Re-Opening and Amending Item 2024.CC23.8 - 2079-2111 Yonge Street, 9-11, 21, 31, 35 and part of 37 Hillsdale Avenue East, and 12-18 and part of 20 Manor Road East - Ontario Land Tribunal Hearing - Request for Directions - by Councillor Josh Matlow, seconded by Councillor Rachel Chernos-Lin

The application also proposed to partially retain an existing heritage building at 2111 Yonge Street. The applicant appealed City Council's refusal of the Zoning By-law Amendment and Official Plan Amendment to the Ontario Land Tribunal on April 22, 2024. At its meeting on November 13 and 14, 2024, City Council was presented with a without prejudice offer to settle. City Council refused the offer to settle and authorized the City Solicitor to present a counter offer consistent with the settlement offer, but contingent on the applicant providing a minimum of 6 retail units at grade along the Yonge Street frontage to ensure that the fine-grained retail of the "Davisville Village" was maintained. At its meeting on December 17 and 18, 2024, City Council amended its decision on November 13 and 14, 2024, to authorize the City Solicitor to retain outside consultants as necessary to support the City's position at the Ontario Land Tribunal respecting the number of retail units. The City Solicitor attended the Ontario Land Tribunal hearing in support of Council's position on the number of retail units. The Ontario Land Tribunal directed the parties to consider how the proposal could better reinforce the local retail character of the main streets in the Midtown Villages Character Area. In response to this direction, this motion seeks authority for the City Solicitor to attend the Ontario Land Tribunal hearing in support of a minimum of 4 retail units being provided as part of the proposed development and the inclusion of supporting language in the Official Plan Amendment to further emphasize the local retail character of the Midtown Villages. This motion is urgent as there is an ongoing hearing at the Ontario Land Tribunal respecting this matter, which is scheduled to continue on May 29, 2025. REQUIRES RE-OPENING: City Council Item 2024.CC23.8 (November 13 and 14, 2024 City Council Meeting)