Item - 2022.PB36.8

The Toronto Preservation Board recommends that,

1. City Council approve the alterations to the heritage property at 1913 Yonge Street in accordance with Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act to allow for alterations substantially in accordance with plans and drawings prepared by Core Architects Inc., submitted with the Heritage Impact Assessment Addendum prepared by GBCA Architects for 1951 Yonge Street (which covers 1913-1951 Yonge Street), dated December 24, 2021, subject to and in accordance with the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 2.a.2., all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning including execution of such agreement to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor.

2. City Council direct that its consent to the application to alter the heritage property at 1913 Yonge Street is also subject to the following conditions:  

a. That prior to any Ontario Land Tribunal Order issued in connection with the Official Plan Amendment and a Zoning By-law Amendment appeal for 1913-1951 Yonge Street, 17-21 Millwood Road and 22 Davisville Avenue, the owner shall complete the following matters, or, in the event that one or more of these matters has not been completed by the owner before August 12, 2022, City Council directs the City Solicitor to request that the Ontario Land Tribunal impose as part of the final Zoning By-law Amendment a Holding ("H") provision until such time as the outstanding matters have been completed, all to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor:

1. Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City for the heritage property at 1913 Yonge Street in accordance with the plans and drawings prepared by Core Architects Inc., and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning; and the Heritage Impact Assessment Addendum for 1951 Yonge Street (which covers 1913-1951 Yonge Street) prepared by GBCA Architects, dated December 24, 2021; and in accordance with the Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 2.a.2, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning including registration of such agreement to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor.

2. Provide a detailed Conservation Plan, prepared by a qualified heritage consultant that is consistent with the conservation strategy set out in the Heritage Impact Assessment Addendum for 1951 Yonge Street (which covers 1913-1951 Yonge Street), prepared by GBCA Architects, dated December 24, 2021, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

3. Recommendation 2.a.1. and 2. above are required to be satisfied prior to the introduction of the bill for any Zoning By-law Amendment related to the property, unless other legal mechanisms are utilized so as to satisfy the City Solicitor that no Building Permit will be issued until such time as the Owner has entered into the Heritage Easement Agreement and registered the agreement on title.  In any case, the Conservation Plan must be accepted and the Heritage Easement Agreement must be entered into and registered no later than December 9, 2022, or such later date as may be agreed by the owner and the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning in writing, failing which this condition will be determined to be unfulfilled.

b. That prior to final Site Plan approval for the proposal, for the properties at 1913-1951 Yonge Street, 17-21 Millwood Road and 22 Davisville Avenue heritage property at 1913 Yonge Street, the owner shall:

1. Provide final Site Plan drawings substantially in accordance with the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 2.a.2 above to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

2. Provide a Heritage Lighting Plan that describes how the exterior of the property at 1913 Yonge Street will be sensitively illuminated to enhance its heritage character to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning and thereafter shall implement such Plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

3. Provide a detailed Landscape Plan for the property at 1913 Yonge Street, satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

4. Submit a Signage Plan for the property at 1913 Yonge Street to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

5. Provide an Interpretation Plan for the property at 1913 Yonge Street, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning thereafter shall implement such Plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

6. Provide a Letter of Credit, including provision for upwards indexing, in a form and amount and from a bank satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning to secure all work included in the approved Conservation Plan.

7. Provide full documentation of the existing property at 1913 Yonge Street, including two (2) printed sets of archival quality 8” x 10” colour photographs with borders in a glossy or semi-gloss finish and one (1) digital set on a flash drive in tiff format and 600 dpi resolution keyed to a location map, elevations and measured drawings, and copies of all existing interior floor plans and original drawings as may be available, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

c. That prior to the release of the Letter of Credit, as required in recommendation 2.b.6, the owner shall:

1. Provide a letter of substantial completion prepared and signed by a qualified heritage consultant confirming that the required conservation work has been completed in accordance with the Conservation Plan standard of conservation has been maintained, all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning; and

2. Provide replacement Heritage Easement Agreement photographs to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

3. City Council authorize the entering into of a Heritage Easement Agreement under Section 37 of the Ontario Heritage Act with the owner of 1913 Yonge Street in a form and content satisfactory to the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

4. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary Bill in Council authorizing the entering into of a heritage easement agreement for the property at 1913 Yonge Street.

Dan DiBartolo, Planner, Heritage Preservation, Urban Design, City Planning gave a presentation on Alterations to a Designated Heritage Property at 1913 Yonge Street and Authority to Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement.

This report recommends that City Council approve the proposed alterations for the designated heritage property at 1913 Yonge Street and grant authority to enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement for this property. This is in connection with an Official Plan Amendment and a Zoning By-law Amendment application for properties at 1913-1951 Yonge Street, 17-21 Millwood Road and 22 Davisville Avenue that was appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal ("OLT"). A settlement offer for this application was accepted by City Council in February 2022. One of the conditions of this approval was that, prior to the OLT order being issued, the applicant submit and receive approval from City Council under Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act for the proposed alterations to the heritage building at 1913 Yonge Street and the applicant enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City for this heritage property.

Dating to circa 1927, the property at 1913 Yonge Street is a representative example of a main street commercial row building from the interwar period. It retains its original scale, form, and massing as a two-storey brick building with a flat roof, along with original architectural details above its storefront. It is part of a row of main street buildings at the intersection of Yonge Street and Davisville Avenue that was once the heart of the historic village of Davisville.

This report recommends that City Council approve the proposed alterations for the heritage property at 1913 Yonge Street, in connection with the settlement proposal for 1913-1951 Yonge Street, 17-21 Millwood Road and 22 Davisville Avenue to allow the construction of two residential towers with an 8 storey base building.