The Danforth Avenue Study PART 5 5.1 Policy Changes Implementation 5.1/ Policy Changes 5.2/ Municipal Real Estate Investment Plan 5.3/ Additional Tools New Official Plan The new Official Plan designates the lands adjacent to Danforth Avenue as a Mixed Use Area with an Avenue overlay. This is an appropriate designation which is fully supported by the vision and recommendations within this report. The new Official Plan does not include a Secondary Plan for the Oakridge Community, hence the Mixed Use Area and related development policies will establish the primary policy direction for redevelopment. Working under the expectation that the new Official Plan will come into effect and will contain the policies that are currently under consideration, amendments to the policies of the new Official Plan to support this Avenue Study will not be required. The City should consider amending the new Official Plan by creating a Secondary Plan or Area Specific Policy which include high level Urban Design policies and by attaching Detailed Guidelines as an appendix to the Plan. This would establish a mechanism to implement the Urban Design Guidelines recommended in Section 4.5 and would give them formal status as a guide to the review of future rezoning and minor variance applications and all Site Plan Approvals. Existing Official Plan Should implementation of the new Official Plan be delayed, the existing (former City of Scarborough) Official Plan and Secondary Plan will continue as the governing policy direction. The Official Plan and Oakridge Community Secondary Plan set out the goals and objectives of the City with respect to the development and redevelopment of lands along Danforth Avenue. One of the fundamental recommendations within this Study is that the policy direction for Danforth Avenue be forward looking and embrace an urban vision for the Avenue. Existing policies in the Official Plan and Secondary Plan are generally appropriate in their focus and thrust. They encourage the development of a mix of retail and services uses, housing, offices and community facilities to create a pedestrianoriented 'Main Street'. The Secondary Plan's Residential Mixed-Use designation recognizes existing automotive uses but does not permit the addition of new autooriented developments as further service stations, used car sales lots and public garages are not permitted on properties fronting on Danforth Avenue. Though new industrial uses are not prohibited by the Commercial Mixed-Use designation, new industrial uses must be compatible with surrounding residential and commercial uses. 78 The Danforth Avenue Study , Toronto 2006 Generally, permitted commercial uses on Danforth Avenue should include banks, business and professional offices, day nurseries, financial institutions, funeral homes, hotels and motels, medical centres, offices, personal service shops, places of entertainment, private home daycares, restaurants, retail stores, recreational uses, specialized commercial uses. Institutional uses, such as places of worship, educational institutions and fraternal organizations, should also be permitted. Permitted residential uses will include multiple family dwellings. Single-family detached dwellings, semi-detached dwellings, duplexes and stacked townhouses should not be permitted along Danforth Avenue. The policy focus respecting auto uses is generally appropriate, given the historic and current economic importance of auto uses to the Avenue. An important conclusion of this Study is that most existing auto uses should be permitted to remain as legal as of the date the by-laws which implement the Danforth Avenue Study are passed, under the assumption that these properties will be redeveloped when market conditions are favourable, given the significant development provision in the recommend zoning. In keeping with current Official Plan policy, new auto uses along Danforth Avenue should not be permitted. Although the policy direction and permitted land use designations are appropriate, site or area specific amendments to the Secondary Plan would be required to emphasize higher densities as well as good urban design, which is highly appropriate in the context of the vision for the Study Area set out in this report. Currently, maximum permitted densities are limited to between 1.0 and 1.5 times the site area, which is insufficient to achieve the level of intensification envisioned in this report and insufficient to ensure that places of interest and an adequate number of people will populate Danforth to create a vibrant Avenue. Land Use policies should intensify development along Danforth Avenue, specifically in the precinct areas. The Land Use Plan and the Urban Design Plan provide direction with respect to appropriate densities along the Avenue. The Official Plan and Secondary Plan should be amended to reflect these recommendations, with permitted densities ranging between 2.0 and 4.0 times the area of