On April 3, the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), the quasi-judicial body that handles development proposal appeals became the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT).

One of the most important changes is the introduction of a legal test the tribunal will now use to decide whether a development proposal can proceed. The LPAT will answer a simple "yes or no" legal test — ie. does the proposal follow the city's official planning rules? If not, the matter will be sent back to municipal councils to issue another decision. The tribunal will not make planning decisions itself, but under the LPAT's new guideline, community development decisions will better reflect the desires of the people within a respective community.

Before, due to lacking supports for citizens, many voiced their concern regarding the costs of participation as the OMB regulatory body was limiting. Now, with the establishment of the Local Planning Appeal Support Centre both legal and planning help for citizens and community associations will become more accessible. 

The new tribunal will offer help to community associations trying to navigate the appeals process through the Local Planning Appeal Support Centre (LPASC). The center, with a budget of $1.5 million, will offer planning and legal assistance for those who wish to participate in matters before the tribunal.

More weight is also being given to local councils. All hearings will consider only the decision made by local councils. There will be more accountability, as there will be no appeal if the city council decision adheres to its own planning rules. Thus, City councils will bear more responsibility under this model.

Following community meetings in June and October 2017, City Council has endorsed the Bloor Street West Planning Study Guiding Principles and have directed City Planning staff to review all current and future development applications for consistency with the Guiding Principles within the Planning Study Area from St. Helens Ave to Palmerson Ave. The Guiding Principles were developed with resident input and will inform the review of development applications and further work on the Bloor Street West Planning Study.

The Guiding Principles focus on five general themes: Supporting and Growing the Local Economy; Social Cohesion and a Strong Community; Form and Scale of Development; Heritage and Street Character: and Public Spaces, Connections and Sustainability. I encourage you to review the Guiding Principles and City staff report by clicking here.

Earlier this month, the City of Toronto Planning Division held an open house community meeting to discuss and gather residents' feedback on the revised Galleria Mall development proposal.

The revised application proposes the construction of 8 towers (reduced from 11), with a maximum height of 35-storeys (reduced from 42), an increase in the proportion of family sized units to 50% and the elimination of bachelor suites, the integration of 150 affordable housing units on site, a new Wallace Emerson Community Centre (double the current size), and an enlarged Wallace Emerson Park. The applicant has also included 2 new bus bays on Dufferin St to provide dedicated spaces for TTC bus loading.

The applicants also presented a construction phasing plan which seeks to ensure that access to the community centre is maintained at all times, with the new community centre to be constructed as part of Phase 1. City staff would undertake a separate design and community consultation process for the proposed new community centre and park space to ensure that the functional requirements and the community's priorities are wholly integrated into the design.

Residents at the meeting provided feedback on the revised proposal and raised concerns regarding traffic congestion, local transit services, and the amount of density proposed in the revised application. The applicant will be working together with City staff to incorporate this feedback into their proposal and I will continue to advocate for our community's priorities and keep you informed as this review process continues.

The revised proposal will go before the City's Design Review Panel for additional comments and City Planning staff expect to present a final report in Spring 2018 to the Toronto and East York Community Council.

City Planning staff have posted the associated documents with this proposal online at www.aic.to/GalleriaMall and you can continue to share your comments by contacting the City Planner, David Driedger, at [email protected] and by emailing me at [email protected].

On November 30, 2016 I held a community meeting to discuss with you the possibilities and our community's priorities for the redevelopment of the vacant TTC lands at 640 Lansdowne Ave. This site was put forward as one of 15 sites across the city through Toronto's Open Door Program which seeks to partner with non-profit and private developers to construct affordable housing in our city.

The development of the lands a 640 Lansdowne is an important opportunity to address some of the needs in our community. At the meeting, many of you indicated the importance of including housing for seniors who want to continue living in the community where they have made their lives and have created friendships and support networks. In addition I heard from many of you that you would like to see community services on the site, artist spaces and greenspace for our community to utilize. 

Thank you to the many of you who took the time to participate in this important discussion. All of the comments and feedback you provided will help to inform the next steps for this important site. I look forward to continuing this conversation with you as we work towards a community-led vision and plan for the redevelopment of this site.

The Urban Land Institute (ULI Toronto) is launching a unique mid-career leadership program for professionals working in the broader land use/city building realm. Led by former Toronto Chief Planner, Paul Bedford, 30 professionals spanning from architecture, urban planning and design, civil engineering and public infrastructure, law, finance, marketing and development will explore the precinct of the city centered by the intersection of Bloor and Dundas streets.

The area of study will straddle Wards 14 & 18, north to Dupont & Annette, east to Landsdowne, west to Parkside & Keele, and south to Howard Park and Dundas St. W. While the outputs of this educational endeavor are theoretical, the exercise presents a real world opportunity for local communities to interact with city builders to consider the future of our local neighbourhoods - how to protect, enhance and shape the development and infrastructure pressures that will define their futures.

The owners of the Galleria Mall have recently submitted their formal development application to the City of Toronto. This is the start of a long process and there will be many opportunities to engage our community in the consultations and review of this application in the coming months.

