Item - 2023.NY8.9

North York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council refuse the application for the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment at 155 St. Dennis Drive.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor, together with appropriate staff, to appear before the Ontario Land Tribunal in support of City Council’s decision to refuse the application, in the event that the application is appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

On March 6, 2023, an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application was submitted to the City that proposes to partially redevelop the lands at 155 St. Dennis Drive with four (4) residential towers ranging in height between 42 to 56 storeys linked by a 2-storey base building. The development proposes 2,170 residential units, 135,413 square metres of residential gross floor area, and approximately 348 square metres of non-residential gross floor area. The application proposes that 5 percent of the residential gross floor area (approximately 6,771 square metres) would be allocated to affordable housing. The site has an overall area of 169,361 square metres, of which, the applicant proposes to develop 7,643 square metres of the site with residential towers, and the remainder of the lands, approximately 16 hectares, would  be conveyed to a public agency as open space. A total of 405 vehicle parking spaces are proposed in 4 levels of underground parking. The application was deemed complete as of August 1, 2023.

The Official Plan Amendment seeks to redesignate 7,643 square metres of the site to Apartment Neighbourhoods to facilitate the residential development, with the remaining 16 hectares of the site redesignated to Natural Areas.

The proposed development is not consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2020) and does not conform with A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020). Further, the proposal is not in keeping with the intent of the Official Plan, and does not represent good planning.

This report reviews and recommends refusal of the application to amend the

Official Plan and Zoning By-law based on primarily the following:

- The application is proposing residential development in an area that is not envisioned for growth in accordance with the urban structure, land use designations (parks and open space designation), servicing, natural heritage and hazard land policies of the Provincial Policy Statement, Growth Plan and Official Plan.