Item - 2023.TE6.17

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council amend the Official Plan, for the lands at 775-783 Vaughan Road and 680-690 Northcliffe Boulevard substantially in accordance with the draft Official Plan Amendment included as Attachment 8 to the revised report (June 12, 2023) from the Acting Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

2.City Council amend City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013 for the lands at 775-783 Vaughan Road and 680-690 Northcliffe Boulevard substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment included as Attachment 9 to the revised report (June 12, 2023) from the Acting Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments as may be required.

4. City Council approve the Rental Housing Demolition Application (File 22 186339 STE 12 RH) under Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code pursuant to Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, to permit the demolition of 14 existing rental dwelling units at 775-783 Vaughan Road and 680-690 Northcliffe Boulevard, subject to the following conditions:

a. the owner shall provide and maintain 16 replacement rental dwelling units on the subject site for a period of at least 20 years beginning from the date that each replacement rental unit is first occupied; during this period, no application may be submitted to the City for condominium registration, conversion to a non-residential rental purpose, or demolition without replacement of the existing rental dwelling units; and the 16 replacement rental dwelling units shall collectively contain a total gross floor area of at least 1,197 square metres and be comprised of 2 studio units, 4 one-bedroom units, 7 two-bedroom units, two three bedroom units and 1 four-bedroom unit, as generally illustrated in the plans prepared by Studio JCI and dated May 12, 2023, with any revision to these plans being to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning;

b. as part of the 16 replacement rental dwelling units required in Recommendation 4.a. above, the owner shall provide and maintain at least 2 studio units, 2 one-bedroom units, 2 two-bedroom units and 1 four-bedroom unit at affordable rents, as currently defined in the Official Plan, and 2 one-bedroom units, 5 two-bedroom units, and 1 three-bedroom unit at mid-range (moderate) rents, as currently defined in the Official Plan, for a period of at least 10 years beginning from the date of first occupancy of each unit; the rent of the 1 remaining three-bedroom replacement rental unit shall be unrestricted;

c. the owner shall provide an acceptable Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan to all Eligible Tenants of the 14 existing rental dwelling units proposed to be demolished, addressing the right to return to occupy one of the replacement rental dwelling units at similar rents, the provision of alternative accommodation at similar rents in the form of rent gap payments, and other assistance to mitigate hardship; the Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan shall be developed in consultation with, and to the satisfaction of, the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning;

d. the owner shall provide tenants of all 16 replacement rental dwelling units with access to, and use of, all indoor and outdoor amenities in the proposed development, at no extra charge, and on the same terms and conditions as any other resident of the development, without separate entrances or the need to pre-book or pay a fee unless specifically required as a customary practice for private bookings;

e. the owner shall provide ensuite laundry in each replacement rental dwelling unit or shared laundry facilities within the proposed development at no additional cost to tenants;

f. the owner shall provide central air conditioning in each replacement rental dwelling unit within the proposed development at no additional cost to tenants;

g. the owner shall provide one (1) storage locker per replacement rental unit, for a total of 16 storage lockers for all replacement rental units, at no additional cost to tenants;

h. the owner shall provide and make available two (2) vehicular parking spaces at no charge to returning tenants of the replacement rental units whose lease agreements for their existing rental units included access to vehicular parking until the termination of their tenancies in the replacement rental units; the owner is not required to make vehicular parking available to new tenants of the replacement rental units or returning tenants whose lease agreements for their existing rental units excluded vehicular parking;

i. the owner shall provide tenants of the replacement rental dwelling units with access to all bicycle and visitor vehicular parking at no charge and on the same terms and conditions as any other resident of the development;

j. the 16 replacement rental units required in Recommendation 4.a. above shall be made ready and available for occupancy no later than the date by which 70 percent of the new dwelling units in the proposed development, exclusive of the replacement rental units, are made available and ready for occupancy, subject to any revisions to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning; and

k. the owner shall enter into, and register on title to the lands, one or more agreement(s) to secure the conditions outlined in Recommendations 4.a. through 4.k., including an agreement pursuant to Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, all to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

5. City Council authorize the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to issue Preliminary Approval of the Rental Housing Demolition Permit under Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code pursuant to Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, for the demolition of 14 rental dwelling units at 775-783 Vaughan Road and 680-690 Northcliffe Boulevard after all the following has occurred:

a. all conditions in Recommendation 4 above have been fully satisfied and secured;

b. the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment have come into full force and effect;

c. the issuance of the Notice of Approval Conditions for site plan approval by the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning or their designate pursuant to Section 114 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006; 

d. the issuance of excavation and shoring permits (conditional or full permits) for the approved development on the site; and

e. the owner has confirmed, in writing, that all existing rental dwelling units proposed to be demolished are vacant.

