Preliminary Report - 2650-2672 St. Clair Avenue West - Zoning By-law Amendment and Plan of Subdivision Applications

These applications propose the development of 5 blocks of back-to-back townhouse units (Blocks A to E), having a total of 98 three-bedroom units. Each block is proposed to be 4-storeys (12.75 metres) high plus providing an additional pop-up access to rooftop private amenity space. The proposed residential floor area of 14,334 m2 would result in a residential density of 0.73 times the area of the lot. There is an existing 2-storey building that fronts St. Clair Avenue West that is currently under renovation for commercial and office uses. This building has a gross floor area of 6,500 m2, resulting in an overall density of 1.07 times the area of the lot. Each of the townhouses would have two parking spaces and 29 residential visitor parking spaces are proposed. There are 166 parking spaces proposed for the commercial building to be located primarily under the residential portion of the site with some spaces located at grade on the west side of the site, connecting St. Clair Avenue West. Also, a new 2-way public road is proposed to be located on the west portion of the site from St. Clair Avenue West to the existing public lane to the north. The proposal is on the former Danier Leather site. The applicant requested a pre-application consultation meeting for assistance in defining the requirements for application submission. Staff held the meeting with the applicant on April 5, 2018. The application was submitted on August 13, 2018. A notice of Incomplete Application was issued on September 10, 2018, and a subsequent notice of Complete Application was issued on September 25, 2018. A community consultation meeting is anticipated to be held in the first quarter of 2019. A Final Report will be submitted for City Council's consideration following community consultation; the resolution of outstanding issues related to these applications; and the holding of a statutory Public Meeting under the Planning Act. The approval target timeline for the Final Report is anticipated to be the third quarter of 2019. As outlined in this report, City Planning staff have identified concerns with the proposal with respect to: residential building heights, massing, separation distances and location; the number of the townhouses; the location and extent of the public road; the location of the residential and commercial parking spaces; and the lack of on-site public parkland and open space areas as well as other site details. These issues and all additional matters that arise through the development review process will need to be addressed prior to submission of the Final Report to City Council. Please note that in the absence of these issues being resolved and where staff will not be in a position to recommend approval or refusal of the applications, an Interim Directions Report will be submitted to City Council for decision, prior to the expiration of the statutory review period in the Planning Act for these planning applications.