the lot, depending upon location, and, as above, the City might consider an amendment to the Official Plan to implement the Urban Design Guidelines recommended in this Study. Zoning The zoning within the Study Area, which is subject to Oakridge Community Bylaw 9812, is complex and there are approximately 13 different land use zones on Danforth Avenue. This fragmentation does not permit an appropriate degree of certainty to allow for a suitable range of land uses to be developed in response to changing market conditions. From a building massing and urban design perspective, the lack of rigorous and consistent standards has contributed to the pattern of development apparent in the Study Area today, which lacks cohesiveness. This condition sends an implicit signal to the market that there is no strong vision for how the area is to change over time. The zoning should be completely revised, either across the Avenue or on a block by block basis, to correspond with the level of development proposed in this Study, specifically with respect to the Urban Design Plan. As well, the permitted gross floor area of development in these zones is low, generally between 33% to 100% of the site area, and should be increased to between 2.0 and 4.5 times the site area, depending upon location, and should be consistent with amendments made to the Official Plan and Secondary Plan. Height permissions should be in accordance with those on the Land Use Plan and Urban Design Plan. Policies that address the provision of parking within the Study Area should be introduced in addition to building and land use policies. These policies should restrict the development of surface parking lots and parking structures fronting on Danforth Road or Danforth Avenue and should address the physical relationship of parking facilities to public places and residential areas. Again, these should reflect the recommendations in the Urban Design Plan and Land Use Plan. To promote consistency of development form, the same zoning standards should be adopted across the length of the corridor and should be drafted around the Urban Design Plan. This will ensure that expanded or redeveloped auto uses will be subject to the same design standards as new mixed uses, such as: • A minimum height of 3 storeys for new mid-rise development on primary streets; • A 0.0 metre setback from the front lot line on primary streets and a 1.5 metre setback from the front lone line on secondary and local streets; and, • Locating access and service doors off a side street or rear laneway. Zoning changes with respect to uses will follow the recommended revisions to the existing Official Plan and Secondary Plan. Zoning will have to include both a residential and a commercial category. Most existing auto uses should be permitted to remain as legal. While these properties will not spearhead redevelopment, it is expected that they will gradually be redeveloped over time. New auto uses (gas stations, auto sales centres and parts, service and repair centres) should not be permitted. Notwithstanding, there are four Danforth properties currently used for auto parts and service uses that the City may wish to consider making legally nonconforming: • 3180 Danforth Ave (currently N&J Car Mechanics and Premium Plus Auto, west of Pharmacy Avenue); • 3353 Danforth Ave (currently General Auto Service, west of Byng Avenue); • 3310 Danforth Ave (currently Auto Trim & Upholstery, west of Robinson Avenue); and, • 3465 Danforth Ave (currently Racetrack Auto Centre, west of Leyton Avenue). The Danforth Avenue Study PART 5 Implementation non-conforming would be permitted to remain but cannot be expanded without planning approval. The City can determine at the time of an application for expansion whether the expansion should be denied, with the hope that the use will relocate elsewhere, or whether the use can be successfully incorporated into the ground floor of a mixed use building. Several properties south of Danforth Avenue and north of the CN tracks are also auto-focused. These properties are beyond the scope of this Study and the above policy recommendations do not apply. The City should, however, Study the impact of any auto use policy changes proposed for Danforth Avenue on properties throughout the broader community. The City should review all adjacent planning regulations and consider whether such properties should have similar auto use policies or whether the proposed policies might inadvertently affect the number of auto uses on nearby lands. N&J Car Mechanics and Premium Plus Auto is directly south of Madelaine Park and the remaining three are adjacent to Oakridge Park. As these parks are important civic amenities and are expected to be focal points along Danforth Avenue, it would be desirable to more actively encourage these properties to be redeveloped as Mixed Use. Generally, auto sales centres will be permitted to remain as legal uses. Many of these businesses