Item - 2021.TE24.16

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council direct the City Solicitor, together with City Planning staff and other appropriate staff, to attend the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal hearing to oppose the Zoning By-law Amendment Application for 1375 Queen Street West (20 124823 STE 04 OZ) in its current form and to continue discussions with the applicant in an attempt to resolve the issues set out in the report (March 29, 2021) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

2. In the event the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal allows the appeal, in whole or in part, City Council direct the City Solicitor to request the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal to withhold its final Order on the Zoning By-law Amendments until:

a. Draft Zoning By-law Amendments are provided in a form and with content satisfactory to the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the City Solicitor;

b. The owner has submitted a revised Transportation Impact Study and Parking Study acceptable to, and to the satisfaction of, the General Manager, Transportation Services;

3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to take such necessary steps, as required, to implement the recommendations above.

On March 11, 2020, a Zoning By-law Amendment application was submitted for the property at 1375 Queen Street West (the "Site"), proposing to amend Zoning By-laws 569-2013 and 438-86 to permit the construction of a new eight-storey mixed-use building with an overall height of 31.65 metres, including the mechanical penthouse (the "Zoning By-law Amendment Application"). The Zoning By-law Amendment Application proposes 46 new residential units and approximately 448 square metres of retail space on the ground floor. The total gross floor area of the proposed building is approximately 3,546 square metres representing a FSI of 5.97 times the area of the lot.

With the exception of one car-share space, no vehicle parking is proposed. A total of 56 bicycle parking spaces are proposed. A loading area is also proposed at the rear of the Site that includes a Type "C" loading space and a staging area.

The Zoning By-law Amendment Application was deemed complete on July 8, 2020. The application was appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (the "LPAT") on November 19, 2020 due to the City's failure to make a decision within the prescribed time period set out in the Planning Act.

This report recommends that the City Solicitor, together with City Planning staff, and other appropriate City staff, attend the LPAT in opposition to the proposed development. As proposed, the Zoning By-law Amendment Application is not consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2020), does not conform to A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020), and does not conform to the City’s Official Plan.