STAFF REPORT

November 2, 2004

To: Scarborough Community Council

From: Acting Director, Community Planning, East District

Subject: Preliminary ReportOPA & Rezoning Application 04 175530 ESC 35 OZDraft Plan of Subdivision Application 04 175559 ESC 35 SBProponent: Mattamy (Warden) LimitedArchitect: N/A725 Warden AvenueGolden Mile Employment District (East) Ward 35 - Scarborough Southwest

Purpose:

To provide preliminary information on the above-noted applications and to seek CommunityCouncil's directions on further processing of the applications and on the community consultationprocess.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement :

There are no financial implicationsresulting from the adoption of this report.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) staff be directed to schedule acommunity consultation meetingtogether with the WardCouncillor;

(2) notice for the communityconsultation meeting be given tolandowners and tenants within120 metres of the site;

725 WARDEN AVENUE

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(3) notice for the Public Meeting under the Planning Act be given according to theregulations under the Planning Act, and

(4) staff be directed to take the appropriate action to address any changes to the Golden MileEmployment District Secondary Plan, and the new Toronto Official Plan, that may benecessary as a result of reconsideration of the policy supporting the southerly extensionof Sinnott Road as far as the subject site.

Background:

Warden Corridor Study

The Warden Corridor and Victoria Park Station Land Use Planning Studies commenced inJanuary 2004, and are being undertaken with the assistance of consultants, the planningAlliance.The Warden Corridor study area extends east and west of Warden Avenue from DanforthAvenue to Eglinton Avenue, as shown on the map in Attachment 7. Within this general area anumber of sites, primarily on the east side of Warden Avenue between the Warden Power Centreand Centennial College, have been identified as “areas of potential land use change”, includingthe subject property. The purposes of the Warden Corridor Study are to: determine the best useof the TTC commuter parking lot lands; review the economic viability and importance of theemployment uses; guide the creation of new neighbourhoods with the necessary physical andsocial infrastructure if the conversion of employment land to residential use is supported; and toprovide Council with a context for considering development applications in the study area.

The Warden Corridor and Victoria Park Station Studies have involved an extensive communityconsultation program. A Study Commencement Meeting was held in March 2004. AdvisoryPanels (working groups) of stakeholders have been meeting with City/TTC staff and theconsultants on an on-going basis. The Phase One Report (Background Study) was released inApril. A Charette was held in May, followed by the publication of a Summary Report. ACommunity Information Meeting was held on June 29, 2004, to present the consultant’spreferred land use options. A second Community Information was held on October 19, 2004, atwhich the consultants presented their preferred Public and Land Use Frameworks, and TTC staffpresented updates on the design work for the Warden and Victoria Park Stations. An additionalCommunity Meeting focused on the TTC redevelopment strategy is scheduled for November 9,2004. Study reports and information are posted on the City’s website.

The consultant’s Phase Two Vision/Direction Report is due to be completed and submitted to theCity shortly, and Staff have targeted a transmittal report for the December 7, 2004, meeting ofthe Planning and Transportation Committee. The Phase Three Implementation Report from Staffis targeted for a Public Meeting at the Committee early in 2005.

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Comments:

Proposal

The applications propose amendments to the Scarborough Official Plan and EmploymentDistricts Zoning By-law 24982, as well as a Draft Plan of Subdivision, to permit theredevelopment of the Warden Power Centre shopping centre with approximately 520 residentialunits in 3-storey building forms, including a variety of townhouses and 6 and 8-plex low riseapartments. The proposed tenure is common element condominium. A public park would belocated in the southeast corner of the subdivision. The applicant is also proposing a linear parkblock with a potential walkway adjacent to the former CNR lands, and an open space blockalong the north edge of the site. The development is proposed to be serviced by a series ofprivate driveways and two public roads. The northerly proposed road running east-west wouldconnect with Warden Avenue opposite Fairfax Crescent, and the road running north-souththrough the centre of the site would continue south onto the City property currently used for TTCcommuter parking, and then back west to connect with Warden Avenue opposite the drivewayentrance to 684 Warden Avenue. The applicant proposes that until this public road connectionover the City lands is secured, all of the site traffic would use the northern access to WardenAvenue.

Additional project information is provided in the Application Data Sheet.

Site Description

The site is located on the east side of Warden Avenue, north of St. Clair Avenue East, has afrontage of approximately 246 metres on Warden Avenue, and is approximately 8.8 hectares(21.7 acres) in size.

The property is currently occupied by the two-level Warden Power Centre shopping centre,which was completed in 1982. A significant number of the retail units in the mall are vacant.The remaining tenants include Sportchek, and a variety of discount and outlet retailers, many ofwhich are having moving and closing sales.