are on leased land and will relocate as market pressure intensifies. As they are often housed in temporary structures and, as the sole use, will not likely seek significant expansion it will be difficult to enforce specific design guidelines. If the site is to be redeveloped, but the use is to remain as part of a larger development, they will have to be incorporated into the ground floor of a mixed use building and will be subject to the same zoning standards and urban design guidelines as other new developments along the Avenue. Auto parts and service centres that will be permitted to remain as legal uses should be allowed minor variances but, larger changes or an expansion would trigger a full consideration of the uses in relation to the approved zoning and urban design guidelines. The four auto service stations that are recommended to be legally The Danforth Avenue Study , Toronto 2006 Page 1 79 The Danforth Avenue Study PART 5 Implementation Summary of Recommendations The following chart summarizes the zoning recommendations for Danforth Avenue referenced throughout this report. These recommendations will guide amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law, where applicable. Parking Minimum Residential Visitor: 0.2 stalls per unit; 0.13 stalls per unit as area public parking becomes available supporting justification required Danforth Avenue Zoning Recommendations Use Height Height Density 80 The Danforth Avenue Study , Toronto 2006 Commercial uses at grade with commercial uses or multiple family dwellings above grade Office Commercial: Maintain “Reduced” parking standards option in existing Oakridge Community Bylaw modify requirements > 1000 sq.m. for office parking to 2.5 stalls per 100 sq. m. of GFA Permitted commercial uses should include banks, business and professional offices, day nurseries, financial institutions, funeral homes, hotels and motels, medical centres, offices, personal service shops, places of entertainment, private home daycares, restaurants, retail stores, recreational uses, specialized commercial uses. Institutional uses, such as places of worship, educational institutions and fraternal organizations, should also be permitted. New auto uses (gas stations, sales centres and service and repair centres) should not be permitted. Minimum 3 storeys Generally Maximum 5 storey base plus 2 storey setback (with a setback of 1.5 metres) Key Nodes Maximum 8 storey base plus 2 storey setback (with a setback of 1.5 metres) Pre-war Main Street Maximum 2 storey addition Minimum 2.0 fsi minimum Generally 3.5 fsi maximum Key Nodes 4.5 fsi maximum Pre-war Main Street 2.5 fsi maximum Primary Streets 0.0 metres from the front lot line Secondary & Local Streets 1.5 metres from the front lot line Residential Tenant: Bachelor - 0.3 stalls per unit; 1 bdrm - 0.7 stalls per unit; 2 bdrm 1.0 stalls per unit; 2+ bdrm 1.2 stalls per unit. Retail Uses: 1 stall per 80 square metres of GFA Restaurant Uses: 1 stall per 33 square metres of GFA Maintain existing minimum bylaw supply rates for remaining land uses in Oakridge Community Bylaw; Adopt Shared Parking Principles similar to City of Mississauga standards achieves slightly higher office rates during weekday afternoon periods relative to City of Toronto standards. Maximum Proposed commercial parking supply beyond the minimums identified shall be provided in municipally operated parking facilities see “Provision of publicly available parking supply” in Section 4.7.3.9 for options of achieving this strategy. Maximize On-street Paid Parking along Danforth corridor Consider Permit Parking system for residential side streets General Parking Policies Staff should recommend for approval by Council a well understood, publicly acceptable method for the provision of area public (municipal) parking coincident with the adopted Zoning recommendations provided for herein. The Danforth Avenue Study PART 5 Implementation 5.2 Municipal Real Estate Investment Plan Along with facilitating the redevelopment of privately-held lands along Danforth Avenue, these capital initiatives will do much to demonstrate the City's commitment to the transformation and improvement of Danforth and will further augment the improvements completed under the existing Community Improvement Plan. We recommend that the City continue to encourage the involvement of the residents and Business Association, given the success to date with façade and roadway improvements, and to engage in a dialogue with the community and with stakeholders in the Study Area in order to determine how best to move forward. The actual implementation of these capital improvements will also require more detailed technical investigations, and in many cases direct cooperation with private land owners. Achieving the vision for Danforth Avenue will require the participation of numerous private landowners and developers, in cooperation with residents and businesses in the area. However, there