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PLANNING & URBAN DESIGN RATIONALE

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<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong><br />

<strong>RATIONALE</strong><br />

79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East<br />

Streetcar Developments Inc.<br />

May 2014<br />

bousfields inc.


TABLE OF CONTENTS<br />

Job No. 1410<br />

1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................ 5<br />

1.1 INTRODUCTION 5<br />

2 SITE AND SURROUNDINGS..................................................................... 7<br />

2.1 Site 7<br />

2.2 Surroundings 8<br />

2.3 Transportation Network 13<br />

3 PROPOSAL.............................................................................................. 17<br />

3.1 Description of Proposed Development 17<br />

3.2 Required Approvals 30<br />

4 POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK........................................... 31<br />

4.1 Provincial Policy Statement 31<br />

4.2 Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe 33<br />

4.3 City of Toronto Official Plan 34<br />

4.5 Zoning 43<br />

4.6 City of Toronto Urban Design Guidelines 45<br />

4.7 Mid-Rise Building Guidelines 45<br />

4.8 Tall Building Design Guidelines 47<br />

5 <strong>PLANNING</strong> AND <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> ANALYSIS......................................... 49<br />

5.1 Intensification 49<br />

5.2 Land Use 50<br />

5.3 Avenue Segment Study 51<br />

5.4 Height, Massing and Density 52<br />

5.5 Built Form Impacts 54<br />

5.6 Urban Design 57<br />

5.7 Transportation and Servicing 61<br />

5.8 Community Services and Facilities 62<br />

6 CONCLUSIONS....................................................................................... 65<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 3


LIST OF FIGURES<br />

Figure 1 - Location Map 5<br />

Figure 2 - Aerial Map 8<br />

Figure 3 - TTC Map 14<br />

Figure 4 - Official Plan Map 2 - Urban Structure 35<br />

Figure 5 - Official Plan Map 5 - Surface Transit Priority Network 37<br />

Figure 6 - Official Plan Map 18 - Land Use Plan 38<br />

Figure 7 - Toronto Part I Official Plan Appendix B - Map B.6 42<br />

Figure 8 - By-law 438-86 Zoning 43<br />

Figure 9 - By-law 438-86 Heights 43<br />

Figure 10 - By-law 569-2013 Zoning 45<br />

Figure 11 - By-law 569-2013 Heights 45


1 INTRODUCTION<br />

1.1 INTRODUCTION<br />

This Planning and Urban Design Rationale report has been prepared in support of<br />

two companion rezoning applications by Streetcar Developments Inc. to permit a<br />

phased mixed-use development on a 1.74 hectare site located on the south side<br />

of Queen Street East, east of East Don Roadway, municipally known as 77-79<br />

East Don Roadway and 677 Queen Street East (see Figure 1 - Location Map).<br />

Figure 1 - Location Map<br />

The proposal will result in the redevelopment of an underutilized site, currently<br />

being used for storage warehousing/offices, a single-storey automobile sales<br />

dealership and surface parking, with three mixed-use buildings in the first phase (a<br />

7-storey building along Queen Street East, with 12-storey and 24-storey buildings<br />

located within the interior of the site) as well as a mixed-use building in the second<br />

phase (with a 7-storey element along Queen Street and a stepped 8- to 13-storey<br />

element to the south). The first phase will have a total gross floor area of 60,693<br />

square metres and 555 residential units, with the second phase containing a total<br />

gross floor area of 30,184 square metres and 339 units. The proposed range of<br />

non-residential uses will include a grocery store, a multi-storey autoplex, offices,<br />

retail stores, restaurants and cafes, and a daycare facility.<br />

This report concludes that the proposed redevelopment is supportive of the policy<br />

framework expressed in the Provincial Policy Statement, the Growth Plan for the<br />

Greater Golden Horseshoe and the Toronto Official Plan, all of which promote<br />

intensification and a mix of uses within built-up urban areas, particularly in locations<br />

well served by municipal infrastructure, particularly public transit.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 5


From a land use perspective, the elimination of surface parking and storage<br />

warehousing and their replacement with a mix of residential, retail, automotive<br />

and service commercial uses will be compatible with the surrounding land use<br />

context, and will create appropriate relationships with surrounding residential and<br />

commercial land uses. The proposed mixed-use development will contribute to<br />

continued revitalization along Queen Street East and will create jobs and housing<br />

within an area which already has a mixed-use character. The relocation of the<br />

auto dealership use from Queen Street to the southwesterly portion of the site will<br />

free up the Queen Street frontage for mixed-use residential/retail development,<br />

while concentrating the automotive sales and service uses adjacent to the Don<br />

Valley corridor, in proximity to other automotive uses located along the corridor.<br />

From a built form and urban design perspective, the proposal will contribute to<br />

urban design and streetscape improvements on the site and will contribute to<br />

the ongoing rejuvenation of the area. It will replace the existing built form, which<br />

is dominated by surface parking along Queen Street and buildings that have<br />

blank walls facing the Don Valley Parkway and the Eastern Avenue Diversion,<br />

with an urban development form featuring grade-related retail uses along Queen<br />

Street as well as active uses overlooking the Don Valley Parkway and the Eastern<br />

Avenue Diversion. In this regard, the proposed autoplex component represents<br />

an innovative approach that incorporates shared facilities for five auto dealerships<br />

in a multi-storey, urban built form. The proposed landscape design will provide for<br />

an enhanced streetscape along Queen Street, the development of new publicly<br />

accessible open spaces within the interior of the site and along the Eastern<br />

Avenue Diversion, and the creation of pedestrian linkages connecting the site to<br />

other large-scale open space in the Don Valley corridor.<br />

In our opinion, the proposal will fit harmoniously with the existing and emerging<br />

built form context. The proposed heights, massing and design will fit into the<br />

character of the area by providing an appropriate scale along Queen Street that<br />

complements the historic character of the street and by locating taller buildings<br />

within the interior of the site, well separated from the low-rise Neighbourhoods<br />

areas to the north and east. The proposal conforms with the built form policies<br />

of the Official Plan and is in keeping with the applicable urban design guidelines.<br />

6<br />

bousfields inc.


2 SITE AND SURROUNDINGS<br />

2.1 Site<br />

The subject site is approximately 1.74 hectares (4.30 acres) in size and is<br />

comprised of two assembled properties, resulting in an irregular L-shaped<br />

development site having frontage on both Queen Street East (approximately 97.9<br />

metres) and East Don Roadway (approximately 80.8 metres). In the southwest<br />

corner of the site, the southerly site limit coincides with the right-of-way for the<br />

Eastern Avenue Diversion; however, the site does not have vehicular access to the<br />

Eastern Avenue Diversion, which is elevated on a bridge structure over the Don<br />

River and the Don Valley Parkway. The traveled portion of East Don Roadway and<br />

the associated public sidewalk currently dead-ends near the south limit of the site,<br />

which is fenced adjacent to the Eastern Avenue Diversion. The site slopes down<br />

slightly from north to south and from east to west to a low point in the southwest<br />

corner of the site.<br />

The subject site consists of two properties, as described below:<br />

• The 77 and 79 East Don Roadway property constitutes the western<br />

portion of the site (Phase 1) and is currently developed with a 3-storey<br />

storage warehouse building at 77 East Don Roadway, located along<br />

the south edge of the property, and a 3-storey converted industrial<br />

building at 79 East Don Roadway located along the north edge. Both<br />

buildings are occupied by Tippet-Richardson Limited, a moving and<br />

storage company, while 79 East Don Roadway also includes storage<br />

and office uses for other area businesses. To the north of the buildings,<br />

the property also includes a surface parking area fronting on Queen<br />

Street that is enclosed by chain link security fencing.<br />

Subject Site - 77 East Don Roadway<br />

• The southerly warehouse building is a newer concrete building with<br />

no windows or other openings, while the northerly building is an older<br />

structure with a brick front facing East Don Roadway and stucco<br />

side walls. Vehicular access to the buildings is provided by a private<br />

driveway from East Don Roadway between the two buildings, as well<br />

as by a private driveway serving the Queen Street parking area. The<br />

north side of the 79 East Don Roadway building is also served by an<br />

L-shaped private lane on adjacent lands that runs east from East Don<br />

Roadway and north to Queen Street.<br />

Subject Site - 79 East Don Roadway<br />

• The 677 Queen Street East property constitutes the eastern portion<br />

of the site (Phase 2) and is currently developed with a single-storey<br />

car dealership (Downtown Toyota), including a showroom located<br />

along the Queen Street frontage and a service shop located to the<br />

east and south, wrapping around the showroom. The car dealership<br />

building is located on the northeastern portion of the property, with a<br />

large surface parking area occupying the balance of the property. The<br />

property is also served by a private lane that runs north-south along the<br />

east property limit and provides access via a public lane to and from<br />

Broadview Avenue.<br />

Subject Site - 77 & 79 East Don Roadway -<br />

Queen Street Frontage<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 7


• The southerly portion of the site was formerly part of Sunlight Park,<br />

which was Toronto’s first baseball stadium between 1886-1897 (initially<br />

known as the Toronto Baseball Grounds). The stadium was reached<br />

from Queen Street by Baseball Place, an avenue of workers’ cottages,<br />

located just east of the existing building at 655 Queen Street East. ew<br />

Subject Site - 677 Queen Street East<br />

2.2 Surroundings<br />

The subject site is located along Queen Street East in the Riverside neighbourhood,<br />

at the southwest edge of the South Riverdale area. The site is located adjacent<br />

to the Don Valley open space/transportation corridor and just north of the South<br />

of Eastern employment area.<br />

As shown on Figure 2 – Aerial Photo, the area contains a broad mix of land uses,<br />

including residential, commercial and industrial uses. Historically, Riverside was<br />

a working class neighbourhood, with industrial uses intermingled with workers’<br />

housing. Residential uses predominate east of Broadview Avenue and industrial<br />

and automotive uses predominate south of Eastern Avenue, while Queen Street is<br />

comprised of a mix of residential and commercial uses.<br />

QUEEN STREET EAST<br />

DON VALLEY PARKWAY<br />

BROADVIEW AVENUE<br />

EASTERN<br />

AVENUE<br />

Figure 2 - Aerial Map<br />

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bousfields inc.


The area has evolved considerably over the past two decades. While parts of the<br />

area still have a somewhat “gritty” character, the South Riverdale residential area is<br />

undergoing significant gentrification. The area is experiencing mid-rise apartment<br />

development along Queen Street East and Broadview Avenue, as well as infill<br />

townhouse development. Queen Street East has also seen considerable new<br />

commercial development including restaurants, galleries and retail stores.<br />

Riverside consists of 10 blocks located along Queen Street East from the Don<br />

Valley bridge to just east of Degrassi Street, and forms part of the Riverside<br />

Business Improvement Area (BIA). Riverside is home to historic sites, over 1.6<br />

hectares of parkland, two community centres, public art installations, festivals,<br />

schools and The Opera House, plus over 120 boutiques and services including<br />

original fashion creations, eclectic home design and décor, and a number of<br />

trendy restaurants.<br />

To the immediate north of the site is the Queen Street East “mainstreet”, comprising<br />

a mix of commercial and residential uses in low- and mid-rise buildings on both<br />

sides of the street.<br />

625 Queen Street East<br />

The properties at 625-655 Queen Street East are separated from the subject site<br />

by an L-shaped private lane that consists of an east-west section approximately<br />

3.6 metres in width and a north-south section approximately 4.9 metres in width.<br />

The properties are developed with the following:<br />

• A 6-storey, 66-unit condominium building with ground floor retail<br />

uses at 625 Queen Street East (Edge Lofts), developed by Streetcar<br />

Developments and completed in 2009.<br />

635 Queen Street East<br />

• A 3-storey commercial building at 635 Queen Street East, occupied by<br />

Extreme Reach Mijo, a media company.<br />

• An older 3-storey commercial-residential block at 639-643 Queen<br />

Street East, with surface parking at the rear accessed via the private<br />

lane from East Don Roadway.<br />

• An older 3-storey commercial-residential block at 651-655 Queen<br />

Street East, which includes a surface parking area fronting on Queen<br />

Street to the west of the block, used by S&S Motors (651 Queen Street<br />

East). Upper floor residential units are located in the 3-storey portion of<br />

the block closest to Queen Street, while the rear single-storey portions<br />

appear to be used entirely for non-residential purposes. Vehicles are<br />

stored in the private lane, which currently makes it impassable.<br />

639-643 Queen Street East<br />

651-655 Queen Street East<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 9


The north side of Queen Street East, between Davies Avenue (the northerly<br />

extension of East Don Roadway) and Broadview Avenue, is generally comprised<br />

of 2- and 3-storey commercial-residential buildings. From west to east, the<br />

properties include:<br />

• A one-storey building at 1 Davies Avenue (Burry Signs) and a 2-storey<br />

building at 600 Queen Street East (Motorcade Industries Ltd.),<br />

connected to a 4-½ storey office building at 9 Davies Avenue located<br />

on the rear portion of the property.<br />

• A recently completed 8-storey, 98-unit condominium building with<br />

ground floor retail at the northwest corner of Queen Street and Carroll<br />

Street (Sync Lofts, 630 Queen Street East), developed by Streetcar<br />

Developments.<br />

• A 3-storey building at 650 Queen Street East (The Edwin), which is<br />

operated by WoodGreen Community Services as a transitional home<br />

for homeless seniors men. The building is comprised of the former<br />

3-storey Edwin Hotel (1905) and a 3-storey addition.<br />

1 Davies Avenue (600 Queen Street East<br />

to the right and 9 Davies Avenue in the<br />

background)<br />

630 Queen Street East 650 Queen Street East<br />

• Properties at 660 to 700 Queen Street East, which are comprised<br />

of a mix of older and newer 2- and 3-storey commercial-residential<br />

buildings.<br />

10<br />

bousfields inc.


