terms of the Agreement without the City's consent, which may be unduly delayed or arbitrarily withheld;

c. the City shall not be responsible for repairing or replacing the Encroachment damaged as a result of clearing or removing litter, graffiti, posters, snow or ice, or as a result of street repairs;

d. the City shall maintain the right to place pipes, cables, wires, poles and other infrastructure through, over or under the Encroachment;

e. the City shall be released from and against all actions, suits, claims or demands and from all loss, costs, damages and expenses that may result from such permission granted for the Encroachment, save and except for any actions, suits, claims or demands resulting from the wilful misconduct of the City, its employees, agents and contractors;

f. the Owner shall indemnify the City from and against all actions, suits, claims or demands and from all loss, costs, damages and expenses that may result from such permission granted, any matter related to the Encroachment, and any failure of the property owner to comply with the Agreement in a form and content satisfactory to the City Solicitor;

g. the Owner shall provide and maintain public liability and property damage insurance with an insurer satisfactory to the General Manager for the lifetime of the Agreement in a form as approved by the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer, including a cross-liability /severability of interest clause, a provision that the insurance is primary before the insurance of the City, and a 30 day prior notice of cancelation/renewal clause, and in the amount of at least $10 million or such greater amount as the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer may require;

h. the Owner shall provide and maintain an irrevocable letter of credit, in an amount satisfactory to the City to be retained by the City, for the duration of construction of the pedestrian bridge to be located above Jack Cooper Lane within the City right-of-way, to secure against any damage to the City right-of-way and to guarantee that the work within the public right-of-way is completed to the City's satisfaction.  Prior to the release of the letter of credit, the property owner will be required to provide a construction sign-off letter stamped and signed by the structural engineering firm that designed the bridge which states that the bridge is safe and ready to be opened to pedestrian traffic, along with two sets of as-built drawings;

i. the Owner shall pay (i) an annual licence fee in the amount of $21,000.00 plus applicable HST, and (ii) any applicable real property taxes eligible.  The licence fees will be recalculated every ten (10) years, and shall increase annually by an amount equivalent to the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (all items – Toronto); 

j. the design and construction of the Encroachment shall comply with the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CAN/CSA) as amended, superseded or replaced from time to time;

k. the Owner shall obtain all Public Utility Coordinating Committee clearances and/or sign-offs from the public utility companies and satisfy any requirements they may have;

l. the Owner shall obtain approval and all necessary permits for the construction of the Encroachment from the Toronto Building Division, if required;

m. the Owner shall provide as-built drawings within 60 days of completing the construction of the Encroachment to Survey and Mapping, Attention: Utility Mapping Supervisor, Engineering Design, 275 Merton Street, 1st Floor, Toronto, Ontario M4S 1A7, as well as to Transportation Services, Right of Way Management, Construction Activities, 55 John Street, 17th Floor, Metro Hall, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3C6;

n. the life of the Agreement to be limited to the removal of the Encroachment or the date of the demolition of either of the Buildings, whichever is event earlier;

o. the Owner shall, at its own cost, charge and expense and, to the satisfaction of the General Manager, alter or remove the Encroachment if deemed necessary for municipal purposes by the General Manager upon receiving not less than 365 days' notice in writing by the General Manager; 

p. prior to commencement of construction, a street work permit shall be obtained by the Owner in accordance with Article III of Chapter 743, Streets and Sidewalks, City of Toronto Municipal Code;

q. the Agreement shall be registered on title to the Owner's property and other affected properties deemed necessary by the City Solicitor, at the expense of the Owner, with appropriate title opinions provided to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor as may be required by the City Solicitor; 

s. the Owner agrees that the City shall have the right of entry on the Buildings and on the Encroachment, to acquire access to the Encroachment for the purposes of inspection, repair, or removal of the Encroachment or performing any other activity permitted by the City under the Agreement;

t. the Agreement shall include rights and remedies acceptable to the GM including the right, but not the obligation, of the City to remedy any failure of the Owner to comply with the Agreement, and the costs incurred by the City in enforcing the Agreement shall be payable by the Owner;

u. the Owner shall  adhere to applicable federal, provincial or municipal laws, by-laws, policies including the City of Toronto Municipal Code and Transportation Services' standard process for acquisition of

encroachment agreements; 

v. the Owner shall submit a Traffic Management Plan and Construction Schedule letter outlining proposed Bridge Installation and advising on impacts within the public right-of-way in the area of the proposal which content shall be to the satisfaction of the GM prior to the issuance of a Construction Permit; and

w. the Owner will be responsible for restoration to the road pavement, to the satisfaction of the GM, if necessary, upon completion of the installation of the Encroachment;

x. The bridge shall not be used for the purpose of habitation.

2. Directed the General Manager to extend the Agreement to the new owner, in the event of sale or transfer of the properties abutting or encumbered by the encroachments, subject to the prior approval of the General Manager, Transportation Services in respect of the property owner's property, and provided in all cases the transferee or assignee enters into an assumption agreement with the City to assume the obligations under the Agreement, in form satisfactory to the City.

3. Authorized the General Manager to administer and manage the Agreement including the provision of any consents, approvals, notices provided that the General Manager may, at any time, refer consideration of such matters (including their content) to the Toronto and East York Community Council for its determination and direction.

4. Authorized the City Solicitor to prepare and arrange execution of the Agreement as required by this report (October 29, 2020) from the Director, Permits and Enforcement, Transportation Services.

This staff report is about a matter for which Community Council has delegated authority from City Council to make a final decision.

The proposed bridge will link the property at 375-381 Queen Street West to 134 Peter Street and 364 Richmond Street West situated above Jack Cooper Lane.  The owners of the property, 375-381 Queen Street West Inc. submitted an application to Right of Way Management to review for approval to construct the new pedestrian bridge.  The consultants are Sweeny & Co. Architects.

Transportation Services has reviewed the application.  The Applicant and owners are required to satisfy all conditions of approval set out in the recommendations of this report and must comply with Transportation Services procedure for granting approval of bridges.