are several initiatives which should be led by the City. The Study recognizes that other areas of the City demand the attention of Council and merit investment and within this list of public initiatives a degree of selection and prioritization is required. While many of these are comprehensive, longer term strategies, the purchase of lands to create a small parkette, which immediately enriches an intersection or block, or to connect a street, which immediately improves circulation, are examples where the City can allocate financial resources to achieve the greatest public benefits most quickly. The Municipal Real Estate Investment Plan illustrates some of these potential investments, most of which are focused on the improvement of the public realm. These investments are described in greater detail below. DENTON AVE DENTON AVE O NF DA LANDRY AVE Crossroads Plaza August Parkette Lucy Ave Extension (3 single family houses) 2 Community Facility Mansion Ave Park lands already within public ownership Land Acquisition Land Disposition Coventry linear park St Extension 5 (6Coventry single family houses) MANSION AVE Legend Hollis / Kalmar Park Y ST ENTR COV Ave Extension 3 (4Mansion single family houses) LUCY AVE BALFORD AVE LEYTON AVE BYNG AVE WAKEWOOD ST Parking Facility (subsequent disposition for development: 1206sq.m commercial 85 apartment units) DANFORTH AVE AUGUST AVE KENWORTHY AVE EMMOTT AVE SNEATH AVE THORA AVE VICTORIA PARK AVENUE Parking Facility P Scotia Parkette Danforth Rd 6 Realignment DANFORTH AVE P Denton Ave 7 Extension WARDEN AVE Laundry Parkette RD SCOTIA AVE commercial development (500sq.m. commercial 18 apartment units) mixed use development (760sq.m. commercial 46 apartment/townhouse units) Pharmacy Parkettes Macey Ave Parkette H RT residential development (6 single family houses) AUGUST AVE WANSTEAD AVE Madeleine St 1 Extension ST DUNSTAN DR Sutherland Ave Parkette PHARMACY AVE MACEY AVE residential development (20 townhouse units) Trail Easement Agreement New Roadway Segment-in public ownership | Oakridge Park 4 (19 single family houses) Long term lease agreement or conveyance of portion of property as parkland 0 25m 50m 100m 200m New Roadway Segment-to be acquired City-owned Surplus Land The Danforth Avenue Study , Toronto 2006 Page 1 81 The Danforth Avenue Study PART 5 Implementation Community Improvement Plan Section 28 (2) of the Planning Act provides that a council of a municipality which has an Official Plan containing provisions relating to community improvement may by by-law designate the whole or any part of an area covered by such an Official Plan as a Community Improvement Plan Area. Section 2.6.2 of the Scarborough Official Plan authorizes the designation of areas as Community Improvement Areas and the preparation of Community Improvement Plans. In September 2003, City Council adopted a Community Improvement Plan for the Community Improvement Project Area along Danforth Avenue and Danforth Road from Victoria Park Avenue to Warden Avenue. The by-law passed by Council limited the Community Improvement Plan to the provision of grants under a Commercial Façade Improvement Programme. This by-law should be amended to increase the boundaries of the Community Improvement Project Area, as shown on the adjacent map, to potentially provide incentives for improvement of the public realm by the private sector should applicable programs become available, as is permitted by the Planning Act. These additional powers will allow the City to improve the street network and parking facilities, create more functional and beautiful open spaces and better position certain lands for development. Street Acquisitions and Configurations - Coventry Street, Mansion Avenue and Lucy Avenue Coventry Street, Mansion Avenue and Lucy Avenue are currently disconnected and do not form a complete street south of Danforth Avenue. The City should acquire land within these gaps to create a continuous east west route parallel to Danforth, similar to Denton Avenue on the north side of Danforth Avenue. Although approximately 13 private residential properties would be required to complete this route, a connected street will improve circulation throughout the Study Area and, as a secondary street, it will provide an attractive route for pedestrians and cyclists that links with many existing and proposed parks and the community facility south of Oakridge Park. As well, over 2,000 new residential units can be accommodated along Danforth Avenue and it is anticipated that this additional level of access will ultimately be required. 