• The New Broadview House Hotel, a 4-storey building built in 1891,<br />

which anchors the northwest corner of Queen Street and Broadview<br />

Avenue (704 Queen Street East). It was originally the A.W. Dingam<br />

Shops and was listed on the City’s inventory of heritage properties by<br />

Council on December 10, 1975. It was recently purchased by Streetcar<br />

Developments.<br />

Further north, the area is predominantly comprised of low-rise residential uses<br />

including detached, semi-detached and rowhouse dwellings, as well as officeindustrial<br />

buildings along the Don Valley Parkway. The area also includes a recently<br />

constructed residential development by Toronto Community Housing Corporation<br />

(Don Mount Court/Rivertowne), which consists of 232 social housing replacement<br />

units, including a 4-storey, 56-unit apartment building and 176 stacked townhouse<br />

and back-to-back stacked townhouse units, 187 market units in low-rise stacked<br />

townhouses and a new park (Joel Weeks Park). The Don Mount Court/Rivertowne<br />

development is generally bounded by Dundas Street, Carroll Street, Thompson<br />

Street and Hamilton Street.<br />

704 Queen Street East<br />

To the immediate east of the site, fronting on Queen Street, is a 3-storey converted<br />

dwelling at 685 Queen Street East used for multi-residential purposes. A 2-storey<br />

commercial-residential block is located at 687 to 703 Queen Street East. At the<br />

southwest corner of Queen Street and Broadview Avenue is a one-storey retail<br />

building at 705 Queen Street East (Starbank Convenience), with limited surface<br />

parking at the rear. These buildings can also be accessed from the public lane<br />

located to the immediate south.<br />

685 Queen Street East<br />

705 Queen Street East<br />

687-703 Queen Street East<br />

On the south side of the public lane, and east of an approximate 6.0 metre<br />

wide private lane along the east site limit, is a recently constructed mixed-use<br />

development at 90-100 Broadview Avenue. The development consists of a<br />

7-storey building on the north portion of the site, which incorporates a retained<br />

3½-storey converted warehouse/office building (100 Broadview Avenue), and a<br />

new 10-storey residential building at 90 Broadview Avenue (The Ninety). Together,<br />

the 90-100 Broadview Avenue development includes a total of 222 residential<br />

units.<br />

90 Broadview Avenue<br />

South of the 90-100 Broadview Avenue development is a residential development<br />

at 60-68 Broadview Avenue known as Broadview Lofts, which was completed<br />

in 2004-2005. The development consists of a 7-storey, 154-unit converted<br />

100 Broadview Avenue<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 11


warehouse building along Broadview Avenue (the former Rexall Pharmacy<br />

warehouse) and 24 three-storey townhouse units.<br />

60-68 Broadview Avenue<br />

60-68 Broadview Avenue<br />

To the immediate south of the subject site are the aforementioned 3-storey<br />

townhouse units associated with the Broadview Lofts development. The units<br />

are oriented toward the Eastern Avenue frontage, with parking and access to<br />

the rear. The parking spaces adjacent to the south limit of the subject site are<br />

covered, with a landscaped area above i.e. approximately one storey above the<br />

Toyota parking lot.<br />

Within the South of Eastern employment area, large industrial uses such as Canada<br />

Metal Company, Toronto Iron Works, A.R. Clarke Tannery, Consumers Gas, Lever<br />

Brothers and Grafton Fraser have closed over the past three decades. These<br />

industrial uses have been replaced by a mix of automobile sales uses (e.g. BMW,<br />

Downtown Mini and Downtown Subaru), institutional uses (e.g. City of Toronto<br />

Works & Emergency Services and Parks & Recreation Departments, Toronto<br />

District School Board warehouse), film studio uses (e.g. Showline, Cinespace,<br />

Revival 629) and retail commercial uses (e.g. Loblaws, Freshco).<br />

Opposite the subject site, to the South of the Eastern Avenue overpass, is the<br />

northbound on-ramp onto the Don Valley Parkway from Eastern Avenue and<br />

Adelaide Street. To the east of the on-ramp are a 2-storey auto dealership and<br />

auto service shop at 20 Sunlight Park Road (Downtown Mini) and a one-storey<br />

auto dealership at 21 Broadview Avenue (Downtown Hyundai). On the south side<br />

of Sunlight Park Road is a 6-storey automobile sales and service building at 11<br />

Sunlight Park Road (BMW Toronto). The BMW building is an adaptive reuse of the<br />

former Grafton Fraser clothing factory and offices, which was completed in 2003.<br />

20 Sunlight Park Road<br />

Further south is a large former industrial property at 21 Don Roadway, approximately<br />

11.5 hectares (28.5 acres) in size. The 21 Don Roadway property was a factory<br />

for years, the Toronto home of Britain’s Lever Brothers where Sunlight soap and<br />

other products were produced, most recently under the Unilever brand name. The<br />

property includes a large 7-storey industrial building adjacent to the Don Valley as<br />

well as Cinespace Studios at 30 Booth Avenue. The property was purchased by<br />

First Gulf in January 2012.<br />

21 Broadview Avenue<br />

First Gulf has announced plans to redevelop the 21 Don Roadway site as a mixeduse<br />

employment zone similar to London’s “Canary Wharf”. While details of the<br />

redevelopment are in the initial stages, preliminary concepts indicate that up to<br />

approximately 1.4 million square metres (15 million square feet) of gross floor area<br />

will be proposed for the site, which include the retention and expansion of the<br />

existing buildings on the site, as well as a number of new buildings. As well, the<br />

proposal would see the creation of smaller development blocks through a series<br />

of new public roads.<br />

11 Sunlight Park Road<br />

Through Official Plan Amendment No. 231, adopted by Council on December<br />

18, 2013, the City has put in place Site and Area Specific Policy 426 applying<br />

to the property at 21 Don Roadway and 30 Booth Avenue, which provides that<br />

“a comprehensively planned employment precinct that is fully integrated and<br />

connected to the surrounding area and that encompasses a broad variety of non-<br />

12<br />

bousfields inc.


esidential land uses should be created on the subject lands”. A mixture of nonresidential<br />

uses are permitted, with a majority of the development consisting of<br />

offices, post-secondary colleges/universities/trade schools, hotels, studios, and<br />

research facilities. Uses which will support the viability of the precinct’s employment<br />

uses, such as recreation, entertainment, retail, and service commercial are also<br />

permitted. These uses are intended to provide amenities for the precinct’s current<br />

and future employees, and to create a vibrant and animated urban district.<br />

To the west of the site is the Don Valley Parkway. West of the Don Valley Parkway<br />

and the Don River is a recently opened 7.2-hectare park called Corktown Common,<br />

which is part of the extensive redevelopment of the West Don Lands. West of<br />

Corktown Common is one of the first privately-developed properties within the<br />

West Don Lands, known as River City. The first phase of River City is complete<br />

and includes a 16-storey mixed-use building (51 Trolley Crescent), connected<br />

to a 7-storey residential building (47 Lower River Street). The second phase of<br />

the development is currently under construction and will consist of a 12-storey<br />

residential building (32 Trolley Crescent). The third phase is approved for a height<br />

of 25 storeys, but is the subject of a pending minor variance application to the<br />

Committee of Adjustment to permit a 29-storey building. Other developments<br />

within the West Don Lands include a 7-storey apartment building and 4-storey<br />

townhouse units built and operated by Toronto Community Housing Corporation<br />

(589 King Street East), as well as the Pan Am Athletes Village and Canary District<br />

Condos.<br />

Don Valley Parkway in foreground, River<br />

City project in background<br />

2.3 Transportation Network<br />

The subject site is well served by the existing road and transit network. In<br />

addition, as set out below, a number of potential improvements are currently in<br />

the preliminary planning stages.<br />

Queen Street is classified as a Major Arterial street across the frontage of the<br />

subject site. Queen Street is a two-way, four-lane street, with on-street parking<br />

during non-peak hours and sidewalks on either side of the street. An on-ramp<br />

onto the Don Valley Parkway northbound is provided off Queen Street.<br />

East Don Roadway is classified as a local street with two lanes, on-street parking<br />

on the west side and one sidewalk along the east side of the street. East Don<br />

Roadway currently dead-ends at the Eastern Avenue Diversion and recommences<br />

south of the rail corridor (referred to as Don Roadway, which serves as on- and<br />

off-ramps from the Don Valley Parkway).<br />

Eastern Avenue and the Eastern Avenue Diversion, leading to the Richmond<br />

Street/Adelaide Street pairing, are also classified as Major Arterials. Broadview<br />

Avenue is classified as a Minor Arterial street. As part of the 21 Don Roadway<br />

proposal, First Gulf is proposing to extend Broadview Avenue southerly through<br />

the 21 Don Roadway site down to the Port Lands.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 13


Transit service in the vicinity of the site is summarized in the table below and<br />

illustrated on Figure 3 - TTC Map. Currently, the closest stops are on Queen<br />

Street with a westbound stop located immediately north of the site on the north<br />

side of Queen Street and an eastbound stop located approximately 50 metres<br />

east of the site on the south side of Queen Street.<br />

Figure 3 - TTC Map<br />

Route<br />

501 Queen streetcar/301 Queen<br />

Blue Night Route (24 hours)<br />

502 Downtowner streetcar<br />

(peak hour and midday service<br />

weekdays)<br />

503 Kingston Road streetcar (peak<br />

hour service weekdays)<br />

Corridor<br />

Long Branch Loop to Neville Park Loop via Queen<br />

Street and Queensway/Lake Shore Boulevard (west of<br />

Roncesvalles Avenue)<br />

McCaul Loop/Osgoode Subway Station to Bingham Loop<br />

via Queen Street and Kingston Road<br />

St. Andrew Subway Station to Bingham Loop via King<br />

Street, Queen Street (east of Parliament Street) and<br />

Kingston Road<br />

504 King streetcar (24 hours) Dundas West Subway Station to Broadview Subway Station<br />

via Roncesvalles Avenue King Street, Queen Street and<br />

Broadview Avenue<br />

303 Don Mills Blue Night Route<br />

(bus service)<br />

Queen Street/River Street to Don Mills/Steeles via Queen<br />

Street, Broadview Avenue, Danforth Avenue, Pape Avenue<br />

and Don Mills Road<br />

14<br />

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As part of the 21 Don Roadway proposal, First Gulf is proposing to bring an LRT<br />

south from the Broadview subway station through the site and then over to Union<br />

Station, and also to connect to the GO rail service across the Don River, and<br />

create an eastern downtown GO station which will serve the First Gulf site, the<br />

West Don Lands and the Port Lands.<br />

The proposed Downtown Relief Line could also enhance the site’s transit<br />

accessibility. In this respect, the City is currently undertaking the Relief Line Project<br />

Assessment, in conjunction with Metrolinx and TTC, including public consultation<br />

to develop the proposed Terms of Reference and Public Consultation framework<br />

for the study.<br />

Bay way of background, in January 2009, City Council requested Metrolinx to<br />

advance the timing of the relief line, ahead of the proposed northerly extension<br />

of the Yonge subway line. As a result, TTC initiated the Downtown Rapid Transit<br />

Expansion Study (DRTES) Phase 1 Strategic Plan. The results, summarized in an<br />

October 24, 2012 TTC report, recommended the construction of an initial phase<br />

of a “Downtown Relief Line” on the east side of the downtown, with an illustrative<br />

alignment along King/Queen Street and a station at Bayview-River Street providing<br />

a GO Rail connection. The report specifically noted that “the specific alignment<br />

and station locations will be assessed and determined during future phases of the<br />

project”.<br />

In November 2012, Metrolinx announced its “Next Wave” of major transit projects<br />

which included the Relief Line proposal and advanced its timing to implementation<br />

in the next 15 years, versus the 15-25 year time frame originally envisaged in “The<br />

Big Move”.<br />

Similarly, the City’s ongoing “Feeling Congested” study, which is part of the<br />

City’s ongoing review of the Official Plan, identifies the Relief Line (subway) as<br />

an unfunded future rapid transit project (one of the Top 5 Performing Rapid<br />

Transit Projects), with its alignment to be determined within a conceptual corridor<br />

extending south from the Pape subway station to Queen Street and west along<br />

Queen Street, before swinging northwesterly to the Dundas West subway station.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 15


ousfields inc.


3 PROPOSAL<br />

3.1 Description of Proposed Development<br />

The redevelopment of the subject site will be phased. The 77-79 East Don<br />

Roadway property will be redeveloped as the first phase, while the redevelopment<br />

of the 677 Queen Street East property will be the second phase. It is noted<br />

that the phasing line will be located approximately 20 metres east of the current<br />

property line between 77-79 East Don Roadway and 677 Queen Street East in<br />

order to accommodate the proposed private street access (as described below).<br />

The phasing approach will accommodate the relocation of the existing Toyota<br />

dealership from its current location to a new location within the Phase 1 mixeduse<br />

buildings. Upon relocation, the easterly portion of the site will be freed up to<br />

permit the Phase 2 redevelopment.<br />

The full build-out will result in a total gross floor area of approximately 90,877<br />

square metres (978,192 square feet), of which 68,670 square metres will be<br />

residential gross floor area and 22,207 square metres will be non-residential gross<br />

floor area. The proposal will result in a total of 894 units.<br />

Site Access, Parking and Loading<br />

A two-way “woonerf-style” private street/lane system accessing Queen Street<br />

and East Don Roadway will bisect the subject site and will provide vehicular<br />

and pedestrian access to the proposed buildings. The system will consist of an<br />

18.0-metre wide private street extending south from Queen Street, connecting<br />

to a 14.0-metre wide private laneway running east-west to East Don Roadway.<br />

Pick-up/drop-off areas and residential lobbies for each building and entrances<br />

to the grade-related retail/commercial space as well as ramps to the parking<br />

garages will all be accessed via the private street/lane. In addition, a 3.0-3.2<br />

metre widening of the existing shared private lane will be provided along the north<br />

property line, creating a minimum 6.6-metre wide lane abutting the north side of<br />

the Phase 1 North Building, which will provide additional access to underground<br />

parking and loading.<br />

Parking and loading operations will be consolidated and will be located<br />

predominantly underground, with the exception of additional commercial parking<br />

spaces provided at and above grade in the North Building of Phase 1, which will<br />

be located in a covered facility and screened from view. Separate parking areas<br />

will be provided for residents, commercial/residential visitors and car storage. Car<br />

parking and access for the autoplex use is designed to be completely separate<br />

and self-sufficient from the remainder of the proposed development.<br />

A total of 501 parking spaces are allocated for residents, located on the P2 and<br />

P3 parking levels (178 spaces in Phase 1 and 323 spaces for Phase 2), which will<br />

be accessed from a ramp located at the south end of the Queen Street Building in<br />

Phase 1. For commercial and residential visitors, a total of 256 parking spaces will<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 17


e provided, 61 of which will be located at grade and in a mezzanine level within<br />

the Phase 1 North Building. The remaining 195 spaces will consist of 35 visitor<br />

parking spaces on the P2 level in Phase 1 and 160 shared commercial/visitor<br />

spaces on the P1 parking level; the shared commercial/visitor spaces will be<br />

provided in a commercial garage on a non-exclusive basis and will be accessed<br />

from a ramp located beneath the 13-storey building in Phase 2.<br />

Parking spaces for the purpose of storing cars for the proposed auto dealership<br />

uses (approximately 387 spaces) will be located on the below grade mezzanine<br />

level beneath the Phase 1 South Building and on the P2 and P3 parking levels<br />

beneath the Phase 1 North Building, which will be accessed from an internalized<br />

service driveway located within the Phase 1 South Building. The service driveway<br />

will also provide access to the shared service area for the various auto dealerships<br />

located on the P1 parking level.<br />

The proposed development will include a centralized loading area located on the<br />

P1 garage level, which will incorporate all of the residential garbage and moving<br />

areas and the various loading areas for the retail and commercial uses. Access<br />

to the underground loading area will be provided by a ramp within the P1 North<br />

Building, accessed from the shared private lane to the north.<br />

The proposed development will provide a total of 851 bicycle parking spaces (453<br />

spaces in Phase 1 and 398 spaces in Phase 2).<br />

Phase 1 (77-79 East Don Roadway)<br />

The first phase, designed by RAW, proposes 3 buildings on the westerly portion of<br />

the subject site, including a 7-storey mixed-use building fronting on Queen Street<br />

(the “Queen Street Building”), a 12-storey mixed-use building located south of<br />

the Queen Street Building (the “North Building”) and a 24-storey building with an<br />

8-storey mixed-use podium located along the south limit of the parcel (the “South<br />

Building”). Phase 1 will have a total gross floor area of 60,693 square metres<br />

(653,294 square feet), of which 44,174 square metres will be residential gross<br />

floor area and 16,519 square metres will be non-residential gross floor area. A<br />

total of 555 units will be provided in Phase 1.<br />

Queen Street Building<br />

The 7-storey mixed-use building fronting Queen Street will be 22.8 metres in<br />

height (excluding the mechanical penthouse) and will have a total gross floor area<br />

of 3,651 square metres, including 440 square metres of grade-related retail space<br />

and 44 residential units. The building will have a 4-storey base element and will be<br />

stepped back approximately 3.0 metres above the 4 th floor along Queen Street.<br />

An additional 5.0-metre stepback is provided above the 6 th floor. Along the east<br />

elevation of the building, a 3.0-metre stepback is provided above the 5 th floor.<br />

On the ground floor, the residential lobby entrance will be located off the private<br />

street at the southeast corner of the building. The balance of the ground floor<br />

will be comprised of a small floorplate retail space fronting on Queen Street. The<br />

building will be treated with precast concrete and accented with precast brick.<br />

18<br />

bousfields inc.


