895 Lawrence Avenue East - Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment - Decision Report - Appeal

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The decision

2025-05-21 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on May 21 and 22, 2025, adopted the following: 1. City Council direct the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to attend the Ontario Land Tribunal in opposition to the current application regarding the Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment appeal for the lands at 895 Lawrence Avenue East and to continue discussions with the applicant to resolve outstanding issues. 2. In the event that the Ontario Land Tribunal allows the appeal, in whole or in part, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to request that the issuance of any Final Order be withheld until such time as the City Solicitor advises that: a.

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the final form and content of the draft Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendments are to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor and the Executive Director, Development Review; b. the owner has submitted a revised Functional Servicing Report and Stormwater Management Report, Hydrogeological Review, including the Foundation Drainage Report ("Engineering Reports") to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, in consultation with the General Manager, Toronto Water; c. the owner has secured the design and provided financial securities in respect of any upgrades or required improvements to the existing municipal infrastructure identified in the accepted Engineering Reports, to support the development, all to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services and the General Manager, Toronto Water, should it be determined that improvements or upgrades are required to support the development, according to the Engineering Reports accepted by the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services and the General Manager, Toronto Water unless otherwise secured through a holding provision in the by-law; d. the owner has ensured that implementation of the accepted Engineering Reports does not require changes to the proposed amending By-law or that any required changes have been made to the proposed amending By-law to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review, and the City Solicitor, including the use of a Holding ("H") By-law symbol regarding any new municipal servicing infrastructure or upgrades to existing municipal servicing infrastructure, as may be required; e. the owner has submitted a revised Pedestrian Level Wind Study, including an updated wind tunnel test with the identification of any required mitigation measures to be secured in the Zoning By-law Amendment and through the Site Plan Control Process, to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning; f. the owner has submitted an elevation drawing or rendering of the north/front elevation (looking south) showing the proposed development and the adjacent heritage building in their entirety with reference datum lines of the adjacent listed building, as well as a revised Heritage Impact Assessment, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning; g. the owner has submitted a revised Transportation Impact Study, Supplementary Transportation Analysis, Travel Demand Management Plan, and Parking Study all to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the General Manager, Transportation Review; h. the owner has submitted a revised Arborist Study, Tree Preservation Plan, Soil Volume Plan, Landscape Plan, and Planting Plan, to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Urban Forestry; and i. the owner has submitted an updated complete Toronto Green Standards Checklist and Statistics Template, to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review. 3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and City staff to take any necessary steps to implement City Council's decision.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

This Report recommends refusal of the application to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit the development of three residential tower buildings, of which one will contain retail on the ground floor, at 895 Lawrence Avenue East. The proposed towers have heights of 26 storeys (85.05 metres, plus 8 metres mechanical penthouse), 32 storeys (103.05 metres, plus 8 metres mechanical penthouse), and 34 storeys (109.25 metres, plus 8 metres mechanical penthouse).

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The application proposes 1,194 residential units, 496.26 square metres of retail gross floor area, and a Floor Space Index of 9.98. A privately owned publicly accessible space is proposed at the northeast corner of the site, abutting the intersection of Lawrence Avenue East and The Donway West. The proposal also includes two north / south pedestrian paths; one central to the site and one on the west limit of the site. Staff are of the opinion the proposed scale and massing of the development is inappropriate for the subject site. Presently, the Central Don Mills Secondary Plan provides direction that development is to be taller and denser within the ring road (The Donways East and West) and to generally preserve and protect stable residential neighbourhoods, which typically lie outside of the ring road. In addition, the Central Don Mills Secondary Plan currently permits a maximum density of 1 times the lot area for lands designated Mixed Use Areas due to limited transportation infrastructure capacity and a maximum height of 530 feet above sea level (but no more than 8 storeys) for lands designated Mixed Use Areas 'C'. The applicant has not provided adequate justification that the planned transportation infrastructure can adequately support the proposed density of 9.98 times the lot area nor that the proposed heights are appropriate for the site in relation to the existing and planned context. Furthermore, the proposed scale and massing generate unsafe wind conditions throughout key pedestrian areas of the site. It is acknowledged that the applicant has filed an Official Plan Amendment to modify the Central Don Mills Secondary Plan in order to deviate from the Plan's policy direction; however, at this time the proposal in its current form cannot be accepted given its location and existing policy framework / structure and other planning considerations. In light of the above-noted policy factors, Staff are of the opinion that the proposed development is of an inappropriate height, scale, and massing and represents overdevelopment in an area that is not supported through the City's existing policy framework. Staff recommend refusal of the application, and that the applicant consider modifying the proposal.