The redevelopment of the Galleria Mall represents a generational city-building opportunity which must also deliver benefits to our community. The application has some good features including a larger and renewed community center, a bigger Wallace Emerson Park and complete streets. However, there are serious issues with the density, height, traffic and transit impacts that need attention, to name a few. I will continue to advocate for more affordable housing to be included on this site and for a development which fits with the scale and needs of our community.

The owners of the Galleria Mall will be hosting their 3rd Open House this Saturday October 15, 2016 from 11:30am to 3:30pm at the Galleria Mall (in the space located between the LCBO and bakery) and I encourage you to attend. It is important that the developers hear from you and that the priorities and concerns of our community are heard. You can click the photo to the left for a closer view of the meeting notice.

With the formal application now submitted, the City's formal and extensive application review process will begin in the near future, which will provide several further opportunities to provide input and feedback on this proposal. I will continue to keep you informed with updates about this important matter and encourage you to review previous updates regarding Galleria Mall, please click here.

Last week you may have seen in the media that the 640 Lansdowne Ave site has been designated by the City of Toronto to be developed for affordable housing. You might be familiar with this from some of my previous updates included in my e-newsletters and my latest paper newsletter.

This site is one of fifteen pieces of surplus City owned land, worth just over $100 million dollars that has been identified for affordable housing development through the Open Door Program. This program is designed to ensure that our City builds more affordable housing faster and it utilizes City land and incentives to help accomplish this.

Each Open Door site is different and involves putting out a Request for Proposals (RFP) to private and not-for-profit sector developers and partners. The RFP could include criteria such as maximum rental/ownership costs per unit, the amount of units, the incorporation of not-for-profit community spaces, and other criteria which will vary depending on the site. Two successful RFPs on other sites have already been issued under this program.

Open Door sites are targeted towards members of our society including seniors, youth, working families, and many others. Rents through this program range on average from $934 to $1,166 for households with an average annual income of $37,000 to $47,000.

Our city is growing at a fast pace and our area is gentrifying, bringing with it challenges and opportunities. The rising costs of home ownership and rental accommodations are definitely one of those challenges. Rental vacancy rates are at an all-time low and prices are at an all-time high. We must do everything within our power to address the very basic need of affordable housing in our city.

What I hear more and more in our community is that people's parents can't afford to rent an apartment in the area or that their children can't afford to buy or rent anything. I've heard from seniors who want to live and stay in the community that they love and have lived in for so long. This program is about building housing for our seniors, ourselves and our children. This is about building an inclusive community where a family with an annual household income of $40,000 can continue to work, life and play our city.

Given the previous history and contamination of the site, any type of development would need to go through a rigorous environmental process regulated and overseen by the Province to ensure the health and safety of residents in the community and for the future occupants. In the case of this property, the 1/3 of the site closest to Lansdowne Ave is zoned mixed-use and any future development will involve community input. The remaining 2/3rds of the site is zoned as employment lands, which would provide a buffer with the train tracks and Nitta Gelatin facility to the located directly west. I would expect green space to be included in any future plans.

This community has come a long way in just 10 years. New families are moving in to the neighbourhood, our streets are much safer than before, new jobs are being created, and new rapid transit is being built right here in our community for the first time in decades. These are exciting times and we will need to learn and grow to capture what is taking place all around us and make our community even stronger.

I look forward to hosting a community meeting in November so that we can talk about some of these possibilities and to help feed the community's ideas into shaping a RFP. Once the meeting details have been confirmed, I will be sharing it with the community. In the meantime and as always, I look forward to continuing to keep you updated on this and other City of Toronto matters.

If you have any questions please free to contact my office at 416-392-7012 or via e-mail at councillor_bailã[email protected].

On May 7, 2016, the developers Freed and ELAD Canada hosted a community open house at the Galleria Mall as part of an ongoing consultation and visioning process for the development of the site.  After having chosen not to proceed with the previously approved 2004 development plans for the site, they are consulting the surrounding community to understand what the desired community outcomes for this project are. 

At the open house, the developers shared conceptual renderings on what the site might look like. It is important to note that these renderings do not necessarily represent the final proposal and that no official proposal has yet been made. The developers however are aiming to submit a proposal to the City in the fall.

The developers are intending to retain the currently existing 225,000 square feet of retail space elsewhere within the redeveloped site. The current vision for the site will include a mix of both smaller and larger retail spaces to provide more inclusive opportunities for a variety of establishments to operate. The plan is to integrate retail into a mixed use neighbourhood containing residential uses and community space. The developers have proposed the Wallace Emerson Community Centre be rebuilt and to revitalize the current park space. 

Many of you took the time to share your concerns and questions about this project with me at the meeting, including the need for a community and gathering space to be an important part of any proposal. As the developer moves this project forward I will continue to advocate for your interests to ensure the community benefits from whatever proposal is submitted. 

If you have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to contact my office and the developer to share your thoughts. I will make sure that our community's interests remain a guiding priority as this visioning process moves forward.