The massing of the building will be broken up through the use of inset balconies<br />

and terraces.<br />

North Building<br />

The 12-storey building is 35.35 metres in height (excluding mechanical penthouse)<br />

and is located to the south of the properties fronting Queen Street, adjacent to<br />

the widened private lane. The building will have a total gross floor area of 21,984<br />

square metres, including 2,376 square metres of non-residential gross floor area<br />

and a total of 270 residential units. Rental tenure is being considered for the<br />

residential units. In addition, 4,187 square metres of non-residential space (auto<br />

service uses) will be located on the P1 and P1M levels below grade.<br />

The building will include a 4-storey automobile dealership located at the western<br />

end of the building, with auto retail facing East Don Roadway on the ground floor<br />

and an auto service area to the rear (east). The upper floors of the dealership<br />

will consist of auto showroom space and an office mezzanine. The residential<br />

lobby will be located at the northeast corner of the building, with its main entrance<br />

facing the proposed private street, while the southeast corner is proposed as a<br />

223-square metre retail (café) space. The remainder of the ground floor will be<br />

comprised of the loading ramp within the northerly portion of the building and atgrade<br />

parking spaces for autoplex customers within the southerly portion of the<br />

building, which will be screened from the east-west private lane. A mezzanine<br />

parking level is proposed, which will be accessed via a ramp within the building.<br />

A 391 square metre residential amenity space will be located on the mezzanine<br />

level, to the east of the parking.<br />

With the exception of the auto dealership component, the building will be treated<br />

with precast concrete and accented with precast brick, with inset balconies, similar<br />

to the Queen Street building. The auto dealership component of the building will<br />

feature a contemporary commercial design, with a sloped roof, large expanses of<br />

glass and metal panels.<br />

South Building<br />

The southerly building will be 24 storeys in height (76.3 metres, excluding the<br />

mechanical penthouse) and will include an 8-storey podium building with a<br />

16-storey tower element. The building will have a total gross floor area of 30,871<br />

square metres, including 9,516 square metres of non-residential gross floor area<br />

and a total of 241 residential units.<br />

The 8-storey podium includes a 4-storey base, which will predominantly contain<br />

non-residential space occupied by four auto dealerships, with the exception<br />

of residential uses located at the east end of the building. The non-residential<br />

component of the base building is proposed as an adaptive reuse of the existing<br />

3-storey warehouse building, which will be opened up through the insertion of<br />

windows in the north, west and south building faces. This portion of the base<br />

building will include auto retail uses on the ground floor facing the new east-west<br />

private lane, with service bays and tool/parts storage to the rear (south) served<br />

by a shared service lane within the building. The upper levels will contain auto<br />

showrooms and offices for the four dealerships.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 19


The easterly portion of the South Building will be new construction and will contain<br />

the residential lobby on the ground floor in the northeast corner of the building,<br />

accessed from both the east-west private lane and the north-south landscaped<br />

area, with indoor residential amenity space located in the southeast corner of the<br />

ground floor and on the mezzanine level above. The storeys above will consist of<br />

residential units.<br />

Above the 4-storey base, the residential component will extend on top of the<br />

repurposed warehouse building in the form of apartment units, indoor residential<br />

amenity space and lockers on the 5 th floor and 20 townhouse units on the 6 th ,<br />

7 th and 8 th floors, with a mix of 2-storey and 3-storey units. The upper 3 floors<br />

will be stepped back above the roof of the 4 th /5 th floors below by approximately<br />

6.45 metres to the north, 7.44 metres to the south and more than 20 metres to<br />

the west. The 8 th floor of the podium building will be a partial floor, with portions<br />

further stepped back from the 7 th floor below.<br />

The tower element will be located at the east end of the building. The tower<br />

will have a floorplate size of approximately 770 square metres and will be highly<br />

articulated, with a combination of inset and projecting balconies, as well as the<br />

use of angled façades. The articulation of the tower element and the use of glass<br />

will break the massing of the South Building into a number of smaller elements.<br />

Unit Distribution and Amenity Space<br />

Phase 1 will have a total of 555 units, with a wide range of unit types including a<br />

high percentage of two-bedroom units. The table below provides a breakdown of<br />

the proposed unit mix for each building:<br />

Bachelor 1-bedroom 2-bedroom 3-bedroom Townhouse Total<br />

Queen<br />

Street<br />

Building<br />

North<br />

Building<br />

South<br />

Building<br />

2 units 25 units 17 units - - 44 units<br />

- 127 units 121 units 22 units - 270 units<br />

15 units 81 units 111 units 14 units 20 units 241 units<br />

Total 17 units 233 units 249 units 36 units 20 units 555 units<br />

A total of 1,419 square metres of indoor amenity space will be provided in the<br />

North and South Buildings, which can be accessed by residents of all buildings in<br />

Phase 1 and Phase 2. The North Building will provide approximately 391 square<br />

metres of indoor amenity space on the mezzanine level and the South Building<br />

will provide approximately 1,028 square metres of indoor amenity space on the<br />

ground floor, mezzanine level and 5 th floor. Terraces and balconies are proposed<br />

in each of the buildings, which will provide private outdoor amenity space. As<br />

well, landscaped open space will be provided at grade to the east of the South<br />

Building.<br />

20<br />

bousfields inc.


Phase 1 Site Plan<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 21


Phase 1 North Elevation<br />

Phase 1 East Elevation<br />

22<br />

bousfields inc.


Phase 1 South Elevation<br />

Phase 1 West Elevation<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 23


Artists Rendering - view from Eastern Avenue<br />

Artists Rendering - view from Queen Street East down private<br />

street<br />

Artists Rendering - facade along Queen Street East<br />

Artists Rendering - courtyard between Phase 1 and Phase 2<br />

24<br />

bousfields inc.


Phase 2 (677 Queen Street East)<br />

The second phase, designed by Giannone Petricone Associates, proposes a<br />

mixed-use building, consisting of a 4-storey podium with two elements rising<br />

above. Along Queen Street, an additional 3 storeys are located above the 4 th floor,<br />

while the southern portion of building includes an additional 4 storeys above the<br />

podium building and steps up to 13 storeys in the middle of the Phase 2 portion<br />

of the site. The height of the 7-storey element is approximately 25.1 metres,<br />

while the 13-storey element is approximately 43.8 metres in height (excluding<br />

mechanical penthouse). The 7-storey and 13-storey elements are connected with<br />

bridges/links at the 5 th , 6 th and 7 th floors.<br />

The ground floor of the podium consists of grade-related uses, including a retail<br />

store at the northeast corner of the building fronting Queen Street, a grocery store<br />

at the northwest corner of the building, and a secondary residential/commercial<br />

lobby off Queen Street between the retail store and grocery store. The ground<br />

floor is set back approximately 1.2 metres from the Queen Street frontage to<br />

provide a widened sidewalk area. To the south of the Queen Street frontage and<br />

the parking ramp, the podium includes the residential lobby, accessed from the<br />

north-south private street, a two-storey retail space located south of the residential<br />

lobby, and a two-storey daycare facility and restaurant located at the south end<br />

of the building. Above the ground and mezzanine floors, the southwest portion<br />

of the building projects outward, creating a covered area at grade, while the east<br />

building façade is set back from the east lot line by approximately 7.2 to 7.8<br />

metres. Residential units occupy the remainder of the podium.<br />

Above the 4 th floor, the portion of the building fronting Queen Street is stepped<br />

back by 6.0 metres from the north face of the podium and 5.0 metres from the<br />

east face, with the exception of the northwest corner of the building, which is<br />

stepped back above the 5 th floor (by 6.3 metres along Queen Street and 4.1<br />

metres along the private street). The south portion of the building steps back<br />

approximately 3.0 metres above the 6 th floor along the west and south building<br />

façades, and 1.5 metres along the east façade. The separation distance between<br />

the 7-storey building element fronting on Queen Street and the 13-storey building<br />

element is 11.0 metres.<br />

The building is highly articulated through the use of stepbacks, inset and projecting<br />

balconies, inset building elements, and a variety of materials including glass,<br />

precast brick, precast concrete, metal panels and steel elements. The façade<br />

along Queen Street is broken into three separate building faces, with 4-storey<br />

and 5-storey brick facades separated by an inset glass element, and the use of<br />

lighter coloured precast concrete on the upper floors. The treatment of the Queen<br />

Street façade will result in fine grain massing that will complement the historic<br />

streetscape character. The north-south portion of the building along the private<br />

street will be broken into a vertical 13-storey element treated with glass, with inset<br />

portions to the north and south, and a horizontal 6-storey element treated with<br />

brick, with the use of glass for the upper two storeys.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 25


Unit Distribution and Amenity Space<br />

The Phase 2 building will have a total of 339 units. The unit mix will feature a wide<br />

range of unit types, consisting of 25 bachelor units, 183 one-bedroom units, 118<br />

two-bedroom units and 13 three-bedroom units.<br />

A total of 163 square metres of indoor amenity space will be located on the 9 th<br />

floor, within the tower portion, opening onto 264 square metres of outdoor amenity<br />

space located on the roof of the 8-storey building component.<br />

Landscape and Public Realm Improvements<br />

The proposal includes numerous improvements to the public realm on and<br />

adjacent to the subject site.<br />

Along the Queen Street frontage of the subject site, 7 new street trees are proposed<br />

in front of the Phase 2 building, together with a widened public sidewalk. As well,<br />

4 new street trees would be planted along the site’s East Don Roadway frontage.<br />

The north-south private street would be designed for shared pedestrian and<br />

vehicular use (i.e. a “woonerf”), and would include street trees on either side of<br />

main traffic lanes (12 in total). The east-west private laneway would have shrubbery<br />

and low planting located along the building frontages. Both the private street and<br />

laneway would be surfaced with interlocking brick or a similar paving material<br />

from building face to face, while the area to south of the east-west lane, at the<br />

south end of the site, would be a area solely for pedestrian use and would expand<br />

outward to the angled ground floor of the Phase 2 building. This pedestrianized<br />

courtyard area would include seating for general use as well as seating areas<br />

associated with the café in the Phase 1 North Building and the restaurant at the<br />

southwest corner of the Phase 2 building. The outdoor play area associated with<br />

the daycare facility would be located at grade to the south of the Phase 2 building.<br />

Within the road allowance associated with the Eastern Avenue Diversion, the<br />

landscape concept plan by The Planning Partnership proposes the extension<br />

of the public sidewalk along the east side of East Don Roadway southerly from<br />

its current dead-end near the south site limit and then easterly within the rightof-way<br />

lands associated with the Eastern Avenue Diversion, which are currently<br />

unimproved and practically inaccessible to pedestrians. These lands are<br />

proposed to be landscaped, with additional tree planting, to create a pleasant<br />

and comfortable pedestrian environment. In the future, the public sidewalk could<br />

be extended further east across the frontage of the Broadview Lofts townhouses<br />

to create a more normalized City street condition.<br />

The Planning Partnership has also prepared an Overall Vision Plan, which<br />

demonstrates how the site redevelopment could be inter-connected with the Lower<br />

Don Valley open space system. The proposal shows a southerly extension of the<br />

East Don Roadway pedestrian route underneath the Eastern Avenue Overpass to<br />

access the open space that is currently encircled by the Eastern Avenue on-ramp<br />

to the Don Valley Parkway. This area, which is approximately 1.45 hectares (3.6<br />

acres) in size, is proposed to be improved as the Sunlight Fitness Park.<br />

26<br />

bousfields inc.


