Item - 2014.PG32.4

City Council on May 6, 7 and 8, 2014, adopted the following:

1.         City Council approve the 21 Study Recommendations of the Eglinton Connects Plan, listed in Attachment 3 of the report (March 19, 2014) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, as follows:

"Travelling Eglinton

Study Recommendation 1 – Create a Complete Street:  Eglinton Avenue should provide a safe, convenient and active mix of transportation options for all users. Though implementation may take place over time, Eglinton Avenue should ultimately become increasingly multimodal, balancing space for pedestrians, cyclists, transit and vehicles.

Study Recommendation 2 – Provide Wide Sidewalks:  Wide sidewalks (minimum 4.8 m or 6.0 m, depending on right-of-way width) provide generous and safe space for pedestrians, big trees, snow/garbage storage, street furniture and patios, and retail zones.  This should be achieved through consolidation of travel lanes and reallocation of space on the street to ensure that Eglinton Avenue has a vibrant and active pedestrian environment.

Study Recommendation 3 – Build Protected Cycling Lanes:  Protected cycling lanes across the full length of Eglinton Avenue should be constructed to create a safe, comfortable and direct route for cyclists of all ages and abilities. Bike lanes should be protected from traffic through such measures as raised lanes, barrier curbs and/or buffer strips. Connections to transit stations, trails and convenient bike parking facilities should be part of the comprehensive cycling network.

Study Recommendation 4 – Reallocate Road Space to Meet Projected Needs and Mobility Mix: The design of the Eglinton Avenue right-of-way should reflect the objectives of a complete street by allocating adequate space to a mix of mobility options.  Re-allocation of space from vehicular travel lanes responds to projected levels of vehicle movement, as well as an expected increase in pedestrian and cyclist movement. This approach maintains a functional level of service for moving vehicles, access for emergency services and goods movement. 

Study Recommendation 5 – Maintain Parking Supply:  Eglinton Avenue should be designed to maintain existing on-street parking supply, in order to serve retail and local businesses. Additional public parking should be integrated into new buildings and provided in rear lanes.

Study Recommendation 6 – Extend Network of Rear Lanes:  Laneways should be provided at the rear of all new buildings, if appropriate, to access below grade parking, servicing and loading in order to avoid conflicts on Eglinton Avenue, and for additional public parking to serve local retail.

Study Recommendation 7 – Implement Streetscape Typologies:  Seven distinct streetscape typologies have been identified and should be implemented to respond to local character, create a distinct sense of place through the public realm and support adjacent uses.

The seven distinct streetscape typologies are as follows:

1.         Jane Street to Black Creek Drive – four-lane cross-section plus two-way cycle track and multi-purpose path on the north side, bus and passenger pick up and drop off facilities in lay-bys.

2.         Black Creek Drive to Avenue Road, and Mount Pleasant Road to Bayview Avenue –four-lane cross-section with sidewalk level bike lanes, on-street, off-peak parking.

3.         Avenue Road to Mount Pleasant Road – three-lane cross-section including centre turn lane, lay-by parking, sidewalk level bike lanes, wider sidewalks.

4.          Bayview Avenue to Laird Drive – four-lane cross-section for residential area with sidewalk-level bike lanes, on-street, off-peak parking and narrower sidewalks than in mixed use areas, due to lower expected pedestrian traffic.

5.         Laird Drive to Brentcliffe Road – five-lane cross-section including centre turn lane, lay-by parking, bike lanes, wider sidewalks.

6.          Brentcliffe Road to Victoria Park Avenue (45m ROW) - four-lane cross-section with median-running surface LRT, on-street bike lanes, no parking, narrower sidewalks due to lower expected lower pedestrian volumes.

7.         Victoria Park Avenue to Kennedy Road (36m ROW) - four-lane cross-section with median-running surface LRT, on-street bike lanes, no parking, wider sidewalks.

Greening Eglinton

 Study Recommendation 8 – Implement Three Primary Greening Typologies:  As the character of the urban landscape changes significantly across Eglinton Avenue, the streetscape design should be organized around three greening typologies – main street, boulevard and valley landscapes – each with its own unique greening strategy.

Main Street Landscape – includes large trees planted in trenches under the sidewalk and is located where the LRT runs underground, roughly between Black Creek Drive and Brentcliffe Road; mainly a 27 metre ROW.

Boulevard Landscape – includes a formal treed boulevard to define the street edge, shade trees within open planters and a planted LRT trackway – located between Victoria Park Avenue and Kennedy Road, with a particular emphasis on the ‘Golden Mile’ (Victoria Park Avenue to Birchmount Road) with its 36 metre ROW.

Valley Landscape – includes informal tree massing, native species and a planted LRT trackway – located around the Humber and Don Valleys.

Study Recommendation 9 – Create a Network of Green and Open Spaces:  Eglinton Avenue should connect a range of green and open spaces, from building setbacks, urban plazas, civic spaces and squares, to parks and valleys. The elements of this network should serve local, city and even regional needs for open space and natural areas.

Study Recommendation 10 – Grow Great Trees:  There should be large trees growing along Eglinton Avenue to establish a new identity for this corridor as a green and beautiful street with a full tree canopy. Mature tree growth requires additional soil volume and/or open planters, as well as the burying of overhead wiring to eliminate conflicts.

