Item - 2014.EY35.11

Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:

1.         City Council authorize the City Solicitor, City Planning staff and other appropriate City staff to attend the Ontario Municipal Board to oppose the appeal of the Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment applications for 2265-2279 Bloor Street West and 116 and 240 Durie Street in their current form.

2.         City Council authorize City staff to continue discussions with the applicant to negotiate an appropriate development proposal for the subject lands.

3.         City Council direct staff to advise the Ontario Municipal Board of City Council's position that any redevelopment of the lands must also include the full replacement of the existing 19 rental dwelling units and a Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan, including the right of tenants to return to the new rental units in accordance with the Official Plan be secured, to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

4.         In the event the Ontario Municipal Board allows the appeals in whole or in part, City Council direct staff to request that the Board withhold its order on the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application appeals for the subject lands until such time as the City and the owner have presented a draft Zoning By-law Amendment to the Board that provides for the provision and securing of the rental housing matters as outlined in Recommendation 3 of the report (August 1, 2014) from the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York District, and a Section 37 Agreement incorporating these matters has been executed.

5.         City Council further direct the City Solicitor to request an adjournment of any Ontario Municipal Board hearing in respect of this development until an appropriate planning study can be undertaken by the City in respect of Bloor Street West that will set out detailed guidelines for future development, and until that study and its conclusions are subject to public review and comment, and until that study is adopted by City Council.

6.         City Council request the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York District, to include SARA/SARG, and the Resident's Associations involved in the Save Our Village campaign (Bloor West Village Residents Association, High Park Residents Association, Old Mill Community Association) as representatives of the community in any future working group(s) pertaining to the proposed development at 2265-2279 Bloor Street West.  City staff shall receive and consider input from these residents associations on the future site plan control application for this development.

The Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications propose to redevelop the lands at 2265-2279 Bloor Street West and 116 and 240 Durie Street with a 9-storey mixed use building, comprised of 83 residential dwelling units, 19 of which would be replacement residential rental units, as well as 1,200 m2 of office and retail floor area.

To accommodate this, the applicant proposes the demolition of two multi-unit rental buildings containing 17 units, and a single detached house that contains 2 rental units. The applicant has therefore submitted a Rental Housing Demolition and Conversion application under Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, as the proposal involves a related group of buildings with 6 or more residential rental units.

On May 25, 2014, the Zoning By-law Amendment application was appealed by the applicant to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), citing City Council’s failure to render a decision within the time period prescribed by the Planning Act.  Similarly, on July 14, 2014, the applicant appealed the Official Plan Amendment application to the OMB, citing lack of decision by City Council within the time period prescribed by the Planning Act.  A hearing date for these appeals has yet to be scheduled.

The purpose of this report is to outline issues with the proposed development from an Official Plan policy and built form perspective and seek City Council's direction for attendance at the Ontario Municipal Board hearing to oppose the appeals of the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications.