Item - 2019.TE4.11

The Toronto and East York Community Council adjourned the public meeting for 871-899 College Street Zoning Amendment Application and Rental Housing Demolition Applications - Final Report, until April 24, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.

The Toronto and East York Community Council commenced a statutory public meeting on March 19, 2019 and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This zoning amendment application proposes an eight-storey building with 1,658 square metres of retail/commercial space at-grade and 112 residential units above at 871-899 College Street. A total of 61 parking spaces and 146 bicycle parking spaces are proposed within a one-level underground garage accessed from the rear lane. The proposed building would have a density of 4.34 times the area of the lot.

The Rental Housing Demolition application under Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code (Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act) proposes to demolish two existing residential rental apartment buildings containing a total of 13 rental dwelling units and provide replacement of all 13 rental dwelling units within the proposed building.

The proposed development is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2014) and conforms with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2017).

The proposal represents an appropriate redevelopment of the site and presents a built form and public realm that is compatible with the surrounding context. The massing of the building has been revised to provide a better transition to its neighbours, and the landscaping has been revised for consistency with the local BIA streetscape plan.

This report reviews and recommends approval of the Zoning By-law Amendment and Rental Housing Demolition Applications.

This Supplementary Report provides a revision to the recommendations in the Final Report from the Director of Community Planning dated February 28, 2019. Staff recommend approval of the Zoning Amendment and the Rental Housing Demolition applications.

This report recommends deleting recommendation 3(d):

d. The owner shall provide and maintain an additional seventy-five (75) market rental dwelling units on the subject site for a period of at least ten (10) years beginning from the date that each such dwelling unit is first occupied, as generally shown on the plans submitted to the City Planning Division dated January 16, 2019 for the second floor plan, and November 1, 2018 for the rest of the building; any revision to these plans must be to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Division;

The recommendation was included in the Final Report as a means of maintaining a grouping of at least six (6) rental replacement units. One of the thirteen (13) rental replacement units would be separated from the other twelve (12) rental replacement units. Maintaining groupings of at least six (6) rental replacement units is needed to ensure protection under the Rental Housing Demolition By-law. However, this matter is also achieved by recommendation 3(c) of the Final Report:

c. The owner shall provide and maintain one (1) market rental dwelling unit, numbered as Unit 210, on the subject site for a period of at least twenty (20) years beginning from the date that each such dwelling unit is first occupied, and as generally shown on the plans submitted to the City Planning Division dated January 16, 2019; any revision to these plans must be to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Division;

Recommendation 3(c) above would be retained, therefore ensuring all thirteen (13) rental replacement would be kept in one grouping of fourteen (14) rental dwelling units, secured for a period of at least 20 years.   

The revision continues to align with the draft Zoning By-laws attached in the Final Report from the Director of Community Planning dated February 28, 2019.  Staff recommend approval of the Zoning Amendment application and the corresponding Rental Housing Demolition application, as revised in the following recommendations listed below.