82 The Danforth Avenue Study , Toronto 2006 Street Acquisitions and Configurations - Danforth Road The existing intersection at Danforth Avenue and Danforth Road is awkward, as Danforth Road does not connect with Danforth Avenue at right angles resulting in the parcel at the northeast corner of the intersection being pie-shaped and difficult to develop intensively. As well, Danforth Road is not aligned with streets on the south side of Danforth Avenue. By acquiring and disposing of land: · Danforth Road can be re-aligned with Danforth Avenue to create a traditional four way intersection with an improved development parcel and plaza on the prominent northeast corner; · Denton Avenue can be re-aligned to connect with Danforth Road in a TIntersection; and, · Some City land can be disposed of to provide land for single-family home and apartment development. Parking The lack of commercial parking for commercial uses has been cited as a community concern and there is little off-street parking throughout Oakridge, other than on a few of the larger privately held properties. As Oakridge redevelops, the need for additional parking will arise. Some lands south of Danforth Avenue have been identified as candidate sites for area public parking. A strategy for pursuing public parking in Oakridge should be adopted given the various means identified in Section 4.7.3 that are available to the City of Toronto. Over time, as development pressure intensifies, the sites can be developed with residential or mixed use buildings and the parking facilities can be incorporated into a below grade parking structure that services both residents of the development and visitors to the area. Parks Although Oakridge Park is a popular community destination and essential City resource, it is not an official park as it is owned by the Toronto District School Board rather than the City. Without City ownership and the certainty that it will remain public open space, the Oakridge community is considered park deficient. The City will need to work with the School Board to either acquire the land, secure a long-term lease or, at a minimum, to formalize its role as a park. The park is currently poorly configured, with street frontage only on Danforth Avenue, reflecting its historic use as an elementary school and limiting access and safety. Ideally, if the City obtains ownership of the park, the western portion of the park can be sold for development and a new public street, and lands on the eastern edge of the park, on the west side of Leyton Avenue, can be purchased to support park expansion. Although 19 private residential properties on Leyton Avenue will be impacted, up to 46 townhouse units can be constructed on the disposed lands. The reconfigured park will have street frontage on all four edges providing better integration with the surrounding community. The potential addition of a community facility south of the park and just north of the rail corridor will further strengthen the park's role as a community asset. Throughout the Study Area, additional lands can be purchased by the City to create new parkettes, where open space would contribute to the streetscape, to improve connections, such as the Coventry linear park, or to facilitate existing park enhancement, such as the Madelaine Street extension which establishes a defined edge along the north side of Madelaine Park. City owned land north of Danforth Avenue, between Macey Avenue and St. Dunstan Drive, can be sold for development of up to 20 townhouse units to finance various land acquisitions. Community Improvement Project Area Implementation 5.3 Many of the recommendations within the Municipal Real Estate Investment Plan include the municipal acquisition of land. The City has several methods for acquiring land, particularly for parks or road purposes, which can be employed to implement these recommendations: New developments within the Study Area should enhance the overall quality of the district in a manner which helps to achieve the vision for the Danforth Avenue. This requires a regulatory approach which is focused on the quality and excellence of built form carefully considered with each new application within the corridor. The design and built form recommendations created through this Study have been established to assist Council in evaluating future development proposals to ensure a high quality of distinctive new development in the corridor. The height and density recommendations established through the Land Use Plan and the Urban Design Plan have been vetted with the broader community, and are appropriate for main street renewal and will not overwhelm the public realm or the existing two to three storey pre-war buildings along the Avenue, or cause excessive shadowing on the public streets. 1. The Development Approval process: either pursuant to the parkland dedication requirements of Section 42 (1) of the Planning Act or pursuant to Section 37, if additional land for parks over and above the dedication requirements is desired. 2. Partnership Agreement: with the Toronto District School Board, for example, to secure the long-term use of Oakridge Park as a publicly accessible park. 3. Right of First Purchase: the City would have the first right to purchase a property when it comes on the market, specifically for houses adjacent to Oakridge Park. This would require prior agreements with specific landowners that grant the City the Right of First Purchase. 