Phase 2 Site Plan<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 27


Phase 2 North Elevation<br />

Phase 2 West Elevation<br />

28<br />

bousfields inc.


without the architect's written permission."<br />

without the architect's written permission."<br />

NOT FOR<br />

CONSTRUCTION<br />

NOT FOR<br />

CONSTRUCTION<br />

PRELIMINARY<br />

PRELIMINARY<br />

Artists Rendering - view to the southwest along Queen Street<br />

Artists Rendering - view to the southeast along Queen Street and private street<br />

1. ISSUED FOR RE-ZONING<br />

Revision<br />

14.05.xx<br />

Date<br />

1. ISSUED FOR RE-ZONING<br />

Revision<br />

14.05.xx<br />

Date<br />

Giannone Petricone Associates<br />

Giannone Petricone Associates Inc. Architects<br />

462<br />

462<br />

Wellington<br />

Wellington<br />

Street<br />

Street<br />

West,<br />

West,<br />

Toronto,<br />

Toronto,<br />

Canada<br />

Canada<br />

M5V<br />

M5V<br />

1E3,<br />

1E3,<br />

T<br />

416.591.7788<br />

416.591.7788<br />

F<br />

416.591.1293<br />

416.591.1293<br />

E<br />

mail@gpaia.com<br />

mail@gpaia.com<br />

Giannone Petricone Associates<br />

Giannone Petricone Associates Inc. Architects<br />

462 Streetcar<br />

Wellington Street West, Developments<br />

Toronto, Canada M5V 1E3,<br />

T 416.591.7788 F 416.591.1293 E mail@gpaia.com<br />

PHASE 2: 677 QUEEN STREET E<br />

Streetcar Developments<br />

677 Queen Street East, Toronto<br />

PHASE 2: 677 QUEEN STREET E<br />

677 Queen Street East, Toronto<br />

Artists Rendering - view to the northeast along private street<br />

COVER SHEET<br />

COVER SHEET<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> |<br />

PROJECT NO.: 13173<br />

SHEET NUMBER<br />

79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East<br />

PLOT<br />

PLOT<br />

DATE:<br />

DATE:<br />

14.05.23<br />

14.05.23 29<br />

SCALE:<br />

DRAWN BY:<br />

CHECKED BY:<br />

DATE:<br />

SCALE:<br />

PROJECT NO.:<br />

SHEET NUMBER<br />

DRAWN BY:<br />

CHECKED BY:<br />

DATE:<br />

AS NOTED<br />

DZ<br />

GPAIA<br />

February 2014<br />

13173<br />

AS NOTED<br />

DZ<br />

GPAIA<br />

February 2014<br />

A0.00<br />

A0.00<br />

PLOT DATE: 14.05.23


3.2 Required Approvals<br />

In our opinion, the proposed development conforms with the City of Toronto<br />

Official Plan and, in particular, is permitted by the applicable Mixed Use Areas<br />

designation. Accordingly, no Official Plan Amendment is required.<br />

The proposal will require amendments to Zoning By-law 438-86, as amended, in<br />

order to expand the range of permitted uses on the southerly portion of the site<br />

to include residential and a broader range of non-residential uses. As well, the<br />

proposal will require amendments to increase the permitted height and density<br />

across the site, as well as to introduce appropriate site-specific development<br />

standards in keeping with the proposed development.<br />

In addition, amendments to Zoning By-law 569-2013 will be required to remove<br />

the portion of the subject site fronting on Queen Street from the City-wide Zoning<br />

By-law, so as to consolidate the applicable zoning provisions for each phase<br />

under a single site-specific by-law.<br />

A consent application will be required to sever a portion of the 677 Queen East<br />

property and consolidate it with the 77-79 East Don Roadway property in order to<br />

create the Phase 1 development site.<br />

30<br />

bousfields inc.


4 POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK<br />

4.1 Provincial Policy Statement<br />

The current Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) came into effect as of April 30, 2014<br />

and provides policy direction on matters of provincial interest related to land use<br />

planning and development. In accordance with Section 3(5) of the Planning Act,<br />

all land use planning decisions are required to be consistent with the PPS.<br />

The proposed development is consistent with the policy direction expressed in<br />

the PPS to build strong communities by promoting efficient development and land<br />

use patterns. To that end, the PPS contains a number of policies that promote<br />

intensification, redevelopment and compact built form, particularly in areas wellserved<br />

by public transit.<br />

In particular, Policy 1.1.3.2 of the PPS promotes densities and a mix of land uses<br />

which efficiently use land, resources, infrastructure and public service facilities<br />

and are transit-supportive, where transit is planned, exists or may be developed.<br />

Policy 1.1.3.3 requires planning authorities to identify appropriate locations and<br />

promote opportunities for intensification and redevelopment, where this can be<br />

accommodated taking into account existing building stock or areas, including<br />

“brownfield sites”, and the availability of suitable existing or planned infrastructure<br />

and public service facilities. In addition, Policy 1.1.3.4 promotes appropriate<br />

development standards which facilitate intensification, redevelopment and<br />

compact form, while avoiding or mitigating risks to public health and safety.<br />

With respect to housing, Policy 1.4.3 requires provision to be made for an<br />

appropriate range and mix of housing types and densities to meet projected<br />

requirements of current and future residents by, among other matters, facilitating<br />

all forms of residential intensification and redevelopment and promoting densities<br />

for new housing which efficiently use land, resources, infrastructure and public<br />

service facilities and support the use of active transportation and transit.<br />

The efficient use of infrastructure (particularly transit) is a key element of provincial<br />

policy (Sections 1.6, 1.6.3 and 1.6.7). With respect to transportation systems,<br />

Policy 1.6.7.4 promotes a land use pattern, density and mix of uses that minimize<br />

the length and number of vehicle trips and support the current and future use of<br />

transit and active transportation.<br />

Policy 1.7.1 of the PPS states that long-term prosperity will be supported by<br />

optimizing the use of land, resources, infrastructure and public service facilities,<br />

maintaining and enhancing the viability of downtowns and mainstreets,<br />

encouraging a sense of place by promoting well-designed built-form and cultural<br />

planning, and promoting the redevelopment of brownfield sites.<br />

With respect to energy conservation, air quality and climate change, Policy 1.8.1<br />

directs planning authorities to support energy conservation and efficiency, improved<br />

air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and climate change adaptation<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 31


through land use and development patterns which: promote compact form and<br />

a structure of nodes and corridors; promote the use of active transportation and<br />

transit in and between residential, employment and other areas; and improve the<br />

mix of employment and housing uses to shorten commute journeys and decrease<br />

transportation congestion.<br />

As described in Section 4.3 below, the subject site is located in the floodplain of<br />

the Don River and is subject to the provisions of the Lower Don Special Policy<br />

Area. Policy 3.1.4 of the PPS provides that development and site alteration may<br />

be permitted within certain areas associated with the flooding hazard if a Special<br />

Policy Area has been approved. Policy 3.1.6 also provides that, where the twozone<br />

concept for flood plains is applied, development and site alteration may be<br />

permitted in the “flood fringe”, subject to appropriate floodproofing to the flooding<br />

hazard elevation or another flooding hazard standard approved by the Minister of<br />

Natural Resources. (The subject site is located within the “flood fringe”, and not<br />

within the “floodway”.)<br />

Finally, Policy 3.1.7 provides that development and site alteration may be<br />

permitted in those portions of hazardous lands (including lands subject to flooding<br />

hazards) where the effects and risk to public safety are minor and could be<br />

mitigated in accordance with provincial standards, and where all of the following<br />

are demonstrated and achieved:<br />

• development and site alteration is carried out in accordance with<br />

floodproofing standards, protection works standards, and access<br />

standards;<br />

• vehicles and people have a way of safely entering and exiting the areaduring<br />

times of flooding, erosion and other emergencies;<br />

• new hazards are not created and existing hazards are not aggravated; and<br />

• no adverse environmental impacts will result.<br />

For the reasons set out in Section 5.1 of this report, it is our opinion that the<br />

proposal is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement and, in particular,<br />

the policies relating to residential intensification and the efficient use of land and<br />

resources.<br />

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4.2 Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe<br />

The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) came into effect on<br />

June 16, 2006.<br />

Similar to the Provincial Policy Statement, the Growth Plan supports mixed-use<br />

intensification within built-up urban areas, particularly in proximity to transit. As<br />

noted in Section 2.1 of the Plan:<br />

“. . . Better use of land and infrastructure can be made by directing<br />

growth to existing urban areas. This Plan envisages increasing<br />

intensification of the existing built-up area, with a focus on urban<br />

growth centres, intensification corridors, major transit station areas,<br />

brownfield sites and greyfields. Concentrating new development<br />

in these areas also provides a focus for transit and infrastructure<br />

investments to support future growth.”<br />

The subject site would be considered an “intensification area” pursuant to the<br />

Growth Plan (i.e. a focus for accommodating intensification), given that it is located<br />

within an “intensification corridor” i.e. along a major streetcar line. The Growth<br />

Plan defines “intensification corridors” as “intensification areas along major roads,<br />

arterials or higher order transit corridors that have the potential to provide a focus<br />

for higher density mixed-use development consistent with planned transit service<br />

levels”.<br />

Policy 2.2.2(1) of the Growth Plan seeks to accommodate population and<br />

employment growth by, among other measures, directing a significant portion<br />

of new growth to the built-up areas of the community through intensification,<br />

focusing intensification in intensification areas, and reducing dependence on the<br />

automobile through the development of mixed-use, transit-supportive, pedestrianfriendly<br />

urban environments.<br />

In this respect, Schedule 3 of the Growth Plan forecasts a population of 3,080,000<br />

and 1,640,000 jobs for the City of Toronto by 2031. The interim population that<br />

had been forecast in Schedule 3 for 2011 was 2,760,000, while the actual 2011<br />

population is estimated at 2,753,000 (i.e. the 2001-2011 population growth fell<br />

short of the forecast by 4.1%). Growth Plan Amendment No. 2, which came<br />

into effect on June 17, 2013, introduces updated forecasts for 2031 and 2041.<br />

The updated population and employment forecasts for 2031 are 3,190,000 and<br />

1,660,000, respectively, increasing to 3,400,000 and 1,720,000, respectively, by<br />

2041.<br />

Policy 2.2.3(6) requires municipalities to develop an intensification strategy, to be<br />

implemented through their official plans and other supporting documents, which<br />

will, among other things, identify intensification areas, recognize intensification<br />

corridors as a key focus for development to accommodate intensification, and<br />

include minimum density targets consistent with planned transit service levels.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 33


Policy 2.2.3(7) provides that all intensification areas will be planned and designed<br />

to cumulatively attract a significant portion of population and employment growth,<br />

provide a diverse and compatible mix of land uses, generally achieve higher<br />

densities than the surrounding areas and achieve an appropriate transition of built<br />

form to adjacent areas.<br />

Policy 2.2.5(1) requires “intensification corridors” to be designated in official plans<br />

and planned to achieve increased residential and employment densities that<br />

support and ensure the viability of existing and planned transit service levels, as<br />

well as a mix of residential, office, institutional, and commercial development,<br />

wherever appropriate.<br />

Finally, Policy 3.2.3(2)(a) provides that all decisions on transit planning and<br />

investment will consider using transit infrastructure to shape growth, and planning<br />

for high residential and employment densities that ensure the efficiency and<br />

viability of existing and planned transit service levels.<br />

For the reasons set out in Section 5.1 of this report, it is our opinion that the<br />

proposal conforms with the Growth Plan and, in particular, the policies promoting<br />

growth and intensification within “intensification corridors”.<br />

4.3 City of Toronto Official Plan<br />

The Official Plan for the amalgamated City of Toronto was adopted on November<br />

26, 2002 and was approved by the Ontario Municipal Board on July 6, 2006, with<br />

the exception of certain policies and land use designations, some of which are<br />

relevant to the subject applications, as noted below.<br />

Growth Management Policies<br />

Chapter 2 (Shaping the City) outlines the growth management strategy.<br />

recognizes that:<br />

It<br />

“Toronto’s future is one of growth, of rebuilding, of reurbanizing and<br />

of regenerating the City within an existing urban structure that is not<br />

easy to change. Population growth is needed to support economic<br />

growth and social development within the City and to contribute to a<br />

better future for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). A healthier Toronto<br />

will grow from a successful strategy to attract more residents and<br />

more jobs to the City.”<br />

To that end, Policy 2.1(3) provides that Toronto should accommodate a<br />

minimum of 3 million residents and 1.835 million jobs by the year 2031. The<br />

marginal note regarding Toronto’s growth prospects makes it clear that the 3<br />

million population figure is neither a target nor a maximum; it is a minimum:<br />

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“The Greater Toronto Area . . . is forecast to grow by 2.7 million<br />

residents and 1.8 million jobs by the year 2031. The forecast<br />

allocates to Toronto 20 percent of the increase in population<br />

(537,000 additional residents) and 30 percent of the employment<br />

growth (544,000 additional jobs) . . . This Plan takes the current<br />

GTA forecast as a minimum expectation, especially in terms of<br />

population growth. The policy framework found here prepares<br />

the City to realize this growth, or even more, depending on the<br />

success of this Plan in creating dynamic transit oriented mixed<br />

use centres and corridors.” (Our emphasis.)<br />

The growth management policies of the Official Plan direct growth to identified<br />

areas on Map 2, which include Centres, Avenues, Employment Districts and the<br />

Downtown and Central Waterfront, where transit services and other infrastructure<br />

are available. On Map 2, the portion of the subject site fronting on Queen Street<br />

East is identified as an Avenue (see Figure 4).<br />

Figure 4 - Official Plan Map 2 - Urban Structure<br />

In Chapter 2 (Shaping the City), one of the key policy directions is Integrating<br />

Land Use and Transportation (Section 2.2). The Plan states that:<br />

“. . . future growth within Toronto will be steered to areas which are<br />

well served by transit, the existing road network and which have<br />

a number of properties with redevelopment potential. Generally,<br />

the growth areas are locations where good transit access can be<br />

provided along bus and streetcar routes and at rapid transit stations.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 35


Areas that can best accommodate this growth are shown on Map<br />

2: Downtown, including the Central Waterfront, the Centres, the<br />

Avenues and the Employment Districts. A vibrant mix of residential<br />

and employment growth is seen for the Downtown and the Centres.<br />

The mixed use Avenues will emphasize residential growth . . .” (Our<br />

emphasis.)<br />

Policy 2.2(2) provides that “growth will be directed to the Centres, Avenues,<br />

Employment Districts and the Downtown as shown on Map 2” and sets out a<br />

number of objectives that can be met by this strategy, including:<br />

• using municipal land, infrastructure and services efficiently;<br />

• concentrating jobs and people in areas well served by surface transit and<br />

rapid transit stations;<br />

• promoting mixed use development to increase opportunities for living close<br />

to work and to encourage walking and cycling for local trips;<br />

• offering opportunities for people of all means to be affordably housed;<br />

• facilitating social interaction, public safety and cultural and economic<br />

activity;<br />

• improving air quality and energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas<br />

emissions; and<br />

• protecting neighbourhoods and green spaces from the effects of nearby<br />

development.<br />

Under Section 2.2.3 (“Avenues: Reurbanizing Arterial Corridors”), the Plan states<br />

that reurbanization along Avenues can create new housing and jobs while improving<br />

the pedestrian environment, the look of the street, shopping opportunities and<br />

transit service for community residents. The framework for new development on<br />

each Avenue is to be established by a new zoning by-law and design guidelines,<br />

based on consultation with the local community, that will set out the mix of uses,<br />

heights, densities and other zoning standards.<br />

Policy 2.2.3(1) provides that the reurbanization of Avenues will be achieved<br />

through the preparation of “Avenue Studies” for particular segments of designated<br />

Avenues. In this regard, the Plan notes that there is no “one size fits all” program<br />

for reurbanizing the Avenues and that the priorities for future Avenue Studies will<br />

be Avenues characterized by one or two storey commercial buildings, vacant and<br />

underutilized lands and large areas of surface parking.<br />

Policy 2.2.3(3) specifically provides that development may be permitted to proceed<br />

within an Avenue prior to the preparation of an Avenue Study. Such development<br />

proposals are to be considered on the basis of all of the policies of the Plan and<br />

are intended to implement the relevant land use designations. Policy 2.2.3(3)<br />