6. City Council authorize the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building to issue a Rental Housing Demolition Permit under Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code after the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning has given the Preliminary Approval referred to in Recommendation 5 above.

7. City Council authorize the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building to issue a Residential Demolition Permit under Section 33 of the Planning Act and Chapter 363 of the Toronto Municipal Code for 775-783 Vaughan Road and 680-690 Northcliffe Boulevard after the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning has given the Preliminary Approval referred to in Recommendation 6 above, which may be included in the Rental Housing Demolition Permit under Chapter 667 pursuant to section 6.2 of Chapter 363, on condition that:

a. the owner removes all debris and rubble from the site immediately after demolition;

b. the owner erects solid construction hoarding to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building;

c. the owner erects the proposed building no later than three (3) years from the date on which the demolition of the existing rental dwelling units commences, subject to the timeframe being extended at the discretion of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning; and

d. should the owner fail to complete the proposed development containing the 16 replacement rental dwelling units within the time specified in Recommendation 7.c. above, the City Clerk shall be entitled to enter on the collector’s roll, as with municipal property taxes, an amount equal to the sum of $20,000.00 per dwelling unit for which a demolition permit is issued, and that such amount shall, until payment, be a lien or charge upon the land for which the Residential Demolition Permit is issued.

8. City Council authorize the appropriate City officials to take such actions as are necessary to implement City Council's decision, including execution of the Section 111 Agreement and other related agreements.

9. City Council request that the owner make reasonable commercial efforts to convey off-site parkland to the City equal to the value of the on-site parkland dedication, in fulfilment of the parkland dedication requirements pursuant to Section 42 of the Planning Act, with the off-site parkland dedication to be acceptable to the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation and free and clear of any above or below grade encumbrances, with the exception of any encumbrances as may be otherwise approved by the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, to be conveyed prior to the issuance of the first above grade building permit; and

a. in the event that the off-site parkland dedication is less than the value of the on-site parkland dedication, then the owner will pay cash-in-lieu of parkland to make up for the shortfall in parkland dedication, prior to the issuance of the first above grade building permit;

b. in the event that the owner is unable to provide an acceptable off-site parkland dedication to the City, the owner will be required to satisfy the parkland dedication requirement through the payment of cash-in-lieu; and

c. the value of the cash-in-lieu of parkland dedication will be appraised through the Corporate Real Estate Management Division and payment will be required prior to the issuance of the first above grade building permit.

10.  City Council direct the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, in consultation with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to engage with Core Development Group and Shannondale Developments and community partners including but not limited to Oakwood Vaughan Community Organisation, the Toronto Community Benefits Network, Black Urbanism Toronto and CP Planning to support the development of a plan to benefit the community that incorporates best practices such as community engagement, measurable targets for local workforce development and local procurement, and a governance structure that includes community roles in monitoring and oversight, as well as public reporting.

The Toronto and East York Community Council held a statutory public meeting on June 22, 2023 and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This report reviews and recommends approval of the application to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law permit a 132.8-metre (38-storeys, including the mechanical penthouse) mixed-use building at the northwest corner of Vaughan Road and Northcliffe Boulevard. The proposed building would have a total gross floor area of 30,250 square metres and contain 519 dwelling units (including 16 replacement rental units), and approximately 500 square metres of non-residential space.

This report also reviews and recommends approval of the Rental Housing Demolition application to demolish 14 rental dwelling units (12 of which are currently occupied) and to provide a Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan that will ensure Eligible Tenants are provided with the right to return to replacement rental units at similar rents and financial assistance to help mitigate hardship.