Item - 2019.SC7.2

Scarborough Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council amend the Official Plan, for the lands at 3850 and 3900 Sheppard Avenue East and 2350-2362 Kennedy Road substantially in accordance with the draft Official Plan Amendment attached as Attachment 1 to the report (June 7, 2019) from the Director, Community Planning, Scarborough District.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Official Plan Amendment as may be required.

Scarborough Community Council held a statutory public meeting on June 25, 2019 and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This application proposes to amend the Official Plan to provide for the comprehensive redevelopment of the Agincourt Mall lands located at the northwest intersection of Sheppard Avenue East and Kennedy Road.  The proposal would replace the existing mall with a new mixed-use community consisting of residential, commercial and office uses developed in a variety of mid- and high-rise buildings supported by a new public street network alongside new parks and open spaces.

To properly consider this major application, the City undertook a review of the broader context surrounding the Agincourt Mall lands.  The Agincourt Mall Planning Framework Review (AMPFR) was conducted over four phases with the objective of recommending a comprehensive planning and design framework to guide redevelopment of the subject lands through a Site and Area Specific Policy (SASP). 

The recommended SASP is the outcome of nearly 2 years of review, analysis and consultation with divisional experts, external agencies, stakeholders and the community.  It will allow for the transformation of the current suburban model of Agincourt Mall to a more compact form with a variety of uses, building types, parks and open spaces that will integrate with the existing and planned context of the surrounding area.  With a maximum gross density of 3.5 and a range of building heights of up to 40 storeys or 137 metres, the SASP is consistent with approved planning frameworks in the Sheppard Avenue East corridor and ensures that adjacent existing and future higher order transit are supported.  The proposed SASP addresses the connectivity challenges in the current environment by providing for a new public street network on the subject lands.  This network will help ensure a full range of mobility options are available and easily accessible by new and existing members of the community, with an emphasis on transit and enhancement of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.

This report recommends the approval of the Official Plan Amendment for the Agincourt Mall lands found as Attachment 1 to this report.  The recommended SASP is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2014) and conforms with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2019).  It advances a number of Official Plan policy objectives for the subject lands and secures an appropriate level of intensification supported by the necessary physical and community infrastructure that will allow a complete community to emerge.