Item - 2022.TE31.18

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council refuse the alterations to the heritage property at 294-298 Sherbourne Street, in accordance with Section 42 (1) 2. of the Ontario Heritage Act, as contained in  plans and drawings prepared by Superkul dated May 3, 2021, and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning, and the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated September 13, 2021, and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

2. Should the owner appeal City Council’s decision to refuse the application for alterations to the heritage property at 294-298 Sherbourne Street under Section 42 of the Ontario Heritage Act, City Council authorize the City Solicitor and the necessary City staff to attend the Ontario Land Tribunal hearing in opposition to the appeal.

This report recommends that City Council refuse the application to construct a new structure at 294-298 Sherbourne Street (designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act as part of the Garden District Heritage Conservation District) in connection with the development of the subject properties.

The development application would introduce a 10-storey building on the properties at 294-298 Sherbourne Street, featuring a 7-storey tower element atop a 3-storey podium base. The applicant has applied for permission under Section 42 (1) 2. of the Ontario Heritage Act to permit the proposal, in addition to applying for Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments and Site Plan Approval. A Refusal report in response to the associated Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application has been prepared by Community Planning, to be heard by City Council concurrently with this report.

In its current form, the proposed development conflicts with the policies and objectives of the Garden District Heritage Conservation District, the City's Official Plan Heritage Policies and the existing Provincial land-use planning policy framework as it pertains to the conservation of cultural heritage resources. Staff are of the opinion that it has not been demonstrated that the cultural heritage values and heritage attributes of the District and the adjacent protected heritage properties will be conserved through the proposed development.

At its meeting on January 24, 2022, the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB30.7 and made recommendations to City Council. 

Summary from the report (January 4, 2022) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

This report recommends that City Council refuse the application to construct a new structure at 294-298 Sherbourne Street (designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act as part of the Garden District Heritage Conservation District) in connection with the development of the subject properties.

The development application would introduce a 10-storey building on the properties at 294-298 Sherbourne Street, featuring a 7-storey tower element atop a 3-storey podium base. The applicant has applied for permission under Section 42 (1) 2. of the Ontario Heritage Act to permit the proposal, in addition to applying for Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments and Site Plan Approval. A Refusal report in response to the associated Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application has been prepared by Community Planning, to be heard by City Council concurrently with this report.

In its current form, the proposed development conflicts with the policies and objectives of the Garden District Heritage Conservation District, the City's Official Plan Heritage Policies and the existing Provincial land-use planning policy framework as it pertains to the conservation of cultural heritage resources. Staff are of the opinion that it has not been demonstrated that the cultural heritage values and heritage attributes of the District and the adjacent protected heritage properties will be conserved through the proposed development.