There is also a free-standing Tim Horton’s drive-through located on the Warden Avenuefrontage of the property.

The surrounding uses include:

North: Samuel Strapping and other industrial uses.South: Warden North TTC Commuter Parking Lot, TTC subway line, Massey Creek.East: former CNR rail spur, Hydro lands, Birchmount Park Community.West: north of Fairfax Crescent: commercial uses abutting Warden Avenue, 60 Fairfax Crescent

approved for a 7-storey apartment building, WA Porter C.I. secondary school; south ofFairfax Crescent: La Salle Centre residence, single detached dwellings and townhouses,St. Clair Pointe 4-storey apartment building under construction at 684 Warden Avenue,Providence Health Centre.

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Scarborough Official Plan

The site is designated as District Commercial in the Golden Mile Employment DistrictSecondary Plan. The Commercial policies of the Scarborough Official Plan state that a DistrictCommercial nodes are intended for large commercial facilities designed to provide a wide rangeand variety of goods and services, especially comparison shopping (department stores).

The Golden Mile Employment District Secondary Plan contains a policy supporting theextension of Sinnott Road, south of Hymus Road, to serve the redevelopment of the landsbounded by Warden Avenue, St. Clair Avenue, the TTC Bloor/Danforth Subway line and UptonRoad. The actual alignment and connections to the arterial road network would be determinedthrough an Environmental Assessment.

New Toronto Official Plan

At its meeting of November 26, 27, and 28, 2002, City Council adopted the new Official Plan forthe City of Toronto. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing approved the new plan, inpart, with modifications. The Minister's decision has been appealed in its entirety. The OfficialPlan is now before the Ontario Municipal Board and the pre-hearing conferences are takingplace. The next pre-hearing conference has been scheduled for December 7, 2004, and it isanticipated that the Board will set the hearing date at that time.

Once the Plan comes into full force and effect, it will designate these lands as “Mixed Use”.This land use designation is intended for a broad array of residential uses, offices, retail andservices, institutions, entertainment, recreational and cultural activities, in single or mixed usebuildings, as well as parks and open spaces and utilities. The new Official Plan would providefor residential and park land uses. The southerly extension of Sinnott Road is included in theSchedule 2 list of planned but unbuilt roads.

Development within Mixed Use Areas is to create a balance of high quality commercial,residential and open space uses that reduces automobile dependency and meets the needs of thelocal community, and provides new jobs and homes for Toronto’s growing population onunderutilized lands. New buildings are to frame the edges of streets and parks with goodproportion and maintain sunlight and comfortable wind conditions; have access to communityfacilities and transit; have good site access and adequate parking; and provide indoor and outdoorrecreation space for residents. The built form policies aim to ensure that new development islocated and organized to fit harmoniously with its neighbours, and provide attractive amenitieson abutting streets. Underground parking is to be provided where appropriate.

The Plan encourages a full range of housing in terms of form, tenure and affordability, across theCity and within neighbourhoods, to meet the current and future needs of residents. New housingsupply is encouraged through intensification and infill consistent with the Plan. Largeresidential sites, generally greater than 5 hectares in size, provide an opportunity to achieve amix of housing in terms of types and affordability. A minimum of 30% of the new housing units

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is to be in forms other than single and semi-detached houses, such row housing, triplexes andmulti-unit buildings, and a minimum of 20% of the new housing units must be affordable.

The Plan’s policies on building new neighbourhoods recognize that once a decision has beenmade to develop an area as a new neighbourhood, a comprehensive planning framework isrequired. New neighbourhoods will usually need new infrastructure, streets, parks and localservices to support the new development and connect it with the surrounding fabric of the City.New neighbourhoods must also function as communities, not just housing.

The planning framework for a new neighbourhood should reflect the Official Plan’s city-widegoals as well as the local context, and should address the pattern of streets, development blocks,open spaces and other infrastructure; the mix and location of land uses; a strategy to provideparkland and protect or restore natural heritage; a strategy to provide community services; and astrategy to provide affordable housing. New neighbourhoods are to be viable as communities,with a community focal point within easy walking distance of residents and workers; a fine grainof interconnected streets and pedestrian routes that define development blocks; a mix of uses anda range of building types; high quality parks and open spaces, community recreation centres, andpublic buildings; and services and facilities that meet the needs of residents, workers and visitors.New neighbourhoods are to be carefully integrated into the surrounding fabric of the City, andwill have good access to transit and good connections to the surrounding streets and open spaces;uses and building scales that are compatible with surrounding development; community servicesand parks that fit within the wider system; and a housing mix that contributes to the full range ofhousing.