(b) states that development in Mixed Use Areas on Avenues that takes place<br />

prior to an Avenue Study has the potential to set a precedent for the form and<br />

scale of reurbanization along the Avenue; accordingly, development proponents<br />

36<br />

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are required to address the larger context and examine the implications for the<br />

segment of the Avenue in which the development is located (i.e. through an<br />

Avenue Segment Study).<br />

An Avenue Segment Study is to assess the impacts of the incremental development<br />

of the entire Avenue at a similar form, scale and intensity, appropriately allowing<br />

for distinguishing circumstances. The analysis is required to consider impacts<br />

on any adjacent Neighbourhoods or Apartment Neighbourhoods and address<br />

whether the proposed development is supportable by available infrastructure. In<br />

this regard, as set out in Section 5.3 of this report, an Avenue Segment Study<br />

was undertaken by The Planning Partnership to assess the implications of the<br />

proposed development on the segment of the Queen Street Avenue extending<br />

from the Don Valley Parkway to Broadview Avenue.<br />

Section 2.4 (“Bringing the City Together: A Progressive Agenda of Transportation<br />

Change”) notes that:<br />

“This Plan integrates transportation and land use planning at both<br />

the local and regional scales . . . In addition to policies regarding<br />

the physical infrastructure of the City’s transportation system, we<br />

need complementary policies to make more efficient use of this<br />

infrastructure and to support the goal of reducing car dependency<br />

throughout the City . . . Achieving a more intense, mixed use pattern<br />

of development will increase both the opportunity and the need to<br />

plan for better pedestrian and cycling conditions. It will also minimize<br />

the long term need for costly infrastructure, in the form of additional<br />

transit and road capacity, to meet the City’s growing transportation<br />

demands . . .”<br />

In this regard, Map 5 (Surface Transit Priority Network, see Figure 5) identifies<br />

Queen Street East and Broadview Avenue north of Queen Street as “Transit Priority<br />

Segments”. Policy 2.2(3)(h) explains that the intent is to give streetcars signal<br />

priority and to introduce other priority measures such as reserved or dedicated<br />

lanes for streetcars and limiting or removing on-street parking during part or all of<br />

the day.<br />

Figure 5 - Official Plan Map 5 - Surface Transit Priority Network<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 37


Policy 2.4(3) directs that planning for new development in targeted growth areas<br />

be undertaken in the context of reducing auto dependency and provides that<br />

the transportation demands and impacts of such new development will be<br />

assessed in terms of the broader social and environmental objectives of the Plan’s<br />

reurbanization strategy.<br />

Policy 2.4(4) further provides that, for sites in areas well serviced by transit<br />

including locations along major surface transit routes, consideration will be given<br />

to establishing minimum density requirements (in addition to maximum density<br />

limits), establishing minimum and maximum parking requirements, and limiting<br />

surface parking as a non-ancillary use.<br />

Land Use Designation Policies<br />

On Map 18 (Land Use Plan, Figure 6), the subject site is designated Mixed Use<br />

Areas, as are the lands to the east and north, fronting on both sides of Queen Street<br />

East, with the exception of the lands located at the northeast corner of Queen<br />

Street and Davies Street, which are designated Employment Areas (proposed to<br />

be redesignated Core Employment Areas by Official Plan Amendment No. 231).<br />

The closest lands designated Neighbourhoods are located on the south side of<br />

Thompson Street, between Carroll Street and Hamilton Street, and on the east<br />

side of Broadview Avenue, south of Queen Street.<br />

Figure 6 - Official Plan Map 18 - Land Use Plan<br />

The Mixed Use Areas designation permits a broad range of commercial, residential<br />

and institutional uses in single-use or mixed-use buildings. The introductory text<br />

in Section 4.5 states that the intent of the designation is to achieve a multitude<br />

38<br />

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of planning objectives by combining a broad array of residential uses, offices,<br />

retail and services, institutions, entertainment, recreation and cultural activities,<br />

and parks and open spaces. In particular, the intent is that:<br />

“Torontonians will be able to live, work, and shop in the same area,<br />

or even the same building, giving people an opportunity to depend<br />

less on their cars, and create districts along transit routes that are<br />

animated, attractive and safe at all hours of the day and night.”<br />

Policy 4.5(2) sets out a number of criteria for development within the Mixed Use<br />

Areas designation, including:<br />

• creating a balance of high quality commercial, residential, institutional and<br />

open space uses that reduces automobile dependency and meets the<br />

needs of the local community;<br />

• providing for new jobs and homes for Toronto’s growing population on<br />

underutilized lands on the Avenues, creating and sustaining employment<br />

opportunities for all Torontonians;<br />

• locating and massing new buildings to provide a transition between<br />

areas of different development intensity and scale, through means such<br />

as providing appropriate setbacks and/or a stepping down of heights,<br />

particularly towards lower scale Neighbourhoods;<br />

• locating and massing new buildings so as to adequately limit shadow<br />

impacts on adjacent Neighbourhoods, particularly during the spring and<br />

fall equinoxes;<br />

• locating and massing new buildings to frame the edges of streets and<br />

parks with good proportion and maintaining sunlight and comfortable wind<br />

conditions for pedestrians on adjacent streets, parks and open spaces;<br />

• providing an attractive, comfortable and safe pedestrian environment;<br />

• taking advantage of nearby transit services; and<br />

• providing good site access and circulation and an adequate supply of<br />

parking for residents and visitors.<br />

Built Form Policies<br />

Section 3.1.2 of the Official Plan recognizes the importance of good urban<br />

design, not just as an aesthetic overlay, but also as an essential ingredient of<br />

city-building. It demands high quality architecture, landscape architecture and<br />

urban design, both within the public realm and within the privately-developed built<br />

form. In putting forward policies to guide built form, the Official Plan notes that<br />

developments must be conceived not only in terms of the individual building site<br />

and program, but also in terms of how that building and site fit within the context<br />

of the neighbourhood and the City.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 39


Policy 3.1.2(1) provides that new development will be located and organized to fit<br />

with its existing and/or planned context. Relevant criteria include:<br />

• generally locating buildings parallel to the street with a consistent front yard<br />

setback;<br />

• locating main building entrances so that they are clearly visible and directly<br />

accessible from the public sidewalk; and<br />

• providing ground floor uses that have views into and, where possible,<br />

access to adjacent streets; and<br />

• preserving existing mature trees wherever possible and incorporating them<br />

into landscaping designs.<br />

Policy 3.1.2(2) requires that new development locate and organize vehicle<br />

parking, vehicular access, service areas and utilities to minimize their impact on<br />

the property and on surrounding properties by, among other things:<br />

• using shared service areas where possible within development block(s)<br />

including public and private lanes, driveways and service courts<br />

• consolidating and minimizing the width of driveways and curb cuts across<br />

the public sidewalk<br />

• integrating services and utility functions within buildings where possible<br />

• providing underground parking where appropriate<br />

• limiting surface parking between the front face of a building and the public<br />

street or sidewalk.<br />

Policy 3.1.2(3) sets out policies to ensure that new development will be massed<br />

and its exterior façade will be designed to fit harmoniously into its existing and/<br />

or planned context, and will limit its impact on neighbouring streets, parks, open<br />

spaces and properties by:<br />

• massing new buildings to frame adjacent streets and open spaces in a way<br />

that respects the existing and/or planned street proportion;<br />

• creating appropriate transitions in scale to neighbouring existing and/or<br />

planned buildings;<br />

• providing for adequate light and privacy;<br />

• adequately limiting any resulting shadowing of, and uncomfortable wind<br />

conditions on, neighbouring streets, properties and open spaces, having<br />

regard for the varied nature of such areas; and<br />

• minimizing any additional shadowing and uncomfortable wind conditions<br />

on neighbouring parks as necessary to preserve their utility.<br />

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Policy 3.1.2(4) provides that new development will be massed to define the edges<br />

of streets, parks and open spaces at good proportion. Taller buildings will be<br />

located to ensure adequate access to sky view for the proposed and future use<br />

of these areas.<br />

Policy 3.1.2(5) requires that new development will provide amenity for adjacent<br />

streets and open spaces to make these areas attractive, interesting, comfortable<br />

and functional for pedestrians by providing:<br />

• improvements to adjacent boulevards and sidewalks respecting sustainable<br />

design elements, including trees, shrubs, hedges, plantings or other ground<br />

cover, permeable paving materials, street furniture, curb ramps, waste and<br />

recycling containers, lighting and bicycle parking facilities;<br />

• co-ordinated landscape improvements in setbacks to create attractive<br />

transitions from the private to public realms;<br />

• weather protection such as canopies and awnings; and<br />

• landscaped open space within the development site.<br />

Section 3.1.3 of the Official Plan recognizes that tall buildings, when properly<br />

located and designed, can draw attention to the City structure, visually reinforcing<br />

our civic centres and other areas of civic importance. Given Toronto’s relatively flat<br />

topography, tall buildings can become important city landmarks when the quality<br />

of architecture and site design is emphasized. Accordingly, the policies specify<br />

that tall buildings come with larger civic responsibilities and obligations than other<br />

buildings.<br />

Among other matters, Policy 3.1.3(1) specifies that the design of tall buildings<br />

should consist of a base to define and support the street edge at an appropriate<br />

scale, a shaft that is appropriately sized and oriented in relation to the base building<br />

and adjacent buildings, and a top that contributes to the character of the skyline<br />

and integrates rooftop mechanical systems.<br />

Policy 3.1.3(2) requires that tall building proposals address key urban design<br />

considerations, including: meeting the built form principles of the Plan;<br />

demonstrating how the proposed building and site design will contribute to and<br />

reinforce the overall city structure; demonstrating how the proposed building and<br />

site design relate to the existing and/or planned context; and taking into account<br />

the relationship of the site to topography and other tall buildings.<br />

Housing Policies<br />

The Plan’s housing policies support a full range of housing in terms of form,<br />

tenure and affordability, across the City and within neighbourhoods, to meet the<br />

current and future needs of residents (Policy 3.2.1(1)). Policy 3.2.1(2) provides<br />

that new housing supply will be encouraged through intensification and infill that<br />

is consistent with the Plan.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 41


Lower Don Special Policy Area<br />

The Special Policy Area designations and policies in the 2006 City of Toronto<br />

Official Plan have not yet been approved by the Ontario Municipal Board i.e.<br />

Map 11 and Policies 3.4(5) and 3.4(11)(b). Accordingly, the policies of the former<br />

City of Toronto Part I Official Plan continue to apply i.e. Appendix B (Map B.6)<br />

and Policies 2.68 to 2.72 (see Figure 7 – Lower Don Special Policy Area Map).<br />

The southwestern portion of the subject site, comprising the westerly half of the<br />

77 East Don Roadway warehouse building and the front portion of the 79 Don<br />

Roadway building, is located within the Special Policy Area shown on Map B.6.<br />

Figure 7 - Toronto Part I Official Plan Appendix B - Map B.6<br />

Policy 2.68 provides that development may be permitted on condition that<br />

the proposed development is flood protected to the level of 1:350 flood. New<br />

development, additions and replacements may be permitted if adequate floodproofing<br />

is provided, subject to the approval of Council and the Conservation<br />

Authority.<br />

Policy 2.72 provides that, when determining appropriate land uses within Special<br />

Policy Areas, Council shall take into account all relevant policies of the Official Plan<br />

as well as the following factors:<br />

• the existing use and existing zoning of the subject property and adjacent<br />

lands;<br />

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• the compatibility of the land use designations of the lands adjoining those<br />

designated Special Policy Areas as shown in Appendix B or as further<br />

detailed in a Part II Plan; and<br />

• the type and character of existing development within and adjoining lands<br />

designated Special Policy Area and the long term viability of existing<br />

development.<br />

Conformity with the Special Policy Area designation is addressed in Section 5.2<br />

of this report.<br />

4.5 Zoning<br />

The in-force Zoning By-law applying to the subject site is former City of Toronto<br />

Zoning By-law 438-86, as amended. The northerly portion of the site is included<br />

in the new City-wide Zoning By-law No. 569-2013, which was enacted by City<br />

Council on May 9, 2013. However, it is subject to numerous appeals to the<br />

Ontario Municipal Board and therefore is not yet in force.<br />

By-law 438-86<br />

The majority of the site is zoned I2 D3 by Zoning By-Law 438-86, with the portion<br />

of the site fronting Queen Street being zoned MCR T2.5 C2.0 R2.0 (see Figure 8).<br />

The maximum permitted height within the lands zoned I2 D3 zone is 18.0 metres,<br />

while the lands zoned MCR T2.5 C2.0 R2.0 are subject to a 14.0 metre height<br />

limit (see Figure 9).<br />

Figure 8 - By-law 438-86 Zoning<br />

Figure 9 - By-law 438-86 Heights<br />

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The I2 D3 zoning allows for a wide range of light and general industrial uses and<br />

certain commercial and institutional uses, with a maximum total density of 3.0<br />

times the lot area. Permitted industrial uses include open storage yards, recycling<br />

shops, food warehouses and bakeries. Permitted commercial and institutional<br />

uses include motor vehicle dealerships (referred to as “sales or hire garages”),<br />

as well as banks, restaurants (maximum 475 square metres), drycleaners,<br />

duplicating shops, newsstands, personal grooming establishments, service<br />

shops, showrooms, artist’s or photographer’s studios, custom workshops, animal<br />

hospitals, commercial schools, trade schools, clinics, community health centres,<br />

day nurseries, post offices and union halls. However, offices are not a permitted<br />

use.<br />

The MCR T2.5 C2.0 R2.0 zoning allows for a wide range of residential uses<br />

including an apartment building and rowhouses and a wide range of non-residential<br />

uses including retail stores, offices, dry cleaning outlets, restaurants, and take-out<br />

restaurants. The zoning permits a total density of 2.5 times the lot area, with a<br />

maximum non-residential density of 2.0 times and a maximum residential density<br />

of 2.0 times.<br />

The site is subject to a restrictive exception in Section 12(2)270, which restricts<br />

the total retail and service commercial gross floor area to the amount existing on<br />

the lot in 1993 plus an additional 1,800 square metres, with a maximum gross<br />

floor area of 8,000 square metres for individual retail and service uses.<br />

By-law 569-2013<br />

The portion of the site fronting onto Queen Street would be zoned CR 2.5 (c2.0;<br />

r2.0) SS2 (x2294) pursuant to the new City-wide Zoning By-law, with a maximum<br />

height limit of 14.0 metres (see Figures 10 and 11). The lands would be within<br />

Policy Area 4 (Avenues), which governs the applicable parking rates.<br />

The proposed zoning is similar in terms of provisions relating to use, height and<br />

density as the in-force MCR zoning under Zoning By-law 438-86. Exception CR<br />

