Item - 2016.TE16.38

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1.  Staff be directed to schedule a community consultation meeting for the lands at 245-285 Queen Street East, 8-12 Brigden Place, 78-106 Ontario Street, and 348-412 Richmond Street East together with the Ward Councillor.

2. Notice for the community consultation meeting be given to landowners and residents within 120 metres of the site, and to additional residents, institutions and owners to be determined in consultation with the Ward Councillor, with any additional mailing costs to be borne by the applicant.

3.  Notice for the public meeting under the Planning Act be given according to the regulations of the Planning Act.

This application proposes three towers of 39, 45 and 39 storeys, on top of two base buildings ranging in height between 3 to 11 storeys within the site bordered by Queen Street East, Ontario Street, Richmond Street East and McFarrens Lane.  The proposal consists of 1,654 residential units within the three towers and portions of the base buildings; 31,578 square metres of retail gross floor area within the first 3 storeys of the base buildings; 1,082 parking spaces within a 4-level underground garage; and 2,010 bicycle parking spaces within the base buildings and the first underground level.  The proposal seeks to close two City-owned laneways on site, Brigden Lane and an unnamed right-of-way in order to facilitate the proposed development.

The Official Plan amendment is required to permit a proposal that is not mutually compatible and complementary to the existing built form character and scale of the King-Parliament Secondary Plan area.  The Zoning By-law amendment is required for relief from various standards including overall height, base building height, angular plane along Queen Street East, building stepbacks, maximum gross floor area for a single retail use, and number of parking spaces.

City Planning staff is not in support of the proposal in its current form, as the proposal not only represent overdevelopment, but also fails to recognize the existing built-form character and scale of the King-Parliament Secondary Plan Area by departing from the existing warehouse and main street typology where the site is located.  The proposal also does not achieve in providing a broad mix of compatible land uses for the two distinct policy areas in the King-Parliament Secondary Plan the site is within.  City Planning staff will continue to work with the applicant to address conformity issues to the King-Parliament Secondary Plan, including but not limited to achieving a massing that is more appropriate for the site and its surrounding area.

This report provides preliminary information on the above-noted application and seeks Community Council's directions on further processing of the application and on the community consultation process.  This will help to inform any redesign by the applicant.  A Final Report and public meeting under the Planning Act to consider the application is targeted for the second quarter of 2017, provided the issues raised in this report and through the review process are resolved, and that any requested information is submitted by the applicant in a timely manner.