Zoning

The site is currently zoned District Commercial (DC). This zone permits commercial usesincluding financial institutions, places of entertainment, restaurants and retail stores, serviceshops, studios and vehicles sales operations, and vehicle service garages and stations. Daynurseries, offices and places of worship are also permitted. Public parks are permitted as aPublic Use in all zones in Employment Districts. The proposed residential uses are not permittedin the DC zone.

Site Plan Control

The site is subject to site plan control, and one or more applications will be required.

Ravine Control

The site is not subject to the Ravine Control By-law.

Tree Preservation

The applicant has submitted an Arborist Report, which has been forwarded to Urban Forestry forcomments.

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Reasons for the Applications

An Amendment to the Scarborough Official Plan, as well as a rezoning, are required to permitresidential uses on the site. A plan of subdivision is necessary to create the proposed blocks andpublic streets.

The Warden Power Centre was once anchored by a Simpsons/Bay department store and aDominion food store. The applicant has advised that the centre has been transformed into apower centre format dominated by discount retailers, and that retail function of the centre hasbeen seriously eroded by more competitive facilities, particularly to the north along EglintonAvenue in the Golden Mile. The applicant submits that the Warden Power Centre isuncompetitive and obsolete, making the site an ideal candidate for redevelopment, and furtherthat the identification of the property in the Warden Corridor Study as an “area of potential landuse change” is a recognition that the existing land uses are no longer viable.

Issues to be Resolved

The applicant has submitted a Functional Servicing and Stormwater Management Report, anEnvironmental Noise and Vibration Feasibility Study, a Traffic Impact Study, and Phase I and IIEnvironmental Site Assessments. These reports have been circulated to the appropriatedepartments and agencies.

The Warden Corridor land use framework presented by the City’s consultants at the CommunityInformation Meeting on October 19, 2004, suggests that the property should be developed withmid-rise mixed use (5-8 storeys) development along Warden Avenue which could include grade-related retail, and low rise residential (up to 3 storeys) on the interior of the site. The frameworkincludes greenspace generally in the same areas as proposed in the Mattamy applications. Theproposed pedestrian framework includes a trail along the Hydro corridor to the east.

The Warden Corridor public framework of green, vehicular and pedestrian connections presentedby the City’s consultants also suggests that the site should be redeveloped with a more extensivenetwork of both north-south and east-west public roads in place of the system of private roadsproposed by the applicant.

Including more public roads in the site would divide the site into smaller blocks with more publicstreet frontage. More public road frontage would improve public access to the park, and wouldbetter accommodate pedestrian friendly streetscapes including street trees and public sidewalks.Serving the development with public roads instead of private driveways would also facilitatemunicipal garbage collection and snow removal, as well as access for emergency vehicles.

The new Toronto Official Plan seeks a mix of housing types on large residential sites. Thefundamental difference between the four types of townhouses proposed appears to be thelocation of the garages. A greater variety of housing forms should be included. For a project ofthis substantial scale, including a mix of housing types from single and semi-detached through tomid-rise apartment buildings would create a more interesting and attractive neighbourhood. Thehighest densities and heights should be redistributed to locations along the arterial road, and the

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south property line, the parts of the site with the greatest access to transit, with lower densitiesand heights in the interior of the site.

The new Toronto Official Plan requires the provision of affordable housing as a component oflarge residential projects. At this point, it is not clear how this objective is to be met in thisproject.

The Traffic Impact Study submitted by the applicant does not support the southerly extension ofSinnott Road as contemplated in the Scarborough Official Plan, on the grounds that it is notrelevant to the proposed residential development, and that the existing industrial area to the northshould not be linked with a residential area to avoid infiltration by industrial truck traffic.

Concern has been raised that increased traffic resulting from this proposed development mayinfiltrate through the existing Clairlea Community located to the west along Fairfax Crescent.The applicant’s Traffic Impact Study concludes that the residential redevelopment will generateless traffic than the existing retail uses, with the exception of the morning outbound peak hourtraffic. In view of this concern, it is appropriate for the City, in reviewing this application, toconsider traffic control measures to minimize through traffic on Fairfax Crescent.

The proposal should be reviewed against the Ministry of Environment’s guidelines forcompatibility between industrial facilities and sensitive land uses, including recommendedseparation distances. In particular, Economic Development staff have advised that there are twochemical companies operating on Upton Road, which is located relatively close to this site.

CN Railway Properties advises that the noise and vibration study submitted by the applicant didnot assess the impacts of the active rail operations to the north, and did not recommend therequired standard CN warning clause, which should be included in the Subdivision Agreement.In addition, CN requires a minimum setback of 15 metres from the railway right-of-way at thenortheast corner of the property.