2294 lists prevailing by-laws, including Section 12(2)270 of the former City of<br />

Toronto Zoning By-law 438-86.<br />

The southerly portion of the site, coinciding with the existing I2 D3 zoning, is not<br />

included in the new City-wide Zoning By-law and will continue to be governed by<br />

By-law 438-86, as amended.<br />

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Figure 10 - By-law 569-2013 Zoning<br />

Figure 11 - By-law 569-2013 Heights<br />

4.6 City of Toronto Urban Design Guidelines<br />

Given that the proposed redevelopment includes both mid-rise and tall building<br />

elements, we have had regard to both the Mid-Rise Building Guidelines and the<br />

Tall Building Design Guidelines, as described in Sections 4.7 and 4.8 below.<br />

Policy 5.3.2(1) of the City of Toronto Official Plan provides that, while guidelines<br />

and plans express Council policy, they are not part of the Plan unless the Plan has<br />

been specifically amended to include them, and do not have the status of policies<br />

in the Official Plan adopted under the Planning Act.<br />

4.7 Mid-Rise Building Guidelines<br />

At its meeting on July 6, 7 and 8, 2010, City Council adopted a staff recommendation<br />

to use the Performance Standards for Mid-Rise Buildings proposed in the<br />

“Avenues & Mid-Rise Buildings Study” (May 2010) in evaluating mid-rise building<br />

development proposals on the Avenues for a monitoring period of approximately<br />

two years. It is noted that Queen Street East was specifically excluded from the<br />

study area by Council when it adopted the study.<br />

The July 2010 Council decision directed that, prior to the end of the monitoring<br />

period, staff was to report back to the Planning and Growth Management<br />

Committee on the effectiveness of the Performance Standards and potential<br />

implementation measures. On November 13, 2013, Council adopted a staff<br />

recommendation to extend the monitoring period to the end of 2014 to allow<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 45


staff to complete consultations on the effectiveness of the Mid-Rise Building<br />

Performance Standards, and to direct the Chief Planner to report to the Planning<br />

and Growth Management Committee at the conclusion of the monitoring period<br />

regarding any modifications to the Performance Standards.<br />

Section 3 of the Mid-Rise Guidelines provides a series of Performance Standards<br />

that are intended to guide the design of mid-rise buildings along Avenues. The<br />

Performance Standards are guided by the objective to create healthy, liveable<br />

and vibrant main streets while protecting the stability and integrity of adjacent<br />

neighbourhoods. In that respect, they are designed to ensure that Avenues are<br />

developed in an appropriate and context-sensitive manner. Key provisions for<br />

mid-rise buildings include the following:<br />

• Buildings are moderate in height – no taller than the right-of-way is wide.<br />

• Buildings provide an appropriate transition in scale to adjacent<br />

neighbourhoods, taking into account a 45 degree angular plane.<br />

• Sidewalks are wide enough to include and support trees, generate a lively<br />

pedestrian culture and ensure accessibility for all.<br />

• The ground floors of buildings provide uses that enliven sidewalks and<br />

create safe pedestrian conditions.<br />

The Performance Standards recognize that exceptions may sometimes be<br />

warranted and that, at times, a project that strives for excellence in design can<br />

demonstrate that a specific guideline is not appropriate in that instance.<br />

Although the study does not directly apply to the subject site by virtue of the<br />

Council decision to exclude Queen Street East from the study area, we have had<br />

regard to the Mid-Rise Building Guidelines in evaluating the two mid-rise buildings<br />

proposed for the Queen Street frontage in Section 5.6 of this report.<br />

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4.8 Tall Building Design Guidelines<br />

On May 7, 2013, City Council adopted the City-Wide Tall Building Design<br />

Guidelines, which update and replace the “Design Criteria for the Review of Tall<br />

Building Proposals” (2006). The document specifically notes that the Guidelines<br />

are “intended to provide a degree of certainty and clarity of common interpretation,<br />

however, as guidelines, they should also be afforded some flexibility in application,<br />

particularly when looked at cumulatively”.<br />

The Guidelines include sections related to site context, site organization, tall<br />

building massing and pedestrian realm. Among other matters, the Guidelines<br />

recommend that tower floor plates be limited to 750 square metres and that tall<br />

building towers be set back 12.5 metres from side and rear property lines or<br />

provide a separation distance of 25 metres between towers on the same site.<br />

The relevant Design Guidelines are addressed in Section 5.6 of this report.<br />

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5 <strong>PLANNING</strong> AND <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> ANALYSIS<br />

5.1 Intensification<br />

The proposed redevelopment represents an appropriate and desirable form of<br />

mixed-use intensification that is appropriate to the site location, fronting on an<br />

Avenue, well-served by existing and proposed transit services, and within 2.5<br />

kilometres of the Downtown Core. Intensification on the subject site is supportive<br />

of policy directions set out in the Provincial Policy Statement, the Growth Plan for<br />

the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the Toronto Official Plan, all of which promote<br />

intensification on sites well served by municipal infrastructure, including transit.<br />

In this regard, the Growth Plan includes policies that specifically support a mix of<br />

uses and increased residential and employment densities to support the viability of<br />

existing and planned transit service levels along “intensification corridors”. As well,<br />

strong policy support is expressed in the Official Plan for mixed-use intensification<br />

along the Avenues, in a form that is intended to make efficient use of land and<br />

infrastructure and concentrate population and jobs in areas well served by transit.<br />

Within this context, it is important to make efficient use of sites that are well suited<br />

for intensification in order to reduce the rate of outward urban expansion, minimize<br />

use of the private automobile and support the use of transit. The subject site is<br />

currently underutilized given its location along an Avenue and along a streetcar<br />

route that is identified as a “Transit Priority Segment” by the Official Plan. Policy<br />

2.4(4) specifically requires consideration of minimum density requirements, as well<br />

as maximum density limits, for sites such as this that are well serviced by transit.<br />

In this regard, the subject site currently enjoys a high level of transit accessibility,<br />

by way of by four separate streetcar lines that run along Queen Street East and<br />

provide all-day service throughout the week. The southerly extension of the<br />

Broadview LRT and the introduction of a Downtown East GO station proposed<br />

as part of the First Gulf 21 Don Roadway development, together with proximity<br />

to a potential subway station on the Downtown Relief Line, collectively have the<br />

potential to further enhance the transit accessibility of the site in the future.<br />

The optimization of density on the subject site is consistent with both good planning<br />

practice and overarching Provincial and City policy direction, subject to achieving<br />

appropriate built form relationships. In our opinion, the existing low-intensity<br />

automotive and storage uses, served by extensive surface parking areas, do not<br />

support the planned function for the subject site as articulated in the Provincial<br />

and City policy documents. The redevelopment of the site for mid-rise mixed-use<br />

buildings along the Queen Street frontage, together with taller mixed-use buildings<br />

on the southerly portion of the site, is part of a desirable process of reurbanization<br />

that will result in a more intensive form of transit-supportive development and<br />

contribute to a more animated and pedestrian-oriented urban streetscape along<br />

Queen Street.<br />

The introduction of residential land uses on the site, in conjunction with intensified<br />

employment uses, will generate jobs and residential population, both of which<br />

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can take advantage of the wide array of shops, services, restaurants and cultural<br />

facilities in the Riverside neighbourhood and in the broader South Riverdale area.<br />

As well, mixed-use intensification will result in population and employment growth<br />

that will contribute to the achievement of forecasts/targets in the Growth Plan and<br />

the Official Plan.<br />

In the sidebar within Section 2.1 of the Official Plan, it is noted that by making<br />

better use of existing urban infrastructure and services before introducing new<br />

ones on the urban fringe, reurbanization helps to reduce demands on nature<br />

and improves the liveability of the urban region by: reducing the pace at which<br />

the countryside is urbanized; preserving high quality agricultural lands; reducing<br />

reliance on the private automobile; reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and<br />

reducing consumption of non-renewable resources.<br />

5.2 Land Use<br />

The Mixed Use Areas designation which applies to the subject site is one of four<br />

land use designations intended to accommodate most of the increased jobs and<br />

population anticipated by the Official Plan’s growth strategy. The rezoning of the<br />

southerly portion of the site from its current I2 D3 zoning to permit residential uses<br />

and a broader range of employment uses, including offices, fitness centres and<br />

retail stores, will bring the zoning into conformity with the Official Plan and will help<br />

implement the Official Plan policies for the site.<br />

In this regard, the Mixed Use Areas designation provides for a broad range<br />

of commercial, residential and institutional uses, in single use or mixed-use<br />

buildings, as well as parks and open space. The proposal is for a mixed-use<br />

development comprised of residential, retail, automotive and service commercial<br />

uses, with a total density of 5.23 FSI, a residential density of 3.94 FSI and a nonresidential<br />

density of 1.29 FSI (0.91 FSI automotive/office and 0.38 FSI retail/<br />

service commercial and daycare).<br />

The proposed mix of uses implements the development criteria set out in Policy<br />

4.5(2) of the Official Plan by creating a balance of high quality commercial and<br />

residential uses in a manner that reduces automobile dependency and meets<br />

the needs of the local community, accommodating additional job opportunities<br />

through the proposed retail/commercial floor space on the site, and providing<br />

for new homes for Toronto’s growing population on lands that are currently<br />

underutilized (given the surrounding built form context and proximity to transit<br />

infrastructure).<br />

The proposed grocery store and retail stores along the Queen Street frontage will<br />

serve the needs of the local community and will contribute to a vibrant pedestrian<br />

environment. The proposed restaurant and café will also serve the local community<br />

and help draw people into the site.<br />

The proposed autoplex use is compatible with automotive commercial uses<br />

located along the Don Valley corridor. Similar to the BMW dealership to the south,<br />

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it will provide for the adaptive re-use of an existing building located within the Lower<br />

Don Special Policy Area. It also represents an innovative approach to urbanizing<br />

what has traditionally been a “suburban”, space-extensive land use by sharing<br />

facilities among 5 dealerships, locating all service and car storage functions either<br />

internal to the building or underground and achieving a high level of design.<br />

With respect to the matter of conformity with applicable Special Policy Area policies<br />

in the City of Toronto Part I Official Plan, the proposed arrangement of land uses<br />

will result in the re-use of the existing warehouse building located partially within<br />

the Special Policy Area for non-residential (automotive and ancillary office) uses.<br />

Similarly, the westerly portion of the North Building, located within the Special<br />

Policy Area, is proposed for non-residential automotive uses. The residential uses<br />

in the South Building will be located either on top of and to the east of the retained<br />

portion of the existing warehouse building and, accordingly, would be located<br />

above the flood elevation. Safe access and egress to residential uses will be<br />

provided via the proposed site access from Queen Street.<br />

5.3 Avenue Segment Study<br />

As set out in Section 4.3 of this report, the northerly portion of the subject site<br />

fronting on Queen Street is located within an Avenue for which an Avenue Study<br />

has not been completed. The Official Plan permits development to proceed on an<br />

Avenue prior to an Avenue Study, provided that development proponents address<br />

the larger context and examine the implications for the segment of the Avenue in<br />

which the proposed development is located.<br />

In our opinion, while the limits of the Avenues are not dimensioned on Map 2 of the<br />

Official Plan, the Avenues identification is intended to apply to the portion of the<br />

site having a direct relationship to the Queen Street frontage. The lands related to<br />

the Queen Street frontage are essentially coincident with the lands currently zoned<br />

MCR T2.5 R2.0 C2.0, while the rear (southerly) portion of the lands currently zoned<br />

I2 D3 would fall outside the limit of the Avenues.<br />

In accordance with Policy 2.2.3(3) of the Official Plan, an Avenue Segment Study<br />

was undertaken by The Planning Partnership (May 2014). The study is an update<br />

of a February 2007 version of the study prepared by The Planning Partnership in<br />

support of the rezoning applications for 625 Queen Street East and 630 Queen<br />

Street East.<br />

The Avenue Segment Study concludes as follows:<br />

“The focus of this evaluation has been primarily upon how<br />

the portion of the proposed mixed use development at 677<br />

Queen Street East and 77-79 East Don Roadway that fronts onto<br />

the Queen Street corridor achieves the Guiding Principles<br />

and conforms to the requirements set out in the Planning<br />

Framework. Based upon the evaluation of this component<br />

of the proposed mixed use developments, the proposed<br />

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development achieves the objectives of the Guiding<br />

Principles and conforms to the requirements set out in the<br />

Planning Framework. As a result, the applications conform<br />

to the policies of the City of Toronto Official Plan and<br />

implements the intent of the ‘Avenues’ concept . . .<br />

“In conclusion, the proposed development does not alter the<br />

findings of the previous segment study. The proposed uses, form,<br />

scale and intensity of development are appropriate for the Queen<br />

Street corridor, the remainder of the development sites and the area.<br />

Incremental development, including the proposed development, will<br />

have no adverse impacts on the area and will continue to establish<br />

a desirable positive precedent for the rest of the Avenue Segment.”<br />

5.4 Height, Massing and Density<br />

In our opinion, and as noted in Section 5.1 above, the subject site is an appropriate<br />

location for intensification in land use policy terms. From a built form perspective,<br />

the subject site is a contextually appropriate location for mid-rise buildings<br />

located along the Queen Street frontage, while the southerly portion of the site is<br />

contextually appropriate for taller buildings given its overall size, site dimensions,<br />

proximity to transit service and its relation to other existing and approved tall<br />

buildings. In this respect, it is our opinion that the subject proposal satisfies the<br />

criteria established in Policy 3.1.3(2) of the Official Plan for the location of a tall<br />

building.<br />

From a broader urban structure perspective, the subject site is located at the<br />

westerly edge of the South Riverdale area. While the built form character of<br />

South Riverdale east of Broadview Avenue is predominantly low-rise, with midrise<br />

development along mainstreets such as Queen Street, Gerrard Street and<br />

Danforth Avenue, there are widely spaced clusters of taller buildings located along<br />

the westerly edge of the area, adjacent to the Don Valley corridor. The height<br />

of the proposed 24-storey building is in keeping with existing, approved and<br />

proposed heights along the east edge of the Don Valley corridor, as set out below:<br />

@ Gerrard Street<br />

- 14 St. Matthews Road (Bridgepoint Hospital) 12 storeys 47 metres<br />

@ Danforth Avenue<br />

• 655 Broadview Avenue (Montcrest Apartments) 24 storeys<br />

• 10 Hogarth Avenue (Montcrest Apartments) 23 storeys<br />

• 50 Cambridge Avenue (Rosedale East Apts.) 21 storeys<br />

• 70 Cambridge Avenue (Rosedale East Apts.) 21 storeys<br />

• 33 Eastmount Avenue 24 storeys<br />

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@ Mortimer Avenue/Pottery Road:<br />

