Item - 2018.TE34.27

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council direct City Planning staff to continue to review the application and resolve any outstanding issues detailed in the report (June 15, 2018) from the Acting Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District. 
 

2. City Council direct the City Solicitor and appropriate City Staff to attend and oppose the application in its current form, should the application be appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (the "LPAT") on the basis of Council's failure to make a decision on the application within the statutory timeframe of the Planning Act.

The Toronto and East York Community Council directed:

1. Staff to schedule a community consultation meeting for the lands at 950 King Street West together with the Ward Councillor.

 
2. Notice for the community consultation meeting be given to landowners and residents within 120 metres of the site.

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

This application proposes to amend the Zoning By-law to permit a 16-storey, 59 metre, mixed-use building containing 217 residential units, 595 square metres of non-residential uses, and three levels of underground parking at 938-950 King Street West and 97-99 Strachan Avenue. The site is located at the northeast corner of King Street West and Strachan Avenue, and known locally as the ‘Palace Arms’. The proposal incorporates a portion of the existing building on the west and south frontages of the site.  This proposal would require the demolition of the existing rooming house which contains approximately 90 dwelling rooms.

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.

Staff do not support the proposal in its current form, particularly in regard to the built form, compliance with heritage policies, and concerns over the loss of affordable housing in the form of dwelling rooms.

This report responds to an application where staff are currently not in a position to provide a Final Report to Council, but which could be appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal due to a lack of decision during the break in Council's meeting schedule (July to December 2018).

City Planning staff will schedule a community consultation meeting and will continue to work with the applicant, tenants, area stakeholders and the Ward Councillor on resolving the matters raised in this report and comments arising through community engagement and the City’s application review process. 

A final report is targeted for the second quarter of 2019, if all required materials are submitted in a timely manner and when all outstanding issues have been addressed.