444-466 Eglinton Avenue West - Virtual Community Consultation Meeting


Wednesday, February 28, 2024 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
(UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

If you want to attend, register now. When your registration is approved, you'll receive an invitation to join the webinar.

Host
Jairus Ballaret

Agenda
The City of Toronto Planning Division has received an application to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law in order to permit a 19 storey building including a 7 storey podium with retail on the ground floor fronting onto Eglinton Avenue West. A total of 185 new residential dwelling units are proposed. The total gross floor area (GFA) is 14,984 square metres, consisting of 14,565 square metres of residential GFA and 420 square metres of retail GFA on the ground floor.

Join us at the Virtual Community Consultation Meeting to participate in discussions on the application and have your say.

For further information on 444 – 466 Eglinton Ave West, please view the website at: www.toronto.ca/444EglintonAveW and review the materials before the meeting.
 


Rendering from the article:

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Some folks in the area with a petition to try and limit this to 8 storeys:

 
Some folks in the area with a petition to try and limit this to 8 storeys:


I'm pretty sensitive to community concerns on development, particularly when it's a proposal that contrasts with the vernacular or scale of the area. Still, 19 storeys seems appropriate for a site that is on a main avenue, backing onto a large parking lot, and a stone's throw from a new transit station. Also, compare this project to the 30+ storey proposals along Eglinton between Laird and Mt Pleasant, and this proposal seems more than fair.
 
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I'm pretty sensitive to community concerns on development, particularly when it's a proposal that contrasts with the vernacular or scale of the area. Still, 19 storeys seems appropriate for a site that is on a main avenue, backing onto a large parking lot, and a stone's throw from a new transit station. Also, compare this project to the 30+ storey proposals along Eglinton between Laird and Mt Pleasant, and this proposal seems more than fair.

While I broadly agree, I would call the 7-storey street wall here a jarring interruption of the status quo. *

In general, even where exceptional heights are merited, I tend to advise against going over 4 storeys for street walls. Its generally a bad visual to most people, and it tends to have adverse wind impacts.

* Note that the streetwall is not about the total height, but about the apparent height as exhibited by the outermost, lowest exterior walls.
 
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That design is not going to be disruptive. It's certainly not an "exceptional height" at seven stories. The densification of Eglinton is desperately needed.
 
Appeal Report to the next meeting of NYCC:


The objections of staff mirror fairly closely what I wrote on the preceding page.

The applicant has not shown a required dedicated for the widening of the Eglinton ROW which would likely be used as sidewalk space here.

The applicant's proposed streetwall is too much.

By proposing a tall building, on a site where the Secondary Plan doesn't envision one......the bar is high........the proposal as massed does not meet the requirements of the Tall Building guidelines, particularly as it pertains to setbacks.

As the City is considering converting the adjacent Green P lot to a public park, shadowing is also a concern.
 
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Denied by the OLT, principally on the issue of height. However rather than issuing an outright refusal, the OLT gave the city and developer a further opportunity to mediate and come to an agreement on a revised proposal within 6 months.


From the above decision:

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A couple of other key bits:

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***
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This illustration was submitted to show the context:

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My read:

- Setbacks on north elevation required

- Needs better wind mitigation

- Shadowing is acceptable

- Overhangs impeded street trees

- Overall height needs to come down at least somewhat.

- Strong case for greater height than 8s midrise.
 
Am I missing something here? The application was made for 19 storeys, but the refusal is for 31. In the AIC, unless I'm in the wrong portal, the uploaded materials are also for 19 storeys. Where did 31 come from?
 
Am I missing something here?

Yes, you are.

LOL

But in fairness, the rest of us are too.

I went back and looked at the last pre-merit Hearing CMC........and we were still at 19s.

So at some point, they resubmitted within the OLT process, which I know you can do (but shouldn't be allowed to..........imo)

The application was made for 19 storeys, but the refusal is for 31. In the AIC, unless I'm in the wrong portal, the uploaded materials are also for 19 storeys. Where did 31 come from?

So I don't know............but I did find an updated render in the decision:

1754109233777.png


@Paclo can have fun doing over this....
 
The 19 floor application was a far superior design. The 31 storey one is increadibly monolithic and soul-less. If they're going to more than double the height, can they not double the quality of the design??
 

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