• 980 Broadview Avenue (Helliwell Place) 23 storeys<br />

• 1000 Broadview Avenue (Broadview Towers) 18 storeys<br />

• 1010 Broadview Avenue (Olgate Terrace) 19 storeys<br />

• 1042 Broadview Avenue (Minto Skyy) 26 storeys 76 metres<br />

• 1050 Broadview Avenue (Broadview Housing Co-op) 15 storeys<br />

Furthermore, although there are as yet no approved or proposed heights<br />

associated with the First Gulf 21 Don Roadway proposal, the densities being<br />

contemplated there (in the order of 12.0 FSI) would dictate the inclusion of tall<br />

buildings with significant height as part of that proposal. It is noted that there are<br />

currently no height limits applying to the 21 Don Roadway site, which is zoned to<br />

permit a maximum density of 5.0 FSI.<br />

As well, the proposed 24-storey height will relate to existing and approved heights<br />

on the west side of the Don Valley corridor, within the West Don Lands, which<br />

includes approved heights up to 25 storeys (29 storeys proposed).<br />

From a massing perspective, the proposed development provides for an<br />

appropriate transition in heights from mid-rise buildings fronting on Queen Street<br />

to taller buildings located on the southerly (interior) portion of the site.<br />

Within Phase 1, the 7-storey building fronting on Queen Street steps back above<br />

the 4 th and 6 th floors, with an overall height of 22.8 metres. In Phase 2, the 7-storey<br />

building fronting on Queen Street steps back above the 4 th and 5 th floors, with an<br />

overall height of 25.1 metres. In our opinion, the proposed mid-rise height and<br />

massing is appropriate for the Queen Street frontage, with a streetwall height that<br />

is generally less than 80% of the right-of-way width and the upper floors terraced<br />

back to maintain comfortable sunlight and sky view conditions on the street. In<br />

this regard, the streetwall height for the proposed Phase 1 building is 13.8 metres,<br />

while the Phase 2 building streetwall is 15.5 metres in height, with the exception of<br />

the 5-storey architectural element at the northwest corner of the building.<br />

Within the interior portion of the site, the northerly 12-storey building in Phase 1<br />

will maintain an appropriate transition in height, stepping down to the 7-storey<br />

building fronting on Queen Street. The proposed 24-storey tower will be located<br />

within the southeasterly corner of the Phase 1 lands, well set back from the Queen<br />

Street frontage. Given its approximate 87.5 metre setback from Queen Street,<br />

the proposed tower height (approximately 76.3 metres in height, excluding the<br />

mechanical penthouse) will be well below a 45-degree angular plane measured<br />

from the north side of Queen Street. As well, the tower will be located approximately<br />

150 metres from the closest low-rise Neighbourhoods properties on the east side<br />

of Broadview Avenue.<br />

Within Phase 2, the 13-storey building (43.7 metres in height excluding the<br />

mechanical penthouse, and 46.4 metres including the elevator overrun) will be set<br />

well back from Queen Street (38.3 metres), well below a 45-degree angular plane<br />

measured from the north side of the street.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 53


From a density perspective, it is our opinion that the proposed total density of<br />

5.23 FSI is appropriate and desirable. Firstly, it is appropriate and desirable from<br />

a planning policy perspective to optimize density on the subject site given its<br />

location on an Avenue, its existing level of transit service and its proximity to the<br />

Downtown Core. Secondly, it is noted that the Official Plan does not generally<br />

include density limitations and specifically does not do so in the case of the<br />

subject site. Accordingly, the density number itself should not be determinative;<br />

it is reasonable to establish appropriate densities for the subject site based on<br />

specific built form design, context and urban structure considerations. In this<br />

regard, it is noted that 0.24 FSI of the total proposed 5.23 FSI consists of belowgrade<br />

automotive commercial uses that would have no built form impacts.<br />

Despite the foregoing comments, it is noted that the proposed density is similar<br />

to other existing and approved densities in the area, including 90-100 Broadview<br />

Avenue (5.83 FSI), 630 Queen Street East (5.13 FSI) and 625 Queen Street East<br />

(5.05 FSI).<br />

5.5 Built Form Impacts<br />

In our opinion, the proposed development will have no unacceptable built form<br />

impacts on the surrounding streets, open spaces and properties and, in particular,<br />

on lands designated Neighbourhoods.<br />

The Official Plan development criteria applying to the Mixed Use Areas<br />

designation have a particular focus on potential built form impacts on adjacent<br />

lower-scale Neighbourhoods. In particular, Policy 4.5(2)(c) requires buildings to<br />

be located and massed to provide a transition through appropriate setbacks and/<br />

or stepping down of heights towards lower scale Neighbourhoods, while Policy<br />

4.5(2)(d) requires buildings to be located and massed to adequately limit shadow<br />

impacts on adjacent Neighbourhoods. In this respect, the proposed development<br />

provides for an appropriate transition and built form relationship with the lower<br />

scale Neighbourhoods designations to the north and east.<br />

Light, View and Privacy<br />

Light, View and Privacy (LVP) impacts are generally dealt with through a<br />

combination of spatial separation, orientation and mitigating measures between<br />

buildings. As a matter of good urban design practice, a minimum distance of<br />

11 metres is generally used as an appropriate separation distance between<br />

main windows for mid-rise residential buildings. For taller buildings, a greater<br />

separation between buildings is appropriate to address sky view impacts, as well<br />

as light, view and privacy considerations; in this regard, the Tall Building Design<br />

Guidelines recommend a minimum separation distance of 25 metres between<br />

adjacent tall towers.<br />

The proposed buildings are generally in keeping with the above-noted standards.<br />

Within Phase 1, a minimum 11.0 metre separation distance is provided between<br />

the 7-storey Queen Street Building and the 12-storey North Building, while the<br />

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separation distance between the residential units in the North and South Buildings<br />

is a minimum of 21.0 metres, measured across the east-west private lane.<br />

To the west, the Queen Street building is built to the edge of the abutting private<br />

lane, and would have some main windows facing west. The building on the west<br />

side of the private lane (655 Queen Street East) is also built to the edge of the lane<br />

and appears to have residential windows that face east. The resulting window<br />

separation distance would be approximately 4.8 metres, less than the general 11<br />

metre standard. However, it is our opinion that the reduced separation distance is<br />

acceptable in this circumstance based on the following considerations:<br />

• the Queen Street Building as proposed will help fill in the streetwall and<br />

contribute to the reurbanization of Queen Street, whereas increasing the<br />

side yard setback would result in a less continuous streetwall and a more<br />

suburban built form;<br />

• the 3-storey portion of the adjacent building at 655 Queen Street East has a<br />

depth of only approximately 20 metres, which means that the southwesterly<br />

unit in the the proposed Queen Street Building would be unaffected (its<br />

views would look over the one-storey rear portion of the 655 Queen Street<br />

building);<br />

• the northwesterly unit in the proposed Queen Street Building would have<br />

its primary views facing northward to Queen Street, with only a secondary<br />

orientation facing west; and<br />

• only the one middle unit on Floors 2-6 facing west would have its main<br />

windows looking west, and the units on Floors 4-6 would look over the<br />

adjacent building, with the result that only two units (on Floors 2 and 3)<br />

would have a direct facing condition.<br />

To the north, the North Building will have window separation distances of<br />

approximately 30 metres to the closest south-facing residential windows in the<br />

commercial-residential blocks at 639-655 Queen Street East, well in excess of the<br />

general 11 metre standard. To the northwest, the Edge Lofts building (625 Queen<br />

Street East) is located adjacent to the north limit of the private lane and would<br />

have a separation distance of only approximately 6.6 metres from the proposed<br />

North Building. However, in our opinion, this relationship is acceptable given that<br />

the adjacent portion of the North Building is non-residential (an auto dealership)<br />

and the closest residential units, further to the east, would not directly face the<br />

Edge Lofts building. Furthermore, the south-facing windows in the Edge Lofts<br />

building are secondary windows, with the primary orientation of the units facing<br />

east and west.<br />

The separation distances between the three Phase 1 buildings and the Phase 2<br />

building will be a minimum of 18.3 metres, measured across the proposed private<br />

street, well in excess of the general 11.0 metre standard. The 13-storey building<br />

and the 8-storey component to the south are angled away from the private<br />

street, providing increased separation distances. The south-facing units on the<br />

upper three floors of the 7-storey Phase 2 building have a separation distance<br />

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of 11.0 metres from the north face of the 13-storey building, in keeping with the<br />

recommended standard.<br />

To the east, the upper three floors of the 7-storey building, which have eastfacing<br />

windows, are set back 5.6 - 5.7 metres from the east property line, in<br />

accordance with the recommended standard (5.5 metres). The 13-storey portion<br />

of the building will be set back 6.38 metres from the east lot line, while the 6-storey<br />

base of the 8-storey component to the south will be set back a minimum of<br />

7.2 metres at the southeast corner of the building, increasing to approximately<br />

9.7 metres as the building façade angles to the northwest. Together with the<br />

intervening private lane (approximately 6.0 metres in width) and the setbacks to<br />

the residential units at 90-100 Broadview Avenue (3.0 metres to the upper four<br />

floors at 100 Broadview and 5.0 metres to the units at 90 Broadview Avenue), a<br />

separation distance of approximately 18.2-18.7 metres will be provided, well in<br />

excess of the general 11.0 metre standard. The building at 68 Broadview Avenue,<br />

to the southeast, is set back further from the east lot line, and would have greater<br />

separation distances.<br />

The siting of the 13-storey building element to the north of the buildings at 68<br />

and 90 Broadview Avenue will mitigate light, view and privacy impacts for the<br />

buildings to the east. As well, the siting of the 13-storey building will maximize<br />

the separation distance from the proposed 24-storey tower at the south end of<br />

the subject site. In this respect, the proposed 24-storey building will maintain a<br />

minimum 25-metre separation distance from all existing and planned tall buildings,<br />

in accordance with the recommendations of the Tall Building Design Guidelines.<br />

Shadow Impacts<br />

Official Plan Policies 3.1.2(3) and 4.5(2)(d) require that new development<br />

adequately limit shadowing on neighbouring streets, properties (particularly those<br />

designated Neighbourhoods) and open spaces, having regard for the varied<br />

nature of such areas. A shadow study has been prepared by RAW assessing the<br />

shadow impacts at the spring and fall equinoxes (March 21 st and September 21 st ,<br />

respectively) and at the summer solstice (June 21 st ).<br />

The shadow analysis shows that there would be no incremental shadowing on lands<br />

designated Neighbourhoods, with the exception of small slivers of shadow cast on<br />

the east side of Broadview Avenue at 4:18 p.m. and 5:18 p.m. on September 21 st .<br />

At other times of the afternoon, the shadows cast by the proposed development<br />

would not reach the Neighbourhoods designation or would be subsumed in the<br />

shadows cast by the buildings at 68, 90 and 100 Broadview Avenue. In total,<br />

there would be in fact, there would be virtually no incremental shadowing on lands<br />

within the Neighbourhoods designation. Shadow impacts on the north sidewalk<br />

of Queen Street would be limited to 9:18 a.m. and 10:18 a.m. on September 21 st ,<br />

with no impacts from 11:18 a.m. onwards.<br />

Based on the foregoing analysis, it is our opinion that the incremental shadowing<br />

on the Neighbourhoods designation and the adjacent streets satisfy the Official<br />

Plan criterion of being “adequately limited”, having regard for the nature of the area<br />

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which is planned for mid-rise intensification along Queen Street. There would be<br />

no shadow impacts on any nearby parks.<br />

Wind Impacts<br />

A qualitative pedestrian level wind assessment, was undertaken by Gradient<br />

Wind Engineering Inc. (GWE), which concludes that the pedestrian comfort at<br />

most of the ground level locations is expected to remain acceptable according<br />

to the comfort guidelines and comfortable during the warmer summer months.<br />

Additionally, the introduction of the proposed development is not expected to<br />

considerably influence existing grade-level wind conditions near the study site. In<br />

particular, although modest changes to wind speeds may occur beyond the site<br />

property, pedestrian comfort over areas outside the immediate influence of the<br />

study site is expected to remain similar to existing conditions.<br />

Although wind conditions at the main entrances are expected to be relatively<br />

calm and acceptable during the summer and autumn months, windier conditions<br />

suitable for standing and walking are anticipated with some regularity during the<br />

colder spring and winter months. Therefore, the use of vestibules at all main<br />

residential and retail building entrances is recommended, which will ensure<br />

adequate pedestrian wind comfort year-round.<br />

Within the context of typical weather patterns, no dangerous or consistently<br />

strong wind conditions are expected anywhere over the subject site on an annual<br />

basis. Of particular interest, no areas over the study site are likely to experience<br />

conditions that would be considered unsafe for elderly persons or consistently<br />

troublesome.<br />

5.6 Urban Design<br />

From an urban design perspective, the proposal will improve and urbanize the<br />

overall design and appearance of the subject site, which is currently dominated<br />

by surface parking areas along the Queen Street frontage.<br />

The two proposed 7-storey buildings along the Queen Street frontage represent<br />

an appropriate expression of a mid-rise building form that is sensitive to the site<br />

configuration and surrounding built form context and are in substantial conformity<br />

with the Official Plan built form policies and the design principles set out in the<br />

City’s Mid-Rise Building Guidelines. The design of the mid-rise buildings will have<br />

a traditional main street “feel” and will employ materials and articulation that will<br />

complement the historic character of Queen Street East.<br />

The proposed 24-storey tower conforms with the applicable Official Plan policies<br />

regarding built form and tall buildings and is in keeping with the Tall Building Design<br />

Guidelines. The other buildings within the site, which predominantly exhibit a<br />

mid-rise form, with a single taller 13-storey element, conform with the applicable<br />

Official Plan built form policies.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 57


In addition, the proposed landscape and public realm plans will enhance the<br />

attractiveness of the site and provide pedestrian connections through and<br />

adjacent to the site to help knit the site and the adjacent public sidewalks into the<br />

broader public realm.<br />

In our opinion, the proposed built form and urban design conform with the criteria<br />

for development in Mixed Use Areas and with the general built form policies as set<br />

out in the Official Plan, in particular, Policies 3.1.2(1), 3.1.2(2), 3.1.2(3), 3.1.2(4),<br />

3.1.2(5) and 4.5(2). Specifically:<br />

• the mid-rise buildings are located parallel to Queen Street, each with<br />

consistent front yard setbacks (a zero setback in the case of the Phase 1<br />

building and a 1.2 metre ground floor setback in the case of the Phase 2<br />

building);<br />

• entrances to retail uses, including the grocery store in Phase 2, face Queen<br />