Staff recommended

The Director, Community Planning North York District recommends that: 1. City Council refuse the application for the Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment (Application Number 22 180913 NNY 16 OZ) for the lands municipally known as 895 Lawrence Avenue East for the reasons identified in this Report. 2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor, together with appropriate City Staff, to appear before the Ontario Land Tribunal in support of City Council's decision to refuse the application, in the event that the decision is appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

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3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and other appropriate City Staff to take any necessary steps to implement City Council's decision, including requesting any conditions of approval that would be in the City's interest, in the event an appeal of Council's decision is allowed by the Ontario Land Tribunal, in whole or in part.

Considered

2025-04-30 · North York Community Council · amended
Decision as filed
North York Community Council recommendations that: 1. City Council direct the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to attend the Ontario Land Tribunal in opposition to the current application regarding the Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment appeal for the lands at 895 Lawrence Avenue East and to continue discussions with the applicant to resolve outstanding issues. 2. In the event that the Ontario Land Tribunal allows the appeal, in whole or in part, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to request that the issuance of any Final Order be withheld until such time as the City Solicitor advises that: a.
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The final form and content of the draft Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendments are to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor and the Executive Director, Development Review; b. The owner has submitted a revised Functional Servicing Report and Stormwater Management Report, Hydrogeological Review, including the Foundation Drainage Report ("Engineering Reports") to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, in consultation with the General Manager, Toronto Water; c. The owner has secured the design and provided financial securities in respect of any upgrades or required improvements to the existing municipal infrastructure identified in the accepted Engineering Reports, to support the development, all to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services and the General Manager, Toronto Water, should it be determined that improvements or upgrades are required to support the development, according to the Engineering Reports accepted by the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services and the General Manager, Toronto Water unless otherwise secured through a holding provision in the by-law; d. The owner has ensured that implementation of the accepted Engineering Reports does not require changes to the proposed amending By-law or that any required changes have been made to the proposed amending By-law to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review, and the City Solicitor, including the use of a Holding ("H") By-law symbol regarding any new municipal servicing infrastructure or upgrades to existing municipal servicing infrastructure, as may be required; e. The owner has submitted a revised Pedestrian Level Wind Study, including an updated wind tunnel test with the identification of any required mitigation measures to be secured in the Zoning By-law Amendment and through the Site Plan Control Process, to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner, City Planning; f. The owner has submitted an elevation drawing or rendering of the north / front elevation (looking south) showing the proposed development and the adjacent heritage building in their entirety with reference datum lines of the adjacent listed building, as well as a revised Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning; g. The owner has submitted a revised Transportation Impact Study, Supplementary Transportation Analysis, Travel Demand Management Plan, and Parking Study all to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner, City Planning and the General Manager, Transportation Review; h. The owner has submitted a revised Arborist Study, Tree Preservation Plan, Soil Volume Plan, Landscape Plan, and Planting Plan, to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Urban Forestry; and i. The owner has submitted an updated complete Toronto Green Standards (TGS) Checklist and Statistics Template, to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review. 3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and City staff to take any necessary steps to implement City Council's decision.
2025-05-21 · Toronto City Council · adopted

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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