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UrbanToronto readers know that contrary to the popular belief that the process of building a high-rise begins when shovels break the soil, developing a property in Toronto is actually a much more lengthy and complicated operation. Before any permits are issued a development proposal must leap through the proverbial rings of fire known as the planning process. With a complex array of zoning by-laws, and building guidelines to contend with, developers are facing increasing challenges like an ever increasing percentage of concerned locals when getting a proposal off the ground.
While for many neighbours the height of a proposal is generally their primary concern, many other factors come into play when City planners review a proposal. Even when the City considers a proposal's height to be appropriate, many other issues including shadowing, massing and setbacks, tower separation, wind mitigation, traffic generation, pedestrian access, and more are taken into consideration.
A recent proposal which has not satisfied the City's planning department is one by Greenpark Homes at 324-332 Richmond Street West. It has been issued a Refusal Report by the department which recommends that City Council turn down the necessary zoning amendments required for the project to proceed. The submission fails to adhere to the City’s Tall Buildings Design Criteria and also promises to cast an unacceptable amount of shadow on the Queen West shopping street. The proposed 24-storey condominium tower, which would be located next door to the now-under-construction Picasso in the Entertainment District, was formerly home to a quaint row of Victorian houses (visible below, but now demolished by the developer) while the warehouse onsite remains on the left for the time being.
The mixed-use, Core Architects-designed tower proposes to rise 74.2 meters to the uppermost residential floor. The proposal calls for 295 residential units situated atop a commercial/retail base. Included in the submission is a 5-storey underground parking garage containing 100 residential parking spaces, as well as 29 commercial spaces, 2 car share spaces and 223 bicycle parking spots.
With the last few years producing a rapid influx of new downtown residents, City staffers are faced with an increasing set of challenges in finding a balance between livability and the market demand for downtown residential property. In a city being forced to abandon its two-dimensional mentality of low-rise suburban expansion and instead grow vertically, height becomes an increasingly less-relevant issue among planners. Recent trends in Toronto’s planning community place emphasis on both the livability for a tower’s residents and the public’s interaction with the building at grade.
Though Greenpark’s proposal was deemed an appropriate height for the area, the plans neglected to properly address both street-level shadowing and the spacing between the new development and the under-construction Picasso condominium located just next door. The refusal report specifically notes how the proposed building would cast shadows on Queen St. and the surrounding heritage district during mid-day hours, while also adding that additional height would be acceptable for the location, assuming that the separation and shadowing issues are addressed in a revised submission.
The Queen West Heritage Conservation District was created by the City to preserve and maintain the area and its unique historic aesthetic. Hours of sunlight is a primary concern in keeping the neighbourhood vibe intact, and is among the major reasons that the refusal report was issued.
Greenpark requested that Toronto East York Council defer consideration of the report until June as they study their options to move forward.
We will be sure to keep you updated as more information becomes available. In the meantime to learn more and read the full report check out our related Projects & Construction Forum thread, linked here.