Street, while automotive retail entrances face East Don Roadway and the<br />

main residential lobby entrances are directly accessible from sidewalks<br />

along the internal private street;<br />

• ground floor non-residential (retail) uses are provided that have views into<br />

and access to Queen Street and East Don Roadway;<br />

• all parking is located underground, with the exception of at-grade covered<br />

parking and mezzanine level parking located within the northerly 12-storey<br />

building in Phase 1, internal to the site;<br />

• the underground parking ramps serving the Phase 1 and Phase 2<br />

developments will be located internal to the site and accessed from the<br />

internal private street, while a shared loading area will be located in the<br />

underground garage at the P1 level, all screened from public view;<br />

• parking and loading are accessed from the proposed private street linking<br />

Queen Street and East Don Roadway and from the widened private lane at<br />

the north limit of the site, resulting in a reduction in the number and width of<br />

curb cuts along Queen Street as compared to the existing condition;<br />

• the buildings fronting Queen Street and East Don Roadway are massed to<br />

provide a street wall with good proportion, including a base element that<br />

responds to the street conditions along both streets;<br />

• the mechanical penthouse is incorporated into the design of the 13-storey<br />

building by wrapping it with residential units at the south end, while the<br />

mechanical penthouse for the 24-storey building is incorporated into the<br />

building mass;<br />

• an appropriate transition in scale is provided to neighbouring buildings<br />

through the siting of taller building elements and the use of stepbacks on<br />

the mid-rise buildings;<br />

• adequate light and privacy is provided for the proposed residential units as<br />

well as for residential units in adjacent buildings; and<br />

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• the building massing adequately limits shadowing and wind impacts on<br />

neighbouring streets, properties and open spaces.<br />

In addition, although the “Avenues & Mid-Rise Buildings Study” does not apply<br />

to Queen Street East, the proposed 7-storey buildings fronting Queen Street are<br />

substantially in accordance with the recommended Performance Standards for<br />

Mid-Rise Buildings, including the following:<br />

• Maximum overall height (Performance Standard #1): The maximum<br />

allowable height of buildings on the Avenues will be no taller than the width<br />

of the Avenue right-of-way, up to a maximum mid-rise height of 11 storeys<br />

(36 metres), excluding a 5.0 metre wrapped mechanical penthouse. The<br />

right-of-way width of Queen Street is 20.0 metres. The proposed heights<br />

to the main roofs are 22.8 metres and 25.1 metres in Phase 1 and Phase<br />

2, respectively, and therefore slightly exceed the 1:1 ratio. In the application<br />

of the Mid-Rise Building Guidelines, such minor exceedances are typically<br />

permitted, provided the upper floors are stepped back, as is proposed in<br />

this instance. The greater height of the Phase 2 building reflects the higher<br />

floor-to-floor height on the ground floor to accommodate the grocery store.<br />

• Minimum ground floor height (Performance Standard #3): The minimum<br />

floor to floor height of the ground floor should be 4.5 metres, in part to<br />

facilitate retail uses at grade. The proposed ground floor heights (4.8<br />

metres in the Phase 1 building and 6.2 metres) are in accordance with this<br />

standard.<br />

• Front façade (Performance Standard #4A): The building envelope should<br />

allow for a minimum of five hours of sunlight onto the Avenue sidewalks<br />

from March 21 to September 21, by limiting the street wall height to 80%<br />

of the right-of-way width (i.e. 16 metres) and stepping back upper storeys<br />

within a 45-degree angular plane. The proposed streetwall heights along<br />

Queen Street are predominantly 4 storeys (13.8 metres for the Phase 1<br />

building and 15.5 metres for the Phase 2 building), which fully comply, while<br />

the 5-storey corner architectural element (18.8 metres in height) slightly<br />

exceeds the 80%.<br />

• Front façade: Pedestrian Perception Step-back (Performance Standard<br />

#4B): A pedestrian perception stepback of at least 1.5 metres may be<br />

required; the location of this stepback is flexible. The upper portions of the<br />

buildings are set back metres from the base 4-storey and 5-storey element<br />

by more than 1.5 metres (3.0 metres in the case of the Phase 1 building<br />

and 6.0 metres in the case of the Phase 2 building).<br />

• Front façade: Alignment (Performance Standard #4C): The front wall of<br />

mid-rise buildings should be built to the front property lines or applicable<br />

setback lines. The proposed buildings are built close to the Queen Street<br />

property line.<br />

• Side Property Line (Performance Standard #8): Mid-rise buildings should<br />

be built to the side property lines, to create continuous facades and avoid<br />

blank side walls. Mid-rise buildings should be built to the side property lines<br />

for no less than 10.5 metres of building height and up to 6 storeys. Side<br />

property stepbacks should be provided above the 80% height to increase<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 59


sky views and sunlight access to the sidewalk. The proposed Phase 1<br />

building is built to the west side property line to its full 7-storey height,<br />

slightly in excess of the recommended 6-storey height. The proposed<br />

Phase 2 building is built to the east property line and is stepped back above<br />

the 4 th storey, in accordance with the recommended performance standard.<br />

• Building Width – Maximum Width (Performance Standard #9): Building<br />

frontages more than 60 metres in width should be articulated or “broken up”<br />

to ensure that facades are not overly long. The massing of the proposed<br />

building Phase 2 building along Queen Street, which is approximately 63<br />

metres long, is broken up into three elements through the use of inset<br />

building elements, changes in building materials and variation in façade<br />

heights.<br />

• Balconies and Projections (Performance Standard #12): Balconies on the<br />

front facade (projecting or inset) should not be located within the first 3<br />

storeys, while balconies on the street-facing façade between 3-6 storeys<br />

should be inset behind the street wall within the pedestrian perception<br />

setback. Balconies on the rear façade should be set back a minimum<br />

of 10 metres from the rear property line. On the Phase 1 building, inset<br />

balconies are proposed within the 4-storey building base. Projecting<br />

balconies are not proposed on the upper storeys. On the Phase 2 building,<br />

inset balconies are proposed within the building base (4-5 storeys), with<br />

projecting balconies extending from the inset building element. Above the<br />

6.0 stepback, 1.5 metre balcony projections are proposed, which will not<br />

compromise the pedestrian perception setback.<br />

• Roofs and Roofscapes (Performance Standard #13): Mechanical<br />

penthouses may exceed the maximum height limit by up to 5 metres but<br />

may not penetrate any angular planes. A 3.5 metre mechanical penthouse<br />

is proposed for the Phase 1 building, which would be within all angular<br />

planes. On the Phase 2 building, the proposed elevator overrun is 2.0<br />

metres in height and does not penetrate the applicable angular planes.<br />

• Vehicular Access (Performance Standard #16): Wherever possible, vehicular<br />

access should be provided via local streets and rear lanes. All access is<br />

provided off the proposed internal private street/lane system.<br />

• Loading and Servicing (Performance Standard #17): Loading, servicing<br />

and other vehicular related functions should not detract from the use or<br />

attractiveness of the pedestrian realm. The proposed design satisfies this<br />

performance standard by integrating the garbage, loading, servicing and<br />

utility functions within the P1 level, screened from public view.<br />

The proposed 24-storey building at the south end of the site is generally in keeping<br />

with the applicable design criteria set out in the Tall Building Design Guidelines,<br />

including the following:<br />

With respect to Section 1.3 (Fit and Transition in Scale), transition is achieved at<br />

the scale of the block with a podium of an appropriate scale and articulation. The<br />

location of the proposed tower is appropriate in relation to low-rise residential<br />

neighbourhoods within the vicinity of the subject site.<br />

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With respect to Section 1.4 (Sunlight and Sky View), the tower has a slender floor<br />

plate to limit any potential shadow impacts and improve sky views.<br />

In terms of Section 2.1 (Building Placement and Orientation), the building is<br />

situated parallel to the proposed private street/lane system and the Eastern<br />

Avenue Diversion.<br />

In accordance with Section 2.2 (Building Address and Entrances), the primary<br />

building entrances have been located at grade, with frontage on the private lane<br />

and the pedestrian extension of the private street.<br />

With respect to Section 2.3 (Site Servicing, Access and Parking), the impact of<br />

servicing and parking on the public realm is minimized. Parking is located below<br />

grade, accessed by an internalized parking ramp. Service areas and garbage<br />

storage are internalized at the P1 parking level.<br />

In accordance with Section 2.6 (Pedestrian and Cycling Connections), the<br />

proposal will improve pedestrian amenity around the tall building site to connect<br />

with adjacent pedestrian routes, streets, parks and transit infrastructure.<br />

Section 3.1 (Base Building) is addressed through the creation of an 8-storey<br />

podium element.<br />

Section 3.2.1 (Floor Plate Size and Shape) recommends that floor plates be limited<br />

to 750 square metres. The proposed tower is appropriately massed for the site,<br />

with a slender floorplate (approximately 770 square metres gross construction<br />

area) that is marginally in excess of the guideline.<br />

In terms of Section 3.2.3 (Spatial Separation), the proposed tower will be separated<br />

from any existing or planned towers by more than 25 metres.<br />

With respect to Section 4.1 (Streetscape and Landscape), the proposal creates a<br />

high quality with landscaping appropriate to ground floor uses, which include the<br />

residential lobby and residential amenity uses.<br />

5.7 Transportation and Servicing<br />

A Transportation Impact Study was undertaken by LEA Consulting, which<br />

concludes that under future traffic conditions, it is anticipated that all signalized<br />

intersection within the study area will continue to operate at acceptable levels of<br />

service during the peak hours. The added traffic will result in a minimal increase<br />

in overall intersection delay for the signalized intersections during the peak<br />

hours. The study also indicates that the northbound movements at the East<br />

Don Roadway/Queen Street East intersection and existing driveway on Queen<br />

Street East will continue to operate with some noticeable delays during the peak<br />

hour. Due to the increase in site related traffic, intersection improvements such as<br />

signalization along Queen Street East would be required. All other unsignalized<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 61


intersection movements will operate within minimal delays. Due to noticeable<br />

operational impacts a traffic signal would have to the neighbourhood and traffic<br />

operational along Queen Street East, LEA will conduct further review upon detailed<br />

consultation with City staff. However, it should be noted that based on existing<br />

and future operating characteristics, LEA is recommending that a traffic signal be<br />

installed at the Queen Street East and Proposed Driveway/Munro Street.<br />

In terms of parking the study concludes that the proposed parking standard is<br />

below the City of Toronto By-law No. 438-86 and 569-2013 minimum parking<br />

requirement, specifically in regards to residential parking requirements. However,<br />

the proposed rates are in line with other minimum parking rates adopted in nearby<br />

developments.<br />

From a loading perspective, the proposed development will provide 9 underground<br />

loading spaces which will exceed both the City of Toronto By-law No. 438-86 and<br />

569-2013 minimum loading requirements.<br />

A Functional Servicing Report has been prepared by MMM Group, which<br />

concludes that from a water supply perspective, the existing watermains should<br />

have adequate pressure and will be confirmed by the results of the fire flow test.<br />

In terms of sanitary sewage, it is concluded that there is sufficient capacity in the<br />

existing sanitary sewer on East Don Roadway and the existing combined sewer<br />

on Queen Street East to support the proposed developments. The proposed<br />

sanitary service connections for the site will be constructed to match obverts with<br />

the existing sewers.<br />

In terms of storm sewage, the proposed developments will significantly reduce the<br />

storm run-off from the site as the run-off coefficient will be reduced (i.e. proposed<br />

green roof, landscaping area, etc.). Furthermore, in compliance with Wet Weather<br />

Flow Management Guidelines (WWFMG), the proposed development will control<br />

all storm events up to and including the 100-year storm to the 2-year storm event<br />

with a run-off coefficient of 0.50. The 100-year storm flow will be retained on-site<br />

and released at the allowable rates and/or at the existing municipal pipe spare<br />

capacity, whichever is less. The overall rate of discharge from the proposed site;<br />

therefore, the existing municipal sewers will not be affected.<br />

5.8 Community Services and Facilities<br />

A Community Services and Facilities Study was prepared by The Planning<br />

Partnership. The study concludes that the subject site benefits from its central<br />

location in the city, being well served by existing community services and<br />

facilities both within South Riverdale and adjacent neighbourhoods. Further, as<br />

a historically stable neighbourhood with the presence of large scale community<br />

housing projects like Regent Park and Don Mount Court, the existing community<br />

service and facility concentration within the general area provide community<br />

facility and social service capacity that is more than sufficient to support the added<br />

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population generated by the residential and mixed use development anticipated<br />

along the Queen Street East Corridor Segment.<br />

Given the proximity of major redevelopment projects in the area such as the West<br />

Don Lands, Regent Park and Don Mount Court, which are likely to have a significant<br />

impact on the character of the area and are expected to add to subsequent<br />

community facility and social service capacity, the City needs to monitor capacity<br />

as anticipated growth and resulting facility use changes over time to assess future<br />

community needs and opportunities and, if necessary, to develop new community<br />

services and facilities and/or expand existing programming and facility capacity in<br />

South Riverdale and adjacent neighbourhoods.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 63


ousfields inc.


6 CONCLUSIONS<br />

The proposed development is compatible with the existing and planned built<br />

form context and will enhance the area by redeveloping an underutilized parcel<br />

dominated by surface parking with well-designed mid-rise buildings along the<br />

Queen Street frontage and a mix of mid-rise and taller buildings within the interior<br />

of the site. The applicable policy framework at the Provincial and City levels<br />

supports residential intensification on the subject site.<br />

Intensification of areas located in proximity to transit services is specifically<br />

recognized and encouraged by the Provincial Policy Statement, the Growth<br />

Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the Toronto Official Plan in order to<br />

achieve intensification, housing and transit-supportive objectives. In this regard,<br />

the site is located within an Avenue as identified by the Official Plan and within an<br />

“intensification corridor” as defined by the Growth Plan. Residential intensification<br />

of the site will support increased transit ridership on the adjacent streetcar routes<br />

along Queen Street and for proposed transportation improvements in the area.<br />

From an urban form and design perspective, the proposal represents part of a<br />

continuing evolution of this segment of Queen Street. The proposed mid-rise<br />

buildings have been designed to conform with the built form and urban design<br />

policies of the Official Plan, and satisfy the intent of the relevant urban design<br />

guidelines. The height and massing will fit harmoniously with the existing and<br />

planned built form context. The proposed building design provides an appropriate<br />

transition in scale to the adjacent Neighbourhoods area to the north and east,<br />

resulting in minimal and acceptable built form impacts.<br />

Accordingly, it is our opinion that the requested rezoning is appropriate and<br />

desirable and should be approved.<br />

<strong>PLANNING</strong> & <strong>URBAN</strong> <strong>DESIGN</strong> <strong>RATIONALE</strong> | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 65


ousfields inc.


3 Church Street, Suite 200 I Toronto, Ontario M5E 1M2 I, t 416 947-9744, f 416 947-0781, bousfields@bousfields.ca

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