Study Recommendation 11 – Relocate Hydro Below-Grade:  Overhead hydro lines should be buried to provide adequate and unobstructed space for mature tree growth, and contribute to uncluttered sidewalks and boulevards.

Study Recommendation 12 – Connect Eglinton Avenue to the Trails and Ravine System:  Eglinton Avenue provides a direct visual and physical connection to the iconic valleys of the Humber and Don Rivers, and their tributaries, including Black Creek.  The Eglinton LRT will provide an enhanced linkage between these natural systems. New connections and an enhanced street presence should be created along Eglinton Avenue to the major valleys, multi-use trails and the ravine system.

Study Recommendation 13 – Green Transit Infrastructure/Green Trackway:  The at-grade segment of the Eglinton LRT, between Brentcliffe Road and Kennedy Station, should be designed with grass or sedum on the trackway and landscaping, planters and trees at LRT platforms. Each of the LRT portals should also contribute to creating a green corridor.

Study Recommendation 14 – Plan a Public Art Program:  Public art along Eglinton Avenue should be coordinated through a Public Art Program that is developed through a Public Art Master Plan process specific to the Eglinton Avenue corridor.  This will ensure that priorities for public art opportunities are guided through a well-defined process.

Building Eglinton

Study Recommendation 15 – Encourage Mid-Rise Buildings on Eglinton Avenue through As-of-Right Zoning Permissions:  New buildings should be predominantly mid-rise in scale for the portions of Eglinton Avenue that are identified as an Avenue in the Official Plan. As-of-right zoning permissions should be adopted to encourage mid-rise development for these locations.

Study Recommendation 16 – Maximize Opportunities for Mid-Rise Development on Shallow Lots: Opportunities on shallow lots should be maximized to allow development to achieve all of the Performance Standards for Mid-Rise Buildings, including a maximum height equivalent to the planned width of the right-of-way, transition to lower scale neighbourhoods and laneways.

Study Recommendation 17 – Integrate LRT Station Sites with New Development:  From a city-building perspective, LRT station sites are ideal locations for new mixed use development, combining retail, residential and employment uses. The siting and design of the stations should set a precedent and establish a new context for connecting development to transit.

Study Recommendation 18 – Plan For Intensification In Focus Areas and Mobility Hubs:  The six Focus Areas and two Mobility Hubs include large sites where mixed use intensification should occur over time, including some sites that should be integrated with Eglinton LRT stations. These areas provide opportunities for incorporating a mix of residential and employment uses in a range of building heights and sizes, combined with new public streets, community services and facilities, and high quality green and open spaces.

Study Recommendation 19 – Expand Community Services and Facilities, Including Green and Open Spaces, in Tandem with Development:  The role of Eglinton Avenue will change in the coming years, along with the intensity of activity and land uses. As more people and jobs move to the corridor, new community services and facilities, including green and open spaces, such as parks, should be planned in conjunction with new development and the LRT.

Study Recommendation 20 – Encourage Street-Related Retail:  In segments of Eglinton Avenue where retail is required or encouraged, the ground floor of new buildings should provide space for street-related retail uses.

Study Recommendation 21 – Implement Additional Performance Standards to Support Local Character Areas and Heritage:  Performance Standards for new buildings in Character Areas and adjacent to heritage resources should guide a complementary built form that reflects the diversity found along Eglinton Avenue."

2.         City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to prepare the necessary Official Plan Amendments, Zoning By-law Amendments and other planning instruments and measures listed in Attachment 4 of the report (March 19, 2014) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning that are recommended for implementation at this time (Phase 1).

3.         City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to consult with the public, stakeholders and interested parties on the Official Plan Amendments, Zoning By-law Amendments and other planning instruments and measures listed in Attachment 4 (Phases 1 and 2) of the report (March 19, 2014) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

4.         City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to report to the June 19, 2014 meeting of the Planning and Growth Management Committee on:

a.             the results of the consultation;

b.          recommended amendments, if any, to the Study Recommendations listed in Attachment 3 of the report (March 19, 2014) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning;

c.         recommended amendments, if any, to the Official Plan Amendments, Zoning By-law Amendments and other planning instruments and measures listed in Attachment 4 (Phases 1 and 2) of the report (March 19, 2014) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning;

d.          the planning instruments listed in Recommendation 2 above, in a form suitable for adoption by City Council (Attachment 4 - Phase 1); and

e.          next steps for the further study and implementation of the elements of the Study Recommendations that are not recommended for implementation at this time (Attachment 4 – Phase 2 of the report (March 19, 2014) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning) .

5.         City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with appropriate staff, to work with Metrolinx to find suitable replacement space for the Hollis Child Care Centre within close proximity to 1 Hollis Street as part of Phase 2 implementation of the Eglinton Connects Planning Study.

6.         City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to identify any recommendations, in Attachment 3 of the report (March 19, 2014) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, which could serve as a precedent to destabilize development boundaries in other areas of the city and ensure that consultation on such recommendations simultaneously include residents in all such affected areas.