Item - 2021.TE23.16

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

 1. City Council amend Zoning By-law 569-2013 for the lands at 968 O'Connor Drive, substantially in accordance with the draft zoning by-law amendment attached as Attachment 2 to the supplementary report (February 5, 2021) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

2. City Council authorizes the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft zoning by-law amendments as may be required.

3. Before introducing the necessary bills to City Council for enactment, City Council require the owner to address all matters set out in Section A (Zoning By-law Amendment Application) of the memorandum to Community Planning, prepared by Engineering and Construction Services and dated January 8, 2021, to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer and Executive Director of Engineering and Construction Services.

4. City Council classify the lands at 968 O'Connor Drive as a Class 4 Noise Area pursuant the Ministry of Environment (now Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change) Environmental Noise Guideline - Stationary and Transportation Sources - Approval and Planning Publication NPC-300, August 2013.

5. Prior to issuance of any below-grade permit, City Council require the owner to submit a construction management plan to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Transportation Services and the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, in consultation with the Ward Councillor, and thereafter shall implement the plan during the course of construction.  The construction management plan will include, without limitation, the size and location of construction staging areas, location and function of gates, information on concrete pouring, lighting details to ensure that safety lighting does not negatively impact adjacent residences, construction vehicle parking and queuing locations, refuse storage, site security, site supervisor contact information, a communication strategy with the surrounding community, and any other matters requested by the General Manager, Transportation Services and the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, in consultation with the Ward Councillor.

The Toronto and East York Community Council held a statutory public meeting on February 24, 2021 and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This application proposes to amend Zoning By-law 6752 of the former Borough of East York and City-Wide Zoning By-law 569-2013 to permit a 10-storey mixed-use building at 968 O'Connor Drive. The subject property is located at the north-west corner of O'Connor Drive and Curity Avenue, and is currently a vacant lot.

The proposed development would have 126 residential units (including four two-storey townhouses integrated into the ground and mezzanine levels of the building along Curity Avenue), 383 square metres of at-grade retail fronting onto O'Connor Drive, 131 bicycle parking spaces, and indoor and outdoor residential amenity space. 103 below-grade vehicular parking spaces would be provided in a three-level underground parking garage.  The residential component is proposed to have condominium tenure.

The proposal is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2020) and conforms with A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020). It is consistent with the Mixed Use Areas and Avenues policies of the City of Toronto Official Plan, generally complies with the City's Avenues and Midrise Building Guidelines, and appropriately accounts for its proximity to nearby industrial uses. A site-specific Class 4 designation is recommended at this property pursuant to applicable MOECC Guideline NPC-300, as described later in the report.

The proposal is also consistent with Site and Area Specific Policy 400, which provides an area-specific development framework for the O'Connor Drive Avenue Study Area, where the subject property forms part of a "Main Streets Area". It represents an appropriate and desirable redevelopment of a vacant lot that is compatible with its surrounding context, meets the intent of the Official Plan, and will contribute to the vision of O'Connor Drive becoming a vibrant urban corridor that provides opportunities for people to live, work and shop.

This report reviews and recommends approval of the application to amend the applicable zoning by-laws, subject to conditions that should be satisfied prior to introducing the necessary bills to City Council for enactment.

At its meeting on October 15, 2020, Toronto and East York Community Council deferred consideration of 968 O'Connor Drive - Zoning Amendment Application - Final Report (the "Final Report") (Item TE.19.6) at the recommendation of City Planning. The purpose of the deferral was to allow for staff review of revisions to the proposed 10-storey mixed-use building at 968 O'Connor Drive that had been requested by the applicant after the writing of the Final Report.

The purpose of the revisions was to accommodate an acoustical ceiling beneath the mechanical penthouse, an improved structural grid, and mechanical and structural transfers in the upper storeys of the building, as well as other minor realignments and adjustments within the interior of the building. The revisions resulted in slightly increased floor to ceiling heights at the upper storeys, a larger mechanical penthouse, a slight reduction to the number of proposed residential parking spaces, revised residential and non-residential gross floor area breakdowns, and an updated unit mix, as described in the "Comments" section of this report.

This supplementary report summarizes the revisions made to the application since the Final Report, and recommends approval of the revised application to amend the applicable zoning by-laws, subject to conditions that should be satisfied prior to introducing the necessary bills to City Council for enactment. City Planning staff are satisfied that the changes to the proposal are minor, meet the original intent of the Final Report, and do not require an additional statutory public meeting.