Community Consultation Meeting – 1648-1670 Avenue Road
Planning, City of Toronto has scheduled a Virtual Community Consultation Meeting for residents to learn more about the development application at 1648-1670 Avenue Road and 405-470 Brookdale Avenue.
Monday, April 4, 2022 6:30 – 8:30 pm via Webex
Use this link to register to attend the Meeting
It will take you to a page with a list of consultations. Look for ‘1648-1670 Avenue Road’ and click on register. The next page will ask for your name and email, and then the city will send you an invitation link. To join by phone: on April 4th at 6:30 pm, the call-in number and the meeting number will be provided on the Engagement Webpage at http://www.toronto.ca/cpconsultations.
The application is to amend the Zoning By-law for the property to permit a 9-storey residential building with commercial uses at grade and 58 residential dwelling units. Access to a 2-level underground garage, with 87 vehicular and 90 bicycle parking spaces, is proposed from Brookdale Avenue. Visit the Application Information Centre to review the application materials.
SAHRA has reviewed the application and our primary areas of concern compared to the Avenue Road Avenue Study (ARAS) regulations are:
Height of 32.5 metres versus 22 metres permitted under ARAS
Stepbacks at at 4th and 6th floors versus at the top of the 2nd floor under ARAS
45 degree angular planes at the front and rear required by ARAS are not met
Lay-by parking on Avenue Road is being eliminated
We understand that there will be a payment-in-lieu of parkland dedication
We believe there may be a Section 37 assessment for this application
With each application on Upper Avenue there has been a steady increase in the height. The by-law height is 22.5m (73.8 ft) – the last approved development was 25/29.5m (82.1/96.8 ft) including the mechanical penthouse. This application wants a major increase to 32m (105 ft) plus 4.5m (14.8 ft) mechanical penthouse. Angular planes and stepbacks are planning tools which play a major role in modifying the massing impact of a development such as this. The Avenue Road Avenue Study regulations have been ignored. The building, essentially going straight up from Avenue Road, will be very impactful and is not in keeping with the condo developments to date.
We urge you to attend this Community Consultation to be well-informed and to show your concern.
A rezoning application for 1648-1670 Avenue Road (west side of Avenue Road from Cranbrooke to Brookdale across the road from the Avenue Nissan dealership) was submitted on Oct. 27, 2021.
The development plan is to transform the strip into a mixed-use building, with a total non-residential gross floor area of 830 square metres, and a residential gross floor area of 13,155 square metres. The proposed development is for a 9/10 storey building but it is 36.5 metres in height whereas the Avenue Road Avenue Study height limit is 22.5m so this building is 14 metres or 46 feet taller than permitted. The height is to allow 11’ floor to floor heights, 13 feet for the penthouse and 13 feet for the mechanical/amenity floor. This is substantially talker than the 3 buildings approved to date. There are also concerns about respecting angular plane requirements and balconies projecting into the required stepback.
A total of 58 residential dwelling units are proposed with 87 vehicular parking spaces (24 for visitors) and 90 bicycle parking spaces below grade. The residential units would be larger than an average condo building the majority, 55%, having three bedrooms.
Link to the City’s website where all the documents will be posted: http://app.toronto.ca/AIC/index.do?folderRsn=EkJrR1zoG6VYBG1%2BYZQDVQ%3D%3D
The Architectural Plans have been extracted here if you wish to review them:
1648 Avenue Road Architectural Plans – OCT 31 2021 (2)