Item - 2022.TE34.57

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council direct the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to attend the Ontario Land Tribunal in opposition to the current application regarding the Zoning By-law Amendment appeal for the lands at 15 Charles Street East and 16 Isabella Street and to continue discussions with the Applicant in an attempt to resolve outstanding issues.

2. In the event that the Ontario Land Tribunal allows the appeal in whole or in part, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to request that the issuance of any final Orders be withheld until such time as the City Solicitor advises that:

a.    the final form and content of the draft Zoning By-law are to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning;

b.    the owner has addressed all outstanding issues raised by Parks, Forestry and Recreation as they relate to the required parkland dedication, and setbacks to George Hislop Park, to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation and the City Solicitor;

c.    the owner has addressed all outstanding issues raised by Urban Forestry as they relate to tree planting, soil volume, utility conflicts, tree protection, and Toronto Green Standards, to the satisfaction of the Supervisor, Tree Protection and Plan Review;

d.    the owner has resolved matters related to roadway widenings and conveyances, as well as matters related to functional servicing and stormwater management, to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services; and

e.    where applicable community benefits and other matters in support of the development are to be secured in a Section 37 Agreement executed by the owner and registered on title to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the City Solicitor.

3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and City staff to take any necessary steps to implement the recommendations above.

On December 31, 2021 a Zoning By-law Amendment application was submitted to permit a 54-storey mixed use building including a 6-storey base building. The application proposes 146 square metres of commercial uses on the ground floor and 549 residential units above.

On May 12, 2022, the Applicant appealed the application to the Ontario Land Tribunal ("OLT") due to Council not making a decision within the 90-day time frame prescribed in the Planning Act.

This report recommends that the City Solicitor with the appropriate City staff attend the OLT hearing to oppose the application in its current form and to continue discussions with the Applicant to resolve outstanding issues.