The applicant has submitted an archaeological review advising that as there are no intact nativesoils and therefore no potential for archaeological resources, an Archaeological Assessment isunnecessary. This report has been circulated to the City’s Culture Division, and to the Ministryof Culture, for comments.

Additional issues may be identified through further review of the applications, agency commentsand through the community consultation process.

Conclusions :

The applications are being circulated for comments to the relevant departments and agencies.Staff should continue to process the applications and move forward to resolve the issues raised.A community consultation meeting on these applications can be targeted for early 2005, once theapplicant has addressed the initial agency comments.

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The Warden Corridor Study is expected to be completed in early 2005, with a Public Meeting atthe Planning and Transportation Committee in the first quarter of the year. A Public Meetingregarding the Mattamy applications, in accordance with the requirements of the Planning Act,should be targeted for spring 2005, following Council’s consideration of the Warden CorridorStudy. These targets assume that the applicant will provide all required information withoutdelay.

It should be noted that if Council has, through its consideration of the Warden Corridor Study,established the planning framework for this area, then the Public Meeting for the Mattamyapplications would take place at Scarborough Community Council. In the event that delay inCouncil’s consideration of the Warden Corridor Study results in the Mattamy applications beingready to proceed for consideration concurrently with the Study, then the Public Meeting wouldtake place at the Planning and Transportation Committee.

Contact:

Ruth Lambe, Senior PlannerPh: (416) 396-7037Fax: (416) 396-4265Email:rlambe@toronto.ca

Gwen McIntoshActing Director, Community Planning, East District

List of Attachments:

Attachment 1: Site PlanAttachment 2: Elevation Plan (Front Garage and Rear Garage Townhouses)Attachment 3: Elevation Plan (Back to Back Townhouses and Multiplex Apartments)Attachment 4: Official PlanAttachment 5: ZoningAttachment 6: Application Data SheetAttachment 7: Warden Corridor and Victoria Park Station Study Areas

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Attachment 1: Site Plan

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Attachment 2: Elevation 1

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Attachment 3: Elevation 2

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Attachment 4: Official Plan (Map)

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Attachment 5: Zoning (Map)

Development Services

ZoningGolden Mile Employment Bylaw

9/28/04

Urban 725 Warden Avenue

Not to ScaleInstitutional UsesApartment ResidentialTwo-Family ResidentialSingle Family Residential Park

Public UtilitiesSchoolDistrict Commercial Zone

04-175530_OZ, 04_175559_SBFile #

Institutional Public Transit ZoneIndustrial ZoneGeneral Industrial ZoneSpecial Industrial Zone

Open Space Zone Vehicle Service Zone

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Attachment 6: Application Data Sheet

APPLICATION DATA SHEET

Application Type Official Plan Amendment &Rezoning

Application Number: 04 175530 ESC 35 OZ

Details OPA & Rezoning, Standard Application Date: September 21, 2004

Municipal Address: 725 WARDEN AVE, Toronto ON

Location Description: CON C PT LOT 31 PT LOT 32 RP 64R3068 PART 2 **GRID E3502

Project Description: This application is an Official Plan amendment to re-designate the Warden Power Centrelands to allow for residential use and a Zoning by-law amendment to allow for residentialuses with appropriate performance standards (including parking standards) and useallowances.

Applicant: Agent: Architect: Owner:

WALKER, NOTT,DRAGICEVICASSOCIATES LIMITED

MATTAMY (WARDEN)LIMITED

PLANNING CONTROLS

Official Plan Designation: DC-District Commercial Site Specific Provision:

Zoning: DC-District Commercial Historical Status:

Height Limit (m): Site Plan Control Area:

PROJECT INFORMATION

Site Area (sq. m): 87800 Height: Storeys: 3

Frontage (m): 246 Metres: 19

Depth (m): 439

Total Ground Floor Area (sq. m): 23300 Total

Total Residential GFA (sq. m): 57970 Parking Spaces: 954

Total Non-Residential GFA (sq. m): 0 Loading Docks 0

Total GFA (sq. m): 57970

Lot Coverage Ratio (%): 26.54

Floor Space Index: 0.66

DWELLING UNITS FLOOR AREA BREAKDOWN (upon project completion)

Tenure Type: Other Above Grade Below Grade

Rooms: 0 Residential GFA (sq. m): 57970 0

Bachelor: 0 Retail GFA (sq. m): 0 0

1 Bedroom: 0 Office GFA (sq. m): 0 0

2 Bedroom: 0 Industrial GFA (sq. m): 0 0

3 + Bedroom: 0 Institutional/Other GFA (sq. m): 0 0

Total Units: 520

CONTACT: PLANNER NAME: Ruth Lambe, Senior Planner

TELEPHONE: (416) 396-7037

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Attachment 7: Warden Corridor and Victoria Park Station Study Areas