4. Capital Improvements: as part of the Parks or Works budget the City could purchase land for parks or road purposes. 5. Land Disposition/Acquisition: to finance the purchase of land for parks or road purposes, the City could sell land to a developer, specifically if the land is considered surplus; the City has the right to acquire and dispose of land pursuant to Section 25 (1) of the Planning Act. 6. Expropriation: though generally a less desirable form of land acquisition, the City could expropriate specific properties for fair market value, particularly hold out properties within a larger group of properties that are being purchased for a park or road expansion. The Danforth Avenue Study PART 5 Implementation Additional Tools It is almost certain that some development applications submitted in the future will exceed the height and density recommendations established through this Study. This plan proposes to treat additional height and/or density as valuable commodities which can used to achieve various public realm improvements within the district, where physically appropriate. Additional height may be considered by council on a quid-proquo basis in which the developer agrees to undertake or fund improvements to the public realm or provide other public benefits such as the development of structured public parking to strengthen commercial use within the corridor. To assist with the assessment of development proposals under these circumstances, it is recommended that a development and design review process for major private sector projects be adopted. The peer review could augment the City's current development application process to address the more qualitative aspects of design and would also be applicable for all public sector and infrastructure projects. This peer review process has been used for new development along Toronto’s waterfront and has been proposed for significant new buildings downtown. A similar approach would benefit Toronto’s Avenues, where the quality of change significantly impacts the future vitality of an Avenue. Council shall consider the allocation of additional height if the development meets the following criteria: · The applicant has submitted all required rezoning information · The proposed development adheres to the design guidelines and recommendations presented in this Study · The applicant has entered into an agreement under Section 37 of the Planning Act to provide public benefits as set out below, and · The applicant has successfully completed Architectural Peer Review | When passing by-laws authorizing additional height and/or density it is recommended that Council shall authorize the use of Section 37 of the Planning Act, and enter into legal agreements under that Section, to secure some or all of the following public benefits: · Land for public park designations as per the Municipal Real Estate Investment Plan (in addition to the parkland dedication requirements of Section 42 (1) of the Planning Act, if additional land for parks over and above the dedication requirements is desired). · Full park development as outlined in the Public Realm Plan, including sidewalks, the planting of trees and landscaping, pedestrian scale lighting, the provision of street furnishing, and special features or amenities as determined by the municipality. · Development of all streetscape frontages of the property abutting a public street to include Secondary Street and Local Street streetscapes. · Community services and facilities, such as new child care facilities · Cash contributions equivalent to a set percentage, to be determined by council, of the project's gross construction costs to be utilized for public realm improvements or other public benefits within the Study Area, including public art. It should be noted that, prior to significant new development along Danforth Avenue, servicing/infrastructure capaCity (as well as transportation, education and community facility capaCity) should be determined before this development can occur so that additional capaCity requirements are known and planned for in advance of development. This report provides the basis for changes to the planning framework, specifically the Scarborough Official Plan, the Oakridge Community Secondary Plan and the applicable Zoning By-law. These changes aim high, but can be achieved through a sustained commitment to the Study’s vision and policy and design recommendations. To successfully direct the future of Danforth towards that of a vibrant and beautiful Avenue, municipal leaders must work with the broader community to champion the objectives of this Study, from the communication of goals through to the development of additional housing units, commercial space and community amenities. 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