Over the past decade, the West Queen West neighbourhood has undergone substantial development.  While this development has been focused in the West Queen West triangle area bounded by Queen Street West, Sudbury Street and Dovercourt Road, adjacent neighbourhoods have also witnessed some development.  This development has typically consisted of either minor, or at times major renovations to existing homes.

As many of you would agree, Ward 18 is comprised of unique and exciting neighbourhoods, one of which is undoubtedly Beaconsfield Village.  The history of this neighbourhood dates back to the mid-1800s, when a series of streets were built in the former Brookfield estate.  At the time, Beaconsfield Avenue became famous in this newly built neighbourhood due to its beautiful Victorian row and semi-detached houses.

The majority of the houses on Beaconsfield Avenue were built between the 1880s and 1890s.  Given the history, many of them have been designated as 'Heritage Buildings' by City Council.  These late 19th century houses define, maintain and support the historical character of the street.

At the present time, the unique built form on Beaconsfield Avenue, between Queen Street West and Argyle Street remains considerably intact.  Nevertheless, the local community has voiced concern over the potential disruption that future building applications can have on the character and heritage of this street. 

In response to community concerns, I am pleased to inform you that I moved a motion at the Toronto and East York Community Council in November 2015 requesting that Beaconsfield Avenue, between Queen Street West and Argyle Street, be nominated for consideration as a Heritage Conservation District.  This motion, which was unanimously approved by me and my colleagues at Community Council has initiated the process of protecting the unique and historic built form on Beaconsfield Avenue.  I have included a copy of my motion for your reference below. 

Should you have any questions on this process, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (416) 392-7012.

Sincerely,

Ana Bailão
City Councillor
Ward 18, Davenport

Text of Motion to Toronto and East York Community Council

Chair and Members
Toronto and East York Community Council
100 Queen St. West
Toronto ON, M5H 2N2

November 10, 2015

Dear Chair and Members:

Re: Nomination of Beaconsfield Avenue for Heritage Conservation District Study

The history of Beaconsfield Village dates back to the mid-1800s when a series of streets were built on the former Brookfield estate in the area bounded by Ossington Avenue, Queen Street West, Dufferin Street and Dundas Street West.  Beaconsfield Avenue in particular became the trademark street of the newly built neighbourhood with its beautiful Victorian row, and semi-detached houses.  It was named after British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who was given the title 'Lord of Beaconsfield' by Queen Victoria.  

The houses on Beaconsfield Avenue and surrounding streets were built circa the 1880s and 1890s.   Many of the houses on Beaconsfield Avenue, between Queen Street West and Argyle Street, have been designated 'Heritage Buildings" by City Council, as they are well crafted examples of the late 19th century house form buildings that define, maintain and support the historical character of the street. 

To date, the distinct built form on Beaconsfield Avenue, between Queen Street West and Argyle Street, remains substantially intact; however, there are fears amongst community members that future building applications may eventually disrupt the character and heritage of this street.  A Heritage Conservation District study would help ensure that the late 19th century Victorian style built street is evaluated and preserved.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. That Toronto and East York Community Council

a)     Nominate Beaconsfield Avenue, between Queen Street West and Argyle Street, for consideration as a Heritage Conservation District;

b)     Request the Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, City Planning to review the nomination and bring forward a study authorization report should the area demonstrate sufficient cultural heritage value; and

c)     Request the Manager, Heritage Preservation Services to consider the nominated area for prioritization, should it satisfy all of the Council approved prioritization criteria.

Sincerely,

Ana Bailão
City Councillor
Ward 18, Davenport

In 2004 before I was elected to City Council, the previous owners of the Galleria Mall went through a re-zoning process, which was approved by the City to develop the Galleria Mall site. The initial plan for the site was to create a phased mixed-use commercial residential development containing 1,600 residential units in 6 buildings between 6 and 19 storeys in height as well as a block of twenty, 3 ½ story stacked townhouses on the site. More details on the initial approval can be found in this staff report. For whatever reason, the previous owners did not proceed with construction of the project. 

Fast forward to today and some of you may be aware that the Galleria Mall site was purchased in late 2015 by Freed Developments and ELAD Canada with an intention to develop the site. They have decided to not move forward with the previously approved plans and have indicated that they intent to submit a new development proposal. However, it is important to note that they do have the right to build what was previously approved. 

Due to the fact that the new developers intend to submit a new proposal for the site, community consultation is necessary. Given the large scale of the site and the need to provide the developers with a holistic understanding of the local community's needs/concerns, the developer is consulting local residents, businesses, and organizations before the formal consultation process required under the Planning Act. To date, many issues have been raised including the need to incorporate independent retail, a place for seniors to gather, affordability (both in terms of housing and retail), improved mobility and green space on the site, and the need to preserve the history of the site/neighbourhood. 

On January 23, the developers organized an open house to hear directly from local residents as to what they would like to see as part of the site's future development. The meeting was very well attended and residents provided a lot of feedback to the developers. They have also setup a website http://reimaginegalleria.com/ in order to update the community on their plans and to solicit feedback from residents. There will be another open house taking place on Saturday April 2 from 11am to 4pm. Once I have more details on this open house I will be sharing them with you. 

